LS Swap in Mustang legal in Texas?
#1
Staging Lane
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LS Swap in Mustang legal in Texas?
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.
#2
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).
Last edited by 93Z2871805; 02-06-2014 at 01:15 AM.
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#8
Staging Lane
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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.
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.
#9
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.
"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.
#12
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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.
#14
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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.
#15
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).
#16
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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
Last edited by TXjeepTJ; 02-07-2014 at 11:59 AM.