Legal CA18DET loophole?

[churro]

I've been reading through the forum about engine swaps and getting smogged, because I want to swap in a CA18DET. The most common answer I see, is to find someone who will help you out on the down low. Cali engine swaps can be confusing but with a little research I found out that even though CA18DETs are illegal, their naturally aspirated counterpart are found in the Pulsars and are legal.

The requirements for an "engine change" are simple: the engine must be from a same year or newer car, must be same vehicle class, have all emissions equipment from donor car, and pass the sniffer. Once thats all done you get a sticker making your engine legal, bolt on the turbo re-tune and you're set for two years. I've never had a chance to see exactly what they do but from what I've read they just check that all the emissions crap is still on.

This loophole would theoretically leave you with only one option for a "legal" CA18DET. The CA18DET could only be swapped into an 89 240SX because that was the last year the CA18DE came to the states(via the Pulsar) However this same idea can be applied to the SR20DE but since this is the CA18 forum I won't go into that.

What do think about buying a JDM engine temporarily remove the turbo, and re-tune the ECU to compensate. Go to the ref and tell them the engine is from an '89 Nissan Pulsar.

What do you think of this idea? Too much work? Impossible? Rather find a friendly smog tech every other year?

[r34 gtr]

i believe the engine has to be newer than the chassis. i would get really friendly with someone who can smog stuff, or bust. the ca18 isnt exactly emissions friendly in any shape or form, so even naturally aspirated youll have a hard time (i think?).

[churro]

I don't have any experience with smogging CA18s but I figure if I do go through with it I am completely rebuilding it. I don't think it would have too much trouble passing the sniffer in stock form. The only problem I see is that it might run dirty with low comp pistons and zero boost.

[Liquid_Neon]

i dunno about cali, but my ca18de always passed MA emissions. even when it was running really crappy. Techniqly though, in MA there is no visual underhood inspection. the only really emmisions check they must do on older cars is dyno and check for a gas cap Plus, im not gonna TELL my emmissions guy i swapped engines

[Packrat182]

luckily in PA, where my car is registered, all i have to do is pass a visual inspection. The motor thats in there now is a modified CA18DE. It has a RWD DET manifold with DE injectors from an s13 silvia. It is using the DET fuel rail and FPR with a custom fit intake i modded from an eclipse...no one has ever asked what happened to my EGR system...HAHAHA, and the cat is still bolted in and all i have to do is pass a gas cap test. Thats pretty much it...If i had this problem...id register my car in like...michigan haha they have like the least stringent inspection laws, if im not mistaken.Rat

[c-rad]

i dunno about cali, but my ca18de always passed MA emissions. even when it was running really crappy. Techniqly though, in MA there is no visual underhood inspection. the only really emmisions check they must do on older cars is dyno and check for a gas cap Plus, im not gonna TELL my emmissions guy i swapped engines

Also in MA, the loophole is to get a shop to write you an estimate that says that the cost to make the vehicle pass emissions will be more than $200 and that the problem has been tried to fix 3 times. Once that happens, you will be exempt from emissions testing.

[float_6969]

Or you could move to Kansas where we don't have emission's testing.

[churro]

Moving to another state just to avoid the smog issue isn't an option. Laws change all the time and if its legal in CA it's legal anywhere else. I am more interested in getting it semi-legal. I think its totally possible unless theres a problem I can't see.

[BACARDI_DWB]

HAHA its legal in cali for me..

1970 Datsun 510 hehe... the MAIN reason i went with the 510 besides the obvious weight difference.

[davidricardo86]

I dont know how Emissions Laws are done in California but here in Illinois they just recently stopped doing emissions testing on 95 and older vehicles. 96 and newer are OBDII and are tested in a different way. Before this change though, you would've had to pass the smog/sniffer test on the dyno with a new engine just like you did with the old one. As long as you've got a working Catilytic Converter, not misfiring, detonating, runing excessively rich or lean, you should pass the smog test. Last thing they check is sealing of the gas cap.

In your case where they probably do visuals, dont say its an engine from another car. Say its a custom or limited edition from Nissan. Why not register it in a county that doesnt do testing? Unless all of CA is the same. Another thing i could think of would be to know a tech or someone who does emissions repairs and try and get them to pass you.

