Downpipes legality

[crimsondragon]

I've been researching for downpipes lately to up my stock exhaust and I've noticed that a lot if not all aftermarket dp's state they are only for off road or show use. The same goes for high flow cat. I read somewhere that some states when doing inspection, run a mirror underneath your car. I'm not sure if NJ does this but how many people have aftermarket dp and cat and still run it through inspection and pass? Or do you guys just take off both and mount the stock ones back on?

 

[CrazyM]

I think most of the downpipes that say 'For off-road use only' are the Downpipes that Eliminate the Cat.

Are you looking at Ebay cat's or? Either way I'm pretty sure there are quite a few people on here, running after-market downpipes and High Flow Cats.

 

[crimsondragon]

Yeah I was looking on ebay for them. Such ones like this:
eBay Motors: 95-99 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE TURBO HIGH FLOW CAT GSX GST 97 (item 180204573926 end time Jan-10-08 22:26:36 PST)
And yeah now that I look at it, the ebay downpipes do seem to eliminate the cat. They're rather long.

 

[CrazyM]

You can find Downpipes that do not eliminate the cat though.

What makes me wonder about that cat is, it says "For show\off-road use only" A cat is not for show but for emissions purposes....you can get a high flow cat from a local muffler shop, or a more reputable online site

 

[97gstjosh]

I went to my E-Check with a RRE short downpipe so you can have a hgh flow cat equipped
but I still had my test pipe in place. No check engine light though ### of DSMLink and Ive heard of ppl passing with no cat and Link so I tried but they got under my car and checked those Bastards
So Im in the process of ordering their 3" high flow cat and going back to pass
Then taking it right back off again. So if you want a downpipe were you can have a cat check out
Road Race Engineering

 

[crimsondragon]

Yeah but those dp's are hard to find. The only vendors I know that do make them is RRE and Buschur. Both mildly expensive.

I think that hiflow cat is nothing more than a fake resonator. POS.

 

[Hideki]

I run an RRE downpipe with highflow cat, and passed smog without a problem.

 

[4G63_Attack]

Cool thats good to know. Being in Cali and all

 

[crimsondragon]

Well the way I see it, changing your cat is illegal unless there's something wrong with it. I don't think there's anything wrong with mine so I might as well run a straight through system and come inspection day I'll throw the stock downpipe with the cat back on. Either way I'm breaking the law.

 

[gixrman]

Any item that can alter or change your OE emission eqipment is ussally not legal. Unless it has a CARB citification sticker. Almost all companies that sell aftermarket equipment have to state that there items are "for off road use only" because of legal reasons of liability. Lets say you buy the down pipe, install it and run it though inspection and it fails and you get fined. If the company never stated that it was for off road use you could now sue them for selling you a product that was not intended for road use without prior notice or statement that this item was not street legal. By stating that it not street legal the responsability falls on the consumer for what aplication the item will be used for, be it on or off road and the consequences of it.

 

[crimsondragon]

How much could a fine be?

 

[daren_p]

I think that hiflow cat is nothing more than a fake resonator. POS.

Yes thats true, most of those no name, so called CATS on Ebay are exactly as you say. But there are legit high flow cats out there (such as magnaflow) that flow much better then stock & still actually clean up your tail pipe emissions. I have the RRE downpipe & their highflow cat (magnaflow) & pass emissions no problem with it.

If you were in Cali, that may be a different story but in NJ a highflow cat & aftermarket DP shouldn't be an issue.