Turbo passing smog?
 

So wondering if you guys could help. I know modified cars sometimes don't pass smog testing and especially here in California we have strict smog standards. So just wondering will fitting a single or twin aftermarket turbo in a RX7 FD will make it fail smog standards ?

I am not sure what the current emissions standards for an FD are in CA( as I know there are some big changes going on right now there, but mainly for OBD2 cars), however its wisest to retain the air pump. A lot of single turbo kits remove the airpump as it interferes with their turbo placement. At the same time you can still use an Electric unit(placed elsewhere-rx-8.corvette/etc), but it really depends on the level of underhood inspection.

You can definitely build something to pass the tailpipe test, however you'll fail visual automatically with a single.

Yup, visual inspection is an easy fail.

Also, a lot of aftermarket catylitic converters don't hold up well not only to CA regulations, but also rotary heat. Stock ones wont fit, and they are also getting old and probably breaking

If you were thinking about trying to pass smog but get a turbo upgrade, your best bet would be a bnr upgrade that will still allow you to bolt up the factory intakes and downpipe and retain all smog equipment. Hopefully your stock cats still work well, and hopefully the tune for those bnr turbos is good at those low rpms the car is tested at.

the turbo has very little impact on actual emissions that come out of the tailpipe, however since we do a visual inspection here, anything except the stock twins, or one of the HKS CARB legal turbo kits will fail.

catalytic converters also have gone through a small change too, the converters installed in a car here need to have a CARB EO number on them, or be the OEM part. i do not know about the FD, but with the Rx8 the only legal cat is the OEM one, which is really lame.

Can you get any waivers because parts are not available anymore such as stock turbos or stock cats?
I have passed in Texas with stock air pump, GT35R, high flow cat, and some E85 mixed in with the gas.

i think yes, but the parts are available, and the burden of proof is, as you'd expect tedious and lame.

you couldn't just get a printout from the Mazda computer with an NLA tag in red, for instance.

The first time I had to go on the dyno in Texas back in 1995 just after my single conversion, I logged the two runs (1st and 2nd gears), and failed. Went home and leaned the map out where it ran. Went back and passed.

The parts of the map where it was tested is normally not a cruise area but an acceleration area.

hmm interesting, i guess that makes sense though, who drives a constant 15mph? the S4 FC has a test light thing you can hook up, and during the test its in closed loop.