[BACARDI_DWB]

oh yeah. and if you wanted to make it NA car for the testing you will need more than just the header. you will need a new 02/downpipe cause i can almost guarentee you the exhaust will not line up

[burntricer]

gotta love canada...whats emissions?

[r34 gtr]

or alabama. god how i love alabama. if we emissions tested, 3/5 of the state would be car-less.

[asher4857]

virginia beach as well, theres no emissions here either.

[chattanoogarebel]

One of many reasons I want out of Chattanooga, TN and back to Mississippi.

[r34 gtr]

dude, you are 20 feet from alabama. just go get it registered there.

[churro]

I know that other states and countries don't have the same smog laws for the sake of this thread the swap is for CA only.

Fabricating stuff for N/A conversion isn't a problem since I can weld. I know theres a CA smog check manual that all techs have I'm going to try and find a copy.

[r34 gtr]

my only real concern is that they wont like the engine in your car. if you can make it n/a, sure give it a shot. im not sure how it not having a turbo will decrease emissions though. run it on straight methanol and hope for the best!

[churro]

Removing the turbo is not for reducing emissions, it is to make it seem the JDM engine is from a USDM Pulsar. CA18DET illegal engine; CA18DE legal engine. I could just swap in an USDM CA18DE an turbo it but I've read the Japanese version is better.

[r34 gtr]

or you could just tell them you turbo'd the ca18de. who's to know? im willing to bet money the place that smogs it hasnt seen a ca before. hell, you could tell them its a horse, they might not know the difference!

[churro]

Any bolt-ons in California have to have a valid CARB # otherwise you can't get your smog. Up here in northern CA the cops don't know much about that kinda stuff(unlike in Socal) but the smog techs do know whats up.

[r34 gtr]

ah, forgot about that. dont know anyone with a shady shop that can do it?

[churro]

Yes, I probably can find a shady shop. I just want to see if there are other options. It sounded like a good idea but I guess most members here are not from California. I will look into the smog manual and post what I find.

[phuphyter]

Search for hazw8st's thread. It's the only legal way of doing it. Convert your car to natural gas, pass it, then convert back without having to worry about emissions testing forever.

[RS12Turbo]

Up here in northern CA the cops don't know much about that kinda stuff

Yeah right........not in Sacramento. I just moved from there, and they would pull over any import with a fart can, make them pop the hood to inspect.....and if they found any kind of mod without a carb number, they would right you up a fix it ticket. I wish AL did emmision testing, or atleast annual vehicle inspections. This is the smogiest state I've ever lived in......and with the most broken down, non road worthy cars on the road......that could never pass any state inspection. Back to the ca-det passing smog........how well do the testers know what engine is what? When I lived in Cali, I never had to get smogged since I had FL plates, so I don't know much about it......but for my car it came with the ca18et, so I would think they wouldn't know the difference between the ca18et and ca18det......

[r34 gtr]

alabama is fantastic dude, you just live in the wrong part. come to huntsville and ill show you whats up. got some driving roads thatll make you crap yourself. annual vehicle inspections would be fantastic though, ive seen cars i didnt think would run on the roads here doing 80! no emissions though, or i would be out of luck.

[RS12Turbo]

Oh, I know, I'm not bashing AL or anything......been to Huntsville many times......got family near there, so growing up, we'd make trips up from my home town of Destin, FL.But the smog in the whole state is pretty bad, worse in the big cities, like b-ham with all the industral crap.......but still you don't realize how bad it is here until you move away for several years, and then come back

[BACARDI_DWB]

Fifty Dollar Handshakes go A LONG way. Keep that in mind.

I took my girls SUV there cause it needed to get smoged and i started talking with the Smog tech and we talked cars and such, he told me to go get my car, then about 2 hours later he was $50 richer and i was Cali state legal (on my daily driver w/ no cat)

tell me this looks legal:

[Masterdebater]

yea get to know whoever u can and just be a friend. it goes along way. (the more you know *star*) lmfao

[tyrannix]

the 'loophole' is correct

if you de-turbo a CA18DET, it technically becomes a CA18DE

since the CA18DE was available in the 89 pulsar, it is a valid 'legal' swap option, if you have all emissions equipment from an 89 pulsar

then put your turbo back on - yes it should work legally.

but then again youll save time with the $50 handshake (or you can be military, live in cali and have another state plates with no problem.)

CJ

CJ