HI:

I will eventually be making an LS1/ 6 speed upgrade for my 1984 T/A here in LA, home of the strict emmisions.

I understand the cars can be "certified" by the state and receive a tag stating this so they can remain emmisions legal and can be smogged by any Joe idiot at a local smog place. (no offense to intelligent smog check folks- but I have actually had a CA smog check person try and instruct me to install a PAPER sticker on my SLP headers for my 1995 Trans Am. He wouldn't pass it without doing so!)

Or am I mistaken?

Has anyone performed emmisions legal LS1 swaps here in CA?

Any tips or tricks on this? Any stories to share would be appreciated.

Thanks,

-BV

 

their's a guy on norcal-ls1 that has an FD Rx7(with an LS1/T-56) that is smog legal

you just need to retain all the emissions hardware from the motor/chassis

 

I'm doing the swap soon. What kairles stated is correct. All emissions stuff, gas tank, must have stock LS1 cats (as no aftermarket cats are CARB-EO for the ls1 f-bodies just yet), and they must be in the general area of the stock part. I'm not sure I'd risk modding it before the certification though. I might do heads at most and save the cam for after.

 

yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I have a set of LS6 heads, as well as as a wish list of goodies I wantot do (exhaust, cam, possibly blower, etc)

I guess I'll leave it bone stock for now. It would be nice to at least do the exhaust the way I want, so I don't have to do it 2x....

 

I did a lot of research for this when I was planning to move to San Diego. Plans have changed, but I ended up doing most of the stuff before that happened, so it wouldn't take much to make my car smog legal still.

Basically, these are the key points:

1. All emissions equipment must be present, and it is the year of the ENGINE that they will go by - so a 98 LS1 goes by 98 emissions requirements, whereas a 2002 LS1 goes by 2002 emissions requirements. There were (as I'm told) slight differences between years.

2. Included with the emissions equipment (I believe for 99 and later engines) are the plastic gas tank and all associated EVAP equipment

3. Cats cannot be moved more than 1" from stock location - that means you cannot use mid or LT headers!! Because the stock cats were placed right after the exhaust manifolds (instead of after the y-pipe like our 3rd gens), this means there will never be a CARB exemption for headers, either. Only shortie headers are legal, and frankly 2001+ stock manifolds flow just as well. Because inspection is only every 2 years, some guys change to their stock manifolds and y-pipes for inspection and then swap their performance exhaust back on after. Others just have someone who will perform the inspection and "overlook" the headers.

4. You CAN do both heads and cam (just don't tell them). A 224/224 cam with a 114 LSA is as big as you can go on a stock-cubed LS1 motor (and has been done several times on the 4th gens by the way); you will need a good tune and then should pass easily. Bigger cubes mean slightly bigger cam could be used and still pass (on a good tune of course), or you could throw in a Z06 cam or similar without worrying a bit.

The smog requirements for a 3rd gen swap aren't really THAT bad when you think about it, except for the exhaust restrictions. That's why most guys after serious power just go with a Procharger.

Hope that helps,
Adam

 

Vrey helpful, thank you all!

I shall print this and refer to it as I'm making the swap. The other nice thing about the plastic tank is the fuel pump and tank baffles are already present (my '84 tank isn't so equipped)

 

just for FYI... 01-02 LSX engines didnt have EGR... 98 camaro's had the metal fuel tanks, 01-02 engines got the LS6 intake.. 00 LS1 engines had a weaker cam.. for more info on difference in years.. go to www.LS1tech.com

 

Im about to do the Swap in a little bit as soon as i get the check from the insurance to fix my car, But its a really easy swap after doing alot of research. Just got to put on all the smog crap, Yeah i was going to modify the engine before i got it ok by the ref, but im not going to do all that after i get by the ref. you'll be fine just as long as you follow the rules. EVAP, AIR INJECTION, 4 o2 Sensors, NO DUALS, 2 CATS, EGR crap, 4th gen ALDL, and somether crap that i cant think of. Ill be posting pics as i go sometime this week or so.

 

It seems that at least 3 of us are doing this around the same time. I'm still waiting for my pull out to arrive and then need to buy some additional parts.

Are you doing the wiring yourself? I didn't buy a Helm yet, so I'm not sure how the rear O2 wiring is mounted and attached and the evap wiring. I contacted Speartech for ****s and giggles, but they don't seem to offer a smog compliant harness.

 

ther's 4 o2 sensors? I thought it was just one before and after the driver side cat. I wasn't aware there was 4.

 

I'm still gathering the info needed.

I'd like to physically add the wiring, yes, just not sure which way I'll go (modified stock harness, aftermarket, etc.). Since I have the older 3rd gen , I have to switch the speedo, as well as the tank and fuel lines, etc...

 

2 for each bank.. 1 before each cat.. one after.. the ones after the cats serve no tuning purpose and most guys delete them. they are basically used by the computer to tell if the CAT is working or not.. easily deleted with HP Tuners or LS1 edit.. or O2 simulators

 

but in order to stay smog legal you need them.

 

If you ask them for it, they CAN do it. I can't remember his screen name, but there is a member on these boards that passed smog on the first try with his 3rd Gen LS1 in CA, and SpearTech did his harness.

I also got the SpearTech harness, and specifically told him I needed the car to be emissions legal in CA. He had to to a bit more to it than he does to most harnesses (can't delete ANY of the sensors), but he WILL do it if you ask him.

