VINCE9164

iTrader: (14)

I've read one of those older threads "2JZGTE SC CA Swap Legal" last night and one of the post, forgot who, mentioned that during a smog test the transmission isn't tested with the motor. Doesn't the gear ratio affect how a motor runs and how it emits fumes though ?

Assuming that member mentioned above is correct.. Anyone here in so called "sunny california" pass smog legitimately with a 1uz 5spd? Any lights or bugs appear after the completed swap?


I don't even know if I'm making any sense, but it's worth a shot

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

I'm interested in these swaps too. Read a lot on them but I haven't read about anyone detailing what happens with their car going through smog with the W58 transmission.

I hope someone with a swapped car responds but here is what I do know. Hope it helps:

1.) What smog techs care about is 90% under the hood. After that of course you have to pass at the tailpipe and evaporative too (such as your gas cap being in good condition and holding pressure).

2.) There are, I believe, different maximum emissions allowed for some cars. The transmission options determine this. Now, as to whether or not an SC400 that scans on the door as: "199x Lexus 4.0L 1UZ-FE, Transmission: Automatic" but comes in with a totally factory looking 5-speed manual transmission is something a smog technician cares about... I have NO IDEA. This is what isn't mentioned much on the forums regarding smog testing the cars.

3.) OBD1 cars may still get away with this swap without any CEL lights but VVT-i SC400's definitely have issues with CELs from the swaps. I don't know about 1996-1997 cars but 98+ you will have an issue. Refer to threads created by member Cartmill who managed to solve the CEL light issue on his 1998 SC300 with a W58 swap with some creative wiring fixes and by removing the shift solenoids from his original auto transmission, bolting them to the car in a bundle and plugging them into the factory connectors. From there, he had to perform wiring fixes to allow the correct signals for Neutral and Reverse among other things.

4.) The fuel management of the stock SC400 ECU may or may not affect emissions between shifts. I don't know enough to be sure about that so you must research this if you have any concerns. This is the only things that makes sense to me as to why A/T and M/T cars might have slightly differing max allowable emissions (M/T allowing slightly more).

5.) Rear end gearing can technically affect emissions but consider that Mustangs and Camaros have been doing the same thing for years. Unless you are running a ridiculously aggressive drag racing ratio I don't think you will have an issue there. For instance, my SC3 5-speed has a stock 4.083:1 rear ratio. I'm switching to a 4.272:1 ratio with a Torsen LSD soon. It will have a tiny effect on emissions but not much since the revs will not be that different from stock. An SC400 with a 4.xxx ratio and a 5-speed might be okay (EDIT: however, going from a 3.92 to 4.08 is going to be different. going from 3.92 to 4.27 is going to be quite different)

BOTTOM LINE:

An SC400 1UZ-FE with a W58 manual conversion, even with all possible CEL lights and quirks removed will never be legitimately legal in the truest sense. The real questions are:

A.) With a stock appearance motor and emissions system all in good tune and no lights on the dash, do smog techs care enough to fail you, since this is an engine & transmission configuration that was never originally offered for sale by Lexus in the USA (or anywhere for that matter)?

B.) Even if all that is fine with your smog technician, will this setup pass within the originally allowable emissions figures for your year SC400? If this is the only problem, I'd just buy a new set of catalytic convertors from Catco and new O2 sensors and that should reduce the test numbers enough for it not to make a difference. Pricey solution but it would solve the problem.

I didn't know much about this swap a year ago which is why I bought an original SC3 5-speed. I wanted to do this to a 1998-00 VVT-i SC400 but didn't know how to defeat the CEL issue at the time so I stopped looking for those cars.

njdmx5

of course its legal...but cali is retarded so prob not there.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

If you have an OBD2 car (especially a VVT-i model) and follow the fixes that Cartmill posted about, you should be able to defeat the CEL issue with a W58 swap. VERY tedious to do but apparently it worked for him and no CEL is what matters.

Mechanical and electrical issues with SC400 W58 swaps have all but been solved now and written about on the forum. It's what goes or doesn't go with "unassisted" testing that would be good to know.

Before I moved out here what I understood to be the rule of thumb is that if you are swapping to another engine/transmission configuration it must have been a configuration originally offered on that model and year of car. Or it must be an identical configuration from some other vehicle you are changing to.

Cali is a bit nuts with the way they want things done but I'm not sure if this is on the same order as a smog technician seeing a 1JZ in your engine bay.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

I have some more information for what it is worth. Visit this youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPYzt...el_video_title

It features a claimed "100% CA smog legal" MX73 Cressida with a 1UZ swap against a W58 5-speed. I posed a question:

Me: "Love the car but wait... so even though the Lexus 1UZ-FE was never offered with a 5-speed manual transmission (regardless of it being a very popular and supported swap these days) the California BAR does not care? As long as the engine and emissions gear is all factory and as long as there are no CEL lights they don't care that the manual transmission was not part of the original configuration from Lexus? It can't be that easy with as strict as they are..."

DdgeShelby: "C.A.R.B. only requires that the drive train be one year newer than chassis

(considered an upgrade due to lower emissions)

All emissions equipment must be present and in good working order,

cats intact, no cel's, stock manifolds, ect..

Transmissions have always been irrelevant., if your ref says otherwise,

he just doesn't want to deal with doing the research to see if everything is there so find another state referee."

I don't think one opinion is in and of itself conclusive but it sounds like it may depend on where you go... which is very much the same situation many people with any modifications might encounter. The only difference being that engine modifications carry far greater weight than transmission modifications do.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

Some pertinent information for anyone interested in this swap in Cali. I got curious and discovered a thread on Yotatech that talks about smog/ref testing with a 1UZ (all versions) and a manual transmission swap.

http://www.yotatech.com/f161/v8-engi...eferee-233617/

I have yet to ask a referee myself but the short of it is that they are against custom bellhousing adapters. Regardless of whether or not you've been able to get all the auto transmission CEL codes to go away and play nicely with your manual transmission swap, Cali apparently does care about a manual transmission being in your car IF it's running an engine that never came with one from the factory.

Since this was on a truck forum there was talk about transfer cases against an R150 manual transmission. BAR doesn't care about the transfer case used on a truck, apparently, just the transmission against the engine. This reasoning goes for both cars and trucks if the owner is considering using a 1UZFE of any year.

There goes logic and there goes one of the best SC400 modifications around as far as smog is concerned. It must have been easier to slip this by in the past since it didn't change anything about the engine or emissions equipment. It may be magnified by the intense scrutiny smog station owners will be under starting in 2013-- at least those equipped to smog pre-2000 vehicles.

PseudoK

I spoke to a couple refs recently, and they both had pretty much stated that they think most smog techs wouldnt be savvy enough to recognize the swap or care, the first guy I talked to pretty much told me that I could count on it. he didnt want to speak too much out of line with that.