New Nevada Engine Swap Laws.....Anyone?

[Medo]

I just heard today that in the past couple of months a new law was passed which seeks to restrict vehicle owners from performing engine swaps on their vehicles. Is their any validity to this assertion, if so please enlighten me.

I am/ was planning on spooning either an LS3 or Hemi into my 2005 TJ and this, if true puts my plans in jeopardy.

Medo

[BigMackAttack]

Let me know if you find anything out. I have been searching for this too.

[renolaw]

my understanding is any engine swap must be of a same or newer year as the vehicle. hope this helps.

[Medo]

Thanks renolaw,

My Jeep builder knows three guys that have had problems with registration in the last few months. Perhaps they didn't follow the same or newer rule of thumb you mentioned.

[Ascinder]

Last I had heard, it had to be from the same year or newer as previously stated, had to meet the newer engines smog requirements(more stringent) and had to be from a similar class of vehicle-i.e. had to come standard on a vehicle in the same class. For instance no putting a 7.3L diesel in a mini cooper. I think SUVs are good for V6s and V8s as are most trucks, but they weren't very clear on that. They also said you had to have your first smog test performed there at the DMV itself before they sign off on the conversion. They seemed to be pretty savvy on anyone trying to pull any shenanigans like O2 sensor simulators and the like. The engine also had to retain any and all OEM equipment dealing with emissions and the recipient vehicle did as well. This info is all fairly old though and stems from me calling the DMV and talking to them at length about it. It concerns me greatly since I'm right in the middle of a very involved build/swap right now.

[1wd B-series]

fuccccccccccccccck .... sounds like nevadas implementing some california bullshit .... friends of mine who are registered there to avoid our nonsense are going to hate this

[Medo]

I've been able to clarify with my builder and DMV just a tad.

The motor you intend to use must be from the same manufacturer, on a Jeep, a Chrysler motor same or newer year and meet all smog requirements. No spooning Corvette LS motors in a non GM product.

The Vehicle then will be reclassified and registered as the same year the motor was manufactured.

I've got more research to do on this, I have a call into the Nevada DMV emissions section and they are the people who's voice matters most or so I am told.

All of this probably does not affect me in the near term because I live in a smog exempt zone. However if I want to sell my vehicle in the future, things could get dicey.

Medo

[Medo]

Originally Posted by 1wd B-series

fuccccccccccccccck .... sounds like nevadas implementing some california bullshit .... friends of mine who are registered there to avoid our nonsense are going to hate this

Your friends would be Grandfathered in for existing installations, but would be hindered on future installations and or projects, I believe........

Medo

[Ascinder]

So more importantly, what are the swap laws like in our neighboring states? I would throw my rig on a truck and bring it over state lines to get it set up. I think I should be good on everything except maybe the same manufacturer thing, but I may be able to slide by. Mine is a GM LQ4 going into an Isuzu vehicross, but Isuzu was owned by GM at the time so would that count?

[Medo]

I am not an expert on this by any means. But if Isuzu was owned at the time by GM you might be covered, however, was the motor offered in any same class vehicle produced by GM or Isuzu.

The thing is until I speak to the emissions section at DMV and get it in writing from them, I don't know anything for sure. This is all just speculation at this writing and a somewhat educated guess.

I am going to try to get someone from DMV emissions ( I hope a wheeler) to join our forum and assist us with the accurate dissemination of information and regulatory interpretation. This should allow us to eliminate any guess work in conceptualizing and building our projects to DMV regulatory standards.

Medo

[Medo]

Originally Posted by Ascinder

So more importantly, what are the swap laws like in our neighboring states? I would throw my rig on a truck and bring it over state lines to get it set up.

I have no Idea, keep us posted on what you discover.

You would have to be a legal resident of that State to register your vehicle in that State, that is a given.

......Medo

[1wd B-series]

idaho would likely be your best bet, i dont know much about utah, and arizona is expensive. Oregon is almost impossible to register stuff in now cause they have been cracking down on non resident registration from their end

main reason i say idaho, is theres a guy who lives about 2 blocks from me who has been here for at least 6 years or so, and has FOUR idaho registered vehicles with no problems yet.

