b16 in an Insight?

Is it possible for me to put a b16 into an insight. I have not heard of this being done and would like to give it a try. Any idea's/thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Rob

that would be pointless, you buy an insight for gas mileage, most people do at least, so why do that. Dont waste your money, instead spend it on a CRX, or civic/civic hatch. and put a b16/b18/h22 in there. Probably for the amount it would be to put a b16 in an insight.

already have the insight the battery cluster went out. So it's spend 2300 on new batteries or swap in a b16. :-)

well custom mounts will be needed so i hope you know a good welder, as will custom wiring harness, prolly fuel lines, the works man, bad move doing that shit before realizing what you are getting into.

that's why i've posted, i really don't know what would be needed. I haven't done anything yet just thought that it would be cool to do. I really want to get rid of the hybrid system and put a b16 in and make it a modern CRX. I love the crx but it really need's an update IMO. I know it's gonna take a lot of work and $$$ to put a b16 in an insight but it's something i've wanted to do since i first saw the insight.


Thanks
Rob

You'd spend a LOT more than $2300 putting a B16A (or pretty much any other motor) in there. All new fuel system, custom everything.

yes i understand this, but i'd rather have a regular engine than the hybrid system. Just comes down to me not wanting to spend 2300 on nothing special. Instead i could put it towards a b16.

Than sell the Insight and get a 92-95 Civic.

The insight weighs at least 300 pounds less than a civic hatch. Oh yeh and it looks like a new CRX. I really want to put a b16 into an Insight instead of doing it into a civic hatch like everyone else does.

Than be prepared to dig DEEP.

Money isn't the problem. I was just wondering if it was possible but obviously it is. I'm gonna do it. Gonna build up the b16 for boost before putting it in.

If money isn't a problem, I hope emissions aren't either, and you don't live anywhere near California.

One thing you might want to think about is, using a K series instead. It's newer for one, so you might be saving yourself some wiring problems (though I highly doubt it), and since it will be closer to the right year, you shouldn't have nearly the problems legalizing it.

It probably weighs 300lbs less because it doesn't have a big gas tank in it. The "easiest" thing to do would probably be to buy another civic and strip the hell out of it and put all the parts into the insight; which would be pointless since you might as well keep the other car that you'd buy and swap a b16 in that. Unless you're loaded with $$$ and have a lot of time on your hands and know a shop that would help you; it'd be far too much work and wouldn't be worth it in the end. But you're right if I had the loot and know-how I'd definently do it; thought about it the first time I saw them.

I don't think those battery packs are exactly light, I could be wrong, maybe I am thinking about the older ones.

a lot of people around here have cars with swapped engines. What do you mean by legalizing it? A friend of mine has an rx-7 with a small block chevy in it. He didn't say anything about legalizing a swap.


What kind of HP could i get out of a fully built b16 in

NA spec?
w/ Nitrous?
w/ Turbocharger?
w/ Supercharger?


and whichever b16 would be best for each one and why.

I understand that turbo is the way to go with honda engines. If i go turbo i want to be able to turn up the boost at the track and turn it back down for daily driving on the street. I want it to run perfect both on and off the track. I don't want to run rich when boost is turned down and as far as i know this would take 2 different fuel maps i think i'm going to use AEM EMS. I'd be able to load a fuel map for the track specifically with race gas.

$$ doesn't matter on the build or swap of the b16. I just want a light car with a lot of power. I would not be using it for just drag racing but as a daily driver and a weekend drag strip car. I want to keep handling as good as possible. Any other upgrades that i should also do please add them.

I was thinking 10-15k for the engine build alone. Might be more depending on the power output the engine would have with a build costing that much.

That would be an interesting swap. Yes, those batteries are very heavy but my main concern would be the chasis. When we lift those at hondas, you have to be on the jack point due to most of the car being fiberglass and lightweight panels. The insight was made with aerodynamics in mind so that is a plus, and it is very lightweight, another plus. That would be an nice swap to see.

By the way, i believe there is an all-motor drag racer using an insight with a b18c.

I searched the internet and was unable to find any kind of modded Insight. I've seen some modded but not for performance. And i haven't seen any that have a body kit or anything like that.

