Headers for my Cali Tahoe

[ediDJ13]

So, I want to install some shorty headers for my 04 Tahoe 4WD. I'm the 3rd owner of my Tahoe and records show the vehicle has been in Cali its whole life. Are headers a direct bolt for my Tahoe or do I need to find Cali Carb specific ones? I.e. For the egr system. Is there a company that makes such headers?


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[hoss08]

If you live in Cali and that truck is registered in Cali then yes, you would need carb certified headers. Check around with some of the sponsors and see if they have any headers that are carb certified, I'm pretty sure JBA and Gibson make carb compliant shorties. If your going through the trouble of putting headers on you should really consider long tubes, as long as they are a viable option for you.

 

[4WDTRK]

I did a bit of research into this as I wanted to do headers too. Basically the info I received from a reputable shop was that long tubes were out due to the need for cats in Cali. As far as shortys I was told you wouldn't get any noticeable gain over stock. If you have the money to burn you can put shortys, but don't expect anything noticeable.

If you are in the socal area give Scotties muffler a call in San Bernardino. VERY knowledgable place that does great work!

 

[TheAutumnWind]

I did a bit of research into this as I wanted to do headers too. Basically the info I received from a reputable shop was that long tubes were out due to the need for cats in Cali. As far as shortys I was told you wouldn't get any noticeable gain over stock. If you have the money to burn you can put shortys, but don't expect anything noticeable.

If you are in the socal area give Scotties muffler a call in San Bernardino. VERY knowledgable place that does great work!

I know what I put headers on my Camaro there were no 50 state legal (CA) long tubes. And generally the consensus is that the performance per $ isnt great

 

[ediDJ13]

What if I did, say... Gibson Shorties and Magnaflow y-Pipe with their high flow cats in combination. There's gotta be some increase there... I've already got the Magnaflow 3" cat back.


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[hoss08]

I don't know what the legality standpoint would be, but you could add cats to a set of long tubes. You'd just need to have a custom Y pipe made up with your choice of cats. But if you went with the Gibson shorties and high flows it wouldn't hurt, it just wouldn't really be worth the cost, labor and risk. Not sure if the manifold bolt issues effect you guys in Cali but back here in the rust belt the heads have actually been known to rust off. From what I understand GM used some pretty crappy bolts from the factory on these trucks making them a weak point. Basically my point is its always possible to break the head off a manifold bolt when you are removing them. If that happens your going to hate life. Not trying to scare you away from headers but its just a risk to consider before diving into this project.
Out of curiosity how strict is Cali with mods out there? I assume you guys have to get yearly inspections, but do they really get that in depth with looking for mods and 50 state legal stickers ect? Do you guys really think an inspector would spot a pair of shorties if the truck passed the sniffer test?