B230FT Swap Failed California referee inspection for wrong distributor

122power said:

there should be a sticky for what not to do on tb. Or tb fail.

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I thought that's what the post your ride thread was?

Update: I made a front mount for the 940 distributor with some aluminum bars and a 14mm socket glued to the distributor shaft and went to the referee. Unfortunately he said that he still won't pass the car unless the distributor is in the stock 940 location. So it looks like at this point my options are to either do the diesel swap or do what blkaplan said and shim the transmission up high enough that I can get the 940 distributor in there. At this point I'd almost prefer to do the diesel swap just to never have to deal with smog again but I'm not sure how complicated that process is. Either way it'll definitely take more time and money than making a 940 distributor fit so it seems like that may still be my best option. At this point I just need to figure something out since my registration expired on Dec 20th so any input is still appreciated.

Here's a picture of my front mount distributor setup for anyone who's curious:

Please tell me the way to be a referee in your country. This guy is less intelligent than a brick. Does he look nice? Is the chief of the gouvernment a part of his family? Maybe his lover?
I can't believe this kind of zero-knowledge at a important job
There isn't another referee? Are they all stupid in the same way?
My opinion: he is upset about your skills! He is able to start and drive a modern car, and too stupid to open the hood. He will never be a person who will change a distributor cap, without calling a tow car, because the car won't run after.
Good luck with this pita, you will need even more than than luck

Installed authorities, the worst all over the world

Regards, Kay

mocambique-amazone said:

Please tell me the way to be a referee in your country. This guy is less intelligent than a brick. Does he look nice? Is the chief of the gouvernment a part of his family? Maybe his lover?
I can't believe this kind of zero-knowledge at a important job
There isn't another referee? Are they all stupid in the same way?
My opinion: he is upset about your skills! He is able to start and drive a modern car, and too stupid to open the hood. He will never be a person who will change a distributor cap, without calling a tow car, because the car won't run after.
Good luck with this pita, you will need even more than than luck

Installed authorities, the worst all over the world

Regards, Kay

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Think about this in a rational way. They want an engine swap to mimic the original installation. This way in the future (every 2 years) when the car goes to any smog station in California the technician doesn't have to figure out WTF is up with the installation and guess what is correct or not. It is not the smog techs job to do the research on whether or not this distributor can change the timing.

The smog techs and the shop can get heavily fined for passing cars that do not met the required specifications.

Yes in this application the distributor has no affect on the timing, but if he gets a pass on this install why shouldn't I get a pass on running headers or an aftermarket intake manifold if I could prove they don't change the "numbers" coming out of the exhaust. The header doesn't "do" anything just like this distributor.

Los Angeles:

He's using stock parts in a stock location. Smog techs just go by the ref label that was put on there. To many techs are skittish because of the gestapo state going after them. They even tried to fine a tech for finding a fault in a car that they sent in and was a good car. Hmm fine a tech for doing his job, yeah that makes sense doesn't it?
So of the dizzy can't be there does the evap, amm, ecu, and cat have to be in the same exact place in the 240 as on the 940? Does that make sense?
I read somewhere 30 percent of smog in SF comes over from China. I bet Cali Reps won't tell tell you that.

Bosch 0237523003
Volvo 1367468

Block mount distributor
240 90-93
245 89
244 89
940 93-95 with Rex/Regina engine management

^^^ The Cat has to be within 2 inches of the original location if i remember. Basically when changing the motor everything that motor was equipped with has to be moved with it.

Volvo Kid said:

I made a front mount for the 940 distributor with some aluminum bars and a 14mm socket glued to the distributor shaft

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That is a fairly brilliant example of backyard engineering. Did the car run right off the bat, or did you have to fiddle with it? I believe that with the dist turned around like that it must be turning the opposite direction from normal. Did you change the locations of the wires on the cap to compensate?

ZVOLV said:

Los Angeles:

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China.

If you're talking swaps anyway, why not just put a motor in with the "right" distributor?

Or why not jack the trans and lower the motor mounts to rock it fwd enough?

I'm sort of confused about why it's even failing, but if it's a distributor issue lets get it sorted!

#believe

EivlEvo said:

If you're talking swaps anyway, why not just put a motor in with the "right" distributor?

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There isn't enough space between the cylinder head and firewall... I guess you don't have a 240?

I guess he's saying a motor that came with a block mounted distributor?

If you're going to yank the motor out and put a new one in, I'd be looking around for a diesel 240 drivetrain to put in it for that inspection.

tryingbe said:

There isn't enough space between the cylinder head and firewall... I guess you don't have a 240?

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I have a 240 with the dizzy in the front. It's +t. I never got into the crab dizzys tho so I'm unfamiliar with them. If it just needs to pass smog tho, smoosh one back there by jacking the trans up?

It just has to pass tech no? I mean... there's DEF not enough room, but... is there enough room for a few hours?

Is it auto or manual? There's gotta be enough room to just hammer the damn thing on there?