Turbo emissions blues

[mrbean]

So I live in CA... 91 octane gas... nosy cops... toughest emission laws on the planet.

I want to turbo my KA. Is this doable?

By doable, I mean:

- CARB legal (dunno what that means actually...)

- Pass smog (w/o replacing any parts before the test)

- Won't get stopped for noise (running my RSR ExMag GTII exhaust w/o silencer)

- Maintain longevity of turbo and other parts (Even with crappy 91 octane gas)

I know there are some cool KAT's in California, so please let me know how you cope (or don't...) Any tips for someone just dreaming right now?

[aleph1]

1- No, Greddy kit is still pending CARB legal. In Cali, one of the tests to pass smog is a visual inspection, if the part is not CARB certified, you dont pass. Just another way for the state to make money IMHO. Only solution: Illegal smog check.

2- Technically its possible to pass the smog requirements depending on where you live, turn boost way down and dont remove any emissions equipment from the car. But overall, you cant PASS the whole test, refer to 1.

3- Depends on the cop. Some will think its too loud and stop, with or without a test with a db meter. But in general I wouldnt worry about it. If it is a problem, carry your silencer with you.

4- This has nothing to do with california, its up to you. I wouldnt run more than 9psi on 91 to be safe.

[mrbean]

Thanks aleph... This is most depressing... Gotta look up some shady mechanics, I guess...

I thought of 1 more thing. How would a hi-flow cat fare in CA? It's not as clean as a regular cat, right?

[aleph1]

A high flow cat, such as Random Tech or Catco, should be equal to or better than your stock cat.

[C-Kwik]

as Aleph already said, it's the visual that is the problem. With all the smog equipment still on the car, a turbo should still allow the car to pass the chemical part of the test. But you need to pass both. I got lucky and found a shop that ignored the visual, but a week later, they wouldn't do the same for a friend of mine.