The key words in the EPA engine switching doc and associated memos that Christ provided are:
Quote:
This policy states that EPA will not consider any modification to a "certified
configuration" to be a violation of federal law if there is a reasonable basis for knowing that emissions are not adversely affected.
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I think the intent is pretty clear here,
don't make your car/chassis pollute worse. Most yahoos (If I may speculate) are interested in more power/etc and think removing the cat means only good things. If you answer to the call of "DUMMY" then yes, don't touch it certainly.
But if you are putting in a contemporary engine/fuel system/exhaust/etc FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDUCING CONSUMPTION AND RESULTING EMISSIONS, then you certainly have a basis for believing emissions will NOT be adversely affected, but rather improved. And you can hedge your bets simply by doing before and after exhaust gas analysis.
towhit, people are swapping in electric motors without much hassle, people are swapping in TDIs even.
If that proves insufficient, it says "In many cases [federal testing] would be required", but the "many" there may be due to the large number of people who are at odds with the clean air act when they make such modifications.
The limiting factor for cross manufacture swaps is their impression of the level of difficulty involved, not because it is inherently evil.
But if you swap an obdII engine and all it's sensors and the exhaust and the ECU (and put a stick shift and compatable ECU in there while your at it) with the intent of consuming and polluting less, and the ECU doesn't code, then whats the problem? Unless you are from California or something
