Can I get my car bard with my vtec harness?

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Oct 19, 2018 | 09:05 PM

Timothy Yhtomit

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Can I get my car bard with my vtec harness?

So I got a 96 civic coupe with a b20. I am using my stock d series vtec harness, I was wondering if I can cut the vtec plugs off and hide the wires to make it pass CA BAR or will they know?

Oct 25, 2018 | 09:41 AM

Zeshin

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Re: Can I get my car bard with my vtec harness?

Doesn't hurt to try. You may get lucky with the person inspecting your car. Usually they want to see that you are using the OEM engine harness for the application, but if your wiring and install is cleanly done, they may not care as much. You won't get black listed for trying, so just give it a go and correct what they tell you needs to be corrected.

Oct 28, 2018 | 06:43 AM

muellersfan

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Re: Can I get my car bard with my vtec harness?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timothy Yhtomit

So I got a 96 civic coupe with a b20. I am using my stock d series vtec harness, I was wondering if I can cut the vtec plugs off and hide the wires to make it pass CA BAR or will they know?

You can legally install non-VTEC engine in your car if done properly. You did not provide any information to assess whether the swap was done properly or legally.

Oct 28, 2018 | 09:04 AM

Jkgtas0311

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Re: Can I get my car bard with my vtec harness?

I’ve seen a lot of threads saying you can not bar a b20 because it comes out of a suv don’t quote me to be 100% on how they do it now a days

Oct 30, 2018 | 07:38 AM

Thmanx

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From: Cerritos, CA, United States

Re: Can I get my car bard with my vtec harness?

The above statement is correct... 'almost'

In order to 'legally' swap in a B20 into a civic, it takes 2 steps.

While the B20 from a CR-V is really nothing more then a bored out B18B, the engine does come from a larger class of vehicle so its not directly swap-able into a civic according to California.

however...

The state does consider a B20 engine to be 'functionally identical' to a B18B1 for integras, meaning that if you had a 99 Integra LS that had a blown motor you are legally allowed to swap in a B20 into it and its not considered an engine change, but an engine replacement (no Ref label needed)

California some times allows these 'close enough' engines since there are not enough direct replacement engines available in junk yards anymore, the rule even applies to JDM engines of this kind. aka a JDM B20 is also allowed (assuming all emission stuff is functional). Take for example 99 Honda civics with JDM B15B engines. Those engines were never sold here in the states, but they are functionally identical to a D16Y8, so California allows them as an engine replacement, and not an engine change.

Since your in a civic, it would take 2 things. First you would have to BAR you civic with a B18B1 engine. Once you have a BAR label for that and you civic is functionally an 'integra' as far as California is concerned, you can then remove the B18 and put in the B20. No need to BAR again, since the B20 is functionally equivalent to the B18 you bar'd it as. You'd just have to make sure you BAR your B18 LS engine with a new enough year so you can cross it over with a B20 CR-V, preferably as a 1998 Integra LS. That way you can find an OBD2A 1998 B20 engine to drop in.