motor swappin... laws & other problems?

[N-Smooth]

so i want to swap a newer xj 4.0/aw4/np231 into my '88 2.5L 2wd mj.

what are the laws i need to know about to keep it legal? i tried a search but couldn't find much and i know you guys know this stuff.

also, say i wanted to swap a 96 or newer motor, i heard they are obd2 and that causes problems when swapping to a obd1 jeep. can anyone clarify that info?

from what i have read the swap is pretty basic since mjs and xjs are virtually the same, and i will have a complete, running xj... not just a motor on a stand to swap from.

thanks alot
nate

 

[Herzog]

I'm pretty sure you are clear as long as you swap in a newer than original motor (not older) and keep the emissions system intact (if you plan on registering it for street use). But that's an uneducated guess.

 

[N-Smooth]

i heard the exact opposite, it has to be an older motor! see thats why i ask these questions.
and yes, it has to be street legal unfortunately... for now of course.

thanks herz,
lets see what else we can find out

I'm pretty sure you are clear as long as you swap in a newer than original motor (not older) and keep the emissions system intact (if you plan on registering it for street use). But that's an uneducated guess.

 

[Herzog]

i heard the exact opposite, it has to be an older motor! see thats why i ask these questions.
and yes, it has to be street legal unfortunately... for now of course.

thanks herz,
lets see what else we can find out

Yeah, the laws are strange... it very well could be the opposite of what I said. It wouldn't make sense to not allow people to swap in newer more efficient and cleaner engines into older vehicles though. Like I said, uneducated guess. I know there are some people on here that have done it and gone through the process, hopefully they will chime in.

 

[Devel]

as long as it passes safty and emissions for that year you should be fine

 

[mbryson]

i heard the exact opposite, it has to be an older motor! see thats why i ask these questions.
and yes, it has to be street legal unfortunately... for now of course.

thanks herz,
lets see what else we can find out

Yeah, the laws are strange... it very well could be the opposite of what I said. It wouldn't make sense to not allow people to swap in newer more efficient and cleaner engines into older vehicles though. Like I said, uneducated guess. I know there are some people on here that have done it and gone through the process, hopefully they will chime in.

Shane's totally right. Now if I remember correctly, you're in Box Elder County and just have safety inspection? So you've only got to worry about turn signals, mudflaps, flares, brakes, etc.

That 'legal' swap crap is just for Utah, Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber counties as far as I know.

 

[Zombie]

I've had a couple of friends do it.
If the vehicle is 1982 or NEWER, the engine must be the same year or newer than the vehicle. The engine must come from a donor with the same or less GVW than the vehicle (IE no Cummins in a jeep...). The installed motor must maintain all factory type emissions controls from the Donor vehicle (meaning cats, computer, Air injection etc...)

81 and older apparently you can do whatever you want as long as it passes.

 

[Zombie]

That 'legal' swap crap is just for Utah, Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber counties as far as I know.

Those laws have a habit of changing...
I had a blazer that came with a diesel. I swapped a 431 Olds motor into it, and SL County started testing diesels the next year. I "moved in with" my brother who lived in Kamas. When he moved out of state I sold the truck.
Just cause the county dosn't do it now, you'd be better to follow the state laws and still be able to register it down the road... emissions rules are likley to get worse before they get better.

 

[mbryson]

Those laws have a habit of changing...
I had a blazer that came with a diesel. I swapped a 431 Olds motor into it, and SL County started testing diesels the next year. I "moved in with" my brother who lived in Kamas. When he moved out of state I sold the truck.
Just cause the county dosn't do it now, you'd be better to follow the state laws and still be able to register it down the road... emissions rules are likley to get worse before they get better.

They're not state laws, though. They are county. If your county decides to go 'emissions', you'd probably be grandfathered in if you could prove the swap was done before the laws were enacted.

The other reason to stay 'legal' would be for resale to someone in the populated counties in the state. Improves your market.

The laws won't get "better", but if I lived in a non-emissions county, I'd do what I wanted to do as long as it was compliant with my county laws.

 

[Zombie]

Lemme make sure I'm reading this correctly...
Emissions regulations are decided county by county?
I always thought that the rules were layed down by the state, and the counties had the option of requiring the test or not... And I'm not coming up with any good ideas on a web resource to try to verify one way or the other...
Doe Davis, SL and Utah counties have different emmissions requirements?

