Motor swaps are a big thing these days. Just about every high horsepower vehicle has had an engine swap done at one point or another or, at least, there is that sweet tantalizing thought of swapping your motor for a bigger, meaner upgrade. There is no denying that the idea of swapping out your engine to unlock its true street potential is alluring. But, before you start cheesing at the thought of that sweet new HO engine installed in your car for just $6000, you should know a few things about california motor swap laws when it comes to emissions and safety compliance. California has some of the most stringent emissions and safety inspection regulations in the country. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) are notorious for their enforcement of these laws. So, this article will help you with ensuring that your swap initiative meets compliance.
The best way to make sure that your swap goes off without a hitch is to acquire compliant parts. Don’t worry though because this can be done in a fair budget and cost friendly manner. You can find a great number of certified and authenticated used parts on Car-Part.com for very cheap. You can even find amazing deals on all new components from CARB approved vendors through Amazon. Their selection is vast, include all benefit packages, and affordable. One of my favorite places to get quality used parts for a great deal is Redline Motorworks, you can check them out at www.redlinemotorworks.com. If you do not want to spend much more than $1000 on a complete “turn-key” solution, then you can always visit your local “you-pull-it” shop and locate a compatible engine or entire motor from one of their many salvage vehicles on their lot. You should also check out JEGS and Summit Racing for many new components for motor swaps. But, my favorite place for finding bargains is eBay or Craigslist. Check out this link to find out how to search for cars on eBay for parts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s4dTtRxKj4.
Let’s say you have already done research and determined that your motor is both compliant with emissions and safety inspection requirements. That’s great! Now, you need to make sure the vehicle that was equipped with that wondrous new motor also complies with those requirements. So, you go down the street to see Jeff down at the neighborhood repair shop or body shop to have the work done. And, a few short hours you are back on the road driving home. Well, two days later, a CHP officer nails you with a fix-it ticket for emissions violations. Why? Because Jeff failed to inspect the emissions components on your old motor. He failed to test the catalytic converter, O2 sensor, and misc. hose connections. You go back to Jeff’s and find out that the “California emissions compliance inspection” is a basic “premium service oil change”. Well, this is why you do research. You should check with a dealer or the service department on what the requirements for California emissions compliance are for your swap vehicle.
For information regarding California Emission requirements, check out the ARB guides here: ARB Guides and the DMV guidelines here: DMV Guidelines. And, of course, if you are totally confident that your swap meets compliance and would like to see if you qualify for a waiver on emissions, you can always petition for a compliance waiver here: Compliance Waiver.
One last thing you should know is that you should not go to just any body shop or repair shop for modification services unless you can trust them do compliant testing and certification before you take the upgraded vehicle home. It is best to go to a licensed and CARB approved mechanic for all services.
For more information on vehicle emissions and compliance, you can visit the Wikipedia page on Vehicle Emissions.