That looks like a real challenge. Loving the payoff though, that center stack looks so dope. Display, HVAC, the whole thing.

 

Thanks man! My end goal was to modernize the interior and electronics of this car. The wireless phone charger seems to be doing an awesome job as well. What I really need to do now is get a nice set of wheels and upgrade the KW v3s to Ohlins DFVs R&T. Though it has been done many times, I will miss out until after I buy a house later this year. The housing market in San Diego is complete hell right now. Sellers market x 1000. Bid wars on every offer.

 

Hello Folks,

It's been a year since I posted here in this thread. I hope you are all doing good with your projects and staying out of trouble. I'm going to return the car back to stock so I can state ref it and then mod it for more power once I'm done with that idiotic cash grab from the state. Does anybody happen to know how a 2.3L short block would behave on the stock tune with all else being stock? We are talking 12mm of extra stroke and a faster piston speed, correct? Would it drive like stock or run lean? If I need to destroke it, I will.

 

Why not form a LLC in another state and register it there to avoid all that?

 

It's a good option. I thought about Texas, Nevada, or Arizona, but I'd like to keep the car directly under my name and with CA plates. All I have is time so going back to stock for this and future referee visits is not an issue for me. The car is no longer daily driven. I just hope that an OEM Evo 9 tune with stock 9 cams can control a 2.3l short block properly enough to pass. I feel like things will be slightly lean under boost due to the higher air volume on the intake stroke, but the stock tune is also pretty rich which could have it compensate. In addition to that, a higher volume of air will take longer to burn which would then affect timing.

 

The stock ECU has a considerable range of adjustment (trim) around the stock set points. If you're in closed loop (lower load / no boost / low throttle) then it can adjust the air/fuel ratio quite a bit to hit targets. I'm not sure if it has enough adjustment range to trim out an extra 15% displacement without throwing a CEL, though.

The challenge is driving enough street miles to flip the readiness monitors without going into boost. There's a section of the service manual that details the required drive cycles to flip the readiness monitors. I'd read that, and also look up how many of the readiness monitors are required to pass your state's emissions. I usually pull the Evo out of storage every spring and drive around until enough, but not all, of the readiness monitors trip, then I go into the inspection station. Last time I had to drive over 100 miles across several days before they were ready, so be prepared for a lot of no-boost street driving at various RPMs (as indicated in the service manual).

 

If you put in injectors that are 15% bigger than factory, it should get you by. Thats what all the Jeep guys do with strokers and it seems to work out just fine.

 

Was about to suggest this. Dudes runing cams and strokers on stock OBD1 ECU's by just "matching" the injector size to increased fuel demands...lol

 

This is seriously not worth it, buy a stock evo to keep in your name with Cali plates...LOL.

Form an LLC out of state. Then you can also have any future employers pay that LLC, instead of you. And avoid state income tax..

 

I appreciate all the suggestions guys. Amazing how creative those jeep guys are. It looks like 15% bigger than the stock injectors would be 644cc injectors. There are many 650cc stock appearing injectors for the evo, which is good news. I'll see how the car runs on the stock injectors first and then change to 650s if it gets too lean. Something tells me the stock map richness is going to help me balance things out at cruise. If I decide to go the LLC route, I would need to learn a lot more about it. Mostly, 1. Are the penalties for getting caught worse than getting a ref ticket? Seems like I would be in trouble with the state tax department, CA dmv, but not the IRS. 2. How much does it cost to do it and is it a lengthy procedure? 3. Do you need to physically drive there each year to keep it going? I actually have not received anything in the mail about smog or ref yet. I just saw my car called out in the bar website, so i know it's coming. Better if I have it ready by then so I can beat them at their own game and then win again for another 2 years. IIRC, this is just a one time state ref and then it's back to regular smog stations.

 

We had a guy here at work that would get paid to a company name. I think it was most of his check that would go to his company. It makes sense now.

 

Pal215, check your PMs...

 

You pay an attorney like $1k to set up the LLC, then an much smaller annual fee to maintain it. No driving out of state necessary.

 

I have a 2.3 too but on a 2005 VIII MR. Just received a DMV Renewal with Smog and thinking of putting back the stock injectors, cat, remove the boost controller (the fuel pump supposes to make it run richer) and flash the OEM map in hope to make them happy. I have stock-like idle HKS cams 274 and HKS GT-II 7460 turbo, hopefully OEM map won't throw a code. But I thought I heard from the other threads that the VIII may be exclusive from the new map checking method, so if that's the case then I may not have to do anything. Have anybody successfully with their VIII? Regardless, I'll share the experience with the OP and everyone who may need to smog their evo in this liberal state. Thanks.

 

To add to the subject, I also have an "almost" stock X, only mods were RRE special cut-out downpipe, injectors and pump for dual 91/e85 map and had been passed as-is in 2016 and 2018. To my behold, it was failed immediately in 2020 upon the DMV plug-in with the horror message "Please see referree." Nothing was changed with the car. I had to put back everything (well, except the fuel pump), visit a dealer for an OEM reflash (I can do it myself but the Referree needed a receipt from the dealer or trusted fixer), brought the car to the Goldenwest Ref for a throughly tested and passed. I went thought this process a few times back in my youth times but now a little bit sick of it. So yeah they do check on the X now that I can confirm. Make sure to have your OEM map back before bring the car in, better than having to though the trouble like me. I still love the Evos and won't let them go so (I have 2).