1986 CRX Engine Swap

[Brian38662]

Hey, I have a 1986 CRX HF and was wondering if any engine swap is possible....I am new to Honda's and honestly dont know much about the whole "swap thing". because it is only a small 1.5 L it does not have much power, nor "good looks". I have been searching for such mods such as headers, Intakes, body kits but seem to come up short on searches. Any one who can help me I would greatly appreciate the effort!!!! - Thanks, Brian

[Figori]

Okay, Guess I need to refer you to the following link...

Engine Swap Info

That should give you an idea on the drop in motor options. The other ones would be a B-series motor, more commonly the b16, then the b18, and the almighty b20. Hassport makes a mount kit and everything you'll need for the swap. These motor options involve alot more work than just a drop in motor, but in my opinion it would be worth it in the end. I know there is more knowledgeable people out there to help, just maybe they'll reply to back me up. And Welcome to the Forums! Have any more questions? Don't be afraid to ask! The only stupid questions are the ones not asked!

[Edit] Oh, and on the performance parts, here is a few links to get you started.
ONE
Okay, there's just one more other than the engine swap one... Has alot of good links in those threads. Just take your time and research it out. Hope this helps! [/Edit]

[lxndr]

The easiest and cheapest way to get more power is to toss the HF cylinder head and swap it for an SI head, then upgrade the carb.

[84CiviC]

hey man,you can do alot to it...you can go b16,d16,zc..ect.

[crxman101]

ive got a question on the b20 swap what model out of,1 B20A,B20A1

• <>2 B20A2 <>3 B20A3 <>4 B20A4 <>5 B20A5 <>6 B20A6 <>7 B20A7 <>8 B20A8 <>9 B20A9 <>10 B21A
• 11 B21A1

[Christ]

hm... the only one of those I know you don't want is the B20A5.. it's a bastard child of the B-series family.

It came in early preludes, doesn't work with standard B-series components, and only has 130 HP. You would be better off swapping in the stock integra motor and spending the extra $1000 you'd save on parts for the bseries on a header/intake/exhaust and still be almost $500 ahead with more power...

Concentrate on a newer B-series engine, something from '91 on.

I believe the 96-00 Civic Si's had a B16 in them... you could try finding one of those, that would have between 150-170 HP, can't remember exactly.

The newer B-series engines are very conducive to modding too, so they're alot more responsive to simple things like I/H/E combos, and simple tuning.

Keep in mind though, that if you don't plan on going with FI, it will almost be impossible to use a B-series... there are very few instances where B-engines had carbs...

The B20A5 had a carb setup, dual side-draft... but, once again, that intake won't fit any other B-series. You could make a custom adapter plate to mount a carb to the Throttle body flange, and use a sidedraft carb, such as some webers, but tuning will be a real PITA.

If you plan on staying w/ the carb setup, you should probably either do a Hydra, if you can find a carb'd integra, or swap in the complete D16A1, or just swap up the Si head/cam and use a weber carb... again, this will all depend what kind of numbers you want to throw down, and exactly what you're looking to do with the car.

[crxman101]

i was actually thinkin about tearing everything i needed out to put a turbo in, and b16 in but alot of stuff is possible like runnin a n/a but i want a turbo in,
this car is realy light, i could lay major horses

[Christ]

"Major Horses" is achievable with a turbo as well as N/A... the thing is, if you have a 200 HP turbo engine, and a 200 HP N/A engine, the N/A engine will be faster... you have to make MORE HP with turbos to EQUAL the N/A builds... Not to mention the turbo kit adds a significant amount of weight to the build... and each 100 lbs is like .1 seconds in the 1/4 mile.

Just some things to think about.. it's not necessarily the numbers you're laying down, as WHERE you're laying them in the engine's RPM range.

If you don't start making real power until 4k rpm, and you redline at 8k, you will have alot of lag coming off the line, and alot of wheelspin as the boost picks up... whereas if you're all motor, you'll have a very flat torque curve, and be accelerating to the max before the other guy has a chance to even pick up his boost.

It's all about what you want, when you want it, and how much you want to spend on it.

[crxman101]

would this be legal to drive on the road if so i was mainly thinkin stop light racing and taking down the strip

[crxman101]

ya i think ill go n/a

[crxman101]

so is this swap legal?

[Christ]

Any swap is legal, as long as you're using a newer engine in an older chassis... in some states, they require that you report that the engine has been changed, and have a copy of the title of the vehicle the new engine came from... in most cases, you can ask the salvage yard personnel to get you a copy of the title, they almost always have them.

In California, I believe, you must visit the emissions referee after an engine swap, so that they may check to make sure that nothing is shady, and renew your emissions classification.

In some states, you may use a newer engine, but adapt it to your current OBD standard.. i.e. you can use any engine, and keep YOUR CHASSIS' emissions equipment...

In other states, you must use the emissions equipment of the year that the engine came from... i.e. if you use an OBD-2 engine (99 Si B16A) you would also have to use the OBD-2 engine emissions controls, ECU, etc... which would require alot of wiring.

The basic idea is that it's only illegal if you don't follow the laws when doing it... talk to your local DOT, they can tell you more about your individual situation.

[crxman101]

Thanks that is really help full, so i cant find any b20 's on the net could you help me with that

[Christ]

start checking craigslist.org for your area... look on eBay, check any local tuning shops, and go to junkyards... find yourself a CRV and steal it's engine.

[crxman101]

ohh ok i found some , ok what size turbo is the best selection for drag