Rover Engine Swap?

OK

in the UK we get Rover's, from 1990 to about 1995 they made these cars with the D16A9 (same as ZC) in them, now can i fit that engine into my 4th gen hatch?

i know it is the same engine, but do they have wiring harness's or different mounting points? coz i could get hold of one of these engines SO easy it is unbelivable

any help is much appreciated coz i am serious about this swap

Cheerz

Jim

:eek7: eh?


Are you sure its exactly the same as the Honda engine?

All the Rovers Iv seen here in NZ might have used the Honda chassis (often with out the double wishbone suspension) but they all have either a Roverised Honda engine, or totaly Rover engine.
In both cases they spin in the opposite direction to the Honda engines, which makes swapping them into a 4g almost impossible.

However if Rover were useing the Honda engine on models that we never got, then a Honda engine is a Honda engine, and it should bolt in just as if it was a normal swap.
But being that it came out of a Rover I would check the level of tune first, no point swapping in an engine that was detuned for Rover :)

well the engine is Definately a D16A9 and its identical i am just worried about the wiring, gearbox, driveshafts more than anything

If its deffinitly the same engine and sits on the left hand side of the car, with the g/box on the right, then it will be exactly the same g/box as well, and it should bolt straight into a 4g the same way a normal ZC will.

To check on the harness you will need to either take a detailed pic, and compare it with a regular 4g, or part the two cars close together and have a look, but as the Rover uses the Civic chassis, and evidently the same engine then I imagine it will be exactly the same, or for what your doing close enough.
The engine mounts I should assume are also the same, for the same reasons. If not then I think your old D series mounts in the Civic will work anyway.

The axles are the only things I would be worried about.
On most of the Rovondas Iv seen the double wish bone set up has been replaced by Mcpheason struts at the front and beam axle at the back.
If this is the case with the car this engine is comeing out of then the axles will be differnt, but again like the mounts since its all B series stuff Im pretty sure you can use the orginal ones from the Civic.
If the Rovonda still has the double wish bone suspension then grab axles as well for a spare set. :)



What model Rovonda is it? and have you got any pics of it?

well it is a rover 416gti, heres a pic of a 216gti, the same but the 400 has a boot, i would probly get the engine, gbox, wiring, inlet, manifold, driveshafts, and hubs i spec



http://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/ATD_web/servlet/media?id=36481314

Take more pics, i wanna see this engine!!!

ok i will try, i might go to the junkyard this weekend, coz they have a complete 90-91 4door breaking with light fornt end damage

Same motor as the one in the Rovers we got here - which was just a rebadged 4 door 'teg. Use the engine mounts that came with the D16A9 and it will bolt in fine apparently - the same as dropping it in from a hatch 'teg or Si CRX with ZC/A9. Just get rid of the Rover badges first ;)

Oh - and you might want to pick up the Si CRX or Civic bonnet - so that you have the cam "hump" in it so the engine clears the bonnet. You've owned a Si though, so I guess it's just preaching to someone who knew that :)

ah right, cool, yeah i will have to get a new bonnet, cheerz for the info, coz i can get hold of one of those engines MEGA easy, the engine doesnt have any rover stamped on it, the rocker just has 16 VALVE on the top , nothing else

Hey, do you have any idea whats in the Rover 220/Tomcat?
Its based on the Civic Coupe, and all I know is that its 2.0L Turbo, and its not a K series, any chance its a Roverised B20a? or does Rover have thier own 2.0L engine?

Originally posted by Moppie
Hey, do you have any idea whats in the Rover 220/Tomcat?
Its based on the Civic Coupe, and all I know is that its 2.0L Turbo, and its not a K series, any chance its a Roverised B20a? or does Rover have thier own 2.0L engine?

its rovers own engine, they r about 180 - 200 bhp stock,

Interesting thread. We had some Roverhondas (or Roveracuras)imported from the UK some years back...called Sterlings. They were pretty poor as I understand. They didn't last long and gave up.

civic 16valver:

Your car is carburetted isn't it?

to change over to FI you will also need most of the fuel system components, including the tank fuel pump and some fuel lines, and you will also need most of the wiring loom and ecu to setup the FI.

