500hp+ Rb26 Street Legal ?

[saliya]

Hi folks,

well, this is another one of those 'please help' posts. It's also long

I have an 1993 R32 GTR v.spec that's virtually stock.

I want to make the following mods:

larger new FMIC (mine is starting to deteriorate)

new cams (272 or so)

700-800cc injectors

in-tank 044

Garrett 0.84 T04Z + manifold + external gate

5" pod (already in car)

Apexi PowerFC (already in car on stock AFMs)

Other changes that I want to make (like forged pistons, new crank, oil pump

etc. etc. don't need to be certified tmk).

I have followed the RTA recommended process and contacted some of

their listed 'Vehicle Signatories' prior to commencing work in order

to ensure compliance certificates etc. once the work's done.

The problem: emissions tests. In particular, something called an IM240

which is conducted by the RTA. One engineer said that boxing the pod is

all that's required, another said I need to do dual drive-by emissions tests

and have the pod quieter than stock to satisfy the EPA. So maybe the pod

should be left off the certs. All stock emissions-control stuff apart from cat

(I have dual replacement catco cats) is in the car.

All of the engineers I've spoken to (and they've all been quite helpful)

bar one have given me many reasons why the car will fail: injectors, cams,

and PowerFC seem to be the most common. One said 'just do what you

want to do, and we'll see after you've finished' which isn't really all that

helpful to me. I don't want to spend several thousand dollars and find out

that I've made my $40k v.spec a $10k track-only car.

So. Is there _anyone_ who has a NSW street-legal 500HP+ GTR? If so, can

you please post what mods you have made, who engineered your car for

you, and (if at all possible) the results of your IM240 emissions test ? If you

didn't pass the emissions test, but someone certed mods for you anyway, can

you PM me their name ? If you don't want to post in public, can you PM me ?

Thanks,

Saliya

[Jago]

basically to make it street legal, you just have to get it engineered and register all the mods with the RTA apon registration. You will then get your rego papers saying something like: "Vehicle modified as per engineers report No: what ever your number is"

And that is that. The engineer should do everything required to make it street legal. You don't need an emissions test, well, mine didn't. It came from interstate and needed a blue slip etc etc, i even have a microtech and i passed, and microtechs are notoriously ugly with emissions etc.

[saliya]

basically to make it street legal, you just have to get it engineered and register all the mods with the RTA apon registration. You will then get your rego papers saying something like: "Vehicle modified as per engineers report No: what ever your number is"

And that is that. The engineer should do everything required to make it street legal. You don't need an emissions test, well, mine didn't. It came from interstate and needed a blue slip etc etc, i even have a microtech and i passed, and microtechs are notoriously ugly with emissions etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi,

thanks for the reply; does your rego/engineers cert say that you have an

aftermarket ECU? Who supplied the cert ? PM me if you like...

Regards,

Saliya

[chops]

Problem with the emissions testing is the cost, it's approx $3k pass or fail each time.

Camshafts with increased valve overlap increase the emissions of unburnt hydrocarbons through the exhaust, and increase the likelihood of failure of this test.

Best of luck.

[saliya]

Problem with the emissions testing is the cost, it's approx $3k pass or fail each time.

Camshafts with increased valve overlap increase the emissions of unburnt hydrocarbons through the exhaust, and increase the likelihood of failure of this test.

Best of luck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi,

Thanks!

According to all the engineers I've spoken to and the RTA, the test is free. You book

it in at either Penrith or somewhere-else-in-NSW-that-I-didn't-write-down.

I'm particularly hoping that those folks who have 500HP+ street-registered GTRs

will pipe up (PM is fine!) and say 'yep, here's how I did it' or 'no chance, but I didn't

worry' or 'something between'.

Or that a shop which has modified cars that have passed the test will pipe up.

Or something

Regards,

Saliya

Edited January 23, 2006 by saliya

[raz0r$harP.UK]

Yep the IM240 test is free and is conducted at either Botany or Penrith.

[[[d a n n y]]]

well mine makes 305KWat the rear wheels which is around the 500Hp mark that you are looking for..

well i didnt do with cams it was all done on a forged internal

and N1 turbos with stock cooler and stock fuel system.

i recon with upgraded fuel systesm i'll probably crack the 300KWATall four makr.

this was all done @ 16psi.

i am sure i will pass on a enginerr certificate but i am not sure on the fact of the ECU (power FC )

[Blitz]

well mine makes 305KWat the rear wheels which is around the 500Hp

I assume he is talking HP at the wheels, not estimated flywheel horsepower. 305kw at the wheels should equate to around 400RWHP in your case if im not mistaken

[SXC180]

305 kilowatt = 409 horsepower

[chops]

Yep the IM240 test is free and is conducted at either Botany or Penrith.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Different emissions test to the one I am thinking of then.

Apologies if I've misled anyone.

[[[d a n n y]]]

I assume he is talking HP at the wheels, not estimated flywheel horsepower. 305kw at the wheels should equate to around 400RWHP in your case if im not mistaken

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

miss read that

[saliya]

just as an update - I have had some responses from a few forum members (thanks!) who have

put me in touch with some promising people.

By that I mean, I've spoken to a couple of engineers on the RTA's list that think there should

be no problem with what I want to do hardware-wise - nothing is unreasonable.

