I hate MA

[KarmaKid]

Grrrrrrr.

Failed my inspection yesterday because of my off road pipe, which I expected, but I still hate how strict MA is with thier dmv laws.

Anways, I removed the x-pipe. In doing so I broke one of the bolt's that attaches the header to the x-pipe. I tried using some channel locks a.k.a. vice grips, just to get through inspection, but not enough room. I have a nice exhaust leak now and looking for some ideas on how to fix without buying new headers. Tomm. I am going to try and find a c clamp and try clamp the couplers together.

BTW they are stock headers.

Any suggestions?

 

[Grn92LX]

Can't find someone to give you an under the table inspection?

Fwiw, my friend's 90GT passes with flying colors with Longtube headers and an offroad h pipe. I had an inspector 2 years ago put his personal 89LX on the emissions machine and it had an offroad h pipe. Passed just fine and got me my sticker

 

[94-302-vert]

For that bolt what I had done was drill out the studs and use regular bolts... So far it has worked fine but it is a PITA to get evertyhin started...

 

[Black95GTS]

I did the same thing when I switched to mine, snapped TWO of those bolts clean off. I also had to drill them out. It sucks but there's nothing like working with metal bolts that have been heat cycled thousands of times over a 10 year span...

 

[Methodical]

Well, here in Maryland the inspection stations look under the car with a mirror to make sure you have the cats on or its a $10K fine. My suggestion would be to remove the header from the car and try to get it out - hell you already have the exhaust removed. And the stock headers are easy to remove. If you can't remove the bolt, take it to a machine shop, they can do it in a matter of minutes for practically little of nothing and have them run a tap to cleanup the threads. It's more work but probably take the same amount of time as drilling it from underneath the car. Also, very important, whenever you remove any exhaust bolts or any bolts from under the car, Always and I mean Always put some "AnitSeize" on the threads that way the bolts are easy to remove in the future. No more breaking bolts. Believe me. Good luck Peace.

 

[94-302-vert]

Methodical has a really good point.. it took me days to get all 4 drilled out once i snapped them off!!!

Looking back I think he is right!!!

Chris

 

[deadlast]

i just got my offroad pipe put in after i stripped a bolt, and im in MA too. havent figured out yet how im going to pass inspection, i really dont want to swap the pipe on and off every inspection, and its going to be hard to get a sticker under the table. MA sucks

 

[dstanggt50]

Well, here in Maryland the inspection stations look under the car with a mirror to make sure you have the cats on or its a $10K fine. My suggestion would be to remove the header from the car and try to get it out - hell you already have the exhaust removed. And the stock headers are easy to remove. If you can't remove the bolt, take it to a machine shop, they can do it in a matter of minutes for practically little of nothing and have them run a tap to cleanup the threads. It's more work but probably take the same amount of time as drilling it from underneath the car. Also, very important, whenever you remove any exhaust bolts or any bolts from under the car, Always and I mean Always put some "AnitSeize" on the threads that way the bolts are easy to remove in the future. No more breaking bolts. Believe me. Good luck Peace.

10k fine????
isn't that worse than cali??

 

[WhiteStallionGT]

Damn sorry to hear that man. I passed my inspections with my o/r H because my friend owns a gas station. I would have failed also if I took it somewhere else.

 

[yellow1995Cobra]

My old car with the 418W passed MA emmissions and inspection no problem I had no cats, no hood, no smog, no nothing haha

Its just one of those things where you gotta know somebody...

 

[Ozz]

You had no cats, what do you expect.

Here's what I failed for in the past:

year 1: no washer fluid, couldn't prove my squirters worked = safety hazard.

year 2: exhaust is louder than stock. I had stock headers and H pipe w/all cats, and only an aftermarket catback. Also because of the blue tinted headlights I had, which was hardly noticable to begin with.

year 3: no front plate attached

 

[KarmaKid]

You had no cats, what do you expect.

Here's what I failed for in the past:

year 1: no washer fluid, couldn't prove my squirters worked = safety hazard.

year 2: exhaust is louder than stock. I had stock headers and H pipe w/all cats, and only an aftermarket catback. Also because of the blue tinted headlights I had, which was hardly noticable to begin with.

year 3: no front plate attached

I know I had no cat's. But MA does emissions every other year right now because the entire inspection process take so long. So I figured I could getaway with it, No biggie. I took the header off and brought to a shop. They used a torch to heat the flange and removed the stud. Bought a new stud at the hardware store, grade 8, putting everything back together today.

A nieghbor of mine a few houses down has an 03 Cobra. Talked to him and he said he he's got the "hook up" for my inspection next year. Putting X-Pipe back on too.

 

[DJHA90]

You had no cats, what do you expect.

Here's what I failed for in the past:

year 1: no washer fluid, couldn't prove my squirters worked = safety hazard.

year 2: exhaust is louder than stock. I had stock headers and H pipe w/all cats, and only an aftermarket catback. Also because of the blue tinted headlights I had, which was hardly noticable to begin with.

year 3: no front plate attached

I failed safety in Texas because I had a little water in my headlight...

 

[Ozz]

WOW ya got me there! That sucks!

 

[95yellowGTS]

gotta love Indiana....no emissions where I'm at! it's nice being able to drive crap around that pollutes so much ie: my old bronco. 351M, performer intake, 650 holley, longtubes, running pig rich ahhh.....those were the days. now it's just the stang, stock, except no cats and an american thunder cat back. the point is, move to a state with no inspections and all your problems are solved! ok i need to stop drinkin the whiskey and get to bed haha