The COMPLETE 92-00 Civic Owners Engine Swapping Guide!!

alrihgt...earlier somewhere on this forum i said that i could get a 89 prelude si engine for free..well im getting the whole car for free beceause the body was damaged soo much and since i know the owner very well..he needs to get it off his property so is it possible to swap it into my 92' civic LX since i have the shiftlinkage and all?

alrihgt...earlier somewhere on this forum i said that i could get a 89 prelude si engine for free..well im getting the whole car for free beceause the body was damaged soo much and since i know the owner very well..he needs to get it off his property so is it possible to swap it into my 92' civic LX since i have the shiftlinkage and all?
Don't waste your time.

well, the 89 lude had the B20A5 right? I guess, seeing as it is a b series, it might go in wihtout too much trouble.

yeaH thats the engine thats in it and it has now wear on it for all for having 115k miles on it..and im not really swapping it to be the fastest thing out there..im just wondering if it is possible and if it has been done before what to expect....and im not worried about wasting my time that much.

ok never mind ..screw putting the old lude engine in the civic..im just gonna keep the lude how it is and use it as a play car..but what about putting a newer lude engine in it... like a H22 or H22A....wouldent my car being a sedan with more weight in the back even the distribution out better then a coup or HB model?

I've come across the opportuninty to buy a crx or a hatchback civic. I'd rather have the crx seeing how they are bad-ass by themselves. My question is if i get the crx should i try and swap the motor with a B16 or the B18 Integra LS motor? I have the resources to get either engine, but i want an all out racer, but something easy to install also. Everything will be added to either engine: intake, turbo, exhaust,etc.... I just want the one that will give the most power while saving some weight. Any help at all will help: links, pics, personal expierences,etc.. Please help. :banghead:

awesome! thanks for the info!

Anyone put a b18c1 into a 6 gen before? I found one from a guy locally for 2500 which has everything i need.

would i have to due any major modifications if i did swap of a b18c5 into a 1995 civic ex. what do i have to worry if i did such a swap. would i loose my ac? do you also know were to find a b18c5 for a good price.

You can keep your AC and it is as easy as plugging it in, if you can get a USDM one with the wiring harness. There are five wires to change, but other than that it plugs right up.

That's alot of damn info. But it helps alot. Would anyone happen to know the R/S ratio on a gsr I'm planning a motor swap and was damn near convinced on a turbocharged, 55-shot LS/Vtec. Untill I read a really bad(good) forum. Theres alot of shit that goes wrong with the frakenstein motor. Should I shoot for the Gsr, turbo and nitrous or what

finnaly someone helps out for once instead of being an ass like other people thanx

You seem to know what you are talking about. I was hoping maybe you could help me. I just swapped my daughters engine D15B7 for a JDM SPEC D15B and i cant get the thing to run right. the JDm motor was a dual carb motor, so i swapped out the intakes and the distributor, but it wont run right i can get it cranked and drive it, but it lacks power and backfires. The timing wont advance or retard when i move the distributor. Any Idea what i did wrong if anything? Please help? Thanks, Paul

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You seem to know what you are talking about. I was hoping maybe you could help me. I just swapped my daughters engine D15B7 for a JDM SPEC D15B and i cant get the thing to run right. the JDm motor was a dual carb motor, so i swapped out the intakes and the distributor, but it wont run right i can get it cranked and drive it, but it lacks power and backfires. The timing wont advance or retard when i move the distributor. Any Idea what i did wrong if anything? Please help? Thanks, Paul

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Static time it at the cam gear and pulley. It is probably just a little off, also it could have something to do with the fuel system, since the D15B7 being fuel injected,and the motor you put in being carbed. What else did you do?

hi im a honda freak. i just bought a 1993 civic 4 door .i was hoping their was somewon out their .that knew mabie what type of engine i have in it .its stock .from what i can tell . i know a little about them but not near enoufe ,just wanted to know if it was good or what i had under the hood what horse power it might have , it did come with a cold air in take. i want to make it faster than hell/ if i got to swape engines i will please help me ////////////?????????????:cwm27:

hi im a honda freak. i just bought a 1993 civic 4 door .i was hoping their was somewon out their .that knew mabie what type of engine i have in it .its stock .from what i can tell . i know a little about them but not near enoufe ,just wanted to know if it was good or what i had under the hood what horse power it might have , it did come with a cold air in take. i want to make it faster than hell/ if i got to swape engines i will please help me ////////////?????????????:cwm27:
sPeeK n Spel n0t wurk todae?

