With all the great engine swaps that can be done (V-8, diesel, etc) I have been mulling over my options. I really like the Isuzu diesel and have been leaning that direction. So I decided to check with my local emissions control people to see what the regulations are in this regard. There are a lot of opinions on this subject, so I went straight to the source and checked with the government people. Well, this is what they said: In order for an engine swap to meet Federal Regulations (EPA), the engine must be the same year or newer as the vehicle, AND the engine must have been a factory option for that year vehicle. So, let's say I have a vehicle that could have been purchased new with either a 6 cylinder or 8 cylinder engine. Let's say I own a 6 cylinder version with a blown engine and I had access to an 8 cylinder engine of a type that was available for my vehicle when it was manufactured. I could legally do the swap as long as I also swapped in all the 8 cylinder emissions controls. It then would have to pass emissions testing before it could be registered.
Now here is the heartbreaker. Federal regulations prohibit swapping in an engine that was not an option for that vehicle AS IT WAS SOLD NEW IN THE USA. That means ALL of the engine swaps we are doing violate Federal Regulations--even the Toyota Diesels. Right now, the Federal Government is allowing the States to register our rigs with swapped engines as long as they meet the local emissions controls requirements, even though this is a clear violation of the Federal Regs. But that can change with an arbitrary stroke of the EPA pen. And once a non-standard engine has been swapped into a vehicle, it is considered a "tampered vehicle." At least in the state of Utah and in Salt Lake County, it must then have the annual emissions inspection done by the County Health Department and not an independent inspection station.
You may have now or soon will have an alternate engine in your rig, and you may not even be required to have emissions inspections done where you live, but that can change very quickly. All that has to happen is for the EPA to sign an edict, and you won't be able to register your vehicle anywhere. The requirement for a visual inspection of your vehicle is all it would take for your rig to be rejected. There will be no "grandfather" option either because it's not legal anywhere in the US right now, they just haven't decided to test the political winds by enforcing it yet. The same can be said for de-smogging your rig. You may be getting away with it right now, but if the EPA decides to require a visual inspection before you can register your vehicle....well, let's just say there will be a spike in demand for emissions control junk.
So that's the word. For myself, I would like to be able to drive my FJ62 on the highways for another 10 or 20 years. The way things are going with the "greenhouse gases" discussion, I am pretty sure they are going to clamp down sooner than later. So, I guess I'll be planning for an overhaul of my 3FE rather than that Diesel engine I really wanted.
Now here is the heartbreaker. Federal regulations prohibit swapping in an engine that was not an option for that vehicle AS IT WAS SOLD NEW IN THE USA. That means ALL of the engine swaps we are doing violate Federal Regulations--even the Toyota Diesels. Right now, the Federal Government is allowing the States to register our rigs with swapped engines as long as they meet the local emissions controls requirements, even though this is a clear violation of the Federal Regs. But that can change with an arbitrary stroke of the EPA pen. And once a non-standard engine has been swapped into a vehicle, it is considered a "tampered vehicle." At least in the state of Utah and in Salt Lake County, it must then have the annual emissions inspection done by the County Health Department and not an independent inspection station.
You may have now or soon will have an alternate engine in your rig, and you may not even be required to have emissions inspections done where you live, but that can change very quickly. All that has to happen is for the EPA to sign an edict, and you won't be able to register your vehicle anywhere. The requirement for a visual inspection of your vehicle is all it would take for your rig to be rejected. There will be no "grandfather" option either because it's not legal anywhere in the US right now, they just haven't decided to test the political winds by enforcing it yet. The same can be said for de-smogging your rig. You may be getting away with it right now, but if the EPA decides to require a visual inspection before you can register your vehicle....well, let's just say there will be a spike in demand for emissions control junk.
So that's the word. For myself, I would like to be able to drive my FJ62 on the highways for another 10 or 20 years. The way things are going with the "greenhouse gases" discussion, I am pretty sure they are going to clamp down sooner than later. So, I guess I'll be planning for an overhaul of my 3FE rather than that Diesel engine I really wanted.
Last edited: