Topic: Who's gotten what past the referee?

[Ghettofab88]

I'm kinda curious as to what engine swaps people have been able to get past the california bar smog referees?

In california, not only does the engine need to be same year or newer, but its got to retain the factory cat location as it was on the donor vehicle.  I know folks have been able to get 2/3rz, 5vz, 4.3 and 5.7s through with little to no issues.  So has anyone been able to get anything else through?  I'm curious if anyones been able to get a 1uz or 2uz through, maybe a buick 3800?

Thanks,
Kevo

[Rocksurfer]

As long as the engine is newer or same year as the vehicle it is going in, anything is possible. Done right even a VW diesel in a Samurai has made it past the ref.

[fordh8r]

This may help. There's another piece on the DMV website (I believe) that outlines this as well. Basically the engine being swapped in has to be of the same year or newer, of the same weight class and type of vehicle, (for CA) both engines must also be "CA Emissions compliant" and all the smog equipment that was required of the "new" engine must be in place and functional. I'll see if I can find the official page that states all this. But JTR does this stuff all the time so they do know this stuff. 

http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Chevrolet_S-10_V-8_Smog.html


Here's the other link. 

http://www.bar.ca.gov/80_barresources/07_autorepair/engine_change_guidelines.html

[Ghettofab88 [OP]]

Thanks, I'm well aware of what most of the current ca smog motor swap laws are.  I'm more interested in what swaps people have done that they have gotten to be smog legal.  I see a lot of people start swaps and then not finish, some are in states without smog and others just get green stickered.  There is a lot of talk, but not a whole lotta action it would seem.  I know that the 3rz, 5vz, 4.3 and 5.7 swaps have gotten through, but haven't heard of anyone with a 1uz or 2uz. 

In my research the exhaust has become a major issue because of the new cat laws that came out 2-3 yrs ago.  Minitrucks have the exhuast on the drivers side, whereas almost any other motor to swap in has it on the pass side.  Lexus 1uz motors have the cats in the downpipes from the exhaust manifolds, which would seem very hard to package with a front driveshaft in the way also.  Tundra 2uz motors have the cats further back.  Buick 3800 V6 swaps have been gaining in popularity, but thats a transverse mounted motor.  If I mount it conventionaly, do I have to have the exhaust exit out the pass side fender?  If they allow me to reroute that exhaust, can I reroute it to the pass side?

I guess I'd just like to hear from people who have gotten their conversions legal and what experiences they had in doing so. Maybe someone has a different conversion that makes more sense than the ones I've listed.

Kevo

[Cheesemaker]

I know for a fact that almost all of the guys in the 3RZ post  http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=19275.0   have the gas tank in stock location.  And the 3RZ's exhaust exits the passenger side.  And they just run the exhaust and cat down the driver side like a stock Hilux would run. 

I feel that as long as you have all the smog equipment on there, and its not a hack job, it should pass inspection. 

[Vang530]

I do notice that its slightly easier to pass in a non enhanced smog area..just my opinion though.. say getting it reffed in los angeles vs getting reffed in the middle of nowhere northern california

[bigarms23]

my 4.3cpi swap is ca legal and all i did was smog equipment from the s10 blazer and my exhaust is still down the drivers side and it passed using a magnaflow universal cat

[jl93221]

A buddy of mine got caught with a 89 22re in his 85 that had a 22re we had to change ecm and add everything to it that the 89 comes with

[82rustbeast]

I swapped an 87 22r with full harness and ECU into my 82 about 6 years back. I took it right to the smog shop. Luckily i lived in a small town, and the smog tech didnt recognize that none of the 87 smog stuff matched the original 82 equipment.

[Yotaleigheehoo]

As long as the engine is newer or same year as the vehicle it is going in, anything is possible. Done right even a VW diesel in a Samurai has made it past the ref.

As long as the engine is newer or same year as the vehicle it is going in, anything is possible. Done right even a VW diesel in a Samurai has made it past the ref.

As long as the engine is newer or same year as the vehicle it is going in, anything is possible. Done right even a VW diesel in a Samurai has made it past the ref.

Can you point me to a link where the diesel smog passed a Ca ref?

[Ghettofab88 [OP]]

Diesel in general or specificly a vw?

My old room mate converted his 86 x-cab to a toyota 2LT diesel out of a 2wd truck.  He was all about burning veggie oil at the time.  Later he pulled that drivtrain and put it in an early 90s runner.  Never had any issues getting them legal.  I doubt they see very many diesel swaps and as long as its actually burning diesel I doubt they care too much.

Kevo