California Legal Exhaust system

[centralcoaster33]

Hey everybody,I really need some help with this. To start, I'll say I did a lot of searching before trying to post this new topic and I did not find what I am looking for. I have a 1997 (actually late 1996 but with newer body style) Nissan 240SX SE 5-speed, all stock, with the KA24DE. I do not have plans to drop in the old SR20DET or to turbo the KA24DE. Someday I might do the intake, head, cams, and ECU. I live in California and must maintain CARB and SMOG street legal status.

As of yesterday morning, I have found two new leaks in the system, both before and after the cat. My car is really loud and rattling now. My manifold is covered in rust. All of my nut and bolts at the flanges are rusted. All of my heat shields are rusted or falling off, except the big one around the manifold. My muffler’s outer shell is mostly fallen off and is all rust. My cat is rusted all over the flanges, heat shields, and everywhere I can see in between. No check engine lights are coming on yet.

So far I've found an exhaust manifold by Greddy with and Executive Order D-397-8 that fits my engine. The local smog guy says that's okay if I put the EO sticker on my hood. I've also found that Magnaflow makes the 43000 OBD-II CARB Compliant catalytic converters. Smog guy says cats should last the life of a vehicle, but he hasn't seen my rust/ swiss cheese cat. I haven't found a cat-back exhaust yet, because I don't know exactly what size the piping is on the Greddy manifold. Smog guy says the cat-back is legal as long as its less than 95 or 92 Db (I don't recall which).

It's all nuts and bolts from what I can tell, so I plan to do the installation myself (unless directed otherwise). I need advice on selecting parts, legal procedures, and assembly. It's important that I have all the parts and tools ordered and at hand when I perform the installation. They obviously need to fit together with no modifications. My goal is to replace the rust, be as quiet as possible, and increase flow/ decrease backpressure.

So, what can you tell me about the size of the manifold I've found? What cat-back exhausts and sizes are recommended? What sort of sensors should I worry about? What if my sensor is rusted onto the exhaust? Does anybody know if I'll need a pipe between the manifold to connect to the Cat? This whole post is a question, so any information you have to offer I appreciate greatly. I really hope my next post is a step by step instruction on how to install a street legal exhaust system for California residents.

Thanks

[Bigvinnie]

In order to keep the decibals low you will want to get a 2.5" CAT back exhaust. Anything that is sold between 65mm and 75mm in pipe diameter should do you just fine. I was cheap and just got a pacesetter monza Exhaust.As far as a CAT you should get a high flow catylitic, in the recomended 2.5" inlet/outlet.I purchased a cat without the flanges for $45 on ebay "CATCO" brand and it is Cali legal, I just had my car smogged with it. Excellent results catco cats are universal.My header selection was a bit different, I can't help you there. I'm using the DC sports on my 91 KA24de. But in my opinion stay away from the 4-1 headers, KA's are known to dyno dip in the midrange with the 4-1........

[centralcoaster33]

Thanks for the reply. I wish more people would speak up, especially someone with the same kind of exhaust system. It seems like the 97-98 was different from the others. My car seems to have two cats. Perhaps the second one is just a cat shaped resonator. Can anyone confirm this? Is there a catalyst in the second cat? It seems most cat back systems replace it with just a pipe, some with a resonator, and some look like the cat shape, but I don't know. Megan Racing seems to have one with dual tips and no resonator and another with a resonator and single tip. Has anybody used that? What's this about a dip in midrange power? Would that dip actually be lower than stock? I ask because the Greddy street-legal header for the nissan is a 4-1, but it's the only one out there with and EO sticker for my year. It's already out of production, which I think sucks. That just means no one makes a legal header for my car. Your cat didn't come with the flanges. So what do the muffler guys charge to weld them on? I might just get one from PDM with the flanges. Did you just bring parts in and have them installed or did you do it yourself? I want to do it myself. Did it cost much or take long? Are there any special handling techniques when disconnecting and reconnecting the sensors on the manifold and before the cat? Did you replace those also? Did the manifold go all the way to the cat?

[Bigvinnie]

Well I can confirm that the 97-98 KA's use only one CAT, which is butted right up to the mani, the other one that looks like a cat is only the resinator. It's a pretty useless piece of equipment if you ask me(The resinator).Overall the KA makes a dyno dip in the midrange. It is much more noticeable with the 4-1 headers, instead of using the 4-2-1 headers. Although the 4-2-1 also make a slight dip that is barrelly noticeable.Hey if the G reddy is all you can get your hands on with the carb EO then use it.Did my own install took 3 hours with header, CAT, and CAT back.If you can't get a CAT with flanges and you can't weld you will pay relatively $80-$120 to have a muffler shop weld it for you.

