build up or swap?

[dolphinsa87]

I have a stock 99 ex. I have recently bought an aem intake and and planning on headers and exhaust. But my question is wether I should swap in a b16 or keep my d16y8 and rebuild it up like bore, new pisitons etc..... and turbo and all the good stuff? Any comments would be nice.

[CivicSpoon]

Depends on what your end goal is and how much $ you're willing to spend when it's all done. If you're only looking for 200hp or less then I'd say keep the d16 and turbo it, hell there are people who have 400+hp SOHC d-series motors. But if you're looking for more than 200hp, I'd say swap in a b16a because it's a better platform to work off of in the future.
I mean even if 200hp is more than you're looking for, you could boost the stock d16 (stock internals) and safely make a little more hp that a stock b16a swapped in. If you want to check into a turbo'd d16y8 then I'd suggest checking out www.turbod16.com and www.homemadeturbo.com, both great and informative sites on the issue.

[dolphinsa87]

well I am going to have a good bit of money over the summer and what i was looking at was strengthing all internals, cams, pistions etc... rods and then adding on a nice sided turbo and going from there. How would that make a d-series engine?

[PhoebeusFenix]

Do not try to make a d16 do what it is not intended to do, you'll never get the results your looking for. My cousin just recently swapped a b16 into his 95lx sedan and that thing is fast as fuck. I would definately do the b16, or if you have the cash, the b18. I am going to try and save the money for a b18c1, then I would be happy. I guess it also depends, because I am looking at sports bikes also, so I guess ill wait and see. Go with a swap man, youll be much happier.

[dolphinsa87]

well i was looking at b18 swaps and a car friend of mine I work with showed me this site for a complete b16 swap. What would you rate this and how good is the price. Also I have never done a swap before and how hard would it be. This is the motor I was looking at or if you have any other ideas of where to look.

http://hmotorsonline.com/shop/sc2000...age&item=30005

[exman98]

dont under estamate the SOHC d16. with a little internal strengthaning they can be very impresive. and if you d it to a d16 you can take a little more ride in it. i am currently making plans to build up my d16y8.
there are man good site and forums to check out. be carefull because they are not as friendly as this forum.

[asdfbeau]

I'm going to build & turbo my d16 instead of swapping it, but I don't have dreams of being some quarter-mile king with it, so it's all about what you want.

if all you care about is, "how fast wil my car go" then you've made the wrong choice in automobile. Swap a b series in there if you want; turbo it too; you'll never be satisfied. What's more is that you'll still get your ass handed to you by various other automobiles with much less money invested in them.

Building these engines can't just be about power, and you have to accept that either way you're not going to be the fastest (modified) car on the road.

If all you want is speed, just get a bike.

[PhoebeusFenix]

dolphins, that is a very good website if you are going to be ordering a swap, thats where my cousin ordered his and it came very quick, and they helped him quite alot. You have a 99 correct? That motor is from a 92-95 so it may be obd1 instead of obd2, which would make you have to do some wiring. You need to do some research on specific motors your wanting to swap and find out whether they are obd1 or obd2, for ease, a obd2 motor is what we are both looking for, since we both have cars that have obd2 motors in them right now. a good website for swap information is www.hondaswap.com or www.honda-tech.com. Just take things slow, if you try to rush a swap, you'll end up getting in over your head, my cousin took 3 years to decide on his plan of action, and in that time he did tons of reading and learned a lot of things, take it slow.

[CivicSpoon]

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do, and it's been 2 years now of thinking and researching (though I'm looking for 250-300whp).

Also along with what PhoebeusFenix said, you should check your local laws about swapping in an older motor in your car. All states are different; some don't care, and some you can't do it at all. Then after that I'd call up hmotors and ask them what they've got for a '99+ b16a (if you choose to go that way), I've read that they carry more stuff than what's listed on the site. But technically you could put an OBDI motor in your OBDII cat (again is your state allows it), you'd need to get an OBDII to OBDI conversion harness (http://www.boomslang.us/obd2.htm $74+shipping)

[dolphinsa87]

well right now I am still in high scholl just half way through my junior year and 17. I only get paid 6.00 an hr and work 25 hrs a week so its not like im brining in alot of money with paying insurance and paying for my civic now. So this prob wil not even happen with in the next year or mabye not even the next 2 years so I do have time to do research. Like what kind of reasearch should I do? Like the compersion rates. I mean I have just been getting into cars and know enough to get me buy but thats proabley all. I dont really know all that I would like to know. I picked up a Hayne's manual for my car right now and have just read up on some things. But its still not first hand or anything like that.

[Schister66]

D16 engines can make damn near as much power as a B16, they just don't have the same control over the cam. You could put a wild cam that has larger exhaust lobes in the D16 and it would function the same as the VTEC on the B16 more or less. The D16 can be built up and turboed with more power for the money than a swap. The only reason you should swap is if youre really serious about making a lot of power and in that case, you wouldn't be asking us. Like they said above, don't under estimate the D16. By the way, if you want to keep your intake and header, you can't buy a B16 because the parts aren't interchangeable.

[sohcfreak97]

dolphin, keep the D16Y8, if you dont have money, and no knowledge of swapping engines, it would be the smarter thing to do. i was in the same position, no money, no knowledge, i kept my sohc,went 2 uti, and got a job in a honda shop, and i still have my sohc today, Comp cam stage 1 street, Skunk2 intake manifold, gs-r tb, dc headers, apex cat back, adj. cam gear, und. pulleys, stock air box,skunk2 ecu, jdm tranny, exedy clutch, i cherp 4th and smoke b16's and new k20 si's all day long, plan for rev hard turbo kit, and put down a bit over 200 whp....forget the 1/4 mile its about "wangan!!!!"

[dolphinsa87]

well after carfully deciding I have decided to stay with the d-series and try to build that up. I have just got my Cold Air Intake and installed that and I love it cars are just great. I have decided to get headers then exhaust and then go from like like boring, cams,pulleys etc... thanks for all the advice

[exman98]

what kind of CAI did you get

[sohcfreak97]

dont waste your money on boring....spend it on an intake manifold, if ur gonna get that deep into a sohc thats up 2 u