Opinion on ZC

I am planning to pick up an engine soon and I found a place not too far from me in Miami that has great deals on complete engine packages.

I am up in the air between 2 engines and wanted to get some opinions on them.

They have a ZC DOHC W/5sp & ECU and a D15b SOHC V-Tec for reasonable prices.

I am leaning towards the ZC because it will drop in easier but I have heard some mixed opinions on the ZC's and that it is hard to find parts.

I already have a 5 speed tranny from a 91 LX and as far as I know that will bolt up to either motor.

Which one would be the better move?

only problem w/ zc is that sometimes it will rub on your hood because the dohc goes higher up than the sohc. but there a whole lot of parts for the zc just look for parts for 2g integra motors, they are almost the same cept zc has 15-20 more ponies. :biggrin: i'm planning on going zc someday depending on how much finances i have when my ghettorigged engine blows or if it does.

that prolly wasn't very usefull but then again mabey it was. :wave:

Id get a DOHC ZC. its bigger displacement will make it have more potental for torque and hp. Also since its dohc it has more potential. Id only use a 1.5 if you race and your class wont allow a 1.6

Yeah this is my commuter so I am not looking to race it or anything....well the moroso track is right down the street so maybe once and a while...

I really am interested in the easiest swap and reliability. Since the ZC is not vtec it should be the easier swap right?

yeus and less moving parts so theoretically more reliable you would need mpfi for both but no vtec controller for the zc.

hey fred, I just pm'd you...had a question for you on mpfi

i see check your pm. i just replied, i don't have mpfi yet though.

Got it, thanks for the info!

I think the ZC is the way to go.

If anyone else has 2 cents I'd like to hear it too.

Thanks!

ps. good small advantage to having a dx ecu is that you can smoke all those jerks who think they have something in lancer oz, they are serious shit.

Hey that was my 100th post! I am now an enthusiast....sweet....:thumbsup:

Yeah, I am not down with the lancer at all...

To tell you the truth, I have always owned Jeep or Honda and neither have let me down...

I'm on my 15th car since the tender age of 17:bigthumb: (28 now)

The VTEC one probably won't make more than 110-115 HP, while the ZC is around 130. Torque on the ZC will be a lot better too (isn't it 1.8 L?)

But it would suck if it's rubbing your hood :frown:

Well the ZC is a 1.6 but it is supposed to put out 140 hp

I have not heard from anyone else that the motor rubs the hood but that does make sense with the added cam.

Anyone else have this problem with their ZC hitting the hood? I guess I could bang out that part of the hood to make it fit....kind of like the old plymouth lasers had that bump on the hood for no apparent reason :tongue:

Totally kidding.....:bloated:

yes the ZC will hit on the hood. that is why the JDM Si's had the "ZC" hood with the raised bump.

I would suggest the DOHC ZC, i dont have much experience with the D15B VTEC, but i have a friend with a ZC CRX and that thing hauls ass.

Is there any way to remedy this problem of the engine hitting the hood?

Dont slam your hood...

Yes the hood touches the plastic cam cover, but it wont hurt anything. The only thing that will happen is the plastic will get all scratched up.


If you want the full effect of the Zc, use an Si trans, and either a 88-89 Integra pg7 ecu or the Zc's pm7 ecu. The Zc is already set up for mpfi, so you will need to accomodate it, if your car isnt an si.


And the Lanzer OZ is a piece of shit....the car is like 2800 lbs with a 130hp motor. All that seperates an OZ from a regular lancer is floormats/shift knob/badging, and wheels. If you cant beat an OZ, you should kill yourself......j/k

Gimme a noose then, cuz I lost to a 70 HP, 3-speed auto Suzuki Swift :frown:

Originally posted by fredthedragon
only problem w/ zc is that sometimes it will rub on your hood because the dohc goes higher up than the sohc. but there a whole lot of parts for the zc just look for parts for 2g integra motors, they are almost the same cept zc has 15-20 more ponies. :biggrin: i'm planning on going zc someday depending on how much finances i have when my ghettorigged engine blows or if it does.

that prolly wasn't very usefull but then again mabey it was. :wave:

The ZC is not the same as the 2G Integra engine. The 2G Integra engine was either the B18A or the B17A. The ZC is more like the 1G Integra D16A1, it is similar but not the same. And there aren't too many aftermarket parts made for the 1G Integra because it well, sucked.

HAHAHA.....very blunt, but very true...

There are a lot of aftermarket parts available for the Zc, but the problem you face, is the same problem that everyone with a Japanese car faces. I look through the "Hyper Rev" mag I have for the EF chassis civic/crx, and I see all kinds of ads for aftermarket tuner parts for the Zc. Everything from full turbo or NA kits, stroker kits and even carb setups. The problem is that NONE of that is available to us in America.

