engine, clutch, exhaust questions!

my buddy is likely gonna be buying a 1990 si with a zc swap and lots of other great stuff. so i started thinking about things to help me keep up if he gets it..

1) if i were to get a zc engine, would it just drop right in with no extra stuff needed if you have all the si stock tranny, etc? i've heard you should get a 89 teg ecu?

2) whats the deal with clutches, whats the difference between the stages? would it be smart to change up an old stock one?

3) would an axle-back aftermarket exhaust do much for performance, or just looks and sound? theres an ansa axle-back on ebay for $115 and it looks pretty nice.

or... what would you suggest to do to a mostly stock 89si to get some extra ponies to compete with the zc?

have any thoughts on any or all of the above?

1] dont no good ?
2] higher the number the more power it can handle
3] dont do it your spending money for nothing bang for the buck go pacesetter there cheap but better then ebay and its a catback go to www.andysautosport.com

1. it would drop in. you can use either your stock ecu or the pg7 teg ecu.
2. higher stages can support more power. my recommendation is get one that will suit your needs, dont get the highest one if your never gonn abe near that power
3. axle back is just for looks/sound. without changing out your midpipe you exhaust system would still be very restrictive compared to a full catback system.

ZC's are slow man. (no offense phat:smile:)

It's not worth the time of day. You could do a mini-me swap and be able to get him. Very simple to do, and you should get around 128hp, add cams/gears maybe do a valve/head job and you would be roasting him all day long.

It's not worth the time of day. You could do a mini-me swap and be able to get him. Very simple to do, and you should get around 128hp, add cams/gears maybe do a valve/head job and you would be roasting him all day long.

I agree. But you really don't even need vtec. Since you already have an Si with a PM6, start with bolt-ons but don't cheap out. Get a better cam and a set of pulleys. Get a FULL EXHAUST and a ceramic coated header. If it's your daily driver then just get a stage 1 clutch and lightweight flywheel combo (check your bearings and bushings when swapping clutches so you don't have to have it done twice). It's all about tuning. Weight in your car and how well it runs also plays a big part too.

im not looking to change up all my tranny and everything to put in a B series, i would do that if i had a crappier shell and whatnot, but i like the condition of my car and i dont wanna mess it all up. and i just dont have the money to get a ton of work done when i already have a nice little si motor all set up already.
would a jdm zc not give me a little more jump compared to my usdm si? or would it only be a matter of a few hp?

thing is, i dont really wanna fuck up the engine i have right now, cuz its almost perfectly mint. i wouldnt mind having a bit more get up and go, but i also need the honda reliability and longevity. kind of a fine line i guess, but i'd rather have a driveable car than something that could explode and leave me with no ride.

i'd like to keep the engine i have now just how it is. i figure if i decide to do a swap i would do a zc and just drop it right in because its so easy and if anything happens to it, i can put my original back in with no problems.

also, regarding the exhaust system, what about getting headers, a hi-flow cat, and the axle-back?

i just really dont like the look of most of the full cat-back systems, or if i do like the look of it, it costs a fortune.

my car has a kind of 'tinny' sound to it when its cold, and i just hate that. if it werent for my intake it would sound so wimpy and cheap, my intake roars though! good ol' tenzo and k&n combo

the zc is about 22 more hp than your stock motor. with the a6 rated at i believe 108hp and the zc at 130hp

that would be a considerable improvement, would it not?
and wouldnt it be worth it because of the easy swap?
ofcourse B series are faster, but you hafta change so much just to get them going, and i have neither the time nor the money to do it.

You can buy a midpipe, axle back, header and high flow cat separate and bolt it all on. You guys with your intake sound. The only time I hear mine is maybe between gears. LMAO! BTW, the zc may be a good swap to beat the crap out of and keep your si outside the car. I still think you can save a lot of money just by getting some bolt-ons and a decent clutch.

what about getting the zc and then bolting stuff onto it? starting 22hp ahead cant be bad. cuz i just dont wanna blow up my mint engine and have nothing to drive.

i just had another thought, what about an integra engine? is that an LS?

and would it drop in with no problems like the zc?

LS is B series and you need linkage and mounts just like putting in a b16...

damn, didnt know that.

so the best (possibly only?) D series drop in engine is the zc then?

as far as money is concerned the ZC is worth it I think. I have a ZC in my 88 CRX and it used to run nicely.

The only problem is they are old engines and you have no idea what kind of condition its in. Mine had an oil leak i didn't know about and now its all messed up so I am saving money for a b16.

But the ZC is good engine, i loved mine. Most people on here hate them because they think its hard to find aftermarket parts, and again, you never know how reliable it is.

Its kind of like the baby of motor swaps.

but you dont know about the condition of some b16 either, am i right? they're all used donors as far as i know.