I effen hate California smog laws. What a bunch of BS! Do reliability mods on your car regardless how clean your motor runs and you're still screwed! My mechanic says I need to put on the original intercooler, take off the downpipe, remove the power FC, remove the air intake. Replace it all with stock equipment, and don't forget the pre cat just to pass visual1 Then I've got to pass emissions as well!
Help! Anyone out there got any suggestions other than selling my car, doing an LS1 swap, or just let it become a garage queen?
Any help appreciated!

 

take off everything unfortunately... then when you pass... swap the parts back in.

 

i dont know what the exact law is in cali but u shouldnt have to take all that stuff off to pass the visual, as long as u have a cat i dont see why a different intercooler and/or intake would effect things

 

you will need a main cat and a working air pump. remove the pfc so the check engine light will come on. the rest will pass. the only thing that may be asked for is a c.a.r.b number for the air intake. to be safe put the stock air box back on.

Jeff

 

You need to go to a different test station. I've been to several and the technicians knew nothing about downpipes.

However, you do need to swap out the PFC for a stock ECU because it will not cycle the CEL at key-on, and most technicians will not pass a car with intakes or intercoolers if they don't have CARB numbers on them. (Even though technically an IC may not require a CARB number.)