What do CA laws say about swaping a same year diesel into a same year gasser?
- Thread starter crazytwo
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vpcatfish
Registered User
from what i have researched yes it is legal but the engine must come from model year or newer if you want to register it and not have to smog it other than getting it inspected to make sure it has all the emissions equipment from the model year of the donor truck keep the diesel that you swap in pre 98. 98 and later diesels have to be smog-ed in certain counties. so for a one time inspection just put a 97 or older 7.3 in it and smile as you drive your diesel
Not sure about CA but EPA says you can only do engine switching to build a clone of a vehicle that existed from the factory. For example, your 460 to 7.3 of the same year should be fine so long as all the appropriate emissions equipment is attached because F350 came with that engine in that year. If you want to get right down to it, the cummins swap into a ford is techincally against federal law. The caveat is that EPA leaves it up to the states to enforce the laws and most of them don't want to screw with it so they just exempt diesels for emissions purposes. Google Engine switching and EPA.
Carb in their infinite wisdom is god here,,, call the referee station, or sac
Get year of manufacture info on both donor and recipient vehicles
Dmv.ca.gov as a last ditch....forgetabout 1800 dial an idiot at dmv
They will tell ya anything to get ya off the fone
Bar is the referee station for setting up a check out for new smog paperwork
You can go to DMV or AAA and fill out a statement of facts claiming the fuel type was changed from gas to diesel. "SOME" DMV/AAA techs will walk out and verify...."MOST" will not. I am looking at swapping my '79 F350 to diesel. All I need is a Bill of Sale for said diesel engine,new weight cert and Statement of Facts filled out...DONE! I also talked to a ref....for swaps in vehicles BEFORE '96 or '98, it's pretty much NOT a bid deal.
All this info came straight from DMV. But it also depends on the tech that is helping you. "SOME" can be real A$$holes.
All this info came straight from DMV. But it also depends on the tech that is helping you. "SOME" can be real A$$holes.
Just my personal experience: California is pretty tough. Way back when the Toyota Prius came out, I had a buddy who bought one over in Arizona to save a ton of money versus what dealerships were getting for them in California. He wanted one specifically to get into the Carpool lane. Guess what happened? He couldn't even TITLE it in Socal, due to the lack of a CARB certified VIN number.
Here's another story from CARB: the first year that the last generation Camaro came out, they put a "carbon sticker" on the inside of the factory airbox. Nobody can tell you what it's made out of and what it's actual function is, but if you don't have it your Camaro ain't CARB legal.
California is pretty tough, proceed with caution.
Here's another story from CARB: the first year that the last generation Camaro came out, they put a "carbon sticker" on the inside of the factory airbox. Nobody can tell you what it's made out of and what it's actual function is, but if you don't have it your Camaro ain't CARB legal.
California is pretty tough, proceed with caution.
If your friend bought the Prius new in AZ and it wasn't a 50 state vehicle, you can't register it in CA until it has over 7500 miles. This came about in the 80's because of all the new grey market cars that were coming from Europe and competing with new car dealers in CA.
Here in NJ they wouldn't let you do the clone a factory vehicle. I have an '86 Supercab that had a 351w at the time and came that way. Wanted more towing power so got a 460 to build, it happened to be out of an '86 F-350 and I had all the emissions equipment so I had an easy option to make it legal, doing a mild performance build and retaining smog pumps, EGR, etc. Called DMV and explained what I was doing and asked if I made it just like it came from Ford with a 460 as if the original owner just checked a different box if they would emissions test it as if it came that way. I was told they would fail it. I stopped at a state run inspection station and asked there, they said more or less the same thing. If they see the engine doesn't match the VIN it fails. Asked if they'd stick it anyway and pass if the 460 passed 351 smog numbers, which they said not if they noticed engine was different than the original.
Load of BS, wasn't worth building a smog engine just to maybe have it fail anyway so I just trashed the smog equipment and built the engine how I wanted to build it. Did me well until the state cracked down ******* private shops. I got sick of random $185 fines from the tax man which could result in them suspending my license and didn't feel like building and storing a small block driveline to swap in every other year so here I am with a diesel... no inspection. Not thrilled with the loss of power and expense of buying a truck I didn't want or need but it's worth it to not have to dodge cops all the time. NJ sucks and so does CA, so this is the game we have to play to not be hassled for minding our own business.
idiabuse
Full Access Member
Free men don't ask permission.
idiabuse
Full Access Member
Doing what the state wants you to do to prevent global pollution while Fukashima Radiation isotopes are raining down on you. Makes a lot of sense! Get your flu shots yet?
Knuckledragger
blowing chunks and grabbing porcelain
X2.
California is a mangled web of conflicting regs. Your best bet is to join AAA if you aren't already a member. Their counter people are far and away smarter than anyone at the DMV or 1800 dial-a-dope. They will walk you through whatever process is necessary, most likely filling out a couple of statement of fact forms.
CA DMV is not an enforcement agency, they are just a cash register. As long as you file paperwork to tell them what you are doing (and it isn't patently illegal, like mounting a howitzer on your Prius), they will take your money and issue registrations.
A parently You have NEVER met one of the C.A.R.B feild enforcement agents
"They don't need no stinking badges"
Gawd i h8te this phone sorry cant fix it
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Socal88
Registered User
The CA DMV just recently sent me a letter stating that I need to smog my 92 F-250. I told them it was a diesel and was exempt from smog due to the age of the truck and I didn't need to, they then required me to have the truck inspected by their "trained" official who had no idea what he was looking at since I had a Banks kit on it. Thank god for Banks placing a C.A.R.B and E.O sticker under the hood or I would still be there fighting with them. Just make sure you do your home work before you start the project so your not sorry in the end.
jrad235
Full Access Member
Man! All I had to do when I swapped motors in my Thunderbird was make sure that it passed emissions for the largest engine installed from the factory that year. (5.0 TBI)
