Can i register a diesel swap in NC?

hans747

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2007
Location
Asheville, NC
Hey guys,

I've been itching to do a diesel swap for a long time on a daily driver. Thing is, I'm OKAY with working on cars, but I'm no hardcore fabber. So I'm looking for things that would be easy to do. For a long time i've been thinking about a Grand Wagoneer with either a GM 6.2 or 6.5T, because it would be just a matter of buying FSJ/SBC conversion kits. But from what I hear, I still won't be breaking my goal of 25+ mpg. 4BTs are all the rage, but I don't have the capacity or experience to make that happen.

So now I'm thinking about maybe an 1-st gen Xterra with a JDM diesel engine. But since they are all-post 1996 trucks, I have no idea what it's going to mean when I have to register it in NC. Has anyone done a Diesel swap on their OBDII truck? What kind of hoops will I need to jump through?

Thanks!
 
Dmv inspector is getting me this exact info this week. He did say the truck would have to have all the emissions stuff for that truck...ie keep the o2 and egr etc etc
 
That's helpful to know! Please let me know when you hear back. I know the VW guys will occasionally swap a TDI into a gasser, but that's not as big of a leap since diesel is an option. Getting stupid OBDII to work in an engine that was never sold in the US might be the real PITA. Oh boy...
 
From what I understand, so long as the smog equipment is current on the newest of the engine or the chassis, you shouldn't have any problems.
 
I was told by my inspector the engine has to be same year or newer then the chassis and all its oem emissions equipment in place.
 
Hey Snappy!

Did your DMV inspector ever get back to you with some concrete information?

I've been drooling over this tread all week (Xterra with a TD27T engine).

I know it's one thing to have an EGR and a cat converter. But getting OBII to work with a foreign diesel engine would a whole nother world of pain.

Thanks,
Eric
 
The gist

Engine same year or newer then vehicle it is going into.

Must meet all emissions stuff for year of vehicle engine going into.

When done with swap. You go to DMV register truck as it was then you drive to DMV office and inspector looks it over. He will also ask for your receipts on engine to make sure it is not stolen. Them u go to inspection place to have it pass inspection then back to DMV to get title changed to diesel and then they will send u new title in mail.
 
After a few weeks of searching around the internet, i have yet to see an explanation of how to pass an OBDII test in a vehicle that never had a diesel engine WITHOUT using an OBDII diesel engine. Which sucks, because then you're pretty much limited to:
VW (too small for what I want)
Mercedes/Sprinter (the right size, but hard to find and would probably require a lot of fab work)
Jeep 2.8 or 3.0 diesels (see Mercedes)

Looks like I have to either move to another state or wait until these VM Motori engines start hitting the junkyards.
 
OBDII would be a pain, near impossible actually. OBD I would be easy, even easier if you're friends with some guys at a shop.
 
Diesel doesn't get an OBD 2 test. Safety only. No matter the year.

From my understanding (I had a customer at my last shop that did something simular) after the vehicle is built you go to the DMV and they have their inspectors ( really big dbags) do a state inspection. If it passes they put a sticker under the hood of the vehicle that has a bypass code for future inspections.
 
pgaloustian said:
Diesel doesn't get an OBD 2 test. Safety only. No matter the year.

From my understanding (I had a customer at my last shop that did something simular) after the vehicle is built you go to the DMV and they have their inspectors ( really big dbags) do a state inspection. If it passes they put a sticker under the hood of the vehicle that has a bypass code for future inspections.
Click to expand...
That incorrect. Safety only if over a certain gvw
 
snappy said:
That incorrect. Safety only if over a certain gvw
Click to expand...
The GVWR of my 04 diesel VW must be pretty high then, as it has only gotten a safety inspection every time since I've owned it.
 
Looks like i need to find the inspector. I might go check in with the inspector in my nearby rural county. Everyone at the DMV there is pretty reasonable.
 
I have heard of getting a vehicle re-titled as a custom vehicle, kinda gets you around some of that I believe, but it has been many years since I had heard this. Something to check into.
 
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