[Christ]

Originally Posted by GreenHornet

The problem with this is legally you can not take out the engine and replace it with something else. However there are people who have done engine swaps and even put a VW Lupo 1.2L TDI in it. There fuel economy was over 100mpg I believe. Anytime you majorly alter a post OBD engine car such as with an engine swap you are risking fines or worse.

No, you aren't. There are guidelines to follow, and you can legally 'remanufacture' an engine/chassis combination as well, as long as you have basis to know that the emission of the new combination will not be worse than the emissions of the combination you started with.

http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production...ngswitch_0.pdf

^Engine switching fact sheet from EPA, cites relevant laws and paperwork.

Basically, you wouldn't be able to put a diesel engine into a Honda Insight in the US because they weren't certified with diesels in them here. However, there are legal ways to get around that, as well.

I'm not sure why people have this idea that it's illegal to change engines in US cars for other engines.. they only require that the combination created have the same or better emissions specs than the combination you started with, or be a previously certified combination under EPA certifications procedures.