I think I'm going to be doing the exhaust on my '98 very soon.

First question: remind me how I can tell if I have Federal /CA emissions on this car?

Second question: Suggested brands? This one is a tame DD, so I'm just looking for something of reasonable quality. I'd like to avoid the complete junk though. Is Bosal still good for this car? Is Walker to be avoided?

Also... tips on navigating the purchase i.e CA emmisions, or w/o O2, etc?

Third question: If I do the center pipe and rr muffler, are there other clamps and brackets you'd usually need?

Last question: Any tips on doing it? Common hangups and slowdowns?

Thanks

 

There is supposed to be a tag under the hood that states if the emissions is Federal or California.

There is also an ID# on a metal tag attached to the firewall on the passenger side. This tag has the VIN on it also but the ID# is below the VIN.
You can also look for certain parts that are unique to the type of emissions. On a federal car, there is an O2 sensor right behind the main cat. Look from the driver's side of the car. A California car won't have this O2 sensor.

As far as replacing the pieces, I don't have any suggestions. Never replaced a muffler myself.

 

Did you get that backwards? CA has the O2 behind the cat, Federal doesn't?

I did some checking under there. I'll also check the ID tag to be sure. I have an O2 sensor on a short 22 degree bend pipe coming right off the cat.

Followup question based on what I saw... the Bosal exhausts listed at Rock auto mention "w/ O2 port" or "w/o O2 port"... Are the pipes without the O2 port longer and bolt right to the cat and the pipes with the O2 sensor shorter and bolt to the 22 degree curved pipe? Or do all the aftermarket pipes bolt right to the car and the ones list "with port" just have a bung on them? The 22 degree curved piece on mine looks fine... if I could just bolt to the rear of that I'd be OK and I wouldn't have to fool with the O2 sensor wire.

 

No, I did it correctly.

Fed cars have only 3 O2 sensors, 2 upstream at the exhaust manifold outlets and 1 behind the main cat.



The Cali cars have 4 O2 sensors, the same 2 as above and the the 2 downstream in the y-pipe after each pre-cat.

 

Thanks for the clarification.

This just got very weird though. The car has CANADIAN emissions. The car was originally sold in Georgia by a Nissan dealer. I found the FSM, but it doesn't detail the Canadian system. It looks like the Federal system from what I can see.

That brings me back to the other question for anyone who knows... do the aftermarket systems replace the rear pipe starting from the cat flange... so they include the hole for the Oxy sensor? Or do they start after the little short pipe behind the cat, so they have to differentiate between the CA and USA (and I assume Canadian) versions?