Stock LS1 VY II Exhaust Manifold/Header and Cats for Compliance
 

Hi everyone,

My engine/gearbox (from a wreck) actually came with Pacemaker extractors and hiflo Cats and stainless exhaust (all good if you're not going to compliance inspection)

I was wondering if anyone out there had any stock manifold and Cats for VY II LS1 they wanted to get rid of.

The VY II LS1 Cats are mounted fairly cloe to the manifold..

hope you can help.

Rgds

Gregg

Hi there Gregg,
Do you plan to run this as permenant or are you looking for something to get through rego then fit side pipes later?

Hi Boxhead,

I will need them permanently as (being in VIC) I will probably only run replica side pipes.

Happy to pay dollars for them at a reasonable price.

Rgds

Gregg

Gregg, if you haven't already tried the wreckers, I find them pretty reasonable down at South Gippsland Highway Auto Wreckers. I mentioned the Cobra after the 1st visit and they were soon asking about the build and even threw in a uni joint and steering wheel for nothing when I went back for the steering column. It's a massive wrecking yard and they told me they get the odd LS1 wreck in from time to time. Might be worth a go.

http://www.sghaw.com.au/

Paul

Thanks Paul I'll give them a try.

I've treid a couple so far but they havent got the VY II versions, got older ones.

Do they have to be VY series II? Surely VicRoads don't know what VY series-whatever cats look like, just so long as it's a factory look and compatible with LSx engines? I'm only assuming though, as I haven't had a lot to do with late model Holdens.

I think it really depends on my Engineer, whether or not he knows that the VY II had the wierd Cats up close to the manifold option. I think you're right that if they look VY/VZ ish I would be ok.

I have a bit of time up my sleeve as my CR chassis is not due for a few weeks.

Although the VY II Cats option might suit me better as I am using the new CR 2008 Chassis that has big round chassis main rails and the floor is a little lower.

Anyway I'll keep looking - havent looked that hard yet.

gjkrv8 you can always just say to the engineer's question, "is this the standard system"....yes, and see where that leads.

You have to be able to pass the emissions test so that is the ultimate test, but if you reckon these cats can do this, give it a go. Because even if the system isn't standard but meets the emissions levels, I doubt the engineer is going to push the issue any further.

I think you will need to do some mods to make them fit, the standard manifolds will probably hit in several places.

Cheers,

Ben

As someone who has recently been through rego in Vic, the emission test and ECU are the only things that your engineer will be concerned about. My emissions was ADR 37/01 but I had custom headers and hiflow sports cats and had no problems. In fact the test showed the emissions to be very, very clean, way under the levels my engineer quoted for a pass.

New cats are the key I think. Using 2nd hand cats could produce more problems than it's worth.

Cheers

Al, that sounds interesting. My engineer (who will do the inspetion) tells me that as long as I can prove the eng/ecu/manifold/cats is from stock etc, I dont need the emission test, just dB noise test (amongst all the other non emission related tests).

So my intention on getting the stock items is to avoid the emission tests.

I am shooting for Euro 2 ADR79/00 compliance. I have to be rego'ed by end of 2008.

Using Bernie from Enkelmans as my engineer.

Rgds
Gregg

Gregg, I'm using Bernie as well and that's what he told me. Basically my car will be a VZ Commodore for emissions purposes, right down to the airbox.

I didn't use Enkelmans. Another example of engineers interpreting the rules differently?
Ultimately, you have to keep your engineer happy in order to have a smooth registration. If that's what he wants, then that's what he gets. But you can always ask the question, "If it passes the emission test, then what's the problem with a custom exhaust?" Afterall, you're not building a Commodore replica, there are packaging issues. The emission test cost me about $70 bucks from memory and if you are using a stock ECU and new cats you should not have a problem passing.

Gregg

Like Al I've just gone through engineer early December but I did use Bernie. I had standard cats only in the exhaust system and of some age 60K odd old but I too essentially had zero emissions impacts. Bernie does this test as part of his assessment!

Stick to your line with Bernie they are standard cats. If your challenged you have to prove or change the system, if they fail they were "old" cats to your knowledge and you still have to change. Either way it is worth a try with what you have.

