GT-CORDY

I have been wanting to swap a ls into my 01 Mustang but worried if I do so it will not pass inspection or smog. I have never done a swap before so I have no idea on the legal aspect if there is one. This will be a street car with some track passes here and there. Can anyone shed light on this for me because I want to get this project going. Thanks guys.

93Z2871805

iTrader: (5)

While I did live in TX, I'm not 100% on their laws, however IIRC smog testing is only done in the larger cities (I think 10 in all, and if you go outside of them you don't do it, regardless of where you actually live), but in general the EPA allows for "engine swapping" if the donor engine is the same year or newer, and uses the emissions equipment requirement for the year of the engine (so 2003-up (maybe even 2001) LQ9/4 = no EGR, thus not required for your swapped vehicle). However, some states wont allow movement of the cats, or an adjustable fpr (Cali). It's really going to depend on your state (some states don't care at all as long as you have cats and OBDII). For mine I started with a 93, so ALL LS engines would be EPA legal. The car is older than 96, so OBDII isn't required but I have it (they can't hook it up for inspection though), and my original cat placement is a single under the passenger's side floorboard, so dual cats moved closer to the header are an emissions improvement and thus legal. I have no EGR (didn't come on 2003 LQ9/4 so I'm not required to add it to my swapped engine).

GT-CORDY

I am in Houston city limits. Thanks for the info so far.

93Z2871805

iTrader: (5)

I believe if you go to an inspection station outside of the Houston limits, and not in another major city district, you won't have smog there.

GT-CORDY

I will check that out with my other car first.

93Z2871805

iTrader: (5)

http://www.dmv.com/tx/texas/emissions-testing

txcarbuilder

I live in Texas and you have to have your inspection done in the county that you live in.

I think it is illegal to put a chevy engine in a Ford car though.

Punisher8738

iTrader: (1)

I'm pretty sure it depends on the station and if you're not throwing codes and have emissions they don't care.

I've been rejected for illegal tint by one station and driven across the street with the windows down and passed by another station.

And neither one mentioned I was running with zero cats and had a supercharger on my jeep.

93Z2871805

iTrader: (5)

I think he gets a pass for ditching a SOHC 4.6 for an LS, lol.

"Built Ford Tough With Chevy Stuff"

Although, you could go from a SOHC to a DOHC 4.6 and only have to modify the coolant temp sensor mounting and extend 2 wires.

v8sten

iTrader: (5)

wire in the obd2 port and as long as all the sensors read fine and you have legal exhaust it should be fine.

GT-CORDY

Are any of you guys driving your swap cars on the street or just track only?

GT-CORDY

I could do that I have a set of 4v Navigator heads in my garage but 4v parts are crazy expensive. $1300 for cams alone ect. And the power per dollar isn't that great.

23_hellfox_23

Move to Oklahoma.
We haven't had any emissions/inspections in years.
I drive my 2000 GT around with open X pipe (off road, no cats) and I never get bothered.

GT-CORDY

I moved to Texas from Kentucky in 2006 and we never had inspections or emissions that's when I had my Procharged 95 Cobra and that was the fun days of do what you want to your car now I feel like I am in California with these damn emissions. Moving is not a option but I need away around this so I don't spend money on a swap and not be able to drive the car but at a track.

93Z2871805

iTrader: (5)

When we did the swap in the 96 GT, we grabbed a Lincoln Mark VIII engine complete from intake to oil pan for $600 (Teksid block), a 96 Cobra manifold for $300, LT headers, JLT CAI, IMRC deletes, tapped a spot in the cross over for a coolant temp, and extended the TPS wires. Car fired right up after the swap and was dyno tuned a week later. That car embarrassed my buddy's 04 Mach 1 (CAI, Tuned, cat back) and it still has the Lincoln cams (96 gets shifted at 7300).

TXjeepTJ

iTrader: (8)

Ding ding ding, this is the correct answer.


I was a state inspector for 5 years, then had a Jeep Wrangler with a LS1 in it a few years after being an inspector. I still brought it to the shop where I worked, but would let an inspector that was new to the shop/didn't trust anyone (newbie) inspect it.

#1 - You MUST have a check engine light that is lit up with ignition on- engine off. Once the engine is started the check engine light should go off. This is the first (and sometimes only thing) the inspector checks on 1996+ vehicles. All cars have this feature so if you don't know what I'm talking about just try it on your non-modded car and you will see what I'm talking about. This light is wired into the OBD2 port. As v8sten said, you need the OBD2 port wired in the vehicle that controls the LS1, mount it in place of your Mustang OBD2 port. Don't leave both there. State inspection in Houston limits is all about the check engine light and exhaust system (and the obvious- lights, brakes, etc).


The only law I found when researching engine conversions in Texas is that the engine must be the same year as the vehicle it's going in or newer.

Edit: 92z2871805 had some great points regarding the law. Emissions equipment was another item I remember, and it's the law with any vehicle that you cannot move the cats to a different spot other than stock location. BUT I have never ran into a shop that enforces this lol

GT-CORDY

Thanks guys for the info so far it gives me hope lol.

GT-CORDY

One more thing what about if I did the swap with a lumpy cam? Does that throw a check engine light? Do they frown on big cams ect?

TXjeepTJ

iTrader: (8)

Whenever you get it tuned they will correct everything, so there shouldn't be a check engine light unless your tuner sucks lol

Even if the car barely runs because the cam is so big, they can't do anything about it if the check engine light isn't on.

ion05

here in deep south Texas half the cars running are not street legal but most inspection sticker places don't get payed enough to care.