While you're right to some extent Dennis(although the impact is not as significant as you think according to actual testing), this isn't at all the reason it isn't legal. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it has nothing to do with measured emissions at all. We can and do pass CA emissions, and do so with our own vans here in Boston as do our customers that live in other "CARB states" in the northeast. The CARB immediately deferred to the BAR to "unload" us when I submitted our CARB application over a year ago, saying simply that all emissions gear must be moved over from the originating vehicle and no EO was needed(which means actually via further prodding that they are not taking applications from OBDII conversions for EO). The BAR has a rather problematic stipulation as well. A case by case ref inspection is possible, but to the letter of their own regulations, the transmission of any OBDII engine must also go with it in a conversion, regardless of whether the ecu actually controls or uses the transmission in engine management. Guys have gotten them through via nice refs that they know, but that certainly isn't good enough for me to sell someone a conversion and say "well you might get through". Like I said before, the reason they won't work with any of this, is it doesn't serve the larger purpose of getting older vehicles off the roads, therefore they will not expend resources to aid in it. I understand their position, unfortunately there is not much that can be done about it currently. We don't have the resources to even begin the attempt to change or challenge it either.. yet. The workaround has been the zone III loophole, and for 2wd vans, we've started looking at a simple kit to swap the entire transverse drivetrain into the back of a bus or van. It will actually fit, might actually be simpler than doing an engine conversion, and you have the upshot of having your choice of 4 speed auto, and 5 or 6 speed manual... but we won't be seriously working on it until at least June or July. Jim Akiba
On 3/3/08, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote: > The emissions characteristics of that engine pushing a Vanagon will be > different than coasting with a Focus. Especially the production of NOx. > Even changing tire sizes and gear ratios change the emissions profiles. > True compliance is not as easy as it appears. When you do get emissions > testing, keep in mind that all programs can only find gross failures. > Except for CO2, the goal is near "0" of all the other pollutants. Being > allowed some 200ppm of unburned hydrocarbons at idle is still a bad deal. > > > Dennis > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of > > Allan Streib > Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 10:38 PM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > Subject: Re: Engine Conversions > > Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> writes: > > > That and the California smog legality thing. > > What is the deal with Zetec and California? Surely the Ford Focus is > sold there? I'm completely ignorant of emissions laws and testing > since we don't have any here in Indiana, but if the Zetec is OK in a > Focus then why not a Vanagon? Is there some restriction on it not > being an original factory configuration? > > Allan > > -- > 1991 Vanagon GL > |
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.