MHP

For those that wanted to see what the C63 1 7/8" longtube headers look like--preproduction anyway, we're 14 days from shipping final product. I'll upload pics of the full exhaust in the next few days.

Keep in mind that you can install these with one hand in under 60 seconds after removal of the factory manifolds. No lifting of the engine, no dropping of the trans required. Just remove the plastic underbelly and loosen the steering rack. Installation cost vs. other headers should be minimal.

1 7/8" primarys, to 3" high velocity merge collectors, to 3" metallic substrate cats or off-road mids.

The IS-F Longtubes will look very similar but with smaller (1 5/8" or 1 3/4" primarys) and smaller dia collectors.


















The goal is 480-500rwhp SAE with our v3 ECU/TCU Tuning, our new full exhaust, carbon fiber airboxes/filters, and our 180 T-stat--stock longblock + intake, N/A.

We ran 11.59@119.75 with ~440rwhp/408rwtq SAE last time out. Track results coming March 1st. :beer:

t0e

iTrader: (1)

I would request them in black.

Looks beefy, loud, and legal

Prices?

DRE1615

That just looks LOUD!!!! Great work Andy, can't wait to see/hear what's in store for the ISF. Thanks for all your hard work.

ISFer

iTrader: (2)

+1....Lookin' good, Andy.
How loud?
C.

MR_F1

What is that?

How do headers "look" loud?

t0e

iTrader: (1)

^^^ uhhh, it was a JOKE.. geezus

And if you cant imagine, what it would sound like (with that setup), then I'd advise you to close this thread.

Kaydee

considering how big that pipe is...3 inch I'm guessing. YES it will be LOUD

BigMikeISF

Looks good Any sound clips yet?

BB/F

1 3/4 please! Hopefully theres enough room near the cylinder heads for the bigger primaries because it looks tight down there. Will probably be a PITA to install but considering I've done installs on a 4th gen Z/28, I can probably handle it

hwy1isf

iTrader: (1)

From experience with LT headers on my vette, I picked up over 40rwhp with the combination of the LT's, a tune , and a CAI. They do work, the draw backs are an increase in exhaust sound, generally it is about double, and with the thin walls you pick up quite a bit of valve train noise in the cabin. Finally LT's are not legal in any state, they require moving the cats and that makes them CARB illegal.

For raw HP they are a good choice for some cars, not sure about a Lexus though. I know I will pass on them on my F.

MHP

We offer an optional ceramic coating but IMO it's just $ wasted. Back in the day ceramic coating used to help make extra power by smoothing flow over rough welds. With today's technology (laser welding, etc) it's and unecessary expense for a street or street/strip car.

Thanks for the support! Believe it or not with 300cpi cats and either muffler this system will be somewhat loud but nothing like a Mustang/F-body with full exhaust.

180F Thermostat. We'll have one available for the IS-F soon (2 weeks or less) as well.

Correct, 3" does make more noise/resonance than 2.5" (which we'll use on the IS-F).

OTW with some better pics.

We may make both. 1 5/8" may be a better choice due to the smaller primaries increasing exhaust velocityand torque. 1 3/4" may breathe better up top but we don't want to trade ultimate area under the curve for a higher peak #. Then again we may make both and let the consumer decide.

Incorrect sir. These headers/cats will be 49 state legal. CARB=California Air Resources Board, thankfully they aren't federal.

I assure you we do NOT skimp on materials or the machinery/techs used to build/replicate them--these are not flimsy/thin mild steel tubes with MIG welds. These are 304/316 stainless systems with high quality TIG welding. These headers will outlast the life of your car, and hence come with a lifetime warranty on everything included.
Catbacks are actually much more critical to the overall tone and especially volume of an exhaust.
In general LTs:

Are louder on cold start up

Show no difference during a warm idle

Are quieter while cruising (highway or city)

Are a bit louder at part throttle acceleration

Are louder at WOT

cm09578

iTrader: (10)

I like I like...more HP

hwy1isf

iTrader: (1)

The headers must have a CARB number to be considered emissions legal by the EPA, and there are no long tubes that I know of that have that. Do you have a CARB/EPA number you can share with us? The headers may pass the sniffer, but will flunk visual. I had American Racing long tubes with cats and they were not emissions legal. From a legal standpoint no long tube headers are "legal" for on-road use because they remove or move the factory cat. Tampering with a vehicles emission system is illegal in all 50 states

The EPA has prepared this fact sheet to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about the types of exhaust work a repair shop can legally perform. If you need any further information about the EPA's tampering policy, please call (202) 564-9240.


Question 1.

Under what conditions or circumstances can a catalytic converter be removed from a vehicle and a converter replacement pipe be installed?

Answer 1.

Under Federal Law, catalytic converters may not be removed and replaced with converter replacement pipes by any person. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments even prohibit private individuals from installing converter replacement pipes on their own vehicles. Anyone who installs such pipes would violate section 203(a)(3)(A) and (B) of the Clean Air Act (Act). In addition to federal law, forty-five out of the fifty States also have statutes or regulations which prohibit tampering with the pollution control equipment on motor vehicles or driving or selling such vehicles. Thus, vehicle owners who tamper with their own vehicles may be subject to substantial penalties under both Federal and State law. The only circumstances in which a person would be allowed to remove a converter is if the vehicle is being shipped overseas to an area where unleaded gasoline is not generally available. (Vehicles traveling to Canada or Mexico are not eligible for this exemption.) In this instance the vehicle owner must have a letter from the EPA specifically authorizing the converter removal from the vehicle in question.

Question 2.

Can I remove a converter from a vehicle that is used only for "off-road" driving?

