Is it legal to change engines in a car?

[coolred]

I don't mean just putting another of the same engine in. I mean can you put a differant engine in a car. Like say a Mustang engine in a Thunderbird? I was under the impression that it was illegal to put a differant make of engine in. For instance putting a Honda engine in an escort, but wasn't sure as long as it was ford to ford or honda to honda. Thanks

 

[LAUST]

yes, as long as it passes emissions for the chassis

 

[cpals]

Why would it be?

... I don't know

 

[imported_Papi]

lol no (Its not illegal), yes it legal, but it has to be modified to run properly... I don't know how to do it, but living with mechanics all my life I know that much.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: LAUST
yes, as long as it passes emissions for the chassis

in Michigan, i believe the law is that you cannot put an engine from an older vehicle in. Other than that, it is fair game.

 

[DnetMHZ]

haven't you ever seen and old 60's classic rebuilt with a 90's fuel injected engine in it?

 

[amdskip]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: LAUST
yes, as long as it passes emissions for the chassis

in Michigan, i believe the law is that you cannot put an engine from an older vehicle in. Other than that, it is fair game.

Thats a stupid law and it makes no sense to me. Who cares what engine you have as long as it passes emissions.

 

[deerslayer]

No. It's illegal. You can't change your oil filter either.

 

[LAUST]

I'm guessin thats probably to keep the OBD systems current (no putting a OBD1 engine into a OBD2 chassis)

 

[coolred]

alright guys, thansk for the help. I just thought I had heard somewhere a long time ago that it was illegal to have a differant make of engine in the car. But then just recently I was talking to someone about a differant model engine but say make. But if its legal either way then who cares. Thanks

 

[Vette73]

I use to do state inspections, NC, and one of the questions of the test was what you asked.
It is illegal to swap a motor into a car that could NOT have come with it. So a 350 chevy NEVER came in a Jag., ferio, Jeep, etc... so it would fail on sight.
Now if you took a 350 and put it in a chevy truck that has a 4.3L and you setup all the equipmet that came with a 350 for that year, then that would be legal.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
I use to do state inspections, NC, and one of the questions of the test was what you asked.
It is illegal to swap a motor into a car that could NOT have come with it. So a 350 chevy NEVER came in a Jag., ferio, Jeep, etc... so it would fail on sight.
Now if you took a 350 and put it in a chevy truck that has a 4.3L and you setup all the equipmet that came with a 350 for that year, then that would be legal.

north carolina must suck, then

 

[Quixfire]

What kind of engine swap are you planning?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
I use to do state inspections, NC, and one of the questions of the test was what you asked.
It is illegal to swap a motor into a car that could NOT have come with it. So a 350 chevy NEVER came in a Jag., ferio, Jeep, etc... so it would fail on sight.
Now if you took a 350 and put it in a chevy truck that has a 4.3L and you setup all the equipmet that came with a 350 for that year, then that would be legal.

That's retarded. So you can't take a big ass chevy V8 and drop it into a maxima (not that you'd want to!)?

 

[notfred]

It depends entirely on what car, what year, what state/municipality the car is registered in, etc. Anyone who just says "Yes it's legal" or "no it's not", either doesn't know what he's talking about, or is presupposing a set of conditions that probably don't apply to you (most notably, making the assumption that you live in the same state he does).

 

[DivideBYZero]

Is it illegal to eat cheesecake without a fork?

 

[RU482]

I know a guy who put an 5.7L LT1 from a corvette into a Pontiac Fiero

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Quixfire
What kind of engine swap are you planning?

Quixfire, am i correct on the older engine-newer car law, or am i talking out of my ass?

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Depends on the state, but in general. It's done by the body year or the engine year. Whichever is newer.

 

[Adul]

Originally posted by: redly1
I know a guy who put an 5.7L LT1 from a corvette into a Pontiac Fiero

:Q:Q:Q:Q:Q

Now that is just plain nuts

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Adul: believe it or not, but swapping an entire Northstar drivetrain into a Fiero is quite easy.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Quixfire
What kind of engine swap are you planning?

Quixfire, am i correct on the older engine-newer car law, or am i talking out of my ass?

That's the way it is in Cali. And in Cali you put anything you want into anything else, so long as its newer. There's a smog official that will then certify that the engine is installed properly in the car, ie all the smog equipment that it originally had is still present and hooked up correctly. So the engine has to pass the same smog test as if it were in the car it was originally in. That means all those guys with 302s under the hood of their Volvos can be perfectly legal. This is California, can't speak for other states. I have to start prepping my car to be certified actually.

 

[Quixfire]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Quixfire
What kind of engine swap are you planning?

Quixfire, am i correct on the older engine-newer car law, or am i talking out of my ass?

You?re a little off target. In Michigan it is against the law to install an engine that was not available for that model year, except if the vehicle is more than twenty years old. Hence if you wanted to pass a state safety inspection or emission test and had a 1970 429 installed in a 1990 Lincoln Town Car, you would fail. But if you installed a 1990 5.9L V8 in a 1994 Jeep that had a 4.0L, you are OK.

I hope that is clear as mud, because the law isn't.

 

[Quixfire]

Originally posted by: redly1
I know a guy who put an 5.7L LT1 from a corvette into a Pontiac Fiero

I have done two of those V8 conversions one 5.0L and the other a 5.7L, plus I also have done the turbo V6 upgrade as well.

I have always thought the Fiero was a fun car to drive on a short windy track, but after driving a one with a V8 I realized how scary these cars are when they are overpowered.

 

[coolred]

OKay the state the cra is in is Ohio. I am not planning to swap any engine, but the thunderbird I recentlly purchased had a newer engine put in it before I bought it. I just recentlly found out that this is a mustang engine. The engine that is supposed to be in the cra is a 3.8L super charged model. I think that is what got put in there, but I have been told its a mustang engine. Or do they both use the same engine, but since the stang is more popular that is what the engine is consider?

Basically the car got me through when i needed it to, but I now want to get something a little newer and prolly with a couple more doors. But I was informed that i would have trouble selling it with a mustang engine in it. ANd I was also told that with that engine in there a dealer would not give me junk for trade in.