Need engine swap details

[wheel1856]

So here's the deal, graduated college, gettin' a "grown up" job with mad cash. Im an anxious ricer and want a mucho mucho wicked cool car. I gots a '92 VX (that's the sucky one) and want to put in a B18c in it. Now, with more horsepower (and a lot of it after all the fun bolt ons n such) comes added need. Here are some questions I have that I don't think I found the right answers to in the FAQ - or I missed them so a link as an answer would also be appreciated. Again, thanks for the help.

Bigger engine - Do I need to change the drive train at all? What should I do, or will the old drive train from the VX hold up to a B18c?

Transmission - with 130,000+ miles, new clutch (obviously) will the VX tranny hold up to twice the engine? Should I look to rebuild, add, or just suck it up and replace the tranny too?

Brakes/Suspension - Bigger engine, means heavier engine and much fater car. I may keep the little 13'' VX rims, because they are unique and a bit tough to get, so will I need better breaks and a certain kind of suspension? Or should I just put the rims away and buy bigger wheels and breaks to handle the new horses?

Fuel Pump, ingnition, lines, oil, ROM etc - all the peripheral stuff that eventually makes an engine go. What of these will I have to replace, or should I just expect them to come with the new engine. Here in Y-town Ohio, a good junk yard is hard to come by _I know of 1 - so I may just buy the new engine and head from Honda. What am I gonna need to do to get all the peripherals in the right working order?

I know this is a long one, but this is one of the best forums I've been too, I would greatly appreciate your help.
thanks again everyone
-wheel

[civicHBsi91]

with my knowledge i can tell you, you cant use your tranny you will need a new one, new tranny=new axles, im geuss when you say drivetrain you mean the axles so yeah, and youll need a motor mount kit

anyone correct me if im wrong on any of this

[rycedrgn]

You're gonna need alot of stuff. you will need to update the brakes.....a big brake kit should work. Tranny will definitley will need to be replaced, axles the whole deal. I beleive( correct me if I'm wrong) but you will need a vtec computer and a wiring adapter or rewire to abapt the OBD systems into your 91, depending of year of b18c. Hope this might help, but if I was you I'd find a better vechile to upgrade.........thats just my opinion.
Peace

[civicHBsi91]

he has a 92, i have a 91 im not the one lookin for the gsr swap

[wheel1856]

So I'm gonna need a new tranny eh? I was afraid of that. By the time it's all said and done the darn thing would end up costing me more than buying a new one with that engine. Well poo.

Not to doubt you two (rycdrgn and civhb91), but if anyone knows a trick or if there's a cheap yet still effective way to swap, lemme know.

New axles too? sheesh.

Well then on another note, what besides my intake and soon to be headers/ exhaust can I do to get some power outa this thing?

thanks again
-wheel

[91AcrdMan]

jesus... does anyone know something about swaps anymore... for one... why go through all the trouble and cost of buyin a new motor from honda that will set you back like 10000 i mean shit its 7000 for my SOHC d16.

please do some homework and read past threads... and look to sites like www.hmotorsonline.com they sell used JDM motors and its between 3-5000 depends if you want b18c1 <GSR> or the c5 <type R>.

for that price you get everything you need for the swap... you dont really need new mounts for the motor. but if you have the money to drop... then i would go with some hasport mounts because they are nicer.

as for the OBD conversion... you should still be able to get a OBD 1 b18 from them... just let them know what its going into and they can help you out..

as far as if you wanted the motor like new... take it to a shop and have it rebuilt... that is like 1000 for my motor for top and bottom end... prolly more for yours... and if you wanted you could throw in some trick ass parts and get some HP and TQ gains.

bigger breaks would be really nice also a rear disc conversion... and if you wanna do a big break kit, most of them need 16" or larger rims to fit.

and regarding suspension... yeah upgrade.. your gonna need it right away... but yeah get it soon... it will help ya out.. and if like ya say money is flowin... check out www.tein.com badass full coilovers.

and just as a note... a lot of the stuff i have listed is on sale right now on www.groupbuycenter.com

have anymore problems... feel free to hit me up
[email protected]
chris

[civickiller]

it kinda sounds like you dont know that much about this, so i think you should just go to a shop and tell them you want a b18c, with coilovers and struts. you dont really need a new brake system, but like someone said, it would be nice. same thing with the suspension

i say about $5500 for the engine swap with the suspension. give or take a few hundred.

[civicHBsi91]

Well then on another note, what besides my intake and soon to be headers/ exhaust can I do to get some power outa this thing?

if your talkin about the intake you have now, you probably wont be able to use that either, if im not mistaken the gsr TB sits lower than your d-series and it'll probably have some stuff in the way and it might be too small to even fit on the TB

[wheel1856]

Well true enough, I don't know a damn thing about a swap out. the level 0 newbie rating aint because I don't post alot.

