Drive train conversion

[vt_maverick]

The guy from the Emissions Lab at the DMV told me that EVERYTHING must be swapped over. Even the gas tank... (if) There is an EVAP monitor on the tank that measures volume and vapor amount. Basically, you have to do a full change-over to the donor vehicle's emission system... even if your vehicle didn't have said systems.

Doesn't seem like it would be that bad except for the gas tank part, but you'd almost certainly be way better off to buy a donor vehicle rather than individual pieces. Setting aside the gas tank question this means you'd need the engine, intake, MAF sensor, O2 sensor, ECM/PCM, headers, cats, and mufflers at a minimum. With a donor vehicle you'd have pretty much everything you need, with the exception of any custom exhaust "plumbing" work. At least that's my view as a non-mechanically inclined reader.



Buffy (Greg) - I think paragraph 5 pretty much bans the Trooper 3.1 diesel swap you were considering.

[tom4bren]

Doesn't seem like it would be that bad except for the gas tank part, but you'd almost certainly be way better off to buy a donor vehicle rather than individual pieces. Setting aside the gas tank question this means you'd need the engine, intake, MAF sensor, O2 sensor, ECM/PCM, headers, cats, and mufflers at a minimum. With a donor vehicle you'd have pretty much everything you need, with the exception of any custom exhaust "plumbing" work. At least that's my view as a non-mechanically inclined reader.



Buffy (Greg) - I think paragraph 5 pretty much bans the Trooper 3.1 diesel swap you were considering.

I think those limitations are written for companies that do modifications and custom rigs. I don't think that those restrictions apply to the shade tree mechanic. For an owner modifying for his own use: if it passes smog, then it's legal.

[SilverBullet75]

The Emissions Lab guy I was talking to was very emphatic that they will check EVERYTHING to make sure it all came over.
I would hope they would be lenient, but who knows...

[SilverBullet75]

Wisdom,
If you are reading this... please let us know what you did!

[Ascinder]

The Emissions Lab guy I was talking to was very emphatic that they will check EVERYTHING to make sure it all came over.
I would hope they would be lenient, but who knows...
__________________

The way my emissions guy explained it was that all the new systems had to be there, but how you attached everything was left open to you. They didn't say you had to use all donor parts, you jut have to have all the donor emission systems. It is probably cheaper though to just use all donor . The way the fuel tank was explained was that it had to be superior to the OEM tank.

[Ascinder]

After re-reading the pages you posted silverbullet, it pretty clearly states that the emissions configuration must match. In other words if you're throwing in an LS series engine, you have to have two catalytic converters with pre and post cat O2 sensors since that's what the original configuration was-who they are made by is of no concern as long as they are functional and pass muster. I think your DMV tech is trying to be difficult to discourage the swap since it's a buttload of work for them and they seem to think they're liable to some extent. I had this same problem with getting a camping trailer I built assigned a VIN number. I had to fight a little, but after a little talking and show and tell, they were appeased and everything was cool. In the EPA letters example they throw a chevy 350 into a 1985 Jeep-there's no way they are fitting the stock exhaust system length of a donor 350 into a Jeep without modification. The EPA seems like they are more general and just want the vehicle not to be a smog belching travesty. The DMV seems like they are interpreting the facts to suit themsleves and incorrectly interpreting the spirit of the EPA's memo. It's just going to be something that we go round and round with them on. They can be irrational pricks, but they can be reasoned with using a little common sense, logic, and the pages you provided with highlighted exerpts detailing what the policies actually are.