Ok kids... Just got off the phone with the California Bureau of Automotive Repair, and have a phone appointment in "2 to 3 business days" to hear back from a state ref about the legality of this swap.
For reference, the official terminology here in California at least is a "change," that is an "engine change" not an "engine swap" (de facto, if not necescarily de jure the same thing though).
From what I gather, if I can transplant the gears from a 3VZ-FE manual Camry (or Lexus ES300, or maybe not - not sure offhand if they offered those in manual) into the Trac, apart from keeping the car driveable, it will in theory be a 'clean' change. For the purposes of changes, CA consideres the transmission as part of the motor.
See details about a similar 2.0 to 3.0L swap here, where I got the inkling the gear swap was even possible.
I'm not sure if I'd need to document the gear changes (nor how that could be accomplished), or if it would be effectively proved by way of the car matching the emmissions of a 92-93 5-speed V6 Camry. If it passes BAR, thereafter for smog purposes it will effectively be a 92-93 5-speed V6 Camry.
And mind you, I'd just go ahead with this harebrained scheme if not for the smog tech being able to see clearly that the stock vehicle, with that drivetrain at least, was only a 4 banger. Yes they had the 2VZ-FE in that gen, but never a an All-Trac. There's a somewhat misleading passage on the Camry WIkipedia article about that that seems to sugguest there was such a car, but so far as I know and have seen, Camry All-Tracs only ever came with 3S-FEs.
[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Camry#V20_.281986.E2.80.931990.29:2i34h09k said:
Wikipedia[/url]":2i34h09k]The four-wheel-drive system dubbed All-Trac was introduced for 1988 and a 2.5-liter V6 engine was added as an option.
Fingers crossed, and hopes high...