Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 16:37:38 -0600
Reply-To: Gary Shea <shea@GTSDESIGN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Gary Shea <shea@GTSDESIGN.COM>
Subject: Re: diesel conversion
In-Reply-To: <20020729194114.GF11143@johndeere.ratwerks.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
[2002-07-29 12:41 -0700] James B Robinson (jr@RATWERKS.COM) wrote:
> Volks,
>
> I've gotten some great feedback on my GreaseVan project. A thing several
> of my fellow Californian's have mentioned is the potential grief from the
> DMV over emissions tests.
>
> My rough plan is to get a late model gas powered bus and get some time on
> the smog clock (these are good for at least a year?) Do the diesel
> conversion and follow that pretty quickly with the vegetable oil add-on.
> Then, next time smog check is due have it tested running on SVO while
> explaining none of its exotic nature to the guy at the check station (on
> the theory that often, the less said, the better.)
>
> I'm not really from CA, so maybe I am just way naive on these things; I
> moved here from Texas where stuff may be a bit looser. Is this likely to
> work, or just completely blow up in my face? I'm not particulary averse
> to pursuing proper channels if need be, but neither am I averse to coloring
> 'outside the lines' as it were.
> Reasons for starting with gas include getting a bus with fewer years and
> newer features as well as getting the interior laid out just the way I want
> it from the factory. This would also let me spread the cost of the project
> over time, something that'll make it sit a lot better with my wife.
>
> Project notes at:
>
> http://ratwerks.com/zope/wiki/GreaseVan
>
> --
> [ Jim Robinson -- System Administrator -- ratwerks.com ]
> I am a boomer. My generation looked nuclear annihilation
> in the eye and said "No thanks, I'd rather drive a BMW."
Hi James --
I have done a bit of research here in Utah about this kind of swap, and
the federal rules are pretty clear, and inspectors I spoke with seemed
fairly direct about where they'd bend and where they wouldn't. The most
_exact_ rendering seems to be that the only fully legal swap is with an
engine that was originally available here in the US in the vehicle/model
year in question. The inspectors indicated to me that newer, cleanly
installed, engines would be tolerated if the purpose did not appear to
be hot-rodding. With a vanagon and a diesel you're probably ok there ;)
The next trick is the gas -> diesel swap. Emissions testing is very
different for gas and diesel engines, so you can't simply "go get
tested" with a diesel when your title says it's gas, the test person will
go looking for a spark plug wire to hook up to the machine and will
freak out when they can't find one. There's no way to bluff through
that one, as far as I know. Here in Utah at least you have to get a new
title for the vehicle in order to do the gas -> diesel swap. It's not
illegal or discouraged, it's just a new title, but to get it you have to
go through the federal/local inspection regime.
The bottom line is if you get a newer vehicle you'll have to get a newer
diesel. If you are willing to go for a TDI of more recent vintage than
the van (and I wouldn't stint on the electronics... it's just _begging_
for trouble in California!), or maybe the Eurovan 2.4 NA diesel engine
(I'm not sure what years they were available in the US), then you'll
probably have no problem.
Good luck!
Gary
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