I just got a $500 '94 CX and just wanted to put a D16A6 (CRX Si) head and a JDM D16Z6 intake manifold/throttle body on it to keep up with traffic (rated 70hp stock), and to gain some hands-on experience. See, I live in Michigan where the closest thing I get to seeing the import aftermarket is at my local auto zone:screwy:. I have a question; could I just use the distributor and wiring from the A6 or can I just use the stock wires? No V-tec yet. I just want it to be reliable so I can get to school and work, when I find a job. Plus, its cold as $#%! outside! :eek7:. Any feedback will be appreciated.

The main point from earlier was that I will be switching from PGM to MPGM fuel system. (right?)

good post ! have a question I have a 92' Civic dx and I bot a B18B engine no trany . What trans should i use is the 92' tranys ok

good post ! have a question I have a 92' Civic dx and I bot a B18B engine no trany . What trans should i use is the 92' tranys ok
No, you need a B series tranny.

I got a good question for you guys. Ive had a gsr swap for a civic (d series engine, stock tranny etc.) quoted at around 3500 by a local honda dealership (that was for a complete install im guessing it includes more than the engine). What would be a realistic amount of money to save up for a decent b16a swap on a sohc civic coupe? I'm just looking for a good range that would ensure it gets put in right assuming nothing is wrong with the car in its stock form and the engine has no problems itself.

well, the B16 is cheaper than the B18C1, but what year civic, if it is 92+ then you gotta get one with a hydro tranny and it is about 2200 i think for the swap and with install i doubt it would be much cheaper so id go for the B18C1, better to start off big.

Can anyone explain exactly what/where the piston oil squirters are in a B-series VTEC block? Any pics would be awesome too, thanks!

if you were to take out your engine and put it on a stand, roll it over so that the heads is closest to the ground, take of your opil pan, and look at the bottoms of the bores, they are right there, and they are a little copper pipe looking thing that are bent towards the bottom of the piston. I know ive seen a pic but cant remember, ill take a quick lok and if I find it ill post it

What would be better for my car a b16 or a b18. also i am a little confused when i hear b16, bc1 and so on. Also with the b18 what is the main difference after the numbers. is the motor newer or something. however, what would be the best swap for my car the b16 or b18. i want it to be fast and possible later on turbo charge it. but i just want a dohc motor right now. but i just want to get the best one right now. plus where can you get such motors for a good price or does any one have either or that they might want to sell.

What would be better for my car a b16 or a b18. also i am a little confused when i hear b16, bc1 and so on. Also with the b18 what is the main difference after the numbers. is the motor newer or something. however, what would be the best swap for my car the b16 or b18. i want it to be fast and possible later on turbo charge it. but i just want a dohc motor right now. but i just want to get the best one right now. plus where can you get such motors for a good price or does any one have either or that they might want to sell.
If you took the time to read through the seven pages of info provided to you free of charge, then you would probably not be asking these questions.

My son just blew the engine in his 99 EX (d16y8?). I'm thinking of helping him replace it with something that has more "spunk" to it. I don't want to make it too complicated. Prefer to keep the same manual transmission, etc.

Any recommendations? Replacement engine should be something readily available from a quality rebuilder.

Thanks. Last time I was under a hood was to modify my 1971 Mustang fastback and that was a lot of years ago!!!!!

My son just blew the engine in his 99 EX (d16y8?). I'm thinking of helping him replace it with something that has more "spunk" to it. I don't want to make it too complicated. Prefer to keep the same manual transmission, etc.

Any recommendations? Replacement engine should be something readily available from a quality rebuilder.

Thanks. Last time I was under a hood was to modify my 1971 Mustang fastback and that was a lot of years ago!!!!!
Get him a GSR motor (B18C1), about 3400 shipped, from a reseller. They don't rebuild them, they import them from Japan.

If you want a US version, I would suggest giving www.importautosalvage.com a look, they are good people have some of the cleanest motors I've ever seen shipped, and are very helpful. I would call them and see what they can get you.

