V8 Swap in California
 

Anyone done an engine swap in California? Advice? As I understand it here, in California, as long as we use an engine of the same year of the car, or newer, and maintain the new engines emission system, we can legally (as in smog legal) swap in a new engine, even a V8.

Any experience with smog legal swaps in California?

Michael

One of the forum members said his ABS stopped working when he did a swap.

I believe you could use one of the E-Rod Crate engine. Comes with all of the Emissions needed.

LS3 E-Rod @ SummitRacing
@Drambeenie

ABS will be disables unless you address the CAN situation. MRS Electronics currently has the fix for this in the works.

I looked into this too but as I understood it, the Erod engines are only carb legal in a pre-obd2 vehicle which means pre 1996/1997.

Also to use the Erod, you need to install the cats (not sure about the intake or other components) that comes with the engine package and I'm not sure you could make those things fit with out some serious work.

Oh yeah, the E-Rod Crate engine. That could be a great option. Thanks.

EDIT: ILLSMOQ, your right, looks like E-Rod is allowed for "pre-1996 vehicles" only.

With such a new platform, you have to ask yourself the obvious question(s):

What do I want out of a V-8 that a boosted FA20 can't give me?
Do I want to pay for all the secondary wiring, fabrication, and certification to make the swap work?
What is my wallet made of and can I replicate it in a Starfleet replicator?

https://www.bar.ca.gov/Industry/Engi...uidelines.html

Don't forget, you also have to have this signed off at a BAR station. The inspection is trivial but you'll spend enough money to buy another used FRS/BRZ before you're done.

-alex

Alex,

Great points for sure. I drove a small block as a daily driver for 15 years prior to selling and getting my BRZ. After a year and a half with the BRZ, while I still love the car, I totally miss driving a V8 everyday. To be sure, what I really miss is the power and sound.

You know what I need to do is get a ride in a boosted BRZ/FRS and see what happens. If I could get fulfilled with boost, that I can install over the weekend, I would be up for that. :)

Any Sacramento/Roseville area E-Force owners listening? ;)

All the hoops you'd have to jump through to make this a California carb legal swap makes it a looser of a deal...just not worth it.

Yeah, seems like the cost/effort is a bit high.

Im going to Do a LS3 swap I live in northern California. Find a ref to work with throughout the whole process and don't switch. They will tell you what they need to pass it. It doesn't need to be carb legal it just has to meet that refs interpenetration of what needs to be on the car to make it leagal.

I was shooting for March but a car crash and changing employers has set it back a bit, probably will be the last part of the new year a 6 month set back. I will go talk to a Ref later this month and document what he tells me I need to make it pass. I will post it to help end the speculation.

If you need any help PM me

So if a ref interprets it as "whatever legal V8 from a model year car older than your chassis", that's okay?

Just because someone interprets it one way doesn't make it legal. The last thing you want is for someone to interpret his/her way, and your swap goes down the tube later down the road.

I've been involved in this process many times... the first part is the engine needs to be same model year or newer than the vehicle it is going into. And yes, the whole "interpretation of what needs to be on the car" is basically meeting the legal requirements of the California ARB, i.e. "CARB legal"..

-alex

I hope you can pull it off and it works out like you say. That would be awesome.

loser...
 

I'm sorry but I have to be a grammar nazi here. IT is a LOSER of a deal, it would only be a looser of a deal, if you could have a tighter deal...

Jaden

Here are the things that the ref will look for to meet Carb approval.
Fuel system
Headers
Catalytic converters
Intake
Actual emissions test.

Fuel System:
Does it have a working and proper EVAP/Purge/Canister/Recirc.VS.Returnless fuel that meets the emissions standards of the body of the car or the engine.

Headers:
Are they OEM or C.A.R.B. approved

Catalytic converters:
Are they OEM or C.A.R.B. approved for that engine family

Intake
Does the intake have all the proper vacuum/evap that meets OEM standards.
Does it have the factory throttle body for that vehicle class (Can't put a truck throttle body on a sedan)
Does it have OEM or C.A.R.B. approved intake manifold

Emissions test
Does it actually pass a smog check.