can you swap ...

[Nima]

Hey to all:
Can you swap the entire engine (V8) and transmision (manual prefrebly)and steering wheel from 1990-1995 truck? And even maybe theire drive shaft? I have been seein few of them around me for sale with fairly sheap prices. If yes ( I know eveything is possible if you know what you are doing!) is kind of bolt ons or need major modifications? By the way, if you use later model engines, do you have to go througn smog checks? Thanks

[Longhorn Man]

technicly, you'll have to be smogged as a 95 truck, cats, evap system, all of it would have to be swapped over.
It's not a nuts and bolts swap anywyas, you'll have to install the computer and the whole harness, some kind of electronic guages, high pressure fuel system... ect ect.
Steering wheel is simple though, I have a thread in the FAQ to make the horn work too.

[Longhorn321]

Hey Longhorn Man, Could he use the engine and trans (manual?) without the computer if he swapped the TBI for a carb?

[Longhorn Man]

yep. Would probably need an electric fuel pump and there would be no spedometer, swapping to a Hyd clutch is a little work, but doable.
Intake, carb, noncomputer HEI, fuel pump... that would probably get it goin fine.
HUGE advantage to this, factory roller cam, no worrys about the new degraded oils.

[GMCBubba]

and i think there is a bellhousing adapter made by advanceadapters that will allow mechanical clutch linkage for the nv4500 instead of switching to hydraulic clutch. i think...

[A.P.]

Nima, I was told by a sheriff in traffic school, you don't have to go through smog check. Our trucks are exempt from CA smog check and you can put what ever engine you want.

A.P.

[Longhorn Man]

while I am not smog certified, I boubt that sherrif was either. The only thing that would keep you from having to get smogged under current cali laws, is the fact that the truck is exampt, so the late model engine would never be noticed. If the engine was discovered, then the truck would in fact be smogged as what ever year truck the engine came out of. Talk to the smog guys... the cops in Cali often write out tickets for a loud muffler, and call it a smog violatoion, even though a muffler is not a smog item.

[Nima]

Well, thanks longhorn man. Considering that I am only a hobbiest (did I spell that right?), this plan sound too complicted for me. I was just looking for relatively easy swap, better tranny (prefferably manual) which gives me more more and better MPG while. Any ideas? My current engine is pretty smooth and strong but I think I need cylinder heads and since I don't k now what kind of 350 it is ( I could not find any number anywhere on engine and I don't plan to drop the oil pan for now) I don't know what kind of cylinder heads will help with my power and possibly milage. Man be a cam?. I believe my valve guide(s) have problems, also my 3 on tree doesn't help with my MPG and freeway driving. Thanks again.

[kwmech]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

............................................. If the engine was discovered, then the truck would in fact be smogged as what ever year truck the engine came out of.............

Nope..........I am smog certified, and the state...at this time... doesn't care. Anything pre '75 is exempt

[Scott68-93-97]

Originally Posted by kwmech

Nope..........I am smog certified, and the state...at this time... doesn't care. Anything pre '75 is exempt

Thank you my pop has been a smog tech in cali for 30 years, these types of deals only apply to vehicles after 75, where you still only have to apply to laws of the year of that vehicle and not the engine, ie: an 85 toyota pick up with 350 would have to be an 85 or newer motor with all smog equipment required for that vehicle in 85 and you can get a referee tag, or lets say an 80 chevy that came with a 350 but you put in a 97' 383, 350 any small block, even fuel injection and it had all smog equpiment still that came in 1980, or better you wouldn't even need to see the referee just take er down to the smog check. What are they going to say shame on you for running newer better smog equipment and have less emissions if your running the newer stuff

[A.P.]

Longhorn Man, I'm just repeating what a traffic school sheriff said. He was the one giving the class. Its best to go to the DMV and ask what the law would be on this subject. But I can tell you this, my truck was unregister for over 5years and when I went to register my truck. All they asked was for insurance and all the damn late fees. Which cost me over $500.
Cops can pull all sorts of tricks to screw with any body. Smog violation for loud mufflers, wow, I never heard of that one.

[Longhorn Man]

actuall, a smog referee would be the best place to go. The actual books would be even better, the DMV would probably be too buisy to give you the time of day.
I don't claim to be an expert on this... but I have spent some time lookin at Cali's smog laws, and spoken to plenty of people about it, and that is what I've always been told, with just a couple exceptions (both on here)

[brak]

I've had to deal with this issue in the past (I'm from San Diego), and here's how it works:

Yes our trucks are exempt, but if you switch to an engine that was produced after emissions testing took effect, then that motor must be tested and run with the equipment it left the factory with.

now, it's easy to get away with when it comes to Gen I engines since they all look the same. But after '87 the centerbolt heads are a dead give away that the motor is not exempt.

the easiest fix would be to buy a set of valve cover adapters, which will allow you to run Gen I covers on Centerbolt heads, and you shouldn't have an issue.

truthfully, the only way you would get caught, would be if a cop were to come across your truck with the hood open, but that could easily happen (checking the oil at the gas station, car show, etc), and it does on a regular basis.

BTW, the sheriff doesn't necessarily know all the rules, since testing technically falls under the highway patrol's jurisdiction, since they are the state organization. The sherrif is only concerned with their county.

[A.P.]

BTW, no body knows all the rules unless they look them up no matter what department of law enforcement they are in.

A.P.