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Headers for a truck with AIR INJECTION in CA?

scouthead

scouthead

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Been looking around for a while... Haven't found much...

Have an '88 Blazer with TBI 350. I have to have the Stock air injection/ smog pump because the truck has a manual trans. None of the other trucks Ive owned from this era have had air systems with the injection (all were auto trannies). My new motor is going together, and would really like a set of headers, but the only ones I see are the "tubular exhaust systems" that fit in place of the factory manifold, and they are all for trucks without air injection. I need to find a set of headers that will come with both an exemption sticker (so that I can at least attempt to pass smog), and provisions for the air injection system. I DO NOT HAVE AIR INJECTION FITTINGS ON EVERY EXHAUST PORT (like most of the older setups). I ONLY HAVE ONE FITTING AT THE FRONT OF EACH MANIFOLD (no 1 @ 2 cyls).
Does anybody make such a contraption? I seem to remember seeing a summit part # for the same year truck, but the trucks of that year changed to the newer body style, so not sure if it would fit... And not sure if a summit brand header is going to be any kind of quality I find acceptable.

Any thoughts or help would be great.
 
It seems that Edelbrocks TES were pretty accurate, and seem to be pretty decent headers, but other than that, I'll have to do some more research. I'll look up Hedman's. Only ones I've been somewhat impressed with. Doug's/Thorley's are pretty good too, but unsure of their emissions compliance.

Not seeing any CA legal Hedmans.

Edelbrocks TES look like they are all the car style with 4 ports per side, which is wrong. MAYBE they went to 4 all large ports though, so that the others could be plugged and the large tube would fit...
 
pretty sure the thorleys are available with the single air, as that was what I was looking for when i was looking into it...
 
There is a good searchable feature at the CARB website that lists every single approved part with part numbers by manufacturer , I bet some of those include small block headers for a truck .

I'm gonna go look .
 
Didn't think I would see any responses thst fast. I looked into edelbrock a while ago but didn't see anything in whatever catalog i had my hands on. I'll try and give them a call today and check back here to see if anything new pops up.
 
the only ceramic I have any confidence in is Jetthot's stuff...

I'm in the same boat really, need the dual air, and want durability...

I'm either going with Hooker comps, dual air, from Jetthot, or custom ss.. haven't decided, but I need to soon...

I'm assuming CA makes it about as difficult as possible...
 
I have a set of Heddman Elite long tube headers (4x4, auto) that I bought a few years back (I will guess about 7 years ago now). They have the AIR hook-up for the stock set-up. Though I am pretty sure now that Heddman sells the AIR tubes/hook-up as a separate piece and is not sold installed on their headers anymore. So you would need to drill/weld the AIR tubes inplace. Worth calling up the company to find out if they still sell them installed.... or maybe if they would install them for you.

By the way I am still using those headers on my Blazer now. Holding up great. I resently did a rebuild on the engine and had the headers ceramic coated by JETHOT. I purchased them aluminized way back when. Though at the time Heddman had a ceramic coating option (guessing JETHOT)... and they still offer that option.
 
I am just a third through the CARB approved list . Heres what I got so far

Hooker Headers P/N 2041

1987-1991 Chevrolet/GMC Full Size Blazer/Jimmy, 4WD T.B.I. w/ A.I.R., 305-350


 
Hedmans

69481, 69481-6 H.T.C

1983-1987 Chevrolet/ GMC 2wd Suburban, 1/2-1 ton pickup, and 4wd 1/2 - 3/4 ton pickup with A.I.R. 1983-1991 Chevrolet/ GMC 4wd Suburban with A.I.R.


69501, 69501-6 H.T.C.


1983-1992 Chevrolet/ GMC Blazer/ Jimmy with A.I.R.
 
Update to my earlier Heddman reply...... I am pretty sure that all the Heddman headers for the 70s-80s are CARB approved. I checked a few months ago and everything seemed listed. Though I was only trying to confirm for my year 1977. To confirm your year you will need to rummage through the listing for D-167 on the CARB listings.
 
I was in colorado, and I know CA is way different, but here's the fix I used, and Aircare (the emmissions testing place) approved it.

My problem was that I was running a Holley Projection kit, with the O2 sensor and closed loop add on kit. Obviously, I couldn't inject fresh air upstream of the O2 sensor.

What I was told is that the air line needs to be plumbed into the EXHAUST, not specifically the manifolds. I added aftermarket 3 way cats with the air tubes, plumbed a line to then, and extended the tube and used a piece of silicon hose. It worked great, tailpipe was so clean that they then refused to issue my sticker, they thought their machine was broken because "no 1982 K2500 HD could ever run that clean"
might be worth checking the fine print on that, I had alot of trouble with backfiring when I had mine plumbed into the headers, I got a manifold that I had to drill each tube, and weld it on. It worked, but was a PITA.
 
Summit carries universal fit air system. Drill holes on your manifold, and plum their multi tube system in. Pain in the arse.
 
I plumbed the hoses from the pump down to the exhaust behind the headers. Welded a fitting in and put a backflow valve in on each side. Connected the hose to the backflow valve. I passed emissions far better than the tech thought possible and he called his supervisor over to look. The supervisor said he had seen it before and the setup works fine. I have passed twice since with no problems.
 
Colotow said:
My problem was that I was running a Holley Projection kit, with the O2 sensor and closed loop add on kit. Obviously, I couldn't inject fresh air upstream of the O2 sensor.

.
Click to expand...


I was wondering about this for stock applications... The chip must be programmed differently to allow for the extra O2 that's getting pumped in? Don't really know that much about how the stock programing works, but having outside air pumped into the exhaust, in front of the O2 sensor seems ridiculous to me...

Wonder if this is going to be a problem for me when it comes time to have someone burn me a chip?
 
Not used to getting this much help when I post things...
I never paid for a subscription to this site because it feels so restrictive to the registered user... found it irritating to have so much off limits that other sites do for free.
You guys have just given me a change of heart. I'm going to check into some of these manifolds and report back... expect to see a membership logo under my title.
 
scouthead said:
I was wondering about this for stock applications... The chip must be programmed differently to allow for the extra O2 that's getting pumped in? Don't really know that much about how the stock programing works, but having outside air pumped into the exhaust, in front of the O2 sensor seems ridiculous to me...

Wonder if this is going to be a problem for me when it comes time to have someone burn me a chip?
Click to expand...

On the stock TBI . The A.I.R. system only works when the engine is cold. It is only needed during warm up to help the Cat get up to working temp faster.
Once the engine reaches operating temp and goes into closed loop. The ECM closes the diverter valves and the air is vented to the atmosphere. No air routed to the exhaust manifolds when in closed loop so the 02 sensor will work properly.

If you have a chip programed for the A.I.R system and have all the stock A.I.R stuff. It will work fine. But to inject air in front of the 02 sensor you must use the stock diverter valves with a chip programed for the A.I.R.
 
As Thunder said, it is injected only when the O2 is being "ignored", when the engine is cold.

Interestingly enough, on at least some O2 equipped motors (not TBI that I am aware of), AIR WAS injected pre-cat during normal operation, however there was an offset in the ECM to compensate. Seems like a real inefficient way to do it, but for emissions purposes, there is probably a very narrow window where AIR is useful when the O2 signal is still being "used".
 
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