need advice on a swap Options

[Zimluura]

hello, i love my car and want to make it faster. i'd like to make it awd as well, but i'll look into that more after auto->manual and after a 3sgte swap. since i have a 99, and i live in the usa, i need to get that year or newer in an engine to be legal right? this seems to restrict me to a caldina engine. legality seems like a great excuse to go for the extra 6bhp.

question 1
but what if the engine that comes in the clip is 2 months older than my car, does anyone know if that makes a difference in legality in the us?

question 2
does anyone know how much harder the st215 swap will be than the st205?

thanks in advance
ny

[Dr_Tweak]

Yes, technically the law says that the engine has to be from the same MODEL YEAR (month doesn't matter) as your car or newer. In reality, no one really checks or cares, just so you know. That said, yes, you're going to be looking at the ST215. The only thing that's difficult about the swap is the wiring, everything else is pretty much the same. The ST205 wiring is quite easy, that conversion costs $200, the ST215 is a lot harder, so it's the normal $350. (Plus $30 for shipping).

-Doc

[Zimluura]

sweet! thanks Dr Tweak!! since i'm paranoid i'll probably go with the 215.

[x_itchy_b_x]

well the st215 motor wasn't released in the states right? so i im taking for granted it will be like my jdm st185 engine, no egr or US emissions crap.
so im pretty sure its still illegal unless you fit it with all the emissions crap.
right?

[SinisterWhisper]

Why not go with a beams?

[x_itchy_b_x]

Forced Induction > Naturally Aspirated. Imo

[Dr_Tweak]

well the st215 motor wasn't released in the states right? so i im taking for granted it will be like my jdm st185 engine, no egr or US emissions crap.
so im pretty sure its still illegal unless you fit it with all the emissions crap.
right?

EGR only matters in California. The emissions are within spec for the US, including Cali, but there it will fail the visual test (EGR).

-Doc

[lagos]

hello, i love my car and want to make it faster. i'd like to make it awd as well, but i'll look into that more after auto->manual and after a 3sgte swap. since i have a 99, and i live in the usa, i need to get that year or newer in an engine to be legal right? this seems to restrict me to a caldina engine. legality seems like a great excuse to go for the extra 6bhp.

question 1
but what if the engine that comes in the clip is 2 months older than my car, does anyone know if that makes a difference in legality in the us?

question 2
does anyone know how much harder the st215 swap will be than the st205?

thanks in advance
ny

your not going to get around the law by going with an st215 clip. that motor was never sold in the usa, so i doubt its a legal replacement.

im sure you get your inspection done through a local mechanic like 90% of the people in this country. those guys will not have any clue as to what motor is in your car, or if it came stock like that. just do the swap with whatever motor you want, and if your worried about inspection, then make sure you keep the cats on the exhaust so that you pass emissions. thats all there is to it. most people on forums seem to care more about the motors year, or having an egr, then the your local mechanic does.

This post has been edited by lagos: Nov 22, 2006 - 3:12 PM

[phattyduck]

Pretty much any Toyota engine swap from a JDM car into a US car is illegal, no matter how you slice it...

BUT...

You can probably get away with it if you keep it low key (ie, the engine bay looks like it came that way from the facotry). Not so easy in CA and the states that follow CA rules, but easy pretty much everywhere else.

-Charlie

[vg30dett93]

In cali my bro became drinkin buddies w/ the local mech and a small fee

[K-ESD]

doc wants to do a V6 swap, get the hint?

[Zimluura]

i am a tad confused now.

does it have to just pass an emissions test to be legal?
or does it have to have the egr before it can be considered for taking the test?
or is there no way to pass without the egr?
or are jdm motors 100% not-legal in the us, just because?

[Punisher]

i am a tad confused now.

does it have to just pass an emissions test to be legal?
or does it have to have the egr before it can be considered for taking the test?
or is there no way to pass without the egr?
or are jdm motors 100% not-legal in the us, just because?

You are complicating the **** out of things man...

Basically you take it to a garage.. they have no clue what they are looking at unless you go to a garage that specializes in imports or toyota's...

Now here in PA for OBDII (95+) they don't care what is under the hood.. they hook a scanner up to the OBDII Diag. port and the computer tells them what is up.... if the EGR system is working.. if the cats are working.. if the O2 sensors are working.. etc..

HOWEVER.. If I had a 99 celica and I put a 92 engine and computer in the car.. then they would treat it as an OBDI inspection.. The body is a 99.. but that doesn't matter.. So then they would do a visual inspection of the engine to check that all vacuum lines are in place.. that the EGR system is in place and that vacuum lines are connected to it (here in PA they don't test the EGR system or anything it's simply a visual).

They'll check for a catalytic converter as well.. but it's all visual. They don't do a tail pipe sniffer test, atleast not in my county. A JDM motor would pass the tail pipe test.

I wouldn't worry about the whole inspection **** if I was you... You're really getting too paranoid. What you really need to do is go ask at a garage what they do for inspection pre-95 year model and post 95.

This post has been edited by Punisher: Dec 2, 2006 - 1:58 PM

[Zimluura]

yeah that's probably a good call. paranoia is just part of my nature. i'll need to think on it a little and do some more research. i took a glance at my shop manual and it looks like the egr system is mechanical only. if that's right then i would think i could add it onto a jdm engine.

but in any case it's probably a year or so in the future.

since i'd ultimately like to do an awd conversion...

/* incoming random ramblings - if you are offended by far-fetched project ideas please stop reading now */

...and k-esd has that cool V6...i've started to (very loosely) ponder getting a 2003+ highlander, and putting the engine and drivedrain (custom where needed) in a celica.

[K-ESD]

since i'd ultimately like to do an awd conversion...

/* incoming random ramblings - if you are offended by far-fetched project ideas please stop reading now */

...and k-esd has that cool V6...i've started to (very loosely) ponder getting a 2003+ highlander, and putting the engine and drivedrain (custom where needed) in a celica.

It's good to take excessive precaution, you are in the right state of mind, hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Also, for the V6 AWD conversion, you're best bet by far is the GT-Four drivetrain (w/ V6 instead of 3SGTE)
That would be the awsomest celica ever, my biggest issue right now is traction, AWD would just simply ahhhhhhh hahahaha *twitch*, ok i'm fine, no really

[Punisher]

Do you have pics of that V6 in the bay??

[K-ESD]

yeah, i posted some a while ago... lets see - search: 3MZFE
here they are:

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...94&hl=3mzfe

[WH95TE]

I'm amazed every time I see it K-ESD