d16 engine only swap...

i just bought an 87 crx si. the tranny is good and the clutch is good, but the idiot bent vavles in the engine and left it sitting for a year. a friend has a d16 (dont kno which) for $200 that he'll let me pay in installments. i've researched and have found more than once that inorder to swap a d16 into a 1g crx that u have to modify a mount somewhere. now i was planning to keep the si tranny in there just for simplicity's sake and drop the new d16 in there. will this match up since it's the same series engine? or do i need to find an integra tranny? idc if the integra tranny is better for performance or what have you, this is just to get me a car with good gas mileage. so do i need to modify a mount somewhere on the engine? do i need to find an integra tranny? remember, just engine swap. not a tranny swap also.

Thanks in advance

Steven Folchi

The bad news is that no other D-series motor will bolt up to your tranny.

Which D-series is he trying to sell you? The D16A1, d15A3, D16A6, etc, are all different motors and will require different mods to get them in. We won't know what mods are needed until you provide us with the engine ID.

i honestly think i might start crying man. no joke.

i'm gonna go check the engine out today, so i'll tell ya'll wat it is then. it's a d16 non-vtec. that's all i kno.

so no other d-series engine will bolt up? i thought that ALL parts from the same series were interchangable. damn damn damn damn. is there anyway to modify it so that i can put a d16__ in there? something cheap like tho. damn damn damn.

if it comes down to it... since it's just the head that is gone on the SI, and the d16 is good, could i just swap the head over? it's not a vtec head so nothing extra for that either. just a new head on an old engine. that should work shouldnt it? or can the SI engine not be mismatched either?

i want to cry so much. i need the gas mileage. i need the room. my girl loves the way it looks. and it's CHEAP. did i mention the room? gahhhhh!!!!!!!!

found out it's a d15b7, not a d16 like i thought. i'm gonna do some more research and hopefully i wont cry...

Steven Folchi

Just replace your stock cylinder head or have it rebuilt, the D15B7 will not bolt in. The bolt pattern on the tranny and the head are different, so you won't be able to swap just the head or the entire motor.

What you need is a D16A1 swap. Use the motor and tranny from an '86-'87 Integra, it will practically fall right in to your engine bay and give you more power than that D15b7. I know for a fact that there is a ton of info in this forum about a D16A1 swap, search and you will find all the info you need.


You are right and wrong about D-series parts being interchangeable, but you have to know your history first.

The '86 and '87 Civic/CRX D-series motors are actually renamed EW motors. Up to '85, Honda used a different engine ID system consisting of engine codes like EK1, EV1, EW3, etc. In '86 Honda decided to change the engine ID to something that made a little more sense like D15A3, which is a D series, 1.5L, 1st generation, revision 3 (or something to that effect).

In '88 Honda completely redesigned their Civic D-series motors. This design is still being used today so any parts from '88-present are interchangeable.

Notice that I highlighted the word Civic?

That's because the 1st generation Integra '85-'89 (yes they had Integra's in '85, but only Japan) is based on the Civic/CRX chassis. A USDM 1G Integra came with a D16A1 which technically is a D-series motor but not really. The D16A1 is a DOHC motor and was the predecessor to the B-series motor.

An '86-'89 USDM D16A1 shares no parts with any other D-series motors (other than it's connecting rods), yet shares no parts with a B-series motor. A D16A1 only shares parts with is other DOHC D-series motors like the D16A3, D16A8, D16A9, '85-'87 CRX ZC, '85-'89 Integra ZC and the 88+ DOHC Civic ZC.

Now don't get excited thinking that since a D16A1 will swap directly in your car then maybe you can now swap an 88+ Civic DOHC ZC into your CRX. This is where the confusion starts, but remember the 1G integra is based on the 1G/3G CRX/Civic and it's D16A1 is a left over design that continued until '89. '88+ Civic motors have a different engine mount design and tranny flange, these motors will not directly bolt up the D16A1 tranny and definitely won't bolt up to your EW/D15 tranny.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule especially when you start getting into comparing ZC's, but this should be a simple guidleine to follow:
'88+ Civic parts will not fit on, in, or around your car.
'90+ Integra parts won't fit either (unless you're swapping the motor and have a B-series swap kit).


Welcome to the world of the 1G/3G Civic!

ok... so now that i've finished crying...

one of my other friends has found wat might be an old integra. he said "it doesnt look like any of ours and it's really old". all the ones our friends have are '91 i'm praying hard. hopefully i can get the entire car for parts.

you said that the d16a1 will go right into the CRX? i dont need to modify any mounts or anything? just replace the CRX parts with the integra parts? ok, that's cool if that's wat i need to do.

also i've been told that you can switch the disks from the integra to the CRX. and that it's not actually that hard. you just gotta do it. i'm fine with that and i'll get to it.

i've also been told that you can swap the ENTIRE rear assembly. the axle with the braks and all that goodness. is that true? i havent found any proof on that yet but it sounds good in theory. the guy said that it will increase the track and make the rear stiffer. like that's a bad thing? i've always been told with these cars to make the rear stiffer for turn in. but w/e...

i'm hoping to get to see this car soon so i maybe begin to work on it. pray with me please.