 

[Maverick]

I've had a couple of friends do it.
If the vehicle is 1982 or NEWER, the engine must be the same year or newer than the vehicle. The engine must come from a donor with the same or less GVW than the vehicle (IE no Cummins in a jeep...). The installed motor must maintain all factory type emissions controls from the Donor vehicle (meaning cats, computer, Air injection etc...)

81 and older apparently you can do whatever you want as long as it passes.

I thought it was up to '83. '84 and later is more stringent. As I recall, it has to do with the state and county's compliance with the EPA standards.

That's another reason I wanted an '81. I've had a chevy V8 in it since just after I bought it in '96, no questions asked.

I went looking on SL County's site the other night, but I didn't come up with anything.

Brett

 

[mbryson]

...
Doe Davis, SL and Utah counties have different emmissions requirements?

Yep. Diesel pickup regs are a perfect example. Davis you have to take your vehicle to Kaysville to be emissioned. I'm glad I operate my truck in Cache Valley about 50% of the time and have a mailing address there. The location of the emissions test is not convenient enough for me to not have to take a half day vacation or whatever to get my truck to pass. Salt Lake dealers can do the emissions regs as well as the emissions place in Murray. I think it can be done other places, but I'm not sure where they would be.

 

[N-Smooth]

holy tons of replies!

so no matter what if i swap in a newer 4.0L, it just has to meet the emission requirements for an 88 mj with a 4.0? it probably helps that there were 4.0s in mjs that year (just not in mine) so i just act like it came with one i guess.

i can't see any problem with a newer engine passing old emission requirements, and even if it is obd2 i imagine they will still just run it on the dyno because thats how they test '88s and they would assume it is obd1

lets keep the info flowing, this is very helpful so far.

 

[Maverick]

I just talked to Mark at SLCounty Emissions. 313-6720.

What he has to say: Basically, it's all illegal under federal law.

However, states and counties can do their own thing.

In SL County, tampering laws only apply to '84 and newer.

We talked mainly about my '81 with 454, basically it needs to meet whatever tailpipe emissions would have been if it were stock.

We talked briefly about newer years, and basically you need to have all the emission stuff from the original vehicle. If it had EGR and cats, then the new engine must have it too.

The guy is really cool, and does a little drag racing himself.

 

[Zombie]

holy tons of replies!

so no matter what if i swap in a newer 4.0L, it just has to meet the emission requirements for an 88 mj with a 4.0? it probably helps that there were 4.0s in mjs that year (just not in mine) so i just act like it came with one i guess.

i can't see any problem with a newer engine passing old emission requirements, and even if it is obd2 i imagine they will still just run it on the dyno because thats how they test '88s and they would assume it is obd1

lets keep the info flowing, this is very helpful so far.

This is a great thread, very informative. As I understand it the Motor has to have the emissions controls from the DONOR, or the vehicle that the motor came from... not where it is going.
My dad takes his cummins to a place in south jordan that sniffs oilies.

 

[N-Smooth]

i called the salt lake county emissions guy to ask him about my particular project and he said i will be fine as long as i have a cat.
basically you have to retain the original emissions system in the vehicle you are putting the motor in. since the only emissions control my 88 has is the catalytic converter, that is all i need to pass emissions as long as the new motor runs clean enough.
he said that if the original motor has an air pump or some type of pulse air system, the new motor should have it to.
he also said i should bring it to the sl cnty dept of air or something to have it tested, but it is likely a normal shop would pass it anyways.

i hope that makes sense, it gives me the green light

 

[Herzog]

Very cool... good info.

 

[brshhog]

New here, so hello and thanks for all the info.
So will local law enforment stop someone who is in Moab for the Easter Safari? A 92 burb with a twin turbo Cummins? Its 'legal' here in Colorado.
Thanks
Doug

 

[Herzog]

New here, so hello and thanks for all the info.
So will local law enforment stop someone who is in Moab for the Easter Safari? A 92 burb with a twin turbo Cummins? Its 'legal' here in Colorado.
Thanks
Doug

I doubt you'd have to worry, pretty sure you'll be fine since you are registered CO. And I'm willing to bet that they wouldn't even think to ask about it the Cummins.

 

[Maverick]

New here, so hello and thanks for all the info.
So will local law enforment stop someone who is in Moab for the Easter Safari? A 92 burb with a twin turbo Cummins? Its 'legal' here in Colorado.
Thanks
Doug

Sorry, you'll need to turn it over to a Utah resident skilled with handling such a nuisance. Here, I'll take care of it for you...
:greg: