Hi, i am planning on getting my first evo soon and one of the first things i want to do is upgrade the turbo if i end up getting an Evo 8. I was doing some research and found that the cheapest way to go was use the turbo off a Evo 9 to replace the Evo 8's. This will be just a daily driver so im not expecting 500 hp overall but just wanting to get a little more out of the 8. Now the problem i have is i live in California and my dad is my mechanic (not a good thing since he didnt let me pass with any mods i had on my 1979 Pontiac Trans am). So my questiong is will i be able to pass the sniffer and visual legally in CA if i do upgrade my turbo? And say i do upgrade will i require a tune or any other actions? Sorry if this is a retarded questiong but im just curious. Thanks

 

An evo 8 to 9 turbo upgrade + housing isnt a SIGNIFICANT upgrade; and you would probably pass smog (assuming the rest of the car is CA Smog Compliant) with flying colors.

www.socalevo.net - Might get a better response from there who have dealt with and deal with the situation ...

 

The turbo change will have exactly zero effect on tailpipe emissions.

 

you'll just want a retune for the new turbo, but you should still easily pass the visual test and tailpipe (AWD = no dyno = no load = no boost = for emissions).

 

I swapped my turbo out of my 8 to a FP Green + cams and passed with flying colors.

 

The major key to passing smog here is make sure you have your stock catalytic converter on as well as having no check engine lights on. No cat = instant fail, I'm pretty sure that the same thing applies if you have a check engine light. Also, I'm not sure if you have a station near you but I know e-85 burns a lot cleaner and puts out fewer emissions than regular gas so converting is something you might want to look into. I've actually heard a story of someone on e-85 passing smog with NO cat.

 

Depends entirely on the tune. Even E85 can be set to run too rich (high CO) and can misfire (high HC).