As far as the swap, it is pretty straight forward remove and replace, some small mods are needed in the way of wiring, but those can be addressed once you have actually started on the project.

but if you really wanna keep your same tranny etc, then go with a stock replacement because the EX engine is already about the most powerful D series you could bolt to your tranny, and no wiring issues at all.

Could someone please help. I recently purchased a 1992 civic cx hatchback 5-speed. The head gasket was blown and after tearing the head off the motor, it was in worse shape than i expected so know i am looking for a motor. http://www.nippon-motors.com/honda.htm has a list of motors, one of which is listed as a "92-95 Civic, Del Sol, D15B2, SOHC, 16 Valve, 92HP, 24mm Crank snout D15B 1.5 $395 ". is this motor a direct replacement for my motor(and will it bolt to my tranny?)? I see the horsepower number is different and I have no knowledge of honda's at all. I am only looking for a simple replacement that requires no modifications as this is a secondary car used primarily for interstate travel to and from work everyday so performance is not an issue but gas mileage and reliability is. If anyone has any idea where I can get a motor for this car other than the site I listed I would really appreciate it, I am trying to pick up a motor for under 500 bucks if possible. thanks.


AC

well, you could look under your hood and se your engines code, its by where the engine bolts to the tranny a bit above the slave cylinders location. I bet it is the D15B?

also if you are getting one that says D15B2 then it isnt from japan as far as I know, I think JDM engines only say D15B, B18B, B18C, B16A, etc. no number at the end like in the USDM cars.

at least you are getting the right year's engine, then you should have no problems at all, and if it is d series it will bolt up to your tranny no matter if it was D16Z6 or Y8 or whatever but it is the wiring that you have to worry about but since you are looking at the OBD1 engine then you shouldnt have to worry about your ECU or harness or anything like that.

well, you could look under your hood and se your engines code, its by where the engine bolts to the tranny a bit above the slave cylinders location. I bet it is the D15B?

also if you are getting one that says D15B2 then it isnt from japan as far as I know, I think JDM engines only say D15B, B18B, B18C, B16A, etc. no number at the end like in the USDM cars.

at least you are getting the right year's engine, then you should have no problems at all, and if it is d series it will bolt up to your tranny no matter if it was D16Z6 or Y8 or whatever but it is the wiring that you have to worry about but since you are looking at the OBD1 engine then you shouldnt have to worry about your ECU or harness or anything like that.

My motor is a d15, the problem is the number after it. I don't know the difference between a d15b7 (which i think is mine) and a d15b2(i could be completely wrong about this). I guess, like you said, since they are both the same series it should bolt right up. What could be different to effect the horsepower rating though. This new one lists as like 90 something hp, where as a stock 92 civic cx is supposed to be like 75 hp. I guess it doesn't matter since obd1 isn't very strict anyway, the ecu should run fine?

it's a d-series motor, everything is the same except for minor differences that will equate to the horsepower difference. The motor will drop straight in and bolt right up.

it's a d-series motor, everything is the same except for minor differences that will equate to the horsepower difference. The motor will drop straight in and bolt right up.

thanks a lot for the info. This message board has been a huge help to a newbie like me. One last thing, do you think my stock tranny would be ok with about a 20 hp increase? I've heard the civic 5-speed's are really strong, but this one has 214,000 miles on it.

yah, aslong as you have a good clutch and the synchros and gears are in good condition, i.e. not a lot of grinding etc. you'll be fine.

cool....guess that's what i'm going to go with then. 395+shipping doesn't sound too bad to me (but I don't know that much about it), and then again i'm used to v8 motors. I don't guess i can do anything with my stock motor, really the only thing wrong with it is the head......still has hone marks in the cylinders. 214,000 is a lot of miles though. anyway, thanks a lot for the help

you could just try getting a headgasket for 60 bucks and have the head surfaced and see if it fixes it, if not you are only out another huindred bucks, but you saved a few hundred if it works.

no....the previous owner ran it for a while with the gasket blown. Water got all in the ports, valves are rusted and pitted. I'd need a whole new head assembly, and i'm not familiar with sohc motors so i'd prefer to not try and mess with cam timing and all. I figure I'm looking at 200 at least to get a new head assembly and everything to install it, might as well go another 200 and have a whole engine. Might be able to do something with my stock bottom end to recover a little of that cost also......sell it for scrap metal at the very least.