Provided the engine's internals are in good enough shape, I should be able to pass the emissions test.

*Apparently* there are some engineers out there that don't even want to see the IM240 test;

I of course haven't spoken to any of these but even if I had I don't think they'd want their names here.

I will post further as more information becomes available.

Saliya

[someonestolecc]

All of the engineers I've spoken to ... One said 'just do what you

want to do, and we'll see after you've finished' which isn't really all that

helpful to me...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would have thought that would be the most helpful.

My car is pulling nowhere near as much as 300kw but my engineer seemed to be pretty lax and still did it by the book.

[bmxwrx]

Camshafts with increased valve overlap increase the emissions of unburnt hydrocarbons through the exhaust, and increase the likelihood of failure of this test.

Hardly the case at all. Ignition timing and afr will decide whether all the fuel gets burnt or not, too much timing will result in high nox readings. So its all a balance, not a matter of having sedate cams to pass.

Make sure your cats are in the stock position as this will have a great effect on how well they work for the test. The test is not full throttle at all, it simulates driving around town and up the highway like most people would drive to work.

Goodluck with the test buddy, it will chew a bit of your time and money making it all work, just remember that even though you may have an engineers cert for everything that you can still get pinged if you get wise to the wrong people.

[saliya]

Hardly the case at all. Ignition timing and afr will decide whether all the fuel gets burnt or not, too much timing will result in high nox readings. So its all a balance, not a matter of having sedate cams to pass.

This is interesting news; not something that I knew about. Any workshops you know

have the appropriate equipment to measure the important gases (i.e. the same

emissions that the RTA measure)? I have a copy of the relevant ADR showing how

the test will be run (no, can't post it, but I may be able to post a precis in my own

words; but that's always dangerous ).

Goodluck with the test buddy, it will chew a bit of your time and money making it all work, just remember that even though you may have an engineers cert for everything that you can still get pinged if you get wise to the wrong people.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, I'm still pulling gear together in the hope of doing all this in one shot.

The cert isn't for shoving in Mr. Plod's face and then telling him to get f^&ked;

it's primarily to ensure that I'm still insured if something terrible should happen.

If there is the need for a policeman to check under my bonnet, it's also to

ensure that they know I've done the right thing.

Regards,

Saliya

[Lenno]

guys,

as stated above the im240 program is free, also you may use this service as many times as you like, and there is no obligation for vechiles to undergo repair if it produces a poor result. Bookings can be made on 137247.

From my own experiance the rta officer performing the test will only give you a print of results and not an actuall pass/fail, this is the job of the registered signatory

bmxwrx is spot on, the test is a leasurly drive on the dyno to work, with a max speed of about 80kph

hope this helps

lenno

[bmxwrx]

What i meant was that if an insurance company wants to get nasty, which i doubt they will, they can still say that your car is not legal because it is not EPA/ADR approved. These approvals cost a hell of alot of money and involve you ecu being lead sealed. I think only MoTeC are approved to be used in this sort of circumstance.

[saliya]

update: it's engineered, and street-legal.

John Wilson from Canberra is the signatory that approved it.

Saliya

Edited November 15, 2006 by saliya

[Blitz]

Hi,

thanks for the reply; does your rego/engineers cert say that you have an

aftermarket ECU? Who supplied the cert ? PM me if you like...

Regards,

Saliya

Great to see you managed to get the car engineered, but please dont think this is a get of jail free card as if police want to defect you, engineers report or not, you are going to get defected - and should you adopt the attitude that some people have of "sucked in officer, I have an engineers cert so you cant touch me" you had better be prepared to get reamed from behind

Dont get me wrong, going to the time and effort of getting your car engineered is a good thing, and will keep most police at bay if handled correctly, but as I say just dont be under the illusion that you will be above police attention as sadly its not the case

Best of luck with it

[saliya]

Great to see you managed to get the car engineered, but please dont think this is a get of jail free card as if police want to defect you, engineers report or not, you are going to get defected - and should you adopt the attitude that some people have of "sucked in officer, I have an engineers cert so you cant touch me" you had better be prepared to get reamed from behind

Dont get me wrong, going to the time and effort of getting your car engineered is a good thing, and will keep most police at bay if handled correctly, but as I say just dont be under the illusion that you will be above police attention as sadly its not the case

Best of luck with it

Cheers It's really for insurance (that is, the pay-annually kind) because my insurance company says that all mods are

OK as long as they are street legal - and cert == street legal.

With respect to the highway patrol thing: I think you have to pass a verbal 'd1(khead' test when you're pulled over

for a pseudoRBT. The test isn't a hard one - I've passed it several times - but I'm well aware that saying 'jam it'

isn't going to help me out I don't tend to drive like an idiot on the street - so I don't tend to get police attention.

Funny how that works :no:

That being said, the car _is_ street legal in the opinion of someone who knows more than me... and presumably,

more than any police officer that is not an Engineering Signatory - and police officers know this just as well as I do

(they are familiar with the concept of 'expert witness'). If an officer wanted to challenge that institution (by issuing

a defect) then I am sure that they would not do that unless there were just cause.

I guess we'll see...

Regards,

Saliya