Short tube header or long tube header?

[98 z-two-8]

What is the difference between the two styles and which brands have you guys had experience with? I really need some help choosing the exhaust system components!! thanks guys

[macz28]

Long tubes = More performance
But harder to work with, harder to make emissions legal, and illegal to have in CA. I will be going Long tubes with a true dual set up as well, and emissions legal. Hard to do, but def worth it in the long run. As they say, every1(almost every1) who gets shorties always ends up getting long tubes.

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

Mac46 is right....but watch out for emissions. I move around a lot so I went with the shorties. There was a small performance gain, but they made the exhaust sound sooo much better!! And they're legal no matter where I end up....

Pensacola, eh? I sold my first Camaro down there. It's a Bright Green 98....I think the dealership ended up puting tan pinstripes on the side...

[98 z-two-8]

Florida emmissions

florida has no emmissions inspection that im aware of am i right?.. mine is a white z from alabama with the sport appearance package... Also any brand of header in the long tube to reccommend?

[FRMLAV8]

Hooker long tubes seem to be the most reccomended. Just don't get the Hooker coating. It peels and flakes a week after you put the headers on. Look into Jet hot coating, or a nickelplating.

[Mixedpuppy]

I hate emmissions laws. The state of Ohio has only certain counties that you have to get what they call an E-Check on your car. I had that done once when I got my car registered in Ohio coming back after being stationed in Korea. This is what my friend did with his car. Have it registered with a relative in another state or country with no emmisions laws. I don't know if California has problems but they would have to pull over every out of state vehicle that came around. Just out of curiosity how do you make a late Gen. F-Body emmisions compliant with longtube headers?

[Injuneer]

He has a 98. The exhaust system is totally different than the LT1 dual cat cars. I think the cats are located further from the engine, allowing longer tubes to be used.

Longer tubes lower the rpm point for peak torque.... so they can be very good for "street" driving. Shorter tubes raise the rpm for peak torque, so there are cases on "track" engines where short tubes can be better.

The LS1 responds very well to LT's. SLP, Hooker, Pace, FLP all make them. You can get 1-3/4" or even 1-7/8" primaries for the LS1. MAC makes a "mid-length" that produces some decent results.

[Dan B. 96 T/A]

First choice: SLP makes a great header and the coating is guaranteed not to rust.

Second choice: Hooker. Budget price.

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

Hey...98's don't have that PITA Exhaust Gas Recirculation do they?

I forgot that. That would mean making longtubes emissions compliant would be a lot easier!

[Hyper94uznj]

Fred - what do you know about long tubes with NJ emmisionsfor a 94 LT1? This would be a good time for me to do it, but not iff it wont pass inspection.

Thanks

Hyper

[Injuneer]

There is nothing inherent to a long tube header design that would alter what comes out the tailpipe. As long as you have the cats in the system and they get warm enough to work, you will pass emissions.

Where you run into problems is IF they do a "visual", and IF they know what they are looking at. Since the long tubes use two cats instead of the one your 94 came with, and since they are "relocated" from stock, they violate FEDERAL emissions laws. A good inspector - the kind they use in the Gestapo squads that set up on the side of the road, pull you over and do a full rolling emissions and visual test - will know the LT's aren't legal. I doubt the average inspector employed by the State inspection stations (run by the incrdibly crooked Parson Corporation ) will A) probably not look and B) wouldn't know what he was looking at.

I had my car done by a "local" authorized service station. The guy had no problem setting the dyno in "training" mode (they can not run it in the official "test" mode without a VIN and a record of the test), and tweek the computer. Then he looked to "vereify" that I had cats.... he said the State told him he only had to verify there were cats on the car, not worry about where they are located.

A lot of this might have changed in the last few years. The State DMV sends "rigged" cars to the private stations, and if they pass them, the owner and the mechanic end up in a special "emissions" court, and are open to fines of up to $10,000 and 6 months in jail. So "having a friend" in the inspection buisness is not as easy as it used to be.

[FRMLAV8]

I just had a 383 stroker put in my 93 Formula, with an LT4 hotcam, RR's, and Ported and Polished heads. I also have Hooker shorty headers w/ a hiflow cat.

I took it down Wed. for the E-Check and it aced it. It was no where close to the limits on the tests. So i think you could do almost anything you want to a car and as long as you have a cat on there it will pass. Just like Fred said, as long as the cat is working it will make up for a lot!

[Jay 02 TA ws6]

I love Michigan... no inspections. I could run open headers if there weren't noise restrictions

[Tundrahog]

Illinois....plug in the OBDII. If you don't through any codes you pass. Whooo-Hooo

[Injuneer]

NJ is going to OBD-II PCM scan for codes, in lieu of rolling dyno test... not sure when though. Pre-1996 cars still require dyno test.

I want my car classified as a "LUMP"..... limited use modified production. Limited use means 2,500 miles per year, and the only inspection is to verify the odometer is working and that is hasn't gone more than 2,500 miles since last inspection. Car must be insured as a "LUMP"..... Catch 22 used to be that there were no insurance co's in NJ licensed to sell LUMP insurance, but I now see a couple of collector, classic and show car insurers advertising that they are "licensed in all 50 states". I got a quote form one of them for $400 per year on a $25,000 declared value. Not sure if they cover "competition" accidents.....