ok, well, the engine you are getting is used so the head isnt going to be like new on that one, and when you buy a used engine you should replace the timing belt on it anyways so then you are going to have to mess wiht the cam timing, realy easy though, there is a mark on the crank pulley that you line up with a couple bumps on the timing cover, then you put the cam gears up arrow pointing up and you put on the belt, rotate it CC a little bit and tighten tensioner.

but if your valves are rusted/pitted real bad then I would go with the new engine because most places have start up guarantees and a warranty that all sensors work and stuff like that. and im sure you know but you can flush the cooling system and change the oil a ouple times and both systems would be clean and back to normal.

well....i just had a monkeywrench thrown in the whole thing. A buddy of mine called me today and said he found a motor. guy wrecked a 93 civic in the rear........wants to sell the whole car for 200 bucks, my friend cranked it up today....motor has 100k on it. not sure what i'd do with a wrecked 93 civic body though.....i guess it's worth it just for the tranny though huh? oh well, things always get complicated. Oh, and thanks for the timing info.....definately sounds easier than i thought it would be.

is it the same body style as yours? if so then id definately get it. how bad is it wrecked? even if it isnt a hatch it would still be a good deal since stil alot changes over.
also , if it is a hatch, wanna off the dash,door panels,headliner and seats????

I'll let you know as soon as I go see it.

I'm a new comer to the imports and dont realy now to much. I saw the post and i learned alot. what i want to know is will all those engines mentioned fit in a 95 honda civic EX? and if yes I found a H22A 2.2L 205H for 2100$ can that be used on the stock tranny or will I need to beef that up to? thanks.

no, the H22 will not bolt up to your tranny. You have a D series motor and tranny, so any D series motor or tranny can be mixed and matched and they will bolt up to each other and drop right in. The H22 has to be mated to an H series tranny. The same goes for the B and F series motors and trannies.

ok thanks, Ill probley just go with the B16A2 than I found one for 2k is that a good deal?

if it is the complete swap I would say it is.

Yes it is a complete swap. Thanks for the Info.

how long did it take u to type the thread!!! crap that is a lot of reading i would have to catch up on.

unfortunately, the creator of this thread left a long time ago.....he was hella cool, along with a bunch of other OG members that decided to leave a while back.

thxxx

Do you guys know which B16A head he is talking about, there are like atleast 2 of them in the US. So answer if you can. :evillol:

B16A2 Civic Si
B16A3 delSol VTEC

BTW, I don't know if it's been said here, but ANY motor stamped B16A1 is a 89-91 Euro motor, and it has 150 HP, from the CRX/Civic 1.6i VT.

I have a question, could u put a s2000 engine into a civic hatchback and make it into a FR?(Idk the engine number)

I have a question, could u put a s2000 engine into a civic hatchback and make it into a FR?(Idk the engine number)
Sure can. Got cash coming out of your butt?

If i had the cash, that's what i would try to do. I'd imagine there aren't too many Civics running an S2000 engine along with rwd. Imagine the fun...

I have a question, could u put a s2000 engine into a civic hatchback and make it into a FR?(Idk the engine number)

You can do anything as long as you have the money.
If i had the cash, that's what i would try to do. I'd imagine there aren't too many Civics running an S2000 engine along with rwd. Imagine the fun you'd have.

i have a civic with no motor or trans. i was thinking about doing the B18c1 GSR swap. Where could i find that Greddy bolt-on intercoold t-charger? Thanks for that post that really helped my decide.

i have a civic with no motor or trans. i was thinking about doing the B18c1 GSR swap. Where could i find that Greddy bolt-on intercoold t-charger? Thanks for that post that really helped my decide.
www.turbodepot.com or www.turbokits.com check out rev hard on that site..

i know that this is a little off topos, but i just want to say to anyone out there considering an h22 swap into a civic, Dont! at first it seems great, alot of hp relativly cheap, and all you need are engine mounts and a weight reduction, right? well not really. the problem is with the way the h22 sits. on d and b series motors, the weight of the block leans forward, and the structure of the car is designed to handle that weight. the h22 on the other hand leans slightly rearward, and is alot heavier. this not only leads to balance issues, but also ones with suspunsion. so i highly advise against anyone doing this type of swap. unless youre job is harvesting the money tree in your front yard.

so is a b18c1 gsr engine a vtech or nonvtech engine please help me out

thanx paul walker