This is topic smog help (C.A.R.B #) in forum Tech Talk at Northern California Ford Owners  .


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Posted by losbadgts (Member # 4394) on :
 
ok yesterday my wife took the 5.0 to get smog since it's able to, ok i have a mac h pipe with two cats and mac cat back made to dumps, so the smog place told her that the car is missing two cats and she had already paid cause the car had already had passed most of the test, i know for a fact that the car can passed smog with that h-pipe and i'm going back today but i need the C.A.R.B # for that h pipe and i can't find it.
 

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Posted by 92stangLX (Member # 3252) on :
 
You can try looking here:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/devices/amquery.php

Otherwise just give MAC a call and have them give it to you. I'm not sure if those H-pipes are CARB approved though
 

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Posted by Wolfie351 (Member # 651) on :
 
Cats don't have CARB #s, they are considered stock replacement parts. Although, you are required to retain the same number of cats as you had stock. Take it to a different shop, usually they don't check that closely
 

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Posted by a50sn95 (Member # 527) on :
 
You're not going to like my answer...
Nope. There are no "legal" h-pipes for our cars. Meaning there are no h-pipes with CARB numbers. If you look, they all say "49-state" legal. If they had a CARB number, they'd be 50 state legal. Even Magnaflow, which SAYS theirs is 50 state legal, doesn't provide a CARB number, which means it's never been certified on a car. They're just referring to the fact that the CONVERTERS in the pipe are legal if you use them to replace a bad converter in your stock pipe, and it will pass the technical part of the test. It's the visual part you are trying to get around, now.
This basically comes down to the Technician doing your smog. He was probably jealous that your wife drove a better car than he did. The way the laws are written, he can fail you for only 2 converters. I don't know an easy way for you to get around this, especially at that shop. If you have the stock H-pipe, put it back on. If not, beg, borrow, or steal one from someone.
Or, just blow this shop off, and find another one that's not so.....
Or, fork over some bucks for a muffler shop to put on 2 more cats. (not a good option)
If it were me, I'd find another shop. Ask around on here. That's likely be the least expensive at this point.
Sorry....
FWIW, Some people buy a used stock H-pipe for their cars, and swap it every 2 years. Since a catted h-pipe would be pointless, they just use an off-road h pipe the rest of the time. If they COULD smog an aftermarket pipe, they'd have bought one. So instead, some people run around with an off-road pipe. If the state could see their way to allow those pipes, the air would actually be cleaner. Thy're just shooting themselves in the foot....
 

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Posted by Jimbo (Member # 1456) on :
 
Yeah like everyone else has said technically your supposed to have four cats on that car. I guess the penalties for smog techs are high enough now that more and more are trying to do it right.

I also agree that you should never buy catted x/h pipes, just get the off road one and keep your stock setup and swap it on every two years.


a50sn95...just curious, what kind of setup should the state allow that would make the air cleaner?

[ December 01, 2005, 03:53 PM: Message edited by: Jimbo ]
 

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Posted by NO MANRZ (Member # 566) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by a50sn95:
If the state could see their way to allow those pipes, the air would actually be cleaner. Thy're just shooting themselves in the foot....

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quote:

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Originally posted by a50sn95:
You're not going to like my answer...
Nope. There are no "legal" h-pipes for our cars. Meaning there are no h-pipes with CARB numbers. If you look, they all say "49-state" legal. If they had a CARB number, they'd be 50 state legal. Even Magnaflow, which SAYS theirs is 50 state legal, doesn't provide a CARB number, which means it's never been certified on a car. They're just referring to the fact that the CONVERTERS in the pipe are legal if you use them to replace a bad converter in your stock pipe, and it will pass the technical part of the test. It's the visual part you are trying to get around, now.
This basically comes down to the Technician doing your smog. He was probably jealous that your wife drove a better car than he did. The way the laws are written, he can fail you for only 2 converters. I don't know an easy way for you to get around this, especially at that shop. If you have the stock H-pipe, put it back on. If not, beg, borrow, or steal one from someone.
Or, just blow this shop off, and find another one that's not so.....
Or, fork over some bucks for a muffler shop to put on 2 more cats. (not a good option)
If it were me, I'd find another shop. Ask around on here. That's likely be the least expensive at this point.
Sorry....
FWIW, Some people buy a used stock H-pipe for their cars, and swap it every 2 years. Since a catted h-pipe would be pointless, they just use an off-road h pipe the rest of the time. If they COULD smog an aftermarket pipe, they'd have bought one. So instead, some people run around with an off-road pipe. If the state could see their way to allow those pipes, the air would actually be cleaner. Thy're just shooting themselves in the foot....

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That's kinda what I thought too. I have passed smog w/ my MAC catted h-pipe.

Take it to another shop and ask them to do a visual before you pay
 

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Posted by losbadgts (Member # 4394) on :
 
since my wife had already payed i guess i have to go back there and get my money back or just put my stock one back on, I just really hate doing the whole swap shit, oh well i guess i have no other choice.

