There are plenty of places in Tx that do inspections of basic things only. A 12 pack talks every language. I would just get an inspection outside of dallas that looks kind of run down. Always works for me.
Full-length (long-tube) headers are not emissions legal because they place the HEGO sensor too far downstream. The HEGO sensor operates optimally at a specific temperature.
You can do nothing on a dynamometer that will "tune" around HEGO sensors that are not at an optimal operating temperature (because they're not in the proper location in the exhaust tract).
you tune the car based on the a/f ratio using a wideband meter, you dont use the 02 sensors. then we burn the program based on our readings from the wideband. the 02 sensors are for the stock EEC, once a chip is installed with settings read from the more accurate wideband, your set.
bottom line is your making it sound like running longtubes hurts performance, last time i checked longtubes make more power, more so on modifieid motors. get over the temperature the "HEGO" (02 sensor) is at, it really doesn't mean jack once your tuned.
hey 86cobra, you should switch back to short tubes man, your HEGO sensor is too far down the tract, your probably losing 50 hp!!
__________________
-Robert
DEAD: 1994 GT (a pine tree fell on it during a windstorm...great huh)
NEW: 1995 GT Convertible, Triple Black; receiving all the goodies from the 1994 gt and some more stuff too
If somebody wants to spend extra money on dyno-tuning and either a custom chip, a piggyback ECM, or a stand-alone ECM, to "fool" the ECM into think everything is working as it was originally intended to, that's their business. vibred93vert didn't ask HOW to pass a tailpipe emissions test.
He asked if long tube headers are CARB legal. That simple question was asked and a simple answer was given. Full-length headers aren't CARB legal. I explained why. No amount of dyno-tuning and/or custom programming changes the facts or WHY they aren't legal. Inspectors that happen to know the law to the letter, especially those who require CARB EO numbers with no exception, don't give a hoot if the tailpipe test passes. If the visual inspection fails, the whole emissions test fails, Period.
And anyone that is equating my response to this topic as suggesting that full-length headers make less power needs to read the following thread:
Long Tube headers legal?? 
