Okay, so I have been a Honda person for quite a few years. But just recently, my brother gave me his 1992 240SX after it blew the transmission and he bought a brand new car. So now I have a 240SX to play around with. For at least the past couple of years, I have been thinking about the Q45 swap. But I don't know if it is possible to actually pass an inspection by the referee here in California. Specifically, I don't know if it is possible to make the stock exhaust manifolds work OR whether it is an issue to run a manual transmission on a motor that never came with one (and which has an ECU that expects an automatic transmission). Anyway, does anyone here actually have a 240SX with a Q45 which passed a referee inspection? And if so, were there any problems with these issues (or any others)?

I have been dealing with the smog rep in Los Angeles a lot about my swap recently. here is what I learned. you have to have all the emissions equipmentfrom either the vehicle that the engine is from or from the original vehicle. I know you did not ask this question the transmission thing will be an issue if the year you are going to classify the engine as did not come a manual trans. has to be a setup that was sold here in the US.

according to my local ref you do not have to have the actual exhaust manifolds they just have to be a stock manifold that will operate all the correct smog equipment, so any stock manifold you can get to work, they will probably not know the difference visually inspecting the manifold unless your local ref says he is actually going to check the casting numbers.

also any carb aproved parts are OK to have if they are carb approved for the vehicle the engine came out of.

i would talk to your local rep. the ref where I am is a nice guy and helping me out quite a bit on the phone about what I can and can't get to pass.

Modified by 450SX! at 9:12 AM 3/19/2010
Modified by 450SX! at 9:22 AM 3/19/2010

450SX! wrote:I have been dealing with the smog rep in Los Angeles a lot about my swap recently. here is what I learned. you have to have all the emissions equipmentfrom either the vehicle that the engine is from or from the original vehicle. I know you did not ask this question the transmission thing will be an issue if the year you are going to classify the engine as did not come a manual trans. has to be a setup that was sold here in the US.

according to my local ref you do not have to have the actual exhaust manifolds they just have to be a stock manifold that will operate all the correct smog equipment, so any stock manifold you can get to work, they will probably not know the difference visually inspecting the manifold unless your local ref says he is actually going to check the casting numbers.

also any carb aproved parts are OK to have if they are carb approved for the vehicle the engine came out of.

i would talk to your local rep. the ref where I am is a nice guy and helping me out quite a bit on the phone about what I can and can't get to pass

I'm actually quite familiar with swap guidelines, as I have actually reffed a few Hondas with engine swaps. But due to the simplicity of Hondas (compared to Nissans) and the fact that you are probably not going to swap a drastically different motor into the car, Hondas are easy. On the other hand, I don't know if ANY VH/VK45 stock manifold will fit. And I do know that NO VH/VK45 came with a manual transmission. So I don't know if maybe something like an LT1 would be a better idea from a smog standpoint. I would prefer the VH45. But if it's an LT1 or nothing, I will probably go that route.

the L98 exhaust might work with the motor in normal location. a lot of other options to use as well, various truck and suv exhaust as well as corvette rams horn exhaust as long as the have the AIR tubes.

I am using the intake, distributor, harness, ecu, smog equipment and modified fuel rails from a L98 and putting on a 65 327 block with dart pro1 heads(I would use AFR 180cc or 195cc if i did again , available in 75cc for boost or nitrous apps, carb exempt on L98) there is also an edlebrock head with 170cc runners.

once mine passes the turbo is going back on.

good luck.