Would the chassis be able to handle the extra power. I know it's made out of aluminum but i have also seen hotrods built out of aluminum that didn't have a problem. I'm thinking i might have to reinforce the chassis a lil bit to keep it from flexing.

If you're so loaded, sell the busted battery powered piece of shit and buy a sports car. If you spend $13,000 for a 160hp swap you'll have to be one of the stupidest human beings on this planet.

Who ever said anything about spending 13k to swap? I know i didn't. I said 10k for the engine build. That is making it a lot more than 160 HP. lets say i run 400hp+ on the strip and 280 on the street this thing will tear up almost any car. Just because money doesn't matter for this car doesn't mean that I want to go buy a vette. Yeah i could, but where's the fun in that. Keep in mind that the car is gonna weigh between 1800 and 1900 lbs. I'm thinking maybe 25k for the whole car kitted and painted along with the swap. In somewhat showcar condition. And before you think that I'm making a showcar. I'm not i just want it to look good.

Dude, listen to yourself....dont do this. Buy a CRX and do some light conversions, body kit and such if u wanna update the look. Then put a good engine in there. Theres prolly a reason why noone has swapped motors into the insight, its prolly incredibly freakin hard. :evillol:

i say do it...sometimes itz not about being pratical or stayin in the lines...getting a crx 5th gen hatch and a motor swap and what not is so common nowadays...i say be completely different and do it...after u do it...get sponsors and take it to shows

Have any of you heard of anyone swapping an engine into an Insight? No, and even if it has been done it is so rare that it would just be insane at shows, and on the track. What more could you want? And it can't be much worse than swapping a B16 into a CRX was the first time. Thanks For the Support BLU CIVIC.

Dude, I haven't seen anyone swap into a Yugo either, but that doesn't make it a good idea.

And throwing around numbers like "a 400hp civic" doesn't really mean anything. there is a LOT more to it than a Hp number.

jcrx - Just because it hasn't been done as far as we know doesn't mean that it's a bad idea. I'm not throwing numbers around like 400 HP civic either. I'm throwing around numbers like 400 HP+ Insight. It will be done and it will be an amazing car. Just because it hasn't been done and they don't make anything to make it easier for me to do the swap doesn't mean it's a bad or stupid idea.

Have you ever heard of a Mini Cooper with a honda engine. I have. Is it practical? eh not really. Is it quick? Hell yeh it is. 0-60 in 4.2 seconds. It is insane on and off the track. Yeh it's all custom stuff but the again the best applications are custom. Just like a custom turbo setup is best. And if it's custom it's yours and only yours.

Yea, I know all about vtec minis, probably a long time before most people in the states, and they aren't some miracle machine, they weigh about the same as the Si.

And just because it's original doesn't mean it's a good idea, Delorean anyone?

Basically my point is this, if you're going to go off on some tangent, do yourself a favor and use a better motor. Don't get me wrong I love my B16A, but why a B16A for such a pioneer project? If you're doing it for the "bang I did it factor" shoehorn a H22 in, or a K20A type R motor, or even a B18C5? Or since you're going all custom, use NSX, or S2000 motor, why sell yourself short?

And to add a little more, the statement 400hp Civic, insight, whatever, doesn't mean anything, you gotta get that power to the ground, reliably, and safely. Have you considered weigh distribution, suspension, brakes, even fitting a turbo B series in the bay?

ok i see what your saying. As far as i know those engine's have a much higher compression than a b16a. h22 weighs too much compared to a b series engine. Eventually i would like to go to the bigger and better engine's but right now i want to do a b16a. As it is the cheapest dohc vtec motor available. Granted it being cheap I also think it is a very good motor. If the whole thing is a bust i haven't spent 6k for a stock ITR motor. I could spend 2500 for the b16 and spend another 3500 on a turbo kit or engine internals.

Well i'm off to work, leave some messages for me to read when i get home.

http://ev1-club.power.net/archive/990220/ejet.htm

Something for the "well, it's original" people. Still not a good idea. My buddy said hte K series sits the same way in the engine bay (tranny on drivers side) so I would think that if you REALLY wanted the project to be a success, you should look to a motor as close to hte insights as possible, even though other than another hybrid, that's not really going to happen.

