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California headers???

speakez6, nice job! Looks like it will all work out real well and also keep the DMV off your a**. Give an update when its all done.
 
41565chevelle said:
speakez6, nice job! Looks like it will all work out real well and also keep the DMV off your a**. Give an update when its all done.
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Will do. Finished the header install, right now doing a 4" lift and then I'll take it in and get the crossover pipe fabbed up. I've been modifying the truck more tha I've been driving it! lol
 
Yeah, common theme. I just installed the TBI back on mine and want to go to headers and seep set up and loose the air pump. It would smog as a 1991 which did not have the air nonsense. Good luck with the lift.
 
41565chevelle said:
Yeah, common theme. I just installed the TBI back on mine and want to go to headers and seep set up and loose the air pump. It would smog as a 1991 which did not have the air nonsense. Good luck with the lift.
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So, if you go to the 91' Ecu and serp setup, you can lose all the AIR stuff? Is that right? Yeah also just finished rebuilding my TBI, throttle body and pod spacer, adj FPR, and fuel filter...MSD ign...Perf distributor ICM...waterpump...etc..i've been busy
 
From what I understand, and know from past experiences, yes. I had a 91 c1500 with the serp system and without an air pump. The exhaust manifolds were bare without plugs where the air ports go. So now I am looking for those exhaust manifolds or CARB headers. I can then put on the serp system and swap the alternator and A/C compressor sides. I loose the air pump but can put in a pulley for the deleted air pump. Some of the serp systems do not have the provision for the pump, but the older ones do since Chevy had a bunch to get rid of.

The kicker is the computer. I have a computer for a California 5.7l from a 1991. Now the truck gets smog checked to the newer year. Now, since you did all that with the TBI, you are burning super clean, considering you have the fancy exhaust and all. I think you could go without the air pump, plug the ports and do the serp system. All you tell the shop is you upgraded to a 1991 Chevy 5.7l engine. Its all the same, just w/o the air pump.

I have the same identical system you have in your photos.

I had my carb (PO) go to crap on me. I had to do an adapter plate for the TBI to the Edelbrock intake. Then the TBI hit the EGR which had been smashed underneath and group to make room for the carb (PO). I added the spacer to lift the TBI, which now pushed the linkage up almost 2" and back 1.5". Had to do a new distributor, cap, rotor, wires, EGR, factory coil as well as modify every vacuum hose in there. I then had to do a new in tank fuel pump, inline fuel filter and then line from there to the TBI. I had to get a bunch of parts for Pick a Part to make it all work. Including the air pump hose and air filter housing like yours.

Been busy and had to have the shop do a bunch of the work due a lot of electrical stuff I suck at.
 
41565chevelle said:
From what I understand, and know from past experiences, yes. I had a 91 c1500 with the serp system and without an air pump. The exhaust manifolds were bare without plugs where the air ports go. So now I am looking for those exhaust manifolds or CARB headers. I can then put on the serp system and swap the alternator and A/C compressor sides. I loose the air pump but can put in a pulley for the deleted air pump. Some of the serp systems do not have the provision for the pump, but the older ones do since Chevy had a bunch to get rid of.

The kicker is the computer. I have a computer for a California 5.7l from a 1991. Now the truck gets smog checked to the newer year. Now, since you did all that with the TBI, you are burning super clean, considering you have the fancy exhaust and all. I think you could go without the air pump, plug the ports and do the serp system. All you tell the shop is you upgraded to a 1991 Chevy 5.7l engine. Its all the same, just w/o the air pump.

I have the same identical system you have in your photos.

I had my carb (PO) go to crap on me. I had to do an adapter plate for the TBI to the Edelbrock intake. Then the TBI hit the EGR which had been smashed underneath and group to make room for the carb (PO). I added the spacer to lift the TBI, which now pushed the linkage up almost 2" and back 1.5". Had to do a new distributor, cap, rotor, wires, EGR, factory coil as well as modify every vacuum hose in there. I then had to do a new in tank fuel pump, inline fuel filter and then line from there to the TBI. I had to get a bunch of parts for Pick a Part to make it all work. Including the air pump hose and air filter housing like yours.

