5.3L into a 85 El Camino. Can I make Ca Emissions

[86Cutlass383SR]

Supposely thats what the guy that did the wirning harness and sold me the
external parts did. He said it would show that it's a 2004 LS1.
But I don't know how I would find how before going to the
ref?. If I go overthere and tell them one thing and they find out it's
something else, I am sure they will fail me.

If you look at the engine externally it looks like a LS1.
The intake, exhaust manifolds,02's and cats along with
the p/s, a/c, waterpump and pulley are all 2004 LS1,
GTO.

The dude that did the wiring and sold me the parts (Oscar Juarez "Hotrod Controls")
turned out to be an unreliable fake and I can't find him.
So I am between a rock and hard place. I'd like to finish it up
and make it streetable and my DD.

The VIN number should be stamped on the block somewhere. They started doing that back in 69 I believe. If the guy ground off the VIN number and the referee checks it and it's gone, it will never pass no matter what it *looks like*. An LS motor in a g-body I'd bet anything they'll check numbers.

I hope for your sake I'm wrong and you do get it passed, but you may have a money pit that won't pass. Go talk to someone who knows what they're doing so they can guide you. No point spending any more money on something you can't get legal.

 

[jj62]

If the VIN is burned into the computer, I don't see why you couldn't get a car-based computer and have it tuned to spec. Other than that there shouldn't be a way (unless the full VIN is stamped on the block somewhere) they can tell what the engine came from. I hate emissions crap myself, and have my own hurdles to overcome in Arizona, unless I move out of the Tucson area.

Thats what I'm thinking too The engine looks like a LS1 and I am sure that it burns a lot
cleaner then the old 305. I am going to try and pass it off as a LS1.

But before I go to the ref I'd like to know what the computer says.
Do you have any ideas how to check it ?.

 

[megaladon6]

if you have a full access scanner (data and codes, not just a code scanner) you can access the vin portion. you should see if the hypertech tuners do this. they're good to have as it'll make it easy to tune for min emissions, then leave the test facility and retune for max power.

 

[82cutty]

I swapped a 5.0 V-8 in place of a V-6 in an 88 Ranger. I used an 88 Crown Vic engine to be safe as they are the same yr and close to same emission controls. There were a few less on the truck than the car but I transplanted the entire harness and brain and all the sensors into the truck. It passed emissions as well as the V-6 did when it was checked. They were kinda confused at 1st but everything checked out and they saw all that they needed to pass it. Va is less strict then Ca for sure but they do emissions every 2 yrs depending were you live. I dont know if it would pass Ca emissions. I had an old girlfriend move out there and she had to pay like $800. bucks or so to get her car smog legal a few yrs back. From what I understand in Va as long as the engine is newer than the car and all the emission stuff it present it will pass smog. Good Luck!!!!

 

[joe_padavano]

Maybe try trading your truck 5.3 with a 5.3 that came out of a newer Monte or Grand Prix.

Joe,

I don't think the vin is based on a car for a couple of reason. one they require commerical
plates in calif and the other according to vin decoding the first C in the vin code number
stands for Chevrolet Truck.
I could be wrong just going by what I have read. Trying to get all my ducks in a row.

Check any 78-87 Chevy Chassis Service manual. The Elco comes under the same line as the Malibu/Monte Carlo and has the same VIN format. Chevy light trucks have a different VIN format in those years (and a whole different Chassis Service Manual for that matter).

 

[jj62]

Your probaly right about it being a car. I think I'll try and pass it off as LS1, 2004, GTO,
engine. Because I don't know what is burned into the computer. But thats what the
flake Oscar Juarez said he put in it. I don't if that can even be done.

It looks like an LS1 motor on the outside and not a 5.3L. So I'll
give it shot. Can't find anyone in SoCal that will help. Their all
afraid of the smog police.......................

 

[joe_padavano]

Your probaly right about it being a car. I think I'll try and pass it off as LS1, 2004, GTO,
engine. Because I don't know what is burned into the computer. But thats what the
flake Oscar Juarez said he put in it. I don't if that can even be done.

It looks like an LS1 motor on the outside and not a 5.3L. So I'll
give it shot. Can't find anyone in SoCal that will help. Their all
afraid of the smog police.......................

Um, the LS1 is an aluminum block and the 5.3 truck motor is an iron block, isn't it? Kinda easy to tell the difference. They will also likely check the P/N on the ECU.

I suggest you contact a state referee station (which would ultimately be responsible for OKing the swap from an emissions standpoint) and ask them (without showing them the car!).

 

[megaladon6]

the LS series covers almost every SBC v8 after '99 and a bunch after '95. the 5.3 is an LS motor and i think there are 2 LS 6.0L blocks-1aluminum and 1 iron (that might be 2 5.7's though)
as said, check with the refs--tell them you found a good deal on a 5.3, but don't know if it's a truck or car block and that it's going into an elco. see what they say.