Al's right in that Bernie's focus was emissions from what is supposed to be a standard car set up and lens ADR markings.

What have you got to lose?

Cheers

Steve

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I think my problem is that I have the Pacemaker extractors and Hiflow Cats. I think they are too obvious.

I'll start scouring the wreckers for stock manifold and cats.

MY chassis is still a way off so I have time.

Also my CR chassis is the 2008 version which has different clearances for the manifold/cats etc.


Rgds

Gregg

A $70 emmission test is an absolute screaming bargain. As far as I know, there are only two places in the country that will do emmissions testing, Mitsubishi in Adelaide, and a place in Sydney. Having done numerous tests at the Mitsubishi facility, I can tell you that each test costs over $3000!!!
If one little thing is out of spec, you need to run the test again, AND pay again :CRY: This goes part way to explain why some of the "legal" aftermarket parts can be so expensive....

Gregg

You can't fit any standard extractors worth a damn in these cars anyway, so that's a given anyway. The size of the system may affect emission and noise levels, but as he tests both, if you pass that is what he is looking for.

Provided the cats actually have the ceramic innards and work including the standard electrical connections for start up heating per standard the donor car's standard system, Bernie is not going to argue.

My car runs (when it's running!) a pod filter rather than the stock intake and this is legal. But I have the standard intake MAF and computer and these are the bits that do the most for emissions quality control.

The cat is just an emissions polishing tool, it adsorbs some of the products of combustion, so provided it does just this and knocks your levels down Bernie will not care whose cats you use...Really!!

Bernie will want to see you have cats installed and wired up to a standard controlling system and the newer they are the better. Per above the older they are, the more emission they have previously adsorbed and the less effective they get. Telling Bernie these are brand new or very low mileage cats will get a positive response because they work best new!!

Besides which, I reckon you will need to modify the current system to fit into the engine bay anyway and as they are stainless don't get rid of them unless you have to particularly if they are well made. I had extractors for an RMC modified to fit my GForce, because being essentially the same car I thought they would fit. They didn't but not a question asked at engineering.

Think about it anyway. Or you could talk it through with Bernie, he is very receptive to this sort of communication.

Cats don't have any electrical connections, they get up to thier operating temperature using the heat of the exhaust gas.

From a cold start, the closer they are to the exhaust valve, the quicker they heat up, (this is actually called "cat light-up").
The time it takes for the cats to light-up is crucial in emissions testing. This "cat light-up time" is a hard to get right, as different cats light-up at different rates, cat positioning etc. etc.
In fact, the reason the VYII LS1's had the cats right up close to the manifolds, was to improve thier light-up time to help them pass tighter emmissions controls.

Plums,
The $70 test is not the full on emission test that you have done in the past. It's an at idle and 75% of Max power rpm only. A probe gets shoved up each tail pipe. The exhaust is already hot, no light up period. All the test does is confirms to the engineer that the ECU and related gear are all working as per factory specs. If the engine is not deemed to be compliant, ie from an ADR emission passed donor vehicle, then you would need the full on test as you described. It only confirms all this to the engineer. Having new cats helps if any of the components of the engine are past there best as the cat, when hot, will absorb a great deal. A pod filter does nothing for emissions as if there is any increased airflow, the ecu will compensate just as it is designed to do. The reason I think some engineers want you to use the airbox is due to noise, not emissions, as a lot of noise escapes from the pod filter.

In theory you can use any engine you want to but what stops you doing so is the prohibitive emission test Plums refers to. Using a donor engine from an ADR'ed vehicle saves you the trouble of full on testing as the engine has already passed the test at the factory, it's just been transferred into another vehicle.

I'll have a chat with Bernie I think.

I found some stock manifolds and Cats in case my pacemaker extractors and hi flo cats dont cut it, or sounds like wont fit without modification.

I've got the stock airbox and MAF as well.

Thanks for your feedback - for you Melbourne Folk -I have only just joined the Cobra Car Club Vic and am going to the AGM on the 7th. Hope to meet some of you there and have a chat.

Rgds

Gregg