NYS Emissions/Inspection Laws...

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So I happen to live in a very confusing state. This has always plagued my mind, without any real answer. The laws here in NY are very very screwy and there are WAY too many loopholes.

One of the things the law states is this.

Some vehicles are exempt from the emissions inspection program. Your passenger car or light truck does not have to be inspected for emissions if it is:

Less than two model years old
26 model years old or older
Registered with historical plates or,
Electric-powered only

However, later, it says,

The emissions control devices are examined if the vehicle was originally manufactured with them. The vehicle model years affected are indicated below.

Catalytic converter (CAT) - all model years
Exhaust gas recirculation valve (EGR) - all model years
Positive crankcase ventilation system (PCV) - all model years
Air injection system (AIS) - 1984 and newer
Evaporative emissions control (EVAP) - 1984 and newer
Fuel inlet restrictor (FIR) - 1984 and newer
Thermostatic air cleaner (TAC) - 1984 and newer

Ok, so there's the first thing, 1984 models and newer have to have all emissions devices installed if it came with it, except, right above it says anything 26 model years or older is exempt. Need to change? Me thinks so.


Then the next thing. In NY, there is no clear laws on engine swaps. Almost as if anything goes. But then, they contradict themselves. I've heard all sorts of things. People have said no older engines being swapped into a new vehicle unless that engine was an option in the vehicle, and I've heard that new cars with OBDII systems (1996 and newer vehicles) must pass emissions inspections (this is stated in the law) yet, there is no law specifically stating that I cannot legally install an old engine into a new car. In fact, there is NO LAW regarding engine swaps period. None. Zip, zero. So would this have made my pickup technically illegal to drive, even though by 1 regulation, the engine we swapped in was offered in it (albiet an older year, nearly 10 years older), but on the other had, only some emissions equipment was installed simply because the other engine was a straight 6 and parts would not work off the other motor? This makes no sense to me.

Another issue I've found is that what if there were also problems with the OBDII identifying the car that belonged to the ECU, rather than the body of the car. Now I understand most of the state only does safety inspections and NYC is much more vigorous with emissions inspections but I'm wondering about the legality over the entire state so that I'm not limited to drive a car in one area only.

There might not be a reason to as I'm sure some of you will happen to point out, but I like ot be creative and different, and putting something old in something new and building it into a street sleeper just sounds like fun. I've always dreamed of taking a pig of a motor, beefing it up and shoving it into a new Mustang. I'm thinking it will be up to who inspects it to pass it (which will eventually be me anyways simply because I'll have my inspectors license).

This stuff is so odd in this state, so I was wondering if any others could clear this up. There is so much BS on the internet and no one has a straight answer for anything. Would the emissions laws for ODBII vehicles override the no law thing? Or what? This is very lightly touching on the subject...there is a lot more you can get into.
 
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Meanwhile, in California, my Tracker was just peachy on emissions and I failed a smog on the basis that my vacuum system wasnt sealing as well as it should have.

Was looking into purchasing a car from out of state, then realized it wouldnt meet the CA emissions standards.

I'm not even sure what the laws are here, but I would imagine that they're obnoxious since people always seem to complain.

And then, in some smaller counties up here, they don't require you to even get a smog test done. Ever. What?
 
Emission inspection-
Most of it is just a visual inspection of the emission equipment on the car.
It could be that they just never updated the info and change the model years.
And if your car is 26 model years or older there is no emission inspection, there is only a safety inspection.

Engine swaps-
The engine has to be the same year or newer then the car it will be going in, that is everywhere not just NYS.
For car 1996 or newer ( car with OBDII) the engine has to be the same type engine that was in the car or was available with that car.
If it's older you can swap everything you want as long as the engine is street legal.
 
Meanwhile, in California, my Tracker was just peachy on emissions and I failed a smog on the basis that my vacuum system wasnt sealing as well as it should have.

Was looking into purchasing a car from out of state, then realized it wouldnt meet the CA emissions standards.

I'm not even sure what the laws are here, but I would imagine that they're obnoxious since people always seem to complain.

And then, in some smaller counties up here, they don't require you to even get a smog test done. Ever. What?

It's crazy, I know. CA and NY seem to be the worst.

For car 1996 or newer ( car with OBDII) the engine has to be the same type engine that was in the car or was available with that car.

There is no law the prohibits the swapping though, at least here, unless it's federal. That's where it's odd. Unless you count the emissions thing.
 
There is no law the prohibits the swapping though, at least here, unless it's federal. That's where it's odd. Unless you count the emissions thing.

I don't know of any federal level engine swap law.
 
There is no law the prohibits the swapping though, at least here, unless it's federal. That's where it's odd. Unless you count the emissions thing.

A few years ago I was trying to find info on engine swap in New York and I can't find any laws, the only thing I found out was that if the car has a OBDII you could only swap with engines that were available with that car. If you had a V6 Mustang you can replace it with a another V6 Mustang engine or with a V8 Mustang engine.
 
A few years ago I was trying to find info on engine swap in New York and I can't find any laws, the only thing I found out was that if the car has a OBDII you could only swap with engines that were available with that car. If you had a V6 Mustang you can replace it with a another V6 Mustang engine or with a V8 Mustang engine.

So pretty much anything older than OBDII goes then?

I guess an old motor in a new car would make it track only then.
 
A few years ago I was trying to find info on engine swap in New York and I can't find any laws, the only thing I found out was that if the car has a OBDII you could only swap with engines that were available with that car. If you had a V6 Mustang you can replace it with a another V6 Mustang engine or with a V8 Mustang engine.

Wow you poor east coast people, I have a friend here that swapped a 302 into a '97 Mustang V6. Its legal since it passes emissions and has OBD2 Via a modified Explorer FI/coil pack setup.
 
To be clear, I live in the northern part of the finger lakes region. The biggest custome car issues is emissions. You can always find a shop where their "eyesight is a little blurry" and their "pencil is a little dull" for the visual inspection. What we New Yorkers need are any and all tricks ANYONE has to fool the computer. Like Badasp5.0 posted. I would like to know more about that.
 
Guess it’s why I didn’t have a problem with my swap. Going back to 2000, the VR6 I Had swapped into my ‘88 GLI, was from a ‘95 JETTA GLX(OBD 1). When I had to renew for inspection(the Bronx), my car was classed as a ‘95 Jetta GLX on the inspection station computer(as there was, obviously, no 1988 Jetta V6 model). My NYC registration stayed as an ‘88 GLI 16V and I paid for the renewal as the original model car. When I sold the car, I just had to give the new owner copies of the swap, done by my mechanic. New owner was able to register with no problems.
 
On my VW the engine (a 2.0 from 1997 Jetta) was converted to OBD-1 and I never had any problem getting it inspected or registered, but I also lived in the Finger Lakes area and not Long Island where I know some of that stuff is done differently.
 
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