Answer 2.

No. The tampering prohibition discussed in Answer 1 applies to this situation as well. The federal tampering prohibition pertains to "motor vehicles," which are defined by section 216(2) of the Act as "any self-propelled vehicle designed for transporting persons or property on a street or highway. A light-duty vehicle manufacturer certifies en engine-chassis configuration as meeting the applicable emissions standards for motor vehicles manufactured in a given model year, and it is not legal for anyone to "de-certify" a motor vehicle for "off-road" use.

Question 3.

A vehicle that has had its engine replaced is brought into a muffler shop. The owner says the new engine is pre-1975 and the vehicle no longer needs a converter. Is it tampering to remove the converter?

Answer 3.

Yes. Again, the tampering prohibition in answer #1 applies. A motor vehicle must be maintained in a proper certified engine-chassis configuration. In the case of engine switching, the resulting engine-chassis configuration must be identical in all material respects to one that was certified by the manufacturer for the same model year as the chassis or newer. It is not legal for anyone to change a vehicle into one that matches an older configuration than was certified by the manufacturer. Thus, removing the converter would be a violation of the law.

Question 4.

If a vehicle is brought into a muffler converter and a replacement pipe already is installed, is it tampering to install a new replacement pipe?

Answer 4.

Yes. Section 203(a)(3)(B) makes it illegal for any person to sell or to install any part where a principal effect would be to bypass, defeat, or render inoperative any device or element of design of a vehicle's emission control system. A principal effect oœ a replacement pipe is to defeat or bypass the catalytic converter system as it was designed by the manufacturer. It is, therefore, a prohibited act to install a replacement pipe in any situation. It is also a prohibited act to replace the entire exhaust pipe without replacing the catalytic converter. In addition, a repair facility should consult with the State to determine if the State has a similar policy towards this type of repair work or how State laws may affect the legality of its actions.

Question 5.

If a converter-equipped vehicle is brought to a muffler shop with the converter already removed by the owner, is it tampering to install a section of pipe in the space left vacant by the converters removal?

Answer 5.

Yes. The installation by muffler shop of a section of pipe in the void left where the vehicle owner removed the converter is considered by the Agency to be part of the act of tampering. It is a violation of section 203(a)(3)(A) for a vehicle owner to remove a converter from his own vehicle. Section 203(a)(3)(A) clearly prohibits all individuals from removing or rendering inoperative any emission control device or element of design. If a repair facility completes, assists, or participated in any way in this act of tampering begun by someone else, it has also acted in violation of section 203(a)(3)(A) of the Act and by installing a defeat device has violated section 203(a)(3)(B).

Question 6.

If a converter-equipped vehicle is brought into a muffler shop with no exhaust system past the exhaust manifold or headers, is it tampering to install a non-stock or dual exhaust system?

Answer 6.

Yes. The answer to Question 5 applies. The repair facility would be completing the act of tampering in this situation by manufacturing, installing and selling an emission control defeat device.

Question 7.

Is it tampering to install a dual exhaust system on a vehicle originally equipped with a single exhaust?

Answer 7.

Yes. The general rule is that a motor vehicle emission control system (which includes the exhaust configuration) may not be changed from an EPA certified configuration without subjecting the repair shop to liability for violating the federal tampering prohibition. The exhaust system configuration, including the location of the converters, and exhaust pipe diameter and length, are items specified by the manufacturers because engines and some of the associated emissions systems are generally affected by the exhaust system back pressure, which subsequently affects vehicle emissions. The installation of a dual exhaust system with two converters would, therefore, be considered tampering. The Agency will not, however, require a repair shop to restore a vehicle which has a non-stock dual exhaust system to a single exhaust configuration. A shop may, therefore, replace sections of pipes on such a system, except for that portion of the pipes where the original catalytic converter would have been located. It would not be considered tampering to install a dual exhaust system with two converters if the vehicle manufacturer certified an identical engine chassis configuration for the vehicle model year or newer that includes such an exhaust configuration.

Question 8.

Are there any general guidelines for muffler shops about the kind of exhaust work that can be legally performed on a previously tampered vehicle?

Answer 8.

As the answers to the previous questions indicate, the Agency's authority to enforce against tampering violations has been greatly expanded. Individuals are now prohibited from tampering. Repair shops, therefore, must now restore vehicles' exhaust systems to their original catalyst configuration if they work on that part of the exhaust system. The Agency will not pursue enforcement action against repair shops that perform repairs on one part of a vehicle's exhaust system where tampering has occurred in another part of the system. The Agency does require, however, that when working on a vehicle where the catalytic converter has been removed, the repair shop must replace the catalytic converter if the section of pipe where the original converter should have been, needs to be replaced. This would also include situations where the entire exhaust pipe is replaced. Repair shops must install a catalytic converter when replacing the entire exhaust pipe.

We urge you to approach repair work cautiously and to consult with State officials concerning applicable State law. We have enclosed a chart that briefly summarizes the issues discussed in this fact sheet for use by any repair shop.

You should also be aware of the installation requirements applicable to aftermarket catalytic converters which comply with our August 5, 1986 interim policy. A copy of these requirements can be obtained by calling the phone number listed at the beginning of this fact sheet.

Last Updated: June 15, 1999
Original Document can be found at (http://es.epa.gov/oeca/ore/aed/comp/jcomp/j11.html)

EPA Home

DRE1615

Was that really necessary?

hwy1isf

iTrader: (1)

I just want all to know that LT Headers are not legal, and any statement otherwise is not true. Now with that said, I have had illegal LT's on 2 vette's and a stang, but I was fully aware that they were.