Does anyone know whether or not MD laws permit RB25 swaps? Furthermore, if they don't... is there any way to get around that? What makes them illegal if they are?

 

RB25s are illegal in the US period, but if you have to do smog then you need a crooked smogger to pass you. They are illegal because its a JDM engine never sold in the us and never inteded for that car.

 

therefore SR Motors are illeagal as well..... Is there a way that it can be tuned to pass the sniffer.... i have head of guys with big chevys getting their HC and NoX close to passing levels....or maybe not ????

 

Supposedly, SRs and RBs will be able to pass the sniffer. Its the visual that it wont pass. So if your county/state does a visual, your in trouble. If not, you should be able to pass it. Make sure your running a cat of course..

 

I asked my stepdad, who is a MD State Trooper. He said if it passes emissions it's legal. So, I'll be good in that regard.

(he's a barrack commander too, so he's not just a lower-level patrolman who wouldn't be familiar with all the laws.)

 

humm thats funny because it says in the hand out at the (VIEP) that any engine that is not OEM for that vehicle is not permitted. Also if all of the emmisons equipment that is listed in the emmissions guide are not (visually) present than it fails Maryland state inspection. that is something to think about when you are doing a JDM to US spec swap.

 

are you talking about inspection or emmissions?
you dont get emissions done by an inspector and they dont pop the hood on emmisions

inspection would fail but its easy to get around the inspection shiet

but if you run a cat and restrict your exhaust you might pass emmisions

please clear up what your talking about
or maybe im the one that misinterpreting what your saying

(my friends h22 that was in his integra passed emmisions twice he just had my buddy put the stock muffler on and cat)

(this was in Md in columbia)

 

Yeah, just because it will pass emissions don't mean it's legal. Like BLK said, because it is not the engine that came with the car and is not US spec it is not legal at all. There is no way around it.

 

Well to clear up any miss understandings, Emissions laws are what I was talking about concerning engine swaps (JDM -USDM) if the emissions station are doing things according to law they are supposed to do a visual inspection on every car when trying to claim excemption or when emission levels are beyond state gross pollution levels. As far as Vehicle safety inspection there are laws concerning emissions as well but are only visual inspection to verify that the emissions equipment is there. it doesn't even have to work at that time. Yes there are the same and different at the same time. The bottom line is that it is not leagal to swap non OEM engines into a US spec car. Now how to get around the law is a whole new thred.

 

Passes emissions = legal. trust me.

EDIT: Also, JDM emissions equipment is far and above US equipment most of the time. They cram several million vehicles in to a much smaller area and have to adhere to international pollution protocols, so their equipment HAS to be better. That is also why Japan had a law limiting all cars to something like 290hp for a long time. That's why that's one of the highest numbers you'll see coming out of Japan on a major production vehicle even though they can do better. (I dont think they still have this law)

 

There is no way that a JDM engine swapped into a US spec car is legal. The only way would be to have a car legally imported and have everything legally registered for street use, and then, the engine would only be allowed in the legally imported car.

 

Well, it's not TECHNICALLY legal.. you just dont SAY it's JDM. most emissions testers dont say "Well where'd this engine come from?".

They just hook it up to the emissions equipment. If it passses the emissions test, it's legal. That's all there is to it. If they messed up, it doesn't matter. If you have legal tags that's the end of it until next inspection.

 

I'm sure thats what everyone was talking about, the technically legal part. Sure they might pass emissions, but like you said, in the actual legality aspect, they will still not be legal. It's great if you get by it without them questioning the hell out of you. I'm just glad I wont have to worry about all this emissions stuff when I do the swap

 

I know a shop that I work with, and they are putting 2 RB25's into 240's. Sometime next week.

 

you guys should all just move further south and you wouldn't have to worry about emissions at all. even better...move to florida, they don't even have inspections.