Been busy and had to have the shop do a bunch of the work due a lot of electrical stuff I suck at.
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Kewl, well I think I'll wait til the smog pump kicks until I think about smoggin it as later year then. Right now, just gonna run it as-is, kinda tired of wrenchin' but it would be nice to not have to look at all that AIR crap, seeing as I probably don't even need it with the new cat and the other stuff i did. But sounds good...thx 4 the info
 
My 1992 doesn't have an air pump or air injection. It's a ca truck also 7200gvw
 
I will say this about the thorley ca legal system it sucks as far as some of the bolt locations there isn't enough room for a box end wrench and I just spent the last 3 hours cutting a bolt off because they didn't bother to check if a wrench would fit.. Arghhhh glad to be rid of this!
 
sreidmx said:
I will say this about the thorley ca legal system it sucks as far as some of the bolt locations there isn't enough room for a box end wrench and I just spent the last 3 hours cutting a bolt off because they didn't bother to check if a wrench would fit.. Arghhhh glad to be rid of this!
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Did you use the smaller size hex head bolts or regular grade 8 style? I didn't have much problem except for my big hands and just reaching to get to them. I used some Spectre brand bolts with those smaller heads and was able to use a ratchet on some and box wrench on others. But it was tight, however the quality of the Doug Thorley is worth the PIA install IMO...just built solid.
 
sreidmx said:
My 1992 doesn't have an air pump or air injection. It's a ca truck also 7200gvw
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Good to know. I checked my CARB decal on the radiator support crossmember...the diagram on my 87 didn't even show the AIR injection system...just the charcoal canister, EGR and pump. I guess SMOG check station may not even care since mine doesn't show it, but I didn't want to risk it so I just put the AIR system on.
 
'82 would have been first year of 700R4, but other than that, nothing I can think of between that and 1981 for instance.

How about the AC compressor? The footnotes on that summit page list a fair number of things, angled plugs could be an issue too, depending on how close the pipes are to the plug.

I *really* don't think it's a good idea to mess around with headers hoping something will fit that hasn't been proven. Might do a search on this forum with that part number, see if anyone else has already tried this.
 
Those Hedman headers are interesting. Under the application notes, it says: "O - 1975-82 only. 50-state legal for these years."

It also says it doesn't carry an EO number and "Not for pollution controlled vehicles"....hmmmm....it's possible CARB hasn't approved it (yet)?
 
I was going to say they screwed up, then I looked closely at the pic and noticed they have AIR!

It would have to be a bigger issue than CARB for them to not be legal on pollution controlled vehicles, that implies they aren't street legal (technically) at all.

What's the point of paying ~$550 for a set of headers to get AIR, and them to still not be legal, whether CA or anywhere else that has a visual?
 
Agreed - It's strange that Hedman would make these but not go for EO exemption. It puts the product in a very small market. If they removed the thermal coating and marketed at half the cost, they may sell to a few more people willing to take the chance.

Just remembered something....

In Cali, the law states that all factory smog devices must still be in place no matter the vehicle year - so (for example) a '66 Mustang doesn't get smogged, but it must retain all the smog devices (I know some had airpumps). Law enforcement rarely checks and most of us are distracted by the biennial inspection of the newer vehicles. So apparently, these headers would be for the person who doesn't need a smog test yet wants to be in complete compliance, even though no one is really checking.

I don't know anyone in this demographic...:dunno:
 
LOL, that would indeed be a niche demographic...for the person who needs their emissions to be pure stock, but doesn't care about the exhaust manifolds.
 
Or someone who doesn't need the EO exemption but can't find the proper stock manifolds for that year. Like my 86' the correct manifolds are damn near impossible to find. They either cracked, rusted out or the studs are really difficult to remove because of age.
 
Yes, but why pay ~$550 for AIR headers if you can pay ~$300 for essentially the same headers and get rid of AIR? If you have no CARB/visual inspection issues to worry about, buy what is cheaper, and dump AIR, right?

If AIR was needed for proper engine operation I could see it, but even I would not consider that as an option with this.
 
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