Engine Swap advice

[pistonpopper]

I was just wondering, If I had a 2002 diesel pick up is it OK to drop an old petrol engine from say the eighties with carbs on it into the pick up? Is that allowed, or will I not be able to get an MOT etc (due to emmisions or whatever) with the much older petrol engine fitted?

Many thanks in advance.

[Dez]

It’s MOTed on the date of the engine for the relevant emissions test. You may be asked to prove the age of the engine for that though.

[steveg]

I put a Mk2 Cavalier engine in a newer Astra estate a few years back. I used the cavalier logbook as proof of where the engine was from.
At the time the tester could decide if an emission test was required or not and was able to bypass it.

[pistonpopper]

Thanks chaps

[mk2cossie]

2002 will need an official letter to prove the age of a carb engine.
And would also technically need a catalytic converter as well, as one was fitted as standard

[steveg]

May 29, 2019 22:16:23 GMT mk2cossie said:

2002 will need an official letter to prove the age of a carb engine.
And would also technically need a catalytic converter as well, as one was fitted as standard

Sounds like it might be worth reading the MOT test manual to make sure although a logbook with the engine number seems a far more official form of ID. Common sense would suggest that the cat wouldn't be needed as a carb engine could never make use of it properly, the Astra didn't have one. It would be a bit strange to allow an older possibly more polluting engine to be fitted and then expect a cat to do anything but whn has common sense had anything to do with it !

[Rich]

Some of the advice here given is from the OLD testers manual. Vehicles registered after 1st September 2002 do NOT fall under the ‘test to age of engine or car, whichever is older’, and have to be tested to the age of the car, regardless of engine and require the emissions equipment of the era, ergo, petrol requires a cat. You can read it here, as to end speculation and ‘pub talk’ on the subject.
www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/class3457/Section-8-Nuisance.html#section_8.2

[mk2cossie]

May 30, 2019 7:14:45 GMT Rich said:

Some of the advice here given is from the OLD testers manual. Vehicles registered after 1st September 2002 do NOT fall under the ‘test to age of engine or car, whichever is older’, and have to be tested to the age of the car, regardless of engine and require the emissions equipment of the era, ergo, petrol requires a cat. You can read it here, as to end speculation and ‘pub talk’ on the subject.
www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/class3457/Section-8-Nuisance.html#section_8.2

Fancy an actual MOT tester being right, and backed up by this post

[steveg]

That's interesting to know as I was considering doing something similar again with a newer car. The Astra was a 95 car so that was OK.
Would the original vehicle being a diesel make any difference provided it didn't have any form of cat fitted ?

[mk2cossie]

Default for after 2002 is with cat, and you would be hard pushed to find many diesels without one as standard anyway.
Is there not an injection version available of the carb engine you are interested in steveg or pistonpopper?

[steveg]

I just like the idea of running a simple easy to fix car but because everything I fancy is now considered a classic you end up paying stupid money for them. You quite often see newer cars up for sale that have broken engines whereas the engine on many pre cat age cars is about the only thing left thats any good.

[Dez]

Looking like a CAT and being a CAT are not the same thing. There’s already loads of products that exist to get around that one...

[Rich]

May 30, 2019 18:23:47 GMT mk2cossie said:

May 30, 2019 7:14:45 GMT Rich said:

Some of the advice here given is from the OLD testers manual. Vehicles registered after 1st September 2002 do NOT fall under the ‘test to age of engine or car, whichever is older’, and have to be tested to the age of the car, regardless of engine and require the emissions equipment of the era, ergo, petrol requires a cat. You can read it here, as to end speculation and ‘pub talk’ on the subject.
www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/class3457/Section-8-Nuisance.html#section_8.2

Fancy an actual MOT tester being right, and backed up by this post

Not a tester, just a tech who likes to keep a close eye on the ministry’s standards. Doing servicing and used car quality checks day in day out means staying abreast of the test manual can save me a few headaches both at work and in the hobby. But I digress...