And according to (rumor, maybe) a friend that has an Insight HAsport is apparently working a K series swap, so hurry if you want the point for originality.

You should do it! then go to the strip and burn some rice

Well i'm not gonna rush into doing it just to beat a company. But it will be done. Gonna build up the b16 for boost before dropping it in.

i agree with jcrx...need to steer clear of the older b16 and get the newer k20...since honda engines get better with every new series...better to stay ahead of the game

im wondering about the guage cluster, maybe lookn into a CRX cluster to help out with some of the wiring, and just the sentiment of the CRX essence, they are classics, and yes they do need a modern version

this may be getting a little off topic, but does anyone else here see a potential rebuild of an insight to a del sol format (convertible-type)? i think enthusiasts and basically any sunday driver would absolutely love a topless car that got them 50+ mpg

I dunno how it would look though on an Insight, it also might affect the MPG that it gets regardless of whether the top is on or off. The added weight would also affect the MPG. I always wanted to do t-tops on a prelude.

I'm not so sure about using a k-series engine. And the smallest engine of the bunch is 2 liter.

Plus i don't know the specs on the k series engines. Like the r/s ratio, I know a lot about the b-series engines and there workings. There isn't enough talk about turbocharging k-series engines and stuff like that. Plus I don't know much about the new vtec.

do some research...think there have been a few threads started about the K on here...IMO the B series is old technology since the new K came out...and if anything it'd look at home in the Insite...i think u'll come out better with the K

Any B series engine stock make just as much hp per liter as any k-series engine. How it is old technology is beyond me. Plus I'd rather have a 1.6liter engine instead of a 2.0 liter. Just personal preference i guess.

i say itz old technology b/c if u look at the history of hondas' engines...they get progressively better by each series...so with the introduction of the new K series...there will be new and better things that will be made available for it

its old technology becuase it is not as sophisticated as the newer K series motors. if it were, then they would still be in cars. plus why a 1.6 over a 2.0. even the 2.0 has the same hp, but the extra tq it has will kill the 1.6l, not to mention if you step upto the k24a2 out of a TSX, and mate the k20a head from the JDM ITR onto it. thats 220hp and almost 200lb/ft of tq.

The fact that it's gonna be a smaller engine is why i want a 1.6 liter compared to a 2.0 or 2.4 liter. It's worse losing to a 1.6 liter than it is losing to a 2.0 or 2.4 liter. Oh yeh torque isn't the best thing in a lightweight car. Have you ever seen a hatch with an h22a gun it at a stoplight? Can you say wheel spin. The first 2 gears all spin. And with a turbo I'd have even more torque than stock (which would be a bad thing) and I would really be going through tires quick.

The fact that i know more about the b-series engine will help me in turbocharging and making more power out of it. As far as i know the k-series may put out more HP than a b18c5 but it is also a bigger engine and that's why, not because the technology is better. The b16 still has the best R/S ratio out of all the honda engines.

If the K-series engines were better you would see them in the all motor drag honda's but you don't cause the B-series engines are just as capable. So why explore new engines?

If you have any real reason's why the k-series engines is better than the b-series engines then list them. Not just saying that honda's engines get better with each generation, cause i really don't see it in the k-series engines. Is the R/S ratio better. Do they make more HP per liter than the other engines? Sure it's a newer engine but that doesn't matter if i'm gonna replace everything in the engine to boost it.

Then price and parts come into effect. The k-series cost more to buy stock than a b-series. And so do the parts, and they're aren't as many parts for the k-series compared to the b-series engines. How many k-series engine's do you see boosted in comparison to b-series engines? Barely any compared to the b-series. Yeh it would be very original to use a K-series but it just doesn't make sense. Doe's the K-series weigh more or less than the B-Series engines? If there's something about the K-series that makes it better please let me know as i really don't know much about them.

the B series hase been out since 90...so ofcourse u'd see more boosted B series motors out there than u would K...but that's not to say they aren't out there...and the K is too new to be seen in drag cars...actully i would even say that those are B engines...too modified...i don't see how u'd replace everything in the engine to boost it...but like i said...do research...the B is an old motor...and if ur putting an engine into a newer car..as in the insite..ur better off with the K...but u can't argue a point with someone who's already made up their mind