Anyone done a LS swap?

[BADDRAPP]

Looking for anyone that has done an LS swap in Cali? Looking for California smog info on the swap.

 

[PahlMc]

Well I haven't read the laws in 10 years, but when we wanted to swap an LS into a Ford, Cali said nope. The basic rules back then were it had to be the same manufacturer and newer or the same year as the orginal motor. God knows how informed the guy I talked to was but when I asked why does the motor have to come out of the same make vehicle, he gave me some explaination about OBD II codes not being the same between companies. We were 20 years old so we said F-it, green sticker only!

 

[GrimmJeeper]

manufacturer no longer matters has to be same model year or newer, and has to come from the same class of vehicle. as far as i know nothing in the same class as the XJ came with a LS motor except maybe the trailblazers. All engine management systems (ECU etc etc etc) and wiring dealing with the drivetrain, plus all smog equipment needs to be swapped over and functioning. i know of at least 3 people who have done 4.3L chevy motors into XJs and had them smog legal. once you do the swap the vehicle is smogged as if it was whatever vehicle the drivetrain came out of.

check with the CHP smog referee, they will tell you exactly what you can and cannot do.

 

[JohnX]

... has to come from the same class of vehicle...

check with the CHP smog referee, they will tell you exactly what you can and cannot do.

Don't quote me as I really don't know for sure, but my understanding was that a cherokee was a light duty vehicle....same as anything short of a 3/4 ton truck (medium duty). So it should be able to take a motor from any car too????

All the other advice is excellent...especially talking to the ref....they are usually friendly and helpful if you have the right attitude.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

Don't quote me as I really don't know for sure, but my understanding was that a cherokee was a light duty vehicle....same as anything short of a 3/4 ton truck (medium duty). So it should be able to take a motor from any car too????

All the other advice is excellent...especially talking to the ref....they are usually friendly and helpful if you have the right attitude.

I thought it had to be from the same class vehicle which in this case would be suv or light duty truck but i've never done it so i cant say for sure.

and it's always best to talk to the smog ref FIRST so you don't start a project that will never be legal, then find out too late that it was all for nothing. I agree with John I've always found them to be very helpful and friendly, it's their job to help you stay legal and they appreciate it when you try instead of doing it illegally.

 

[WAZZUXJ]

I have had my CJ-5's Corvette TPI 350 engine swap on the back burner the last few years (that will be changing soon).

Here is what I have used as a reference:

Per C.A.R.B

Engine Changes

Engine changes are legal as long as the following requirements are met to ensure that the change does not increase pollution from the vehicle:

• The engine must be the same year or newer than the vehicle.
• The engine must be from the same type of vehicle (passenger car, light-duty truck, heavy-duty truck, etc.) based on gross vehicle weight.
• If the vehicle is a California certified vehicle then the engine must also be a California certified engine.
• All emissions control equipment must remain on the installed engine.
• Vehicles converted to 100% electric drive, with all power supplied by on-board batteries are considered in compliance with the engine change requirements. All fuel system components must be removed prior to inspection. For additional information contact the ARB helpline at (800) 242-4450

After an engine change, vehicles must first be inspected by a state referee station. The vehicle will be inspected to ensure that all the equipment required is in place, and vehicle will be emissions tested subject to the specifications of the installed engine.

One fact I found interesting when rebuild the 4.0 in my 2000 XJ.

Replacement Engines
Entire engines can be replacement parts. As with any other replacement part, the engine must be identical to the original.

If the replacement block or engine is obtained without emissions equipment, all the equipment from the original engine must be installed on the replacement block.

If the engine is not identical to the original then it is not a replacement part, instead it is considered an engine change. Engine changes are a modification that must meet certain requirements to be legal (please see "Engine Changes").

I read this to mean that you could essentially swap any year 4.0 into any year Cherokee as the blocks are "identical" replacement engines. You would only need to keep the stock smog equipment that came on your original motor.

 

[BADDRAPP]

Thanks guys for all the info. I will track down a Referee and see what I can nail down. I would really like to find out if I can change a truck intake and exhaust to a car intake/exhaust and still be legal. I talked to a few junk yards and they are willing to sell me everything including all smog stuff. I will check with them on Monday.

 

[praetorian]

jeepspeedshop.com has been doing ca legal hemi swaps in tj's and jk's for a while and started doing ls swaps a couple of years ago. They are located in northern ca and they might be able to help you out.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Re: Re: Anyone done a LS swap?

Thanks guys for all the info. I will track down a Referee and see what I can nail down. I would really like to find out if I can change a truck intake and exhaust to a car intake/exhaust and still be legal. I talked to a few junk yards and they are willing to sell me everything including all smog stuff. I will check with them on Monday.

Intake should not matter, as it is a factory part.

 

[Vanimal]

Turn Key does smog legal jeep v8 swaps too, however i doubt they'll be super helpful unless you're a customer