# Ca smog legal engine



## Qnko (Jun 8, 2014)

I am already used to my current power level and thinking about upgrading. I curently have a stock bottom ls2 with heads cam lts and intake that puts 476 to the wheels. My problem is that i live in ca and smog is getting tougher and tougher. I have a property in an exempt county that i keep the car registered to but i spent most of the time in the bay area and there is a lot of smog checkpoints lately.
My question is how much power i can make and still be 100% smog legal?
I was thinking of selling my engine and putting a built forced induction one. There is fi kits with carb numbers.
What about the exhaust? Am i limited to only shortie headers and stock cats?
Also i am new to fi but would it pull a lot of timing in hot weather. I love driving the canyons and my favorite route is 30min of twisties (the reason i built it NA, short geared and 3400lbs).
I dont drag or roll race so i will be ok with 600whp (more would be nice though). 
And about the budget i would like to stay below 15k.
Would selling my engine and building one for FI be cheaper than building mine?
Thanks for the advice. And car is alrready front heavy and i drive mostly twisties so i don't wanna add too much weight to the front


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

600rwhp is a pretty insane amount. I'm around 500 and there are no tires I can put on that will hold it without tubbing to fit on substantially wider tires. By the time you get done hitting 600 with a bought engine and bullet proofing the drive train you'll be busting your budget. A built aluminum block engine with that power would be more money so I'd stick with what you have. IMHO FI is the most economical and legal way you can go. If high heat is an issue you can always add methanol injection. You'll need a new cam and may as well add timing chain set, Melling oil pump, and ATI underdrive with it. You should be close to 10k with that and have some money to beef up the rest of the drive train (maybe put gears in it) and what ever else pops up. You'll need it.


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## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

Qnko said:


> I am already used to my current power level and thinking about upgrading. I curently have a stock bottom ls2 with heads cam lts and intake that puts 476 to the wheels. My problem is that i live in ca and smog is getting tougher and tougher. I have a property in an exempt county that i keep the car registered to but i spent most of the time in the bay area and there is a lot of smog checkpoints lately.
> My question is how much power i can make and still be 100% smog legal?
> I was thinking of selling my engine and putting a built forced induction one. There is fi kits with carb numbers.
> What about the exhaust? Am i limited to only shortie headers and stock cats?
> ...


As far as the catalytic converters go here in Cali, as soon as they are moved from the factory location, your exhaust system becomes illegal. So unfortunately, we are limited to shorties. I know some out here run long tubes and switch back to shorties or stock headers when it's time for a smog. Not sure what they're doing about the tune though. But if you're going through a lot of random smog checks, sticking with shorties may be your safest bet. With the baby Magnuson (MP112), I'm currently at 515 rwhp/500 rwtq with a conservative, safe tune as far as the air/fuel ratio goes. I have an extremely hard time hooking up when I get on it. Traction control is non-existent even with 275/40/17s. Like svede said, a mini tub will be needed if you're trying to push 600 rwhp. Anything under 315s may be useless.


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## tinman760 (Oct 5, 2015)

Don't wanna Hi-Jack the thread, but I am is a similar boat. How much can I get away with in Cali? Had the Kooks LTs, and cats, and took em off and sold em. Bent with the ST's that are CA legal, and new Magnaflow SE cats. Yup, I miss the rumble. Hope to get some back with heads, and cam. Also had to dump my Lingenfelter CAI. Found a K & N, actually, a Trick Flow unit, with the EO numbers. I was wondering what heads are you running, and cam. I am going to do something, but need a plan first. For sure the Vincis rocker setup, at 1.8, with valves, and etc. Read his articles this weekend, and learned, and remembered alot. I would like to end up with between 500, and 600hp NA. Maybe I am dreaming. Can you get away with the LS3 heads in CA? They flow gobs better the the LS2's. I am all ears!


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## Entropy156 (Apr 4, 2021)

In very general terms, if your obvious mods have a CARB EO number, can't be seen (or at least noticed) in a visual inspection, don't throw any codes, and don't give the car an obviously lumpy idle, you can pretty much get away with it in the People's Democratic Republic of California without having to "know a guy". Before my GTO, I had a 6.1 Hemi Magnum SRT8. It had intake, cat back, some head work, a sneaky custom cam that would run on a stock tune and had a lobe separation angle that didn't lope, and a couple tunes I could throw into it for various nefarious purposes. When smog time came around, all I had to do was throw the stock tune back in it a couple weeks before testing and it would pass smog anywhere in this police state. Keep in mind the second you start doing things that won't run right without a tune in the car, you are boned. You're gonna' be doing a lot of work every other year. Keep it to moderate power gains that are either easily reversable, or stuff that's got an EO number from CARB


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