[shadowulf]

Gawd, I Hate This Crap!!!
I moved TO nevada to GET AWAY from the freaking nanny state crap that california has implemented over the years. So NO Chevy/Buick/Ford/Diesel swaps into a jeep in the silver state. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!

[dingo dude]

Last year i went to get my truck smogged and my vin. number was'nt on my door and the smog place said i hade to go to the dmv to verify that it was the right truck. The sticker was still on the door jam though. My truck come with a straight 6. I put a 400m in my truck. They opened the hood and looked around and verified it was the same truck but on the paperwork they gave me it still had a six on it instead of an 8. So I dont know if I just got lucky or what. I took the paper for the dmv to the smog guy and he smogged my truck.

[renolaw]

Originally Posted by shadowulf

Gawd, I Hate This Crap!!!
I moved TO nevada to GET AWAY from the freaking nanny state crap that california has implemented over the years. So NO Chevy/Buick/Ford/Diesel swaps into a jeep in the silver state. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!

have patience, it can be done. a buddy has a diesel in his cj7 and trent fab does 5.3 chevy swaps all the time into jeeps. call around, ask Qs and keep the faith, its possible. My project now is to junk the 4.2 and build a 4.6 stroker.

good luck bro

[shadowulf]

Ok, I've calmed down now.

I was planning a 3800 Buick v6 swap into my yj. If bad comes to worse, I may change it over to a dakota v6. Maybe I can catch a break on a dakota 4x4 with manual trans. I just remember when, as long as it passed, you could run just about any engine here.

[1wd B-series]

Originally Posted by shadowulf

I just remember when, as long as it passed, you could run just about any engine here.

which is how it should be .... i hate visual inspections

[renolaw]

or move to a rural county that does no have smog check. DMV just cashes ur payment for registration renewal and no scrutiny.

[1wd B-series]

Originally Posted by renolaw

or move to a rural county that does no have smog check. DMV just cashes ur payment for registration renewal and no scrutiny.

while this may work for a while, if nevada is indeed moving in californias direction, be prepared for illegal searches due to officers saying modified exhaust is "probable cause" to pop the hood, then you get written up for an equipment violation and would have to go through the process of making your swap legal

a friend of mine has a heavily modded mits eclipse gsx, lives in lake county, (a no smog county) Went to san francisco for school and stupidly took the car with him, got pulled over in the san jose area for modifed exhaust and everything listed in the previous paragraph happened and he had to return the car to mostly stock to get the fix it tickets dismissed.

[renolaw]

welcome to Commiefornia. I believe it will be a long time before that happens here. BTW, Satisfactory answer brother.

mark
ECV Chief Truckee

[1wd B-series]

glad to see a fellow brother in this thread, you ever come down to our doin's? Ive only been enlightened since last year, and since then have gone to 09 and '10 7-11's fall doin's, and 13's 09 fall doin's as well. Would love to make it to nevada's and downievilles eventually.

[Medo]

Hey Mark, it's Mojack one of Chief Truckee's Damn Fool Door Keepers....Go ECV!!

[renolaw]

Originally Posted by 1wd B-series

glad to see a fellow brother in this thread, you ever come down to our doin's? Ive only been enlightened since last year, and since then have gone to 09 and '10 7-11's fall doin's, and 13's 09 fall doin's as well. Would love to make it to nevada's and downievilles eventually.

i'd like to be more active in ecv but i was in a major accident earlier this year and that has side lined me for a bit-- can;'t even drive the jeep since i severely shattered the left knee and the rig has a mechanical clutch... so in time...

mb

[spruce]

Has anyone in Nevada had to register/smog a diesel converted Toyota anytime recently? I have an 86 Runner, with a Toyota 2lt-II diesel engine (a little 2.4l 4 banger turbo diesel rig) registered in PA under a modified title - perfectly legal. But, if I move to Vegas, will I be able to register it? From what I've read on the net, conversions of this type are not allowed, but older ones were grandfathered in... so will one be grandfathered in from out of state? Yeesh, how annoying...

Spruce

[1wd B-series]

im going to go out on a limb and say youd be screwed .... however if your PA title has your rig registered as a diesel you MIGHT be ok.