Legal engine swaps?

[Terryk]

The only real rules are these:

1. The motor must be of the same year or newer. 
2. The motor must be put in complete with emissions equipment.
3. The engine must be setup for the tranny (man or auto). The problem area
is where an engine intended for an auto is mated to a manual. 

For example, putting a Buick 3.8L TPI in a Fiero with and manual tranny is
a no-go. The Buick 3.8L never had a manual tranny. However, dropping a 5.7L
TPI from Vette in there is fine, since it came with the manual tranny.

4. Induction swaps are fine if the car came with it. For example, I
converted a 1983 X-11 carb system to a 1985 MPFI, but used the 1983 block,
pistons, etc. It is now smogged as a 1985. Since the MPFI came with a
manual tranny, no sweat. I plan on swapping the 3.8L TPI into my 1983 auto
X-11. No sweat. 

If the combination existed, they will go for it. They just want to see
clean installations and all of the equipment working. They aren't as bad as
people make out. They just aren't in a position to violate Federal laws, so
odd combinations (never existed) get bounced.

Keep in mind that the 5.7L TPI Vette engine in a manual tranny Fiero is ok
even though the combination never existed. The 5.7L is from a longitudinal
and swapped into a transverse. The only sticky point is if the tranny is
electronically controlled AND if this control is considered a part of
emissions. Driveabilty controls don't count.

Call Carb and ask what equipment the swap needs. They will rattle off a
list. Met the list and go for it.

TK


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From: DOROTHY I. STREICH <DStreich at compuserve.com>
To: INTERNET:diy_efi at coulomb.eng.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Legal engine swaps?
Date: Tuesday, October 07, 1997 8:56 PM

:-,>   Does anyone know what the law says (esp in CA) 
:-,>   about swapping a newer engine
:-,>   (post-80) into an older car (pre-70)??
:-,>   Thanks in advance for the help...
:-,>   
:-,>   Van


In pre-66 cars you can do whatever the hell you want <looking at a 1955
Pontiac Star Chief and 30 years in the old ladys jail> but after that you
have to use a newer version of the origional engine that came out of a
vehical in the same or lower weight class.  I am unclear as to using an
engine that was a newer car of your bodystyle but wasent offered in your
model year.  It is illeagal to put a super clean(burning) engine in a
vehical that had a dirty engine in it unless you get lotsa pain in the butt
tests, and they say the legislature is good...Eliminate all
GreenPeopleFreaks!!!  I am for clean air and clean cars, but so few are 25
years and older that the 20 or 25 years and beyond aged cars should be
exemt and any car that had a carbureator should be able to be switched to
fuel injection and exemted from smog because the over lean and rich engines
that do most poluting are usually carbureated, and fuel injection is much
more reliable in that department,...

                                        Karl Streich
                                        My $0.02 worth

                                        plus $10.00 worth :>
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