theconductor

Hello all,

What engine mods are Californians doing for power that are smog legal? What are the results?

Thanks in advance.

5CHN3LL

No engine mods are smog-legal unless they are CARB certified. Most aftermarket stuff is not CARB-certified because the certification process is prohibitively expensive. If you're considering a specific power-adder, ask the manufacturer if it's CARB certified. Once they say "no," you can determine if you're going to install it anyway.

If the smog tech can't tell a part is aftermarket and the emissions tests are within range, your car will pass the smog test - but it still won't be "legal" without the CARB sticker.

Kalashnikov

5CHN3LL is correct. Unless you have a CARB sticker on your parts, it is a visual fail. Even the air intake is a fail.

I went to school in Bay Area, and the only way to get around this was to get a "friend" at the smog station in the bad area of town. Friendship costs between $250-$500. For $500, you don't even have to bring the car in.

If you get stopped by the cops and they see the mods, tell them they were installed after the smog to cover you tech. Then you will have to go back to stock and take the car for the official inspection.

Byprodriver

For maximum gain & concealment, do them internally. This adds 20ft/lbs & lowers emmissions.

theconductor

This is what I was fearing. Thank you for the replies. I thought for sure that adding a Vortech would be legal, but I guess the required intake isn't certified.

So much to learn...

5CHN3LL

None of this means you shouldn't DO it...it just means that you need to be willing to be a bit more creative with your biennial inspection.

KrazyK

Why are you wanting to waste your $$$ on engine mods. What are you trying to do?

5CHN3LL

He said in post #5 he wanted a Vortech, so it appears that what he's trying to do is make his car go faster.

5CHN3LL

(This is generally where someone makes a smug comment about how you need to go to performance driving school / "spend time at the track" if you want your Porsche to go faster. That line apparently never gets old...)

Mfletch

I have all of the engine mods listed in my signature. With the addition of a "guaranteed to pass" fuel additive, my car passes CA smog. The smog techs do good to figure out where the engine is located. They have yet to figure out that the engine is not stock. I have always been happy with the engine mods that I have done. The Vortech represents better bang for the buck....but would be a ton of work to remove, if the smog techs figured out that it was not stock.

theconductor

The Vortech unit should have a CARB number on it, but they could figure out that some of the supporting parts don't. Thank you for the info. I have the option of registering the car at my dad's house in Healdsburg where they don't have to smog to register. I'm leaning that way.

btw, I see you're in El Dorado Hills. My wife and I own a bar in East Roseville, you should bring your car by and have a beer. Final Gravity (<- shameless plug)

morganabowen

I also have all the mods in my signature and had no trouble passing smog last week.

jyoteen

There are two types of smog centers. The regular one is one that pays little attention under engine bay lid other than to make sure the cats are there. Then there are these Gold centers. They are much more rigorous in looking around. My car was taken to one of these Gold centers and the tester was hunting around the engine bay for a solid 15 minutes with a flash light to make sure everything was on the up and up.

The DMV may require you to go to these Gold centers randomly FYI, so there's greater scrutiny possible. I would just concentrate on the suspension personally because the engine mods being not a good value proposition IMHO. Unless you are already having the engine apart due to some extenuating circumstances.

2K7TTMIA

Register the car in a state that doesn't require smog? Mod up the wazoo....

Macster

It could complicate insuring the vehicle and it could arise if the car was insured under fraudulent circumstances the insurance may not cover the vehicle.

Also in CA anyhow the neighbors might turn one in. Seems they get a bit testy when they have to pay the CA registration while a neighbor registers his car in OR or NV but of course actually lives in CA.