[centralcoaster33]

Thanks for the knowledge Bigvinnie. It’s too bad about the midrange, but I don’t know of any other option (unless ARB hasn’t updated their website). It’s is going to be hard to find the header because Greddy says they stopped making it and I’m having trouble finding a 2.5” cat back exhaust. It’s good to hear you did it yourself and that it didn’t take all day. What kinds of tools did you use? I imagine this will be my excuse to buy a torque wrench (assuming I need one for the header?) but what else might I want? And what about the two air sensors? Can those be cleaned and are they delicate?

[2.240s]

Just woundering is the DC header 4-2-1,if so thats the one to get? I have a hotshot right now didnt notice much power increase. And the hotshot is not smog legal ,and thats no fun to deal with.

[centralcoaster33]

FYI-This is a website to check out for executive orders on exhaust. There's lots more info about other upgrades on that site. The DC headers are legal on many Honda/ Acura applications. Nissan doesn't seem to be listed though. The headers are a 4-2-1 for the KA.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/a...e.php

[centralcoaster33]

Hmmm, that link wasn't quite right. You'll have to go to this one. Select Device type - Exhaust System/ Exhaust Modification and search. http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/a...y.php

[centralcoaster33]

BigVinnie, How did you pass smog with the headers on? Does it have anything to do with your car being OBD-1?

[Bigvinnie]

BigVinnie, How did you pass smog with the headers on? Does it have anything to do with your car being OBD-1?

I know the smog guy....My car didn't legally pass, my hydrocarbons went through the roof on advanced timing, but we were able to pull the engine into 3rd gear dropping the emissions at lower rpm, while fooling the computer that we were in second gear......... Plus it didn't legally pass the visual.....I emailed DC sports on the concern about there so called "50state Legality". Suposedly there have been numerous changes to the DC sports header for the obd1 KA24de. I think the main concern was the placement of the o2 sensor, and the collector size was reduced for emissions purposes, DC claims that they are working to get the the carb E.O for Nissan.I purchased the header and am waiting for the exemption stickers, hopefully by the middle of next year. Either that or I want a full refund, they simply can't charge the kind of prices they do on a wanna be 50state street legal, when they sell the headers for the honda's at the same price with the exemption.......Plus DC sports in there advertising claimed that my header was atrue 50 state street legal header......

[centralcoaster33]

Wow, don't get pulled over man. You're kinda lucky and unlucky at the same time. I can empathize with your situation, I'd be pissed at DC to. False advertising! It's bad news to hear the emissions levels went through the roof. I understand that, even with an EO, your vehicle must still pass emissions, and be quieter than 95dB. Better stay tight with your smog buddy. I'm gonna write DC about the issue (mine not yours). I wonder what can be done to expidite the EO application process. I need a header and I'm not planning on settling for overpriced OEM crap! I'll move to Nevada first. CARB bastards! Aaurgghh!!! Hmmm, I'm getting frustrated.

[mick]

Are the DC Sports Headers legal in California now? CARB stickered?

[liquid_cool]

nothing is legal in california..that state is full of tree hugging wacko's who hate everything internal combustion..even if ya have a sticker saying its legal..they still stress over it...my advice...leave the great broke state of go gree liberalisem and do-nothing-nosy-libs..and come to a nice , no smog state like arizona!...or rual nevada!..p.s. lincoln county nevada outside of vegas..is smog exempt!..and only 35. bucks to register!

[centralcoaster33]

Arizona! If 240's could actually go 240mph, then maybe those straight desert highways could be fun, but they don't so they're not! CA is the left wing, communistic, unshaven, pot smokin', tree huggin', planet saving land of fruits and nuts, but... We have killer, no, THE BEST, roads compared to anywhere on earth! Switzerland is a close second. Nevada is only okay because it's so close to CA, has mountain passes and a similar latitude. So you could ignore SMOG, live there and still drive here.

PS I got my Greddy header! The butt dyno actually feels this upgrade! No losses in low RPM and gains from 3,500 up! Pretty loud though... Ticketed in San Benito (for noise, not the header specifically, simple 10$ fix it ticket)

[Wc240]

dc is one of the few companys that make a legal header. its hard and expensive to stay legal here. but if its your daily, its almost a must.you can go to the state website and find any carb legal part for your car and who makes it