Steven Folchi

A D16A1, tranny, ECU, tranny mounts, steering knuckles, axles, shift linkage and moving one wire is all that you need to drop an 86-87 D16A1 into your car. An 88-89 D16A1 swap requires a little more wiring. The only modification is that you need to notch the Civic motor mount to clear the D16A1 timing cover. You can't use the D16A1 motor mount because it won't fit. Really, there is a ton of info to be found regarding this swap.

The brakes will swap over, but the whole rear end will not because the Integra trailing arms are too short to fit in a CRX. You can swap the rear axle, but there's not much to gain. Also, the added track width comes from the disk conversion not the rear axle.

And yes, stiffen the rear first.

i've actaully found a book on this swap!!!!! it's called "honda/acura engine performance" made by HPBOOKS. i've been reading it a ton lately. but it doesnt say anything about the rear axle. or suspension period.

you said the rear axle swaps but there isnt much gain? so is the trade off like simplicity then? i mean, you basically just unbolt the CRX axle and put the Integra's in its place right? or is there more to it?

also this book has said that you should swap over the entire front suspension. like torsion bars and front cross member. is that an easy to do swap?

Thanks for all your help man, really.

Steven Folchi

i've actaully found a book on this swap!!!!! it's called "honda/acura engine performance" made by HPBOOKS. i've been reading it a ton lately. but it doesnt say anything about the rear axle. or suspension period.

you said the rear axle swaps but there isnt much gain? so is the trade off like simplicity then? i mean, you basically just unbolt the CRX axle and put the Integra's in its place right? or is there more to it?

also this book has said that you should swap over the entire front suspension. like torsion bars and front cross member. is that an easy to do swap?

Thanks for all your help man, really.

Steven Folchi

That's a good book, I have a copy. Unfortunately it doesn't go into any details about the swap, it merely says it can be done. There are also several suggestions that are made that are just plain wrong, like swapping in an Integra ECU for more power.

You can swap the Integra t-bars but the problem that they don't mention in the book is that the Integra torsion bars are considerably longer than the CRX bars and don't swap over easily. Even if you swap the whole cross member, the extra length will require some mild fabrication.

I have a friend with a turbo D16A1 in his 1G with stock torsion bars and it rides fine for a driver. If you plan on racing the car, pick up a set of 24mm t-bars, or 27mm t-bars if you're really serious about building a race car. IMHO, it's not worth swapping the front suspension, just upgrade what you have.

For the rear axle you need to break the whole axle apart in order to remove the swing arms since they are different lengths. The gain is a 17mm internal sway bar (Integra) over the CRX's 15mm sway bar. Although running a 19mm or larger aftermarket sway bar will completely negate the stock bar.

I was using an HF rear axle with my set-up. The HF axle is lighter because it doesn't have a sway bar at all. I then used a 19mm Lightspeed external rear sway bar and ended up with great results. If you go with an external sway bar avoid the Suspension Techniques bar, it's arms are too long for it to be competetive.

What are your plans for this car? Will this be a driver or a race car? Keep in mind that a dual purpose car can't do either very well. Race car's don't make good daily drivers and daily drivers don't make good race cars.

thanks for the heads up man. it's nice to kno all that before i begin trying to do the swap. i think i'll just leave the front stock for now. just change the brakes on it. will they fit under my stock Si rims? (i must say the stock rims are pimp looking). anyways. i guess i'll still swap the rear axle then. i only found the steering rack off of the hf, cant really find anything else.

i'm getting this car to be a good little gas getter. also i need a car that i can call my own and that my dad cant just take away from me. i'm gonna be moving out in a lil while also so i need a car that i can move some stuff in. or live in for a lil. so basically daily driver and commuter. i'd like a lil pep in it tho. and a good base for going faster a lil later on.

i'm gonna be working for a courier company when i turn 18 and need a car that is peppy, gets good gas mileage, and can handle a lil abuse in turning. i also hope to begin competing in autocross maybe. my town has moved away from the straightaway racing and there hasnt been any racing lately. i want to bring it back and race corners too. i wanna feel that rush again, but in a car that no one would suspect it from. super sleeper. this is gonna unfold over a series of years tho. not anytime soon.

i kno i'm not gonna need a ton of power to get the CRX moving, but at the same idw to be spinning at the line. i want it light and manuverable. the CRX gives me that, plus good gas mileage. i've also decided on her name. her rear window will be blazened with CHRISTINE. beautiful name for a beautiful car.