Not a Subaru-specific question, but applicable to all persons considering an engine swap.


I spoke with a CA smog ref a few weeks ago about an engine change I wanted to do that involves some creative work to get everything to fit.

The details are moot for the purposes of this question but I can explain if anyone's curious.

Suffice that it's been done before, just not in the US. Cars that are identical for all relevant purposes are availible stateside though.


Anyway, the ref said that:

1) Cats must be in stock location (ie: imagine their location in 3-D space relative to the car - there they must stay). Fair enough.

2) Up to 3" is allowed for exhaust to otherwise move around. Wording intentionally kept ambiguious here.


Now what's up with that last one? I didn't quite get it when he said it, and he didn't elaborate too much either even as I asked what he meant by it.

I don't know if that means (stock) flex joints and/or other bendable bits can move around, nor how they can confirm that 3" figure without a donor car side by side to compare, or if this means spacers are permissible, and if so from where to where this is measured? Dead center of exhaust diameter to sidestepped location dead center? From side of pipe to side of migrated pipe? Which side, inner to inner, outer to outer? Including heat shielding or not? Is this a 3" radius I have to play with, if using a spacer off say a manifold? Can I step out 3", and step back in 3" elsewhere, or is it net 3" of change?

...Just speculating here


I have never heard this before, and can't find any allusions to it in my Google-Fu-ing. I left a message with him, and I was on hold for about 15 minutes trying to reach another, but until I hear back, assuimg that reveals anything new, I thought I'd ask here.

Anyone have any hard documentation or personal expereince with this (one-off "I got lucky this one time..." successes aren't too helpful here though), or figure it's just some location-specific practice? The ref I spoke with was in Solano County (that was just the next availible ref - I had to wait 3 days to hear back after requesting a call).

Understood that at day's end, it's the ref's call, and if he's having a bad day I can get boned, but before I embark on a fair investment of time and money, I'd like to have reasonable assurance it will succeed.

 

Bump y'all.

 

I think this is easier to address if you talk about your actual plan.

My experience on this is a little dated, but here are the general way things used to work:
I'm pretty sure there are no formal limitations on exhaust size or placement of cats as long as they are equivlent to the donor car,
The real key here is that the engine must be the same year or newer than the chassis it is being installed. Engine "families" are all considered the same, so for example a Chevy V8 4.8 = 5.3 = 6.0 however a traditional 350 is different.
All of the original emissions equipment from the engine donor car is required to be in place and functional.
Which ever has the more stringent tailpipe emissions of the engine or chassis will be considered the standard for the hybrid vehicle.

Again, not sure what you're trying to do, but GM actually has a series of engines called the E-rods specifically for CA legal engine swaps
E-ROD LS3 Big Block Crate Engine | Chevrolet

 

I've an 88 Camry All-Trac that I want to put a 3VZ-FE/1M-FE V6 into (both motors were available on newer Camrys).

There's some grinding of the block and transfer case to get those two to play nice, and after that folks seem to use custom exhaust for the Y-pipe to clear the transfer case.

Depending on what's permissible, I think a kinked rear bank exhaust pipe may just do it, though if I can have spacers that may make it easier.

And understood about all the other bits regarding a swap, but good to hear it summarized again, thank you kindly . Documentation, perhaps intentionally, is a bit scattered regarding such things

 

Newer engine power plant is legal and is under the clause of engine families. With that said it must be complete power plant which is gas tank, engine harness. You will have to get this build reviewed with BAR

 

Oh I know all those parts. Again, I'm keen to know about this 3" of movement I may or may not be allowed, and most likely will need to make this swap happen without a full custom y-pipe, which so far as I can tell ain't kosher so far as getting BAR'd.

The ref is gonna call me again in a few days (these guys must be in high demand!), which hopefully will make things clearer. As said, they may intentionally keep some things ambiguous, and at day's end it's the ref's somewhat arbitrary call. Dunno if you can appeal that or not.

I tried calling Aggressive Performance in Santa Clara, knowing they've had good luck with BAR'd Mk. 1.5 AW11 MR2s (4A-GE/GZE into 3S-GTE), but answering machine was full. Will try again tomorrow I guess.

 

The 3" of movement may be talking about you can't re-route the exhaust to a different exit point on the car (like dumping the exhaust directly under the car instead of out the back of the car), at least that would be my interpretation of that.