A REAL engine swap

[diegoaccord]

I just got a 96 Neon Sport Coupe. Its nice, but Ive had Hondas up until this point.(havent even changed name yet). I still want to rev to 8 grand and have my VTEC. So, Ive already decided to put the Honda B16A motor or H22A in my car. And Im getting a 92-95 Civic EX guage cluster and 94-00 Integra mirrors. Id like to know what you think. You all may see it as a sacrilege, but I see it in SPORT COMPACT CAR!

[lordeshaggy]

You've actually seen Sport Compact Car Swap a Honda engin into a Dodge Neon? When and where?

[KatWoman]

There's that "Identuty Crisis" NEon running around up in Canada. Honda Civic front end molded on, Lexus RX400 tail lights on rear. I think he still has the Neon motor though.

[diegoaccord]

im saying if i did this, my car would be in the mag. i got the b16 intended for the crx here, so why shouldnt i do it?

[mattzneon]

I lyke the idea of puttin' in a honda engine in a neon. Honda can't hang with the looks of the neon... Well that S2000 iz a sweet car, but that's besides the point. Some of them vtechs and type r stuff are pretty quick. Of course my car izn't goin' anywhere fast with its 3 speed automatic (stock, duh!) But if I had the 5 speed I'd drop an Acura or Honda engine in my car just b'cuz they're fast... At times... Well to start with... But so can Neon engines!... If you do 'em right. Right? Haha! Well yeah, if you can/do/wanna put in a Honda engine, tell me all 'bout it. I'll find out for ya if its anatamitically correct. heh. But in the mean, doez anyone have suggestions 'bout what to do with an automatic?... With cruise control... With ABS... And with all them other 'non-racable' features that my highline endures?

Thanks,
Matt

[BasicNeon]

Yo're going to have a pretty tough time putting a Honda motor in a Neon. Honda motors face a completely different direction.

[mattzneon]

Your right... But anything is possible. Take a look at that Neon in the back of all the tuner mags in the advertizements. That drag-racing one, pushin' lyke 500 poniez... Now tell me he's runnin' a SOHC 2.0 engine with straight up bolt on hp. Haha! Somethin' special is cookin' under that hood and it aint stock. So what I'm sayin' is anythin' is possible. Just find yourself a good body man... A great chassis man... An engine man of course... Oh, and a Chrysler engineer... And from there I think we all could wing out some Honda engines in our wipz.

Matt

[BasicNeon]

There are two real quick Neons.. well maybe some more but the fastest one has a 2.4L swap from a Stratus, Sebring etc (it also has a Hahn Racecraft turbo). The Engine at least faces the same way as the original. And there is another one with the 2.0L that has to be pushing well over 500hp. It uses the Hahn Racecraft turbo.

But anyway, if you have the money anything is possible. But it would prob be cheaper and more effective to do a 2.4L swap. No replacent for displacement!

[DragerG20]

A "Real" engine swap would be something Chrysler related. Perhaps a blueprinted 2.4 from a Stratus then turbocharged. Personally, I'd find a way to swap an SR20DE(T?) in there as it will take a helluva lot more boost than a Honda engine...but thats if you insist on not going with a Chrysler engine. Maybe an old DSM engine from a Talon/Eclipse, that would definitely have off-the-shelf potential, not to mention the ease of which you could obtain it. If you must go non-Chrysler and want Variable Valve Timing, then perhaps an SR20VE or an SR16VEN1, 190hp from 2.0 litres or 200 from 1.6L--although the latter is *extremely* hard to come by...but the former comes relatively easily from the Nissan Primera Camino and Primera 2.0Te-V for about $2500, SR20DET about $1000-1500, and a JDM SR20DE with standard 10:1 compression will run under $800...if you're looking for maximum *boosted* power, then run an SR series and give SCC something to *really* fall head-over-heels about.

[lordeshaggy]

The neon you are referring to has a 2.0 DOHC engine. The one sponsored by Hahn Racecraft is a 2.0 DOHC as well... nearly stock except for the turbo and nitrous. The car pushes a little over 600hp. The most common swaps are 2.2L and 2.4L chrysler engines. The Honda does face the different way, plus you'd have to have a tranny that matches up. If you've got the dinero to sink into it... do it... but why? Gotta remember the one problem that Honda engines have... Torque... or lack there of. Anyone will tell you this... ANYONE!!

[mattzneon]

Hey, what about the difference in the SOHC and the DOHC? I've a SOHC 2.0, kinda wondering how many liters the DOHC is, and what the difference in performance is between the two. Also, which Neons have the DOHC? Expresso/Sport? Just kinda curious. That'd be a nice easy swap... If the difference is even worth the time of changing it out. I'd only swap an engine if I'ma see a helluva difference.
I like my 2.0 SOHC. Speakin' of cams... What all is located in the cylinder head of the Neon? I can score a brand new refurbished head for free, I just gotta give my uncle my old one once I take it out so he can machine it out. But I'm thinkin'... Every time you change out that head to add onto it, thats a gasket ($35+ a pop). So what I'd lyke to do is get the head now, and whenever money comez in, add onto it. Is the cam in there? valve springs? Etc. I know different cars have shit in different parts. You gotta r'member, about 60% of my time is dedicated to my Neon... The other 40% is to my Challenger... So I'ma fan of all generations. If you knew anything between then and now, you'd be amazed on what technology could do to a car. Computers!? Shyt, if you could throw on a computer or anything of the sort onto my Challenger (pushing 410 whp... 'not bad') and add the hp computers add to the euros, shyt... Damn thing would fly. So... Back to subject... Bolt ons as opposed to swap? What'chall think? An engine is an engine, displacement is displacement... Just use that displacement wisely with every little thing you attach to that block. Knaw mean?

Matt

[ZildjianRocker]

The DOHC has two cams instead of one. They have exactly the same displacement. 2.0

[mattzneon]

Honestly... I assumed that DUAL meant there was two cams, but seriously... Is there more/better performance?

Matt

[Santonucci]

It's absolutely pointless to sink a Honda motor into a Neon chassis, simply because for a less amount of money, you can get much more performance out of a Stratus swap or even building up the stock 2.0L engine for the price you'd pay to have that engine bay and motor mounts custom molded to the engine you'd like to drop in, then, as was stated earlier, you'd have to find a tranny to match up to it...since the motor does face an entirely different direction.

Also, the performance difference between the SOHC and DOHC neons is noticeable...but the SOHC is supposedly 132HP on paper stock, where the DOHC pushes 150HP stock...which is probably more like 140HP after all the parasitic losses and such...however the DOHC version responds much better to mods, and it takes less to make it fast compared to that of the SOHC. The 95 SOHC's had the most aggresive cam which made them more of the competitive neons as well.

I've owned both a 95 SOHC and now a 99 DOHC, and I can say from experience the DOHC is a much better performer indeed. And the raw horsepower and torque this motor can put out, will probably spank a lot of the Honda's out there once you remove most of the factory restrictions placed upon the motor (air intake, exaust, pulley, etc...)

If you want your car to perform either swap to the 2.4L Stratus, or build the one you have...dropping a Honda motor in is just simply impractical in all aspects. Or at least, I think so...

[ryed33neon]

actually the sohc has 132hp and 150hp, the magnum engine is 150hp and the regular engine is 132, the difference is a bigger cam and a little more compression