That was another good point made too - you cannot have dual exhaust in CA. It MUST be a stock exhaust setup, and if you replace anything with aftermarket, each individual piece must have a carb EO#.

 

Just did some searching to find who had done it.

CobraKilla92Z is his screenname. He had the 1st smog-legal 3rd gen LS1 swap, and used a SpearTech standalone wiring harness.

Check out this thread: https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...=CobraKilla92Z

 

I did ask specifically, via e-mail. He hasn't responded yet, though it's been about 5 days already. He didn't respond to my initial e-mail for 2 weeks, and I had to send it twice and when he did respond it looked like a form letter that didn't specifically answer the question. He gave me prices, just not prices about an OBD2 compliant, CA smog legal harness with all the sensors and regarding the evap wiring.

Anyhow, I'm not interested in doing business with someone that doesn't respond. So, even if he did have a price, I'd do it myself now. It's simple enough, just time consuming since I wanted to make a plug and play harness.

 

not unless the tech is going to get under the car to check all 4 O2's they usually just look for cats...

but then agian.. if you have the cats.. theres no point not to have the rear O2's..

 

In CA, they are supposed to do a visual for the cats AND verify the presence of all 4 sensors.

 

It's my understanding there is a state certification process the car is required to go to and comply. They have folks there who check the car over. That Cobrakilla92Z website has a pic of said certificate sticker. It has a barcode and is supposed ot be recognisable at any local smog station.

 

Correct - when they do the intial compliance inspection on an engine swap, I have been told that they look at EVERYTHING, and will fail you for the simplest little thing wrong.

They do NOT check things like serial numbers or head casting codes, and obviously they aren't going to tear your engine apart to see if you've got an overbore, stroker, or any such thing.

But they ARE going to go through the car with a fine tooth comb checking every individual piece of emissions-controlled equipment (going by engine year, which they WILL check the block # if needed) and verify that it is 1) Present and 2) Working with specified parameters

 

That's the referee. The referee will check everything over. After the initial smog certification by the referee, you can go to a local smog tech bi-annually, who for the most part, don't know their *** from their elbows.

The only thing to really worry about is getting sent back to the referee due to a citation (pull over inspection) for illegal removing/moving of smog parts and/or installing parts that have no CARB-EO#.

I doubt the ref will check the functioning of the rear O2s, if it's disabled in the PCM. Just that it's installed and probably tug on the harness a bit to see where it goes, if anywhere.

 

They can, if they wish. People have been given citations to have their valve lifts checked and their cams and cam gears checked over. That's on a DOHC car though, and probably not as easily applicable to an OHV car. ****, yes, but it's probably not normal procedure. Just don't give them a reason to.

Heads can obtain a CARB-EO#. Cams can as well (Crane Cams has had some for SBC in the past). There's no reason for such certification if there is no enforcement of it. The referee is the middleman, and it is well within their realm of responsibility to check it. In all likelihood, they won't check such things. But don't go in thinking that they can't or definitely won't and don't pull up with a 106LSA cam.

Just keep in mind that this is the initial certification process. The worse that can happen is you get sent home to try again later. The only time to really sweat it is when you have been given a ticket by a cop to go to a referee to certify your parts are legit. Unplanned head and cam swaps can be a bitch. Just don't ever pull the EGR or AIR off. Pictures speak a thousand words, and cops take pictures now to ensure that what the referee is looking at is what you ran on that day.

Referees (and smog techs) will also do the OBD2 test, so you need to be compliant there.

I can't see a reason to not wire up for EPA legalities. Everything is only there to help you out. Rear O2s, are your cats working. Put a sim in only if you're going to run a test pipe, but for the most part it helps to know before going to your smog test that your cats need a rebuild. Evap, I'd rather burn it than have it vented to the air. You paid for the gas already, so might as well use it.

Since you have everything apart, I don't see a reason to shortcut it at that point.

 

Yeah the only thing that im worrying about after going to the ref is doing my head and cam work. After i do that work im going to get a good tune and call it a program and still keep everything legal, Just can put on long tubes Might modify the 2000 exhaust manifolds. There is NO way a cop is going to figure out if you have a cam or head swap done.... Its going to looks stock anyways, even with a Ls6 intake... The cops mostly go after the ricers

 

The only way they'll know you did a cam swap is if you put in something really aggressive.

If it doesn't sound overly aggressive and can pass the sniffer, it isn't a big deal. Again, 224/224 on a 114 with a decent tune has passed on numerous cars.

 

they will check because the LS1 is an obdII motor so it will have to have an obdII functional test and Im sure the cat monitor is one that has to be complete in order to pass

Im glad I'll be a smog tech by the time my motor is in so I don't have to deal with all this

 

Still got to take it to the ref to get it all legit. Or the cops will get you. They started to pull people over for that crap. becarful

 

the ref would laugh as soon as he pops the hood, but it will pass the sniffer

 

What do you mean the ref will laugh?? Im going to do the heads, cam, intake and other goodies after the ref. then im going to you. LOL!!!! You'll pass me right.... Of course im going to get a great tune. Just dont want the ref to say anything to me while im there.

 

when he pops the hood he'll see something similar to this


this is not my motor

 

THATS GOING TO BE SICK!!!! I dont think the ref would now what to do when he sees that LOL

 

he'll probably crap his pants.

 

I was told that since the cats are part of the car they cannot be moved more than 1" from the stock location on the car. DynoDon told me he found this out when he went and talked to the referee about a swap he was doing. It sounds right. What do you guys think?