What should i do?

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penngomifan

New Member
i have a 90 integ and have been wanting to do an engine swap, i have posted questions on this message board and have gotten good answers, but now im confused on what i should do, i was wanting to get a JDM Motor, how ever i live in california, it seems like u have to go threw alot of crap if u want to get a JDM Motor, is it worth go threw the hastel to get me a JDM motor? or should i just get a USDM? i meen what exactly is it that i would have to do in order to drive a JDM in Cali? btw the engines im thinking about are the B18C R or the B18C ..... if that helps..
 
Where are you located? Cause down here in Los Angeles there are a bunch of places to get motors. So they are not hard to get at all.
 
Where are you located? Cause down here in Los Angeles there are a bunch of places to get motors. So they are not hard to get at all.

That's not what he asked at all. He wants to know if it's a hassle to install a JDM engine in your car in California because of emissions laws, not where to buy a motor.
 
i was wanting to get a JDM Motor, how ever i live in california, it seems like u have to go threw alot of crap if u want to get a JDM Motor, is it worth go threw the hastel to get me a JDM motor? or should i just get a USDM? i meen what exactly is it that i would have to do in order to drive a JDM in Cali?

It looks like he wants to buy a jdm motor and was wondering how hard it would be to get one, not to install one. Cause it would be the close to the same to install a JDM vs. a USDM
 
No, he wants to know how much of a hassle it is to install an imported engine into a car in California because of EMISSIONS LAWS. Like how do you install a JDM motor to your car and have it pass emissions and be legal, because Cali has all kinds of anal laws about such things.

Stop skimming. Start reading.
 
no brutal is right...the kid is asking if its worth the hastle to get a jdm motor because of the emissions...there is nowhere in the OP that says..where can i get a jdm motor...it does infact say

"what exactly is it that i would have to do in order to drive a JDM in Cali?"
 
I guess it is how you read it. I read it and it does not say anything about emissions, but thats just me. And also like i said it would be almost the same thing if you swap in a JDM motor compared to a USDM motor. And how do we even know what car he is swapping it into. cause there are certain swaps that are legal here in california as long as you get it signed off.
 
personally I think you should go find yourself a usdm b18c1 or b20b block and if your intent on going the type-r route. find a type-r head. Chances are if you take your time and look around you can find a good deal on a motor, but if you are in a rush and want to find a jdm motor go to hmotors.com.
 
I guess it is how you read it. I read it and it does not say anything about emissions, but thats just me.

You're right, it doesn't technically say anything about emissions, but I'm assuming that's what he means. He didn't ask anything about where to buy a motor, just about how much of a hassle it would be to run a JDM motor in California.

And also like i said it would be almost the same thing if you swap in a JDM motor compared to a USDM motor.

Yes, installing a JDM B16 versus a USDM B16 would be done almost exactly the same way, but sometimes the emissions systems are slightly different on JDM motors, since their emissions laws aren't as stringent as ours. Our cars have more emissions-sensing equipment for example, so he may have to use intake/exhaust manifolds from a USDM-spec motor to be legal, especially in California.

Also, the motor has to be the same year or newer than the car in order to pass inspections. You can't legally use an older motor, even if you convert it to the car's OBD system.

And how do we even know what car he is swapping it into. cause there are certain swaps that are legal here in california as long as you get it signed off.

Once again, READ MORE CAREFULLY!!

penngomifan said:
i have a 90 integ and have been wanting to do an engine swap
 
No, he wants to know how much of a hassle it is to install an imported engine into a car in California because of EMISSIONS LAWS. Like how do you install a JDM motor to your car and have it pass emissions and be legal, because Cali has all kinds of anal laws about such things.

Stop skimming. Start reading.

Yes that is im asking, sorry guys i should of mady my self more clear, and im guessing a usdm motor is what i should do....... if i wanna make it legal....... ??? anyone else have any input?
 
From what i have experienced you have to put a newer engine that was offered in your model. Like brutal said it has to be a newer engine. Like for your integra you could put the type-r or the gsr with all of the smog equipment installed.
 
I don't know about California, but at least here in PA it doesn't have to originally come in the car, just has to be at least the same year as the car, or newer. My buddy has a 91 CRX with a GSR swap in it, passes no problem.
 
CA Dep. Consumer Affairs- Bur. Automotive Repair - Engine Replacement and Rebuilding Guidelines

It does not have to be an engine from the same vehicle, you can use any engine that's in the same family (which I think excludes the CRV engine) but there are no other rules beyond it having to be the same or newer year than the vehicle it's being installed into.

It has to be an engine that has a USDM counterpart, which in the case of the ITR or GSR is not a problem since both of those cars were sold in the United States.

You have to have all the smog equipment originally equipped on the USDM vehicle installed and functioning on your swap. This includes intake/exhaust manifolds, ECU, EVAP systems, ETC. The manifolds you might be able to get away with if they cannot tell the difference, but there's really no way to be sure.

I'm sure there's more, but you can find all you need by searching since there's much information around on this topic.
 
for sure get a usdm motor and swap the head. its not quite the same thing but its as close as you can get without paying twice the price.
 
If you can find a low mileage US engine then I might go that route. It's really not as hard as you think it is to make a JDM engine pass the BAR inspection.

And it's not twice the price to buy a JDM engine.. it's actually cheaper most of the time. The head is the same it's the pistons, cams, and ECU that are the major differences between them.
 
head swaps aren't legal in cali... you have to have a USDM ECU to pass BAR in cali, and for a gsr the USDM ecu is sometimes hard to find, and expensive if you do.
a jdm motor will most likely have less mileage on it than a usdm one as well, but if you can find a b18c locally for a good price you can always rebuild it. or find a car thats been in an accident and use it as a parts car.
 
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