Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

I have a 96 EK and I want to swap a GSR into it but there is no way it's going to pass smog. Why do people do engine swaps if they wont pass smog in CA? I guesss you can keep your old engine and after two years when you gotta get your car smogged you can swap the old engine back in, but thats such a hassle! I hate how strict CA is makes me want to move.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

reason y ill never move there...i cant stand their ridiculous laws...

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

IIRC you can get a obd2 gsr bar/reff'd into an ek in cali, it just has to be obd2 with a p72, no cel and all the stock smog equipment. But im not 100%, its been a while since I lived in cali and I never had a swapped car when I did live there. but I do remember my friend going through hell trying to get just a jdm b18b eg hatch legal, it was such a headache. gotta love AZ - just got my b20vtec dc4 registered and it passed emissions no problem!!

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

Just swap in a newer year engine (newer than your chassis) and get it State Reffed. just get a clean OBDII B18C1, make sure all the Evap equipment it hooked up, PCV, OBDII Cat and take it to a Ref station and have them smog it and check it all.

And if you didn't want to do that you could find a smog guy who will get it smogged for you with the engine in it, You'll have to pay for it but... LOL but IDk I'm always amazed at how cheap these guys will illegally smog cars for I've seen guys charging like $150 to smog a car etc... Thats way cheap!! even like $300 is cheap for the risk they are taking, if they got caught man they loose there smog license, and get fined a shit load of money, in like the ten's on thousands of dollars range!

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

you can be legal with your car in cali. its just a bit harder there.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

yes you can swap it. it can NOT be a jdm motor. has to be out of a newer car

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

what spooledbseries said, if you have a 92 honda, then the motor has to be 92+, it has to be from a car not a suv (crv) and ls-v wont pass, make sure your vacuums are good and dont have a mickey moused wire harness and get it bar'd and you should be fine

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

So say I get a 97 JDM GSR I should be able to pass smog because my car is a 96 and the engine is a 97? Also I heard you cannot pass with a JDM engine? So I would have to find a 97 USDM GSR (with less HP)?

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

YES!! it's not that much less power, a few bolt ons n you'll be making more power than a JDM motor

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

cali sucks lol

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

Are USDM GSR's with low-ish miles (under 60k) hard to find? I know there are JDM GSR's everywhere. Also are the USDM GSR's more expensive?

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

I would say the answers are both yes, unfortunately. Cali laws are tuff, and other states will be following.. sigh.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

So honestly I want to know.

What do people who live in CA, who have JDM motors in their honda's do when the time comes to smog? This is seriously making me regret buying a honda and want to not bother putting more money into my car.

Because moving isnt really gonna happen, plus I love it here in california. My friend JUST got done putting a GSR into his 95 integra and it cost him like 6k and it wont pass smog so he's gonna sell his car.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

Personally, I would go for the K20 swap. That's one of the newest engines around, and I think that it would be able to pass smog, no problem... but that's just me though. I'm still stuck with my stock D16Y7 on my sedan..

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

Many of them have already had their motors BAR Ref inspected prior to the recent enforcement so they will be grandfathered in and can get legally smog'd. Others will have to buy USDM motors if they wish to be legal. Some may swap motors back and forth to their stock motors every two years (which won't help you if you get pulled over and have your hood popped) and others may waste cash on having someone turn a blind eye.

To each their own, but I suggest if you are planning on modding yours get a USDM motor and parts then have it BAR Ref inspected, or don't mod it.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

So say I get a USDM K20 I should be good? God it's gonna take me FOREVER to save up for one of those....

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

Wrong! my friend has a jdm gsr in his 97 civic hx and its bard and smog legal.. what you have to do is change the intake manifold for a usdm manifold because it has the evap purge solenoid on it. You will also need to change the transmission to a usdm transmission with the green vin tags in place and a receipt because the jdm trannys dont have the vins.. And you need to used a obd2 usdm ecu whether its obd2a or obd2b depends on the year of your car. You also need a catalytic converter.

If you pop open his hood you will see an engine stamp b18c and not b18c1.

To make things easier just find a USDM motor thats the same year as your car or newer.
Swap all the emission components from the donor car including evap purge solenoids and vacuum tank. Provide receipts for everything and keep it as stock as possible.. oh yeah and dont "forget" the cat converter.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

so can you swap an ls?? and just go ls-v??

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

Do some research on that, I am not as familiar but to my knowledge... it is fine to do that swap if it is indeed an USDM motor but you will have to get all the original smog equipment that comes with that car plus I believe the fuel tank, wiring harness and ecu. Thought I had read for that swap to be feasible it is best to buy a complete wrecked car. These are all things you will need to my recent readings to be legal. I believe you have to cut up your car some to fit the fuel tank (has some updated fuel return or vent system that our cars do not have and you need for BAR inspec) and in doing so it makes it difficult to impossible to install the rear seats, just some food for thought.

Please search for more info on that swap though, as I mentioned my knowledge to that is slim and the listed above is info that I believe I have glanced at in other posts.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

OMFG this is so much work just to be able to make my car faster. I really hope this stupid law goes away and doesnt spread to the rest of the US.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

I dont think the k20a2's are legal. Well if it is then its going to be really hard for it to pass and get a bar sticker. Why? the k20a2 ecus do NOT work with the vehicle your swapping it into. Your going to need to get it reflashed with the original keys off the donor engine if you still have it. Meaning bringing it to a dealer and really convincing them to reflash the ecu for you in order for it to work on your transplant. Most people will go Kpro and that will definitely not pass bar. I havent seen 1 96-00 civic bard k20a2 swap yet and I live in SOCAL

besides there are alot of modifications to be done in order to transplant a k20a2 in your civic. Cutting, welding, relocating, modifying all will ultimately lead to a fail whereas swapping a B series is much easier and direct bolt on therefore easier to bar and pass smog

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

Unfortunately you are wrong.. yes he may have a BAR'd legal car but he got lucky.. those were the old requirements they "let" him pass with and his will be grandfathered in. Do a search and look for recent postings in the past 3 months.. they are no longer doing JDM swaps only JDM direct replacements, I was just in for an inspection (JDM motor with all USDM compliant parts installed) and they said my engine is JDM and they can not inspect it. I'm keeping this short as I have posted this numerous time in numerous posts this evening.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

AN LS-USDM is fine (same year or newer) with all appropriate smog parts and ecu.

LS-V, nope since that head will not match the non-vtec block.

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

well I guess they changed the laws now.. but I am not wrong because my friend does have a jdm gsr motor in his civic and he gets it smogged every 2 years like everyone else. He didnt get lucky either, it took him 3 tries to pass and it was mostly for visual aspects..

Re: Engine swap in california. Pointless?
 

Screw it man im done with this, im not gonna bother fixing my car up. Im just gonna save up for an EVO or something.