Posted by scotty on January 05, 1999 at 15:16:53:
In Reply to: Re: 530i headers needed (geting rid of thermal reactors) posted by The Rev. Brendan X on January 04, 1999 at 22:30:07:
: a note to all who live in the southern california area if you wish to remove the thermal reactors then you have to upgrade the intire car to spec with a later system using the catiliac convertor. a complete upgrade has to be made including if you can belive this the gas tank. so that the state and d.o.t. will reissue your registration when it comes time to smog the vehical. i have spent many hours on the phone with the state board. there objective is to get rid of all gray market cars on the road one way or the other. when removing the thermal reactors the smog hardware has to go to then next thing you know your replacing the intire setup to go to catilaic convertor needless to say it gets expensive and impossible with all the beurocratic red tape. and if you happen to miss somthing then your car is flagged as tampered and all of hell won't get you passed smog at that point. my car was flagged as tamperd after this very thing and it was becouse i replaced the gas tank and bmw no longer manufactures the e-12 tank with a fuel restrictor so california says no pass period.
i had to scrap out the car. the vin number was black-balled.
anyway if you live research it first with the state. i can get all the phone numbers nessecarry for those interested.
thanks for letting me gripe on this.
p.s. the thermal reactors were a mandate by the d.o.t- figures dosn't it.
good luck.
scotty