WTB: CARB (California Emissions) legal turbo or turbo set up
 

I've been itching to turbo my Miata..but due to smog laws here in California am limited to a few selection of turbos (Greddy, Begi-S, S1, S2, and S3) set ups.

I'm wanting to get a legit turbo with all the CARB stickers and what not because I don't want to have to take the turbo set up out just to smog my car every time.

There's someone local selling a Greddy turbo but is asking a little too much at least for me.

Interested in the turbo alone (assuming includes CARB sticker) or a set-up if price is right.

Thanks!

Serious question: a Greddy system is more than you want to pay for, and you're hoping someone will sell you a Bell kit for less?

either just suck it up and buy the greddy or save up for the bell, because your state sucks.

From what I understand, the MSD Sebring boost/timing controller comes with a CARB sticker.

Do you CA guys need CARB cert'd parts for pre-OBDII cars?

yes.

also OP - turbo's don't come with carb stickers.

suckville

Everything after 1975.

This is correct.

You need a complete turbo system that comes with a CARB sticker. I suppose you could attempt to buy just a used turbo and the sticker from someone who bought a complete kit, but then you'd have to piece together all the rest of the parts of the kit (or reasonable facsimilies) because the EO applies to the system as a whole, not just to the turbo itself. "The system" includes things like the fuel and ignition management, the manifold and downpipe, the air filter, the intercooler, etc.

So you end up having to convert everything to stock each year for testing? God that sucks.

Every other year.

It's not that bad, honestly. In exchange, we get to live in a place with awesome roads, awesome weather, no humidity, no flying insects large enough to carry away a dog, etc. :D

Yup.

Plus we get to "re-evaluate" our setup every 2 years (like I've done) improve what we see fit.
I mean it doesn't take more than a day or two to remove/reinstall everything assuming you didn't hack up your car to kingdom come not considering anything.

TX does it's testing annually. Fortunately they don't care what's under the hood, just that it returns OBDII/emissions codes and passes the sniffer.

I'm still building the car (trying to) into something decent, with the focus on ease of returning the car to compliant status. With my current plan, I just have to swap the ecu's, reconnect the right sensors, put the stock injectors back in, and hold the wastegate open. Once I get it back together, I'll actually figure out if the boost will keep from creeping so I don't have to remove the turbo. I hate trying to pull that BEGi manifold off.

This also highlights another reason I'm going MS2 vs EMS4: the trigger wheel. Once I put the supermiata damper on there, I don't want to remove it annually.

vlad, that sounds like an excuse to a horrible CA car regulation.

I got pulled over by CHP once, the guy was new, and a total idiot.

Tried writing me a ticket for "illegal performance modifications" or some crap like that, with NEVADA plates.

I had to sit there waiting for a higher up officer to show up before they can let me go. Because I wasnt going to leave with this retarded ticket and have to show back up in court for some BS.

Here in Nevada, we have a catalytic visual and "EGR" visual (of which can be removed as long as it doesnt trip the check engine light, or fail OBD III computer read-out) and a standard ECU/ tailpipe probe test.

My supra was super cheap to buy because the guy couldnt pass CA smog with it.
I added a free flow cat, and passed just fine in NV.

this is HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE EVERYWHERE. unfortunately stupid CA refuses to accept logic

your state sucks, brosky.

we still have a few counties that only do the sniffer.

unfortunately said counties are all in the middle of nowhere.

I'm dreaming of the day standalones return OBDII codes...or someone shares the secret of obd simulators.

Actually, AB2289 passed. So starting Jan 1, vehicles 2000 and newer will no longer run the rollers, and will be tested OBD-II only. (The visual inspection remains in place.)

I dont keep up on that shit, so bear with me here: they will do visual, then plug in the scanner, but no sniffer? Or sniffer too just at idle?

Visual and OBD-II only. No sniffer.

Which is annoying, as the sniffer is the easiest thing to pass, but it's progress.

