F20A Motor Swap

Hey guys bimmer boys back, but this time no bimmer. I'm going to be getting a 1995 Honda Civic Si Hatchback with a B16A1 already in it. I'm wondering what you all think about doing an F20A motor swap. I know I'll need a rear-wheel drive conversion but is there anything else special I might need to have done in order to complete this swap. It's decided I'm doing this because it's something that has not been done before. that i know anyways. Plus it will make my little honda push about 265 horses to the wheels!!! Just looking for some input and recommendations and also maybe some pros and cons to doing something like this. Thanks in advance.

i think you mean the F20C ... The F20A is out of the 90-93 Honda Accord....Anyways, to answer your question, ive never seen anyone do it because i dont think its possible. You could be one of the first people and give it a shot., but i dont think its worth it. IMHO, i would just leave the B16 in there. That motor has alot more potential than you think.

you do that and youll make every mag there is...take your car to SP engineering and see what they have to say..member these are the same people who threw a 2JZ-GTE into a RX7,...but i dunno if yuod have the funds..like he said b16 or b18 much better

There is an F20 motor that can be fitted a lot easier: The F20B from the JDM Accord SiR-T. It's basically a de-stroked H22A that revs higher and puts-out more power at about 220HP.

you could do it, I don't even think it'd be as hard as everyone thinks it would be. I would do it in a EJ coupe though, there is already the hump there for the driveshaft. You'd have to make a mout inside the trunk (where the spare tire went) for the differential, use custom axles front and rear, modify the trailing arms to except the larger hubs, shorten the driveshaft, and figure out the motor mount situation (normal f motors are different then the f20c when it comes to mounting), etc. If you really wanted to have a one off car, do a NSX swap. Either way it'd be the same types of fabrication needed. It can totally be done, and i'd love to see it happen. I'd do it myself but i don't have the capital to do it. plan on $15-20k to make it happen, but your car would be world renown.

Hey if Top Fuel in japan can do a mid engine b18c delsol you could do this.

Hey if Top Fuel in japan can do a mid engine b18c delsol you could do this.

That's not even close to being as complicated as turning an FF into an FR. The mid-engine is a LOT easier, because the motor is already designed to be transvers-mounted, and you can even use stock axles for something like that.

Not saying his notion is not possible, but just not as doable as the example you stated.

Also, I doubt if 20,000 would be enough, as the F20C alone is close to 10,000-dollars already by itself. Maybe the fabrication and materials, especially if you do it yourself, but as a finished, running product, it's hard to see how 20,000 would be enough.

$10,000??? uhh...i dont think so. Right here its $4K...
http://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/sc2000search.cgi?what=page&item=30013

i say the total of the project is $12-15K.

I'll stick with $20k. and I don't think itd be as SUPER HARD as everyone thinks. It might not come out LOOKING pretty, but it'd work. DOing it in a hatch would be rediculous though (IMO).

Putting that motor in a civic is such a waste. That motor was not ment for the likes of econo-cars. :nono:

...i read an article about this a while ago, for one, when it comes to motor mounts ur screwed..the f20c is mounted longitudal, but with the right amount of money anything is possible, but i will say i highly doubt this will be pulled off n e time soon, cus i feel it is a waste of money...i dont see how it would be worth swapping in an s2000 motor into it...if ur lookin for a fast drag time...why convert it into rearwheel drive...when u can stick with the front wheel drive for better traction, why force urself into havin it rear wheel drive, becus of this swap???....with all the money u would be dumping into a s2000 motor..u should just invest it into the b16 u have...wit 20 grand invested into it, u would be spankin s2000's...

...why convert it into rearwheel drive...when u can stick with the front wheel drive for better traction...

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/shakehead.gif

Please tell me this was your ten-yr-old brother that got ahold of your computer, and posted this for youhttp://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/banghead.gif.

u would have to convert ur hatch into a rear wheel drive...like is said smart guy... :nono: i was bringin out the point....why would u dump over 20 grand into a motor wit 240 hp. and rear wheel drive...i was tryin to say that 20 g's is too much money for 240 hp. that u would lose traction with.....

someone should really teach u how to use the quote feature...leavin out words or sentences can change the whole meaning....i said
"when u can stick with the front wheel drive for better traction, why force urself into havin it rear wheel drive, becus of this swap???"
notice the underlined sentence..

someone should really teach u how to use the quote feature...leavin out words or sentences can change the whole meaning....i said
"when u can stick with the front wheel drive for better traction, why force urself into havin it rear wheel drive, becus of this swap???"
notice the underlined sentence..

he wasn't talking about the rest of the qoute, just that part. :disappoin

what u think u getter better traction from rear wheel drive, ill tell u what u got another thing comin....or am i missin sumthing else?

Ok, wait a second, so your saying that a Front wheel drive car gets better traction than a rear wheel drive car? Ok, I'll give you the benifit of the doubt, maybe you live in canada and drive in the snow 24/7 but I'm guessing thats not the case, so I have to agree with bambooseven and carnut on this one. Any rear wheel drive car I've driven has always put the power to the ground better than a front wheel drive car, ceterus paribus. It's all about the physics of the equation, when the front wheels exert a rotational force backwards and down on the pavement (becuase the tires are not exactly tangent to the road, they are always somewhat deformed), the rotation wants to exert a force back on them, whitch is forward and up (opposite the rotation). In a front wheel drive car the upward force is only counteracted by the engine weight itself, and at a mechanichal advantage lifting up the middle and rear of the car. As the front of the car moves up you loose traction becuase the normal force is being counteracted with the rotational force. Whilst in a rear wheel drive car, the same properties apply except the force upwards is tring to rotate the entire front end of the car up at a Mechanichal DisAdvantage, and when you have enough power, you pop a wheelie. This also makes specialzed tires much more effective on a rear wheel drive car. This is also why they have "mid engine" cars, but not "rear engine" cars. This rotational force I'm talkign about would cause te car to pop a wheelie if there was not enough weight in front, why do you think top fuel dragsters are rear wheel drive, and have a huge arse nose?

:2cents:
Buzz1167
Jon N

makes sence...but i never seen a dragster have to weigh down the front of the car if its fwd. but if its rwd. they weigh it down...but u guys probaly know what ur talkin about, so ill take ur word on it... :icon16:

dont mind me, im ssoo stupid :banghead: stupid, stupid, stupid...lol

They probably weigh it down in a RWD car beucase it makes such a difference, they would have to add too much weight in the front of a FWD drive to help, probably just dead weight killing times. But to the original post, I think its great your trying to do something yourself, and even though youll be spending as much money or more on this upgrade, as you did on the car, I think it'd be cool, you'd definatly be one of the few (if any) with a RWD civic. I wonder if it would be more conventional to put the crv AWD system in there, I've at least heard of that before. Of course I can see your not looking for conventional. :smile:

Buzz1167
Jon N