You might try asking around or maybe ask some of our friends in the UK and Australia....Im not sure of the availability of Zc tuning parts in those countries.

But How much do you really wanna do to the Zc? Most people choose that engine because of the ease of the swap....I made my mind up long ago that I want to go turbo, and as most of you know, the 92-95 Civic Greddy T25 kit is a direct bolt on for the Zc. So I really dont see a need for anything else. Stock ignition, fuel, and ecu do just fine with a mildly boosted engine (7 psi).

If you really care about monster peak Hp numbers, and availability of aftermarket parts, then the Zc isnt for you. If you want to build a motor, do a b series motor.

I am not looking to build a monster motor. I was really just concerned with cost, relaibility, and ease of swap. So far, the ZC seems to measure up in all of those categories.

I use my car as a commuter and want to hang on to it for many years so I am starting to go through it one by one and replacing components.

I could swap in an old a6 but if I am going to spend the money, I might as well get an engine with lower miles that will last longer...plus have more power. And so far, I have heard the ZC's are just as reliable.

damn straight the zc would be reilable and sorry about my confusion w/ 2g integra engines and 1g integra engines, i know the diff it just slipped my mind. i've already said my piece, just wanted to say go forth and don't make the mistake i did w/ not going Zc while changing an engine, looking over my budget right now i actually lost money by not going zc.

I have a few questions of my own and was hoping someone could help me. I was interested in going through with an engine swap on my 91 Civic DX. I was wondering what would be my best bet ? I was told by other Civic owners that the b16 would be the best. Please someone help me out with my decision. What would be the advantages of each?

Also people who say ZCs are unreliable are dumbasses. An engine is only as reliable if it is maintained right. If you drop a ZC straight into your car without replacing and putting in new important parts you deserve to get stuck by the side of the road.

My ZC once I got all the wiring right has driven great. I'm running 19lbs of pressure on my cooling system to and nothing has blown up yet.

a b16 would be faster and better but they run anywhere from $1200 or sometimes more than a zc and a lot more complecated to mod your car to carry it technically you need to decide if you want to start w/ a base of 160 hp (b16) or 130-140hp(zc) but b16s are really really expensive and very very very much in demand, b18 vtec is the best you can drop into your civic but they are in huge demand.
look at http://www.hasport.com and their links section for prices.

personally the b series is far over rated ... you can get a dock ZC up there to b16 status and still have a cheaper engine ... its a matter of cost analysis ...

only problem w/ zc is that sometimes it will rub on your hood because the dohc goes higher up than the sohc.

first of all that is not true at all it has more than enough room...come on :bloated:

ZC will swap perfect :) lx tranny wouldnt be the best for a zc but will still be some fun...i like my zc but i suggest WAIT go b16 :) its worth the wait...

but as for above there will be no trouble with hood adjustment

Well the ZC is a 1.6 but it is supposed to put out 140 hp

I have not heard from anyone else that the motor rubs the hood but that does make sense with the added cam.

Anyone else have this problem with their ZC hitting the hood? I guess I could bang out that part of the hood to make it fit....kind of like the old plymouth lasers had that bump on the hood for no apparent reason :tongue:

Totally kidding.....:bloated:

I have the DOHC motor in my 91 hatch with the normal hood on but, im missing the TB top cover. If it was on there it would hit the hood, ive seen and a friends hatch same motor with what i think is a JDM hood that has a raised spot over the TB. seeya

I have the zc and have been running it for about 3 years. my first one blew up cuz the oil pump gave out (I should have changed it when it was out of the car, but didn't know enough then...) and my second one has run like a champ for two and a half years. The only problem to me is the aftermarket support. simple things like cam gears, cams, etc. can be hard to come by, and really expensive when you find one. However, for straight power to cost, it is great. But, by the same token, the Z6 is nearly as powerful, and there are millions of parts available, no pain to find them, looks and runs great, etc. etc. That is why I am doing a Z6 in my new project. I decided it wasn't worth the hassles.

However, the JDM motors come with some perks that you don't get out of a USDM too. The first thing that I noticed out of my new ZC is that the plenum of the Intake manny is about twice as wide as that of the Z6 or even the B16. I haven't seen many to compare, but it is huge, and almost touches my firewall. Also, there are different generations, and my new one came with the MAP sensor on the TB instead of the firewall, and with the 5g injectors/fuel rail/oil pressure sensor. So you want to find out what year car your motor came out of too, the newer the better.