PDA

View Full Version : CA smog laws and fuel cells

GrimmJeeper
July 9th, 2009, 14:16
anyone have any insight on this subject? i would love to throw a fuel cell in my XJ but it needs to remain street legal. are there any specific laws regarding fuel cells on the books in CA?
crazyjim
July 9th, 2009, 14:19
Pretty sure you can't, it has to do with the return line? I know I was going to do a fuel cell in the RX7 but ended up throwing a stock LS1 tank because of the return.
GrimmJeeper
July 9th, 2009, 14:20
thats what i thought, my XJ is a 95 also so i have to have the tank leakdown test done, where they pressurize it with nitrogen and clamp off the vacuum lines.
crazyjim
July 9th, 2009, 14:23
You may be better asking over on DR dude, I know quite a bit of those guys run Fuel Cells. You may just have to DGAF it.
GrimmJeeper
July 9th, 2009, 14:25
good idea ;)
FordGuy
July 9th, 2009, 14:28
You would need to have your evap hook up. As long as it works as designed, you would be cool.
GrimmJeeper
July 9th, 2009, 14:32
that seems to be what the ranger guys are getting at too Rich. sorry to crosslink to another forum but i think its relevant to the topic.

http://www.dezertrangers.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92464&highlight=fuel+cell+pass+smog
FordGuy
July 9th, 2009, 14:46
It is a cool topic! I believe you just run the vent tube into a reducer and use your evap as designed. You would just need to cut the cap section out of your original tank filler so that you can utilize you stock cap for the smog test.
chris_amrein
July 9th, 2009, 18:14
I have been told that you can hook up all your original return lines and filler neck and cap and it still will not be smog legal because fuel cells themselves are not legal and it will fail on the visual inspection. Possibly if you ran your cell in the stock location and painted it black it may go unnoticed but that's kind of a gamble.
Clean Racing
July 10th, 2009, 07:22
According to the Guy at the referee station when I did my buddies 4.3 conversion.. Fuel cells are not legal in calif, unless it has been certified by the DOT, & CARB. That was the main reason for myself getting the Northwest Metal Products 32 gal tank. It has a CARB sticker.. This was a year ago, and I am not sure if the rules have changed since..