I am trying to find out what some set-ups in cali are looking like while still being Smog legal. So if you get a "Hook-up" on smog to pass your set-up, I don't want details.

I'm looking more for how much i can really do and stay smog legal beside the typical bolt ons. I have the ZC head and cam with a DC header and will be doing exhaust. I am looking into the Edelbrock Intake Manifold and AEM Intake. Anything else that will bump things up?

Lightened flywheel?
timing adjustments?
pulleys?
etc.

Thanks...

 

sohc or dohc zc?

my suggestion is always gears for the trans. absolutely carb legal

 

SOHC ZC head on a A6 block. I was thinking about gearing actually, considering have the gears carbon coated as well.

It's funny cause I first started with a brand new Civic Si in 91, and with just exhaust and drop, I had a lot of fun, and even beat some cars i really shouldn't have. So I dont need a huge infusion of power, but it's nice to see what i can do within legal limits...

 

well if ya wana get all technical and **** about smog then ur setup right now is "not carb legal" u have a "jdm" head on ur car.. in japan they run a EGR system on there sohc zc's (at least's the ones i have bought) so if u take it to a smog place they could fail u for no egr system.. its that place where like a v-tec syl. would go but u plug it up with a piece of metal... usdm motors are solid there but the jdm zc's has a opening where u have to put a flat piece of metal there and some blots..

and u have a "aftermarket" cam wich isnt C.A.R.B. legal... u might be able to pass emmissions but its not actually legal...

if i was u i would do wat i do... i got my smog motor sitting here in the garage with my srt-4 cat. sitting right next to it... when smog rolls around i just pull my dohc zc and drop in the "smog" motor and get it done first try.... then day after swap the zc back in...

But if u dont like doing swaps or dont know how then just do a dif. motor and get it state reffed.... im going to pull my zc out and im getting a d16z6 and state reffing it.. i used to have a crx like this but sold it (ya i know im stupid lol) then im selling my turbo kit to pick up a jackson racing super charger (smog legal) then then just going on from there... cali is getting WAY to strict on there smog rules.. and cops are bustin people everyday.. well anyways i would say just get another swap and get it state reffed because all u have to do is have 1 illegal part on ur car and the cops will send u to state ref... doesnt matter if u have 99999999 things that are all carb legal.. just that one thing will make them send u to the ref.

 

True, technically, the head and cam are not legal, but as far as emissions are concerned - the ZC is a direct replacement emissions and function wise. It really is only the block stamp that can get if failed. While the cam is more aggresive, it does not increase emissions enough to really be a concern.

I just had this engine rebuilt, so i dont want to really do another swap just yet, plus the motor is still strong and healthy so i figured I would just max it out. I actually have thought about the SC as well, but not ready to drop the cash on that just yet.

What i meant in my post was that I didn't want to have to go through the trouble of having to swap engines just to pass or having to go to a "hookup". Even though it is simple enough in theory, and i have no problem swapping it myself - I have learned that sometimes the timing isnt right, and you just may not be able to get the swap or to the "hookup" in time.

That happened to me recently - My engine blew the headgasket and the head was warped - and I was leaving to vacation to Hawaii for a week and my mother in law was coming into town the week we left. So normally, I would have done the work myself, or figured, hell now is the time to swap, but I was short on time, the car is my daily, and there was way too much going on - so I sucked it up, took it to my local mechanic friend and had the work done while I was gone.

So for the most part, I want to be able to take it to any smog guy and not really worry. The main thing I want to stay away from is things like a fully built motor - ported head, overbored block, things that are really gonna make a major impact or be a hassle to work around.

But you are right, it is getting harder in Cali to do that.

 

well my old setup on my 89 civic hatch (my other daily driver) was just a SOHC zc (re stamped to a d16a6) with a jackson racing sc and just had header, exhaust piping with a magnaflow muffler to a stockish tip and a intake... car ran a 14.9 in the summer heat with a grinding tranny and the clutch was slipping a lil.... i was pretty impressed.... but then the motor blew i needed cash so i sold the SC and just put a new sohc zc in it...

So now im sellin my dohc zc in my rex and just going the "legal" way.. u can take a look at my sig. where i have my build going on and my plans for the dohc zc but all thos plans are being bumped and im picking up another SC with the boost upgrade and just going single slammer v-tec state reffed.. i dont wana deal with this BS cop **** anymore...

 

See, now that is a combo I really have been thinking about. I actually heard about having the block restamped, but figured it'd be too much trouble. I may have my ZC block done later since I didnt use the bottom end.

 

restamping ur block is HELLA easy.... my buddy did mine because i didnt know how to at first and charged me 30 buxs to do it.... it doesnt look perfect but u cant tell..

 

get a zc transmission and put a si 4.25 final drive in it

 

i wana get a lsd zc tranny and throw a dx final so when im cruisin down the freeway my rpm's arnt at like 4k