CA Certified Swaps

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pauls81sc

Member
Alright I've heard a lot of OPINIONS from people about what will pass and what won't pass CARB smog refs. We all know you have to have an engine from same year or newer, it has to have been available in the USDM, and you have to maintain all the original emission equipment.

So if all you did was a straight swap with no mods, it should pass with flying colors. But what about mods: intakes, headers, exhaust, cams, ecus, compression, etc.....

What I want to know is what setup have people actually got passed a ref?

(First hand experiences only, please...save the urban legends for the camp fire.)

I'll go first...

I have an 89 CRX Si with MSD ignition, JG throttle body, stage 1 cam, DC header, and an exhaust. It's never actually had to go to a ref, but its passed the 'smog only inspection' every 2 years for the last 6 years. The only thing I have to do is set the timing back to within the factory limits before the test.
 
I passed the referee check last year with a '91 B18 in my 88 CRX.

California B18a
All stock smog equipment from the LS
Apexi exhaust
DC Header
K&N Open Filter Element
B20/B18B CAMS
Catco Cat
Skunk2 IM
Walbro 255 Pump

I use CARB approved parts when I get took it to the ref so that I could not get hasseled.

Took two times to pass bacause I was missing a vacuum check valve for the visual inspection.
 
90 LS - with 92 JDM B16A SiR II swap

BAR legal. :) used the 90 LS stock intake, i had an aftermarket header (approved for all b series engines) and i needed a P30 (94 del sol vtec) intake manifold, and ecu. we used an obd0-obd1 conversion harness, and that was that. really, just make sure that the 'aftermarket' parts you use are ones that are compatible with the ENGINE and CHASSIS you are using. also, since the jdm motors are slightly higher compression, i see no reason why you can't up cr in a usdm motor a tad and get away with it.
 
Thank you B18aCRX & StarBelllieAngel.

That's interesting to use the B18B cams with the B18a head. I hadn't thought of that. It's got to be less aggresive than an aftermarket, but I'm guessing those were better than the B18a stock cams?

It's also good to know that stock JDMs ran higher compression. Do you know what they were? (I think a stock USDM b18a is 9.2:1)

Only 2 legal swaps in CA? Anyone else?
 
Car:
92 cx hatch

Swap:
95 JDM B18C Swap
95 USDM P72 ECU
Ebay CP Intake (just for the EO #)
98 Spec Type R Header with Sheilds
Full 2.5 Mandrel bent custom exhaust piping
2.5 Cat
Titanium straight thru muffler with Silencer installed
 
That's interesting to use the B18B cams with the B18a head. I hadn't thought of that. It's got to be less aggresive than an aftermarket, but I'm guessing those were better than the B18a stock cams?
Click to expand...


They are slightly more agressive than the stock B18a cams. I basically had a pair lying around, so I threw them in.
 
:frown: This is pretty depressing.

Only 2.5 BAR legal swaps in CA. (half point for droppedcrxsi who passed visual but failed emissions)

Come on people. There's got to be more out there.
 
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