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Here is what I have found out and what you should look into. I live in Ontario in Canada. We have a thing called the Traffic and Highway act. It is online on the MTO's (Ministry Of Transportation) website. Its a whack of pages filled with things that have no interest to most people like legal baby seats and other things.
Most places have the law, most place in US and Canada, that the engine in the car when you bought it is the only legal engine that is allowed to be in the car when you regester it and drive it. With a few minor exceptions. Say you have a 1991 Honda Civic Sedan. Its the base model and comes with the 1.5L D15 DX engine. Now legally you can take a 1991 Honda Civic Si 1.6 D16 engine and swap that in that sedan. You can do that because its the same model of car and the engine you are putting into it is the same that was available for the car from the factory. Just make sure that you have it regestered that way and put on your insurance that way.
A lot of places will not allow you to put newer engines in your car. It doesnt stop anyone, especially with Hondas. Im assuming that you are inquiring about Hondas due to the fact you named K Series, B Series and D Series motors. Say you have a motor from a 98 Civic that has better environmental standards and polutes less than the motor you have in your car now. That is still against the law. Why? Because its stupid. Putting a B20 (Honda CRV) engine in a Civic is against the law pretty much anywhere. The B20 is considered a SUV engine and not allowed to be swapped into a car. Strange as it sounds especially since they are very efficent motors it is illegal.
Do police inforce it? No. Do insurance companies care? Not really aslong as you tell them about it. If they do care you can always find a carrier that doesnt care easily. People do it all the time. I know more people with EG Civics with B16A or B16B swaps in them than the factory D16 motors. They have no problems with emmisions or insurance.
My advice to you is to check your DMV or your state's traffic governmental website. It should have something like the Traffic and Highway Act on it that you can browse through and get the information you need. I also find it good to print out the stuff pertaining to your car and keep in it your car so when a cop pulls you over you can show him that you are not breaking the law.
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