crevasse

If this is the wrong sub, I apologize in advance, but my question is swap-related so I figured it was the best place to ask.

**TL;DR** I'm moving to California and I own a 1UZ swapped 2nd gen 4Runner. I have no CELs, I took extra care to make my engine bay look very "OEM," I have a working catalytic converter. Is there any chance at all I pass smog or am I totally screwed?

As the title says, I'm moving to California this summer. No, I'm not just moving there for fun, this move for my wife's work (I work from home). I recently finished a supercharged 1UZ swap on a 2nd gen (1995) 4Runner. It's running good, and I have an extremely detailed technical write-up that I'm finalizing and will be posting soon.

Anyway, I've been trying to figure out what I'm going to be up against trying to get an engine-swapped vehicle to pass CA smog. I know we've all heard horror stories about how California is especially terrible when it comes to govt. regulations, but I'm having a hard time determining what you can get away with in reality. Some guys on some forums say getting a modded vehicle to pass is impossible; the smog employees are like super detectives that can detect the slightest mod and will fail you no matter what. Other guys say it is possible, but you have to make sure you have all your "t's crossed and i's dotted" when it comes to emissions and appearance. Historic/antique tags don't exempt you from smog in California, so that's not an option.

Here's what I understand about passing a smog with an unmodified car from reading the CA .gov website:

1. You for sure can't have any CEL on, and your CEL has to work.
2. They measure exhaust gas w/ a probe to make sure it fits whatever environmental standards the state has set.
3. Need to have a working catalytic converter.
4. Your engine bay has to pass a visual test (look "stock").
5. E-brake, brake lights, headlights, etc all have to function.

I shouldn't have a problem with any of the above. Where I could have a problem, is the engine swap. Engine swaps are legal in California, but you have to follow these rules:

1. No truck engines in a car or car engines in a truck.
2. Transmission must be available with the engine from the factory.
3. All emissions equipment must be transferred over (O2, cat, EGR, EVAP canister, etc)
4. The donor engine must be same year or newer.

Hypothetically, I would fail all of those: I have a car engine in a truck, the engine doesn't match the transmission, I deleted my EGR, and my engine is from a '94 LS400.

That seems really bad. However, how much of this stuff are they actually going to notice? Sure, these are the "rules", but is the apathetic, DMV-zombie government drone who checks my vehicle *actually* going to know what engine a 1995 4Runner is supposed to have? Do they have every make/model memorized? Do they pull out a factory service manual and start comparing diagrams to your engine bay?

As far as visuals go, I went out of my way to make sure my engine bay looks "OEM" out of personal preference even before I knew I had to move to California. I have my PVC hoses connected, my charcoal canister in place, I'm using the factory Toyota throttle body, no exposed cam gears, no neon-colored valve covers, wires, or other ricer crap. My wiring harness isn't a rat's nest, it's taped up and sheathed. I don't have a huge hole cut in my hood for the supercharger, no intake snorkel...you get the picture.

If I have no CELs, how is the employee going to know I deleted my EGR, for example? Do they have a cheat sheet of where the EGR valve is supposed to be on every single car? Same thing when it comes to the issue of the engine's year vs. the 4Runner's year: are they gonna pull out a magnifying glass and start looking for the engine code stamped on the block? Will they even know where to look? I do have aftermarket headers from NWT, but they look relatively low-profile. How is the employee going to know they aren't the stock headers?

Here's my real question: If I drive up to the smog station with no CELs, my engine bay looks stock, my catalytic converter works, and I just keep my mouth shut, will they even realize it's swapped?

Does anyone have any insight on this? Am I missing anything that I need to be prepared for? Surely someone out there as done a 1UZ swap in California or moved to California with an engine-swapped vehicle.

Thanks,
Crevasse

Jakespeeds

I have been involved in a number of 1U swaps here in California. Getting ready to do one in my 95. You will have to make an appointment with a BAR ref. There are a number of these locations usually at colleges. There job is to look over your vehicle with a fine tooth comb. They can issue the sticker that will re-tag your vehicle as approved. Then you can go anywhere for emission checks after that. They will try to determine what year engine you have in your vehicle. Chances they will have to use the ECU. All the emission and vacuum lines will need to match the year of the ECU. They will plug into the ECU and scan the CheckSum system and make sure it has not been messed with, over written in any way and everything matches OEM. The cats will need to be in the same basic position as whatever vehicle everything came out of. In this one place I have seen refs use judgement based on the chassis and space. They will also be looking for safety and quality. So you are correct in thinking about that. Generally I found them to be very fair. Take a look at your current pink slip. In the state your are coming from is your vehicle classified as a stationwagon? In this state you cannot put an engine that was never installed in a truck legally in a truck. And vice a versa. The 1U was only ever used in a car chassis. Here in California the first couple of generations of the 4Runner are classified as staionwagons on the pink. Making the swap legal. If it is bring your pink in case they ask. Don't be flippint or try to be funny. I have seen people get failed for being a smartass. Just answer the questions simply and don't tell stories. They have a lot of vehicles to look at and as a rule they just want to get through the job.

Jake

crevasse

Jake,

Thanks so much for your reply. Unfortunately it looks like I’m screwed, my 4Runner’s current registration (Washington state) has it as an SUV, not a station wagon.

I know you’re supposed to register all vehicles within 20 days of becoming a CA resident, so I will just have to keep it registered in Washington and say I’ve got a 2nd home in Washington where the truck is primarily garaged if I happen to get pulled over.

Thanks again!

Jakespeeds

I would not say screwed. I said bring it along but I would not volunteer it unless asked. It might be worth taking a shot at it. What's the worst that could happen. I would say you have a better than 50/50 chance they ask. Its been my experince most of the BAR refs are car guys. They don't want to fail you. I have only had good experiences even the couple of times I have failed on a project. I make the correction and pass on the second attempt. Worth considering.

Jake

crevasse

I can give it a shot but the station wagon vs SUV is not the only hurdle. My ECU is a 1994, so if they really do hook up some sort of tool to do a checksum verification I will fail. I would have to get a 1995 ECU plugged in just for the test. Also, if they really do go over the engine with a fine-tooth comb, wouldnt the giant Eaton supercharger be an insta-fail?

Jakespeeds

Sorry for the late reply. I don't look at email unless I am in the office. So there are several rules to follow that will be automatic fails. Pretty much #1 rule is that if an engine was not offered in a certain configuration then yes instant fail. Since the U series engine was never offered with a supercharger then yes its an instant fail.

Jake

crevasse

Yeah see that's what I figured. I suppose I could put an OEM intake manifold + idler pulley + serp belt back on and swap out the '94 ECU with a '95 ECU just to bass the BAR inspection. That's not too painful of a job compared with all the work I did for the engine swap itself. If I did that, the 1UZ would legitimately be in "original configuration."

If that doesn't work, I'll just keep my WA plates, keep it garaged, and run the risk of getting caught as a CA resident with out of state plates. However, this truck is farthest thing from a "daily driver." So while the risk of getting caught does exist, it's certainly much lower than it would be if a drove it around town every day.