Thanks guys

[ December 01, 2005, 06:33 PM: Message edited by: losbadgts ]
 

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Posted by X97headswap (Member # 5210) on :
 
At least you aren't required to have 6 cats like I did on my 97GT!!!!!!!!!!!That has to be some kind of a record! Good luck...........
 

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Posted by Eagle347 (Member # 6205) on :
 
nomanrz, he's saying that if they would allow aftermarket X/H pipes with cats people would use them instead of running pipes with no cats at all, and just putting stock ones on for smog.
 

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Posted by blind (Member # 3052) on :
 
magnaflow sells a carb # legal H-pipe and X-pipe with cats, check magnaflow.com and see for yourself
 

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Posted by X97headswap (Member # 5210) on :
 
QUOTE: magnaflow sells a carb # legal H-pipe and X-pipe with cats, check magnaflow.com and see for yourself.


That's a little mis-leading. While the cats themselves may be legal, the "setup isn't. If your car came with (4) cats from the factory, it has to have (4) cats PERIOD. Call them and ask if their x-pipe w/ (2) cats has an E.O. #, it won't. It isn't possible because they are altering an emission device. Deleting (2) cats is considered tampering/removing an emission device, and therefore illegal.
 

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Posted by blind (Member # 3052) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by X97headswap:
QUOTE: magnaflow sells a carb # legal H-pipe and X-pipe with cats, check magnaflow.com and see for yourself.


That's a little mis-leading. While the cats themselves may be legal, the "setup isn't. If your car came with (4) cats from the factory, it has to have (4) cats PERIOD. Call them and ask if their x-pipe w/ (2) cats has an E.O. #, it won't. It isn't possible because they are altering an emission device. Deleting (2) cats is considered tampering/removing an emission device, and therefore illegal.

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quote:

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Originally posted by X97headswap:
The 88 GT's must not have (4) cats like stated above then. Either the earlier GT's don't have (4) cats, or CARB doesn't care about the removal of cats on an OBD I car. I know on OBD II cars you need the same amount of cats that the car came with, and they have to be OEM or OEM replacements. I'd be interested to know what the deal is.....

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all 5.0's have 4 cats from the factory.

yes, OBDII has different rules, I couldn't even use a magnaflow cat on my truck when the cat went bad, I brought one to the muffler shop and they handed me a printed paper notice of the requirements for OBDII (96+) cars in regaurds to replacing the cat, OEM only $700 for my truck...
 

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Posted by cdog301 (Member # 5136) on :
 
Lesson number Never send a woman to the shop with a car alone no matter what has to be done to it period!
 

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Posted by 89saleen (Member # 3083) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by blind:

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[/QUOTE]
The smog tech can fail you for any reason he wants no matter whos on the phone. He may not like the color of your shirt that day for that matter..
It all comes down to the tech. They have the right to refuse service. Some are car guys and are into you passing,- and some are like Chevy guys or something and arent real pleased with your car from the getgo. Doomed.
My oppinion.
 

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Posted by a50sn95 (Member # 527) on :
 
I haven't checked this in a while, but yeah, my response to Jimbo is that the H-pipe should be legal if it passes the tailpipe test. I'm sure the Magnaflow and Bassani cats are FAR better than what came stock, and if they we allowed on a car, then that person might be willing to get a catted H-pipe.
And for some cars the OEM replacement h-pipe is upwards of 2 grand. What is that person going to do when it fails. The car will get parked because it can't "pass" smog. That's the states current method of cleaning the air. Get the old cars off the road.
Technically, I think ANY car that still passes the tailpipe sniffer should be allowed in California. Instead we are found GUILTY before the car is even tested.
 

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Posted by CobramanPhil (Member # 2170) on :
 
Another cheap alternate is to weld fake enclosures to get a total count of 4 Much cheaper then having to buy a stock pipe or actually welding on two additional cats...

I seriously think that smog should just stick to the sniffer check. I mean that is what is important...as far as clean air goes

[ December 07, 2005, 12:18 AM: Message edited by: CobramanPhil ]
 

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Posted by Jmir018 (Member # 1414) on :
 
well.. we swapped his hpipe for the stock unit last night. now, it should pass with flying colors.
 

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Posted by cdog301 (Member # 5136) on :
 
JMIR018

Hey man The coupe passed smog with flying colors monday! Are you redy for the final?
Later
C

[ December 07, 2005, 08:34 PM: Message edited by: cdog301 ]
 

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Posted by losbadgts (Member # 4394) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by cdog301:
Lesson number Never send a woman to the shop with a car alone no matter what has to be done to it period!

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quote:

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Originally posted by cdog301:
JMIR018

Hey man The coupe passed smog with flying colors monday! Are you redy for the final?
Later
C

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