This is spreading, "as of Jan 1 2013 the province of Ontario requires a tail pipe emissions check and an OBD-II code scan for 98+ vehicles". The nice part is they stop looking for NOx emissions on the sniffer (just the easy stuff; HC & CO at idle) and no OBD-II scan for 97 and older vehicles.

I'm not sure on the legality of this (in Ontario) but I was told I can be failed if the car looks substantially modified though I never have been and they always pop the hood when testing.

Isn't the sniffer test the only thing that really matters, if the concern is environmental protection? I mean if your exhaust is clean who cares what you've done. My last test the tester commented that my car (~110k mi) was as clean as some 3-6 month old cars he's tested.

thats what kills me:laugh:

"guys we need to regulate cars that pollute......lets test everything but their pollution output"

To be fair, this is only true if the sniffer test covers all operating conditions. Cold start, warmup, WOT under boost, etc.

Since the OBD-II system is always there, monitoring the car under all operating conditions, it is a better indicator of performance under conditions other than idle and steady-state operation at 15 MPH and 25 MPH.

You've got me there. Though they seem to primarily be concerned with emissions of vehicles travelling more than a couple blocks given their testing methods. I live in a small town, your OBD-II example would seem more effective for my local area.

For that matter why are there different ppm ratings for different vehicles and engines not 1 level for all per year? From the data I've seen my truck ('07 B3000, ford 3L) is allowed to make more pollution per volume of exhaust than an mx5 of the same vintage.

I just get a little irked every time I read about emissions testing hoops to jump through and recall an emissions loop hole we have here that requires vehicles 99 or 00 and older that have a swapped engine to pass generic 1980 testing (gas cap pressure test +sniffer with ludicrously high limits). IE I would pass more easily with a cat-less carbed 454 miata than a turbo bp.

Because your truck is a truck, and your car is a car.

It's the same in the US. Trucks (including SUVs) are held to a lower standard than passenger cars, and among passenger cars, there are numerous different categories, each with different requirements. Why is this? I honestly have no idea, but I'm sure it goes all the way back to US President Johnson's knee-jerk reaction to the German tariff on imported chickens in 1963.

The standards are what they are. No sense getting worked up about it, just learn to play the game.

And we all do. We just like to bitch about it in the process.

So, My DIY turbo 1968 SAAB converted to RWD with a newer engine (94 Miata) would be exempt or does the newer motor have to have all pollution controls that it originally came with in 94?

nope...good to go

pre-76 cars are so overpriced here because of that. like when I was looking at datsuns, a 75 and older one in terrible condition will still fetch a solid 500-1000 premium over a cherry 76 and up

Any vehicle older than 1976 is exempt from testing, regardless of what's been done to it, including engine swaps.

If you do an engine swap in a vehicle newer than 1975, it's actually not all that difficult. The engine has to be from a comparable class of vehicle (eg: you can't put an engine from a truck into a passenger car) and of the same model year or newer relative to the car it's going into ('94 engine into an '82 car is ok, '82 engine into a '94 car is not.) You also have to carry over all of the emissions controls from the new engine.

Sounds good.
Until this part.

Almost makes swapping in an ERod LS3 seem reasonable.

You also have to ref it, and when you take it there, they bust out a giant retardedly outdated book by which they "inspect" your car, and regardless of common sense if the book tells them something different from what they're looking at, they fail you because they don't comprehend teh internet or anything else allowing them to look up more updated "specs" on each car.

It took my friend 7 months to finally BAR his B6t festiva. Oh the stories he has about those idiots

Sorry for replying now. Didn't think there'd be so many responses. I write WTB post in the morning and come back to a number of responses.

Regarding your question, it's not that the Greddy system is too much, I think the guy is asking too much for it (ust turbo alone). He's asking for $600 for just the turbo which I think is much...or am I wrong on that?

I know a Bell kit won't be cheap and would cost more. I'm just seeing if anyone is selling a 2nd hand one that's CARB approved (anything 2nd hand is cheaper than brand new)

2nd hand carb approved setups around here come about like once in 2-3 years.

so good luck with taht