Engine swaps? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

1slOwCD8 · 08-18-2005, 08:13 PM

Does anybody know if engine swaps are illegal or not. I hear some say that as long as the engine is newer or the same year as the car its legal. Others say that any kind of swap is illegal. Is it more of a state by state law or what? Maybe just legality of where you got the motor? Ive never really thought of it until i was on a forum that said that k-series motors are illegal for swap. Then i did some searching but only found others forums without definitive answers. Its really confusing me cuz alot of people have swapped b-series motors in place of d-series. I was planning on a swap for sure when i get my new car, but maybe not.

curious george · 08-19-2005, 02:38 AM

I suggest you get hold of your local authorities and be sure....
I my country, you can do what you like... as long as it's:
1: safe... if you radicaly change it you need an engineers report
2: you disclose changes to the buyer

Uncle Pony · 08-19-2005, 08:38 AM

What are you planning on swapping? Most of the legalities are emissions based. For instance, here in Pennsylvania I can shoehorn a V-8 347 stroker motor into a Focus as long as it still passes the emissions tests.

cyrnel · 08-19-2005, 08:51 AM

Yep, it's up to emissions regs and whether or not you have local testing. While my home state had these regulations, I grew up in a town small enough to not matter. No testing whatsoever. Forty miles north, same vehicle code, different story. It was important to maintain my address in smallsville. Moving to Silicon Valley was a new experience. I couldn't keep the car I'd spent two years building or they'd have taken me for a one-way trip out behind the quiche factory.

For the details, search DOT and your state. Maybe DMV. Then, if you're living on the edge of regs, be prepared for different interpretations come registration time. Also, come traffic-stop time. Guys with heavily modified cars are often the most polite and respectful people when it comes to conversing with police officers.

Confederate · 08-19-2005, 11:25 AM

I've never heard of a motor swap being illegal, as long as it passes inspection and the motor isnt from a stolen vehicle, you should be cool.

crxforum · 08-20-2005, 12:24 AM

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.

CRX Forum

calvin88 · 08-20-2005, 12:51 AM

One of my friends swapped a type r civic engine into his 95 civic hatch. It isnt legal if the engine doesn't belong in your car. Seeing how after he got pulled over, his car got towed because he was forced to pop the hood and the cop could obviously tell thats not the engine the car came with. Although he was kinda dumb because he also had other mods which made his car sound like a train coming down the road, which doesn't help if you don't want to get pulled over.

DEI37 · 08-20-2005, 05:07 AM

These are the kinds of things that make me happy to live where I live. No emissions testing, thankfully. While it's not exactly uncommon knowledge that my car doesn't have the factory engine in it, nor was the engine that is in it available from the factory in my particular car, I highly doubt they'd care. Depends on what I got pulled over for! Plus, it's not loud, either. Mild exhaust leak I gotta fix, but that's it.

pattycakes · 08-20-2005, 05:36 AM

what if my engine took a crap? then what i couldent use this other custom built engine because it didnt come in the car or same type.....

the crap they make us live with

catback · 08-20-2005, 06:04 AM

Here as long as it passes the emissions test (if required) and it's a solid install (not held on with duct tape and screws) and it's an engine made by the car manufacturer or a third-party engine maker (no putting hemi's in fords or stuff like that) it's all good and legal.

pattycakes · 08-20-2005, 07:26 AM

im wondering if a way to get around it would be to claim you rebuilt the whole car from the frame up?

08-18-2005, 08:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
1slOwCD8 Psycho Location: chicago, illinois	Engine swaps? Does anybody know if engine swaps are illegal or not. I hear some say that as long as the engine is newer or the same year as the car its legal. Others say that any kind of swap is illegal. Is it more of a state by state law or what? Maybe just legality of where you got the motor? Ive never really thought of it until i was on a forum that said that k-series motors are illegal for swap. Then i did some searching but only found others forums without definitive answers. Its really confusing me cuz alot of people have swapped b-series motors in place of d-series. I was planning on a swap for sure when i get my new car, but maybe not.

08-19-2005, 08:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
cyrnel Adequate Location: In my angry-dome.	Yep, it's up to emissions regs and whether or not you have local testing. While my home state had these regulations, I grew up in a town small enough to not matter. No testing whatsoever. Forty miles north, same vehicle code, different story. It was important to maintain my address in smallsville. Moving to Silicon Valley was a new experience. I couldn't keep the car I'd spent two years building or they'd have taken me for a one-way trip out behind the quiche factory. For the details, search DOT and your state. Maybe DMV. Then, if you're living on the edge of regs, be prepared for different interpretations come registration time. Also, come traffic-stop time. Guys with heavily modified cars are often the most polite and respectful people when it comes to conversing with police officers. __________________ There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

08-20-2005, 05:07 AM	#8 (permalink)
DEI37 Go faster! Location: Wisconsin	These are the kinds of things that make me happy to live where I live. No emissions testing, thankfully. While it's not exactly uncommon knowledge that my car doesn't have the factory engine in it, nor was the engine that is in it available from the factory in my particular car, I highly doubt they'd care. Depends on what I got pulled over for! Plus, it's not loud, either. Mild exhaust leak I gotta fix, but that's it. __________________ Generally speaking, if you were to get what you really deserve, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

08-19-2005, 02:38 AM	#2 (permalink)
curious george Upright	I suggest you get hold of your local authorities and be sure.... I my country, you can do what you like... as long as it's: 1: safe... if you radicaly change it you need an engineers report 2: you disclose changes to the buyer

08-19-2005, 08:38 AM	#3 (permalink)
Uncle Pony Crazy	What are you planning on swapping? Most of the legalities are emissions based. For instance, here in Pennsylvania I can shoehorn a V-8 347 stroker motor into a Focus as long as it still passes the emissions tests.

08-19-2005, 11:25 AM	#5 (permalink)
Confederate Death Leprechaun Location: College Station, TX	I've never heard of a motor swap being illegal, as long as it passes inspection and the motor isnt from a stolen vehicle, you should be cool.

08-20-2005, 12:24 AM	#6 (permalink)
crxforum Crazy	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. CRX Forum

08-20-2005, 12:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
calvin88 Tilted Location: socal	One of my friends swapped a type r civic engine into his 95 civic hatch. It isnt legal if the engine doesn't belong in your car. Seeing how after he got pulled over, his car got towed because he was forced to pop the hood and the cop could obviously tell thats not the engine the car came with. Although he was kinda dumb because he also had other mods which made his car sound like a train coming down the road, which doesn't help if you don't want to get pulled over.

08-20-2005, 06:04 AM	#10 (permalink)
catback Psycho Location: North America	Here as long as it passes the emissions test (if required) and it's a solid install (not held on with duct tape and screws) and it's an engine made by the car manufacturer or a third-party engine maker (no putting hemi's in fords or stuff like that) it's all good and legal.