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question about L28E California smog


Megatherion

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Hi guys, months ago I sold my L28e from my '78 280z, with the idea to swap it for another engine, but for some reasons I decided to quit with the project and go back with the L28e. Now I'm wondering if I should install the l28e from a 280zx and still pass smog test, from what I have read here in the forum the zx l28 has O2 sensor and a couple of other things, that's why I don't know if I should use the most resent model or if I should just keep the older l28, I hope someone can answer my question, thanks in advance.

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Most emissions states use the newer component to determine the year's standards they will use for testing.

 

If the engine is newer than the car, they will use the engine year.

 

If the car is newer than the engine, they will use the car year.

 

Of course, the technician would first have to be able to discern whether your engine is actually newer than the car and I doubt a non nissan specialist would be able to do that.

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Agree with the statement that HowlerMonkey made about the smog tech being able to determine what year engine block is in the car. I had a 78 that I gave to my neighbor soon after that he blew the head gasket, instead of putting a new rebuild head on tired high miliage block he put a F54 block in instead, the car breezed through smog....it failed prior to the block swap. The smogging was done on the up and up.

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As far as I know I thought all the EFI L series had O2 sensors...

 

But at any rate, in CA it's illegal to put in an engine from an older car into a newer car. It's also illegal to put an engine in your car that meets certain lower emission standards (like putting a carb'ed engine into a car that was originally EFI, or not having a PCV valve in a car that originally did). It's also illegal to swap in an engine that's from a heavier class, so you can't put a work truck or a 15 passanger van engine into a passanger car.

 

But I seriously doubt that any smog tech could tell a difference between any EFI L series variant. I bet you could even get a L28ET to get tested as a L28E if you worked hard enough. There's no reason to look under that intake for a turbo for a smog tech...

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I've had two EFI '79 S130's and they both did not have O2 sensors. I have an '82 with stock EFI and it HAS an O2 sensor. Go figure. I had a bitch of a time getting one of those '79s smogged even after I had it rebuilt. Hopefully the O2 sensor on this '82 will help smog go way easier.

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That's a good bit of into to know, and I bet that's one of the main reason it had a hard time passing smog. In my experience the farther into the test you get in each gear the better the output gets as the cylinder temp rises a bit and the O2 settles.

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I'm glad I found this thread, I have been planning on moving out to Sacramento. I am doing a turbo swap in my S130 and wondered if I will need to do anything to my emissions even though I will be keeping South Carolina tags. I will only be in CA for a little under 2 years.

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California Law is that in a motor swap the motor has to be the same year of the vehicle or newer. Other than that, I couldn't say.

 

hey whereabouts are you in minot? just curious...I have my friends relatives that went to Bismark high i think that's what it's called... the one that won state football and they wear purple and black?

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