Unless you are going to run the DOHC on carbs which would be a lot easier, but maybe less power.

Personally I'd run an aftermarket pump (it's new) and surge tank as well as a programmable ECU.

Originally posted by Setanta
Personally I'd run an aftermarket pump (it's new) and surge tank as well as a programmable ECU.

so i have to change the fuel lines, pump, tank, fit an ecu, gearbox, engine, driveshafts,

Originally posted by civic 16valver


so i have to change the fuel lines, pump, tank, fit an ecu, gearbox, engine, driveshafts,



and!
Add a the wiring loom for the fuel injection, and bigger brakes to handle the extra hp etc etc etc etc etc etc........


Personaly since you get ZC powered Civics in the UK I think you would be better off selling your current car and buying another Si.
Or better yet get a real Civic, hunt down a VTi. :bigthumb: :iceslolan :iceslolan

well i was thinkin that but i cant afford insurance, and i am gunna struggle to sell mine anyway,

plus i got this one for free
and has only done 80000 miles on the shell, is in mint cond, already got uprated brakes, exhaust, lush colour, so i wanna do a swap instead

Dont you have to tell the insurance company about the swap? which will then give you the same rates as if you simply changed cars?

But it is a lot of work.

You need to:
Replace the fuel pump.
Run new feed and returns fuel lines.
Find and fit a new enigne loom, which may require some under dash work.
Fit the new engine and g/box. (Im sure you can use your orginal axles).

Looks like a short list there, but stop and think about whats involved, and it suddenly becomes a very expensive excerise that will leave you with out the car for at least a week, easily longer if your doing the work yourself.
Unless you have a lot of experiance with working on cars, and access to all the right equipment then an engine swap is not always as easy as people think it is.

the worst thing is going from the 1.6 i had to a 1.3,

i just wanna get something quick, and i like my car now,

but i have been looking on autotrader and there is a white zc servied 100k on the clock for £500 which kinda pisses me off coz i would buy it if it werent for insurance :mad:

Originally posted by civic 16valver
the worst thing is going from the 1.6 i had to a 1.3,



Mate!
I went from an SiR Civic to an XX prelude, I know exactly how you feel and then some.


I have thought about doing a swap on my Prelude since its like your Civic a low milage car in excellent condition thats just very underpowered.
But at the end of the day the time and cost simply isnt worth it, when I could go and buy a faster car for the same money.
And quite simply that means that despite haveing full access to a complete workshop and a loan car, I simply can't afford to own a faster car at the moment.

If you take a step back and look at it rationaly, look at what needs to be done, look at how long it will take, and factor all the hidden costs Im sure you will come to the same conculsion.

Its sad, and a shame, and especialy so for us since we lost our cars in accidents, but its just one of those buckets full of shit life throws at you that you have to accept and wear untill such a time when you can afford to clean it off properly.
If your car was already fuel injected, and you had a Hoist and Garage full of tools at home, and either yourself or an imediate family member was a mechanic, or had lots of experiance then I would say go for it! Do it this week end, and we would see you one monday with a faster car. But it dosnt sound like you fit into that situation.

well my bro used to be a car mechanic and my other bro is a truck mechanic, but the most worrying thing is the electrics and now u said i had to change the fuel lines n shit it aint really worth it i dont think

FUCK IT

Originally posted by civic 16valver


FUCK IT



Owning cars can be a real pain in the ass alright!


If both of your brothers are mechanics then talk to both of them, and get them to have a look at your car, and the donnor car.

Your biggest problem will be getting the loom from the Rover into your Civic. I have no idea how close the two cars really are, but it sounds like they will be close enough.


Never give up all hope, if both your brothers are prepared to help you, and have access to all the right equipment, and the loom from the Rovonda will fit, or you can source another one, and you have access to another car for a week or two then it can still happen :)


But won't the insurance company then charge you for a 1.6l DOHC car? instead of the 1.3l? Because I know that if you dont tell them you will be in breach of your agreement and no longer covered.

yeah it does, but i can get cheaper insurance through a specialised company so it would be worth it

plus it would be easier to tune the einge while it is out of the car instead of when its in