Actually....from Honda, a new b18c GSR for my car would cost 5,000 with the head. Youngstown is a GM town, the major source of employment here is building Chevy Cavaliers and Sunfires. Honda stuff is cheap cause they need to get into the market.
I checked out a used B18c, under 65,000 miles from a speed shop and they wanted 4 grand. So cost for the best engine here isn't too bad - its just a matter of getting one here.

Yeah, the homework, been doin lots of it - Im gonna go check those sites out now too. Still though, I find that experience in straight forwardness is better than any book or article. Especially when you don't know dick about engines.

None the less, thanks for your help and advice, though I think I'll skip the coilovers for now, I got money on the way, but eh why spend when you don't have to? (at least not yet)

-wheel

[wheel1856]

So having read through a bunch of the past threads, why isnt there something like this in the FAQ?

For instance, like a flow chart er something of base car and engine options with price? Kinda like the wheel calculator?

Just a thought...
-wheel

ps: it'd be nice if we were born with this knowledge

[91AcrdMan]

there is actually many sites that have charts like that... but for your car... i will list it as follows...

most common...
b16a2
and b18a/b/c dont matter just common as hell

better but pricy cause of money or mods needed
b16b <ctr motor>
b18c5 <itr motor>
h22a
h23a <both need a mount kit>
b20 <crv motor> you can also make that into a frank motor by placing a b18c head on it and it will just kill...

[MaximusGTR]

How much does it cost for a total engine swap? Is it possible to do engine swaps w/ an auto civic and if so how common is that? I have a lack of knowlege in the whole engine swap thing so please help....

[vtgsrcivicboi]

to wheel1856 Since you are looking into purchasing the b18c1 for you civic vx I think its a great swap.First of all to perform this swap you dont need new motor mounts, the gsr bolts right down with your old
engine mounts.And for your vx its not all that bad its the lightest frame (chasis) for the civic. Knowing this, when you perform the swap your car will just be one fast ass ride, compared to a 95 si swap, not to
much faster though. As for engine work such as intakes I would prefer the aem cold air intake system, when your purchasing this you have to buy the 92-95 civic intakes so that i would fit, correct me if
im wrong, I think that goes with exhaust and headers to im not sure though. And if your looking to save money goto www.hmotorsonline.com there you will find your motor for only 3,300 Im pretty sure that the shipping and handling is added with the motor. Go find yourself a good mechanicor a shop near by. I can get the swap done for 500 dollars Im not sure if swap prices are the same
where you live. The motors they have at hmotorsonline have under 30000 miles on them beats theone you found at that shop. And for maximusgtr it really depends on the year of the motor and
what motor your getting. And as for a civic auto swap, of corse its possible but who would reallywant to swap and automatic?

[wheel1856]

I think it was 91 AcrdMan who mentioned the head swap...I toyed with that idea, puting a B16 head on (i think B16, I have to check) anyway, with all the work, and with significant gain, I think Im gonna stick to the idea of swapping the whole engine.

Now as VTGSRcivicboi mentioned, with a B18c1 gsr enine, my car would be one fast ass ride, the main reason why I want the b18c1.

Here's another questions for you, I own a VX, made in Canada, and its the econo car, light chassis,frame, little engine, etc etc. Now, reading some of the FAQ and past threads last night, I see that similar letter series engines will swap out fine without having to change all the axles, trannies, and other fun stuff. Now granted, its worth my while, while the engine is out to change things like the clutch, belts, wires, fuel pump, etc etc. But lets face it, money or no money, a new tranny and axles is expensive. So...question is...what the hell series engine do I have!?!?! I know that sounds SOO stupid, but 3 hours on the internet and this forum last night and I couldn't find an answer. if I have a b-series engine, unlikely, Im gonna save the tranny and axles till later, Im a bit anxious ,

what ch'all think?

and yeah, why would you want to go from stick to auto? i dont get it.

anywho, thanks for all the help, you guys rock!
-wheel

[91AcrdMan]

Originally posted by wheel1856
I think it was 91 AcrdMan who mentioned the head swap...I toyed with that idea, puting a B16 head on (i think B16, I have to check) anyway, with all the work, and with significant gain, I think Im gonna stick to the idea of swapping the whole engine.

Now as VTGSRcivicboi mentioned, with a B18c1 gsr enine, my car would be one fast ass ride, the main reason why I want the b18c1.

Here's another questions for you, I own a VX, made in Canada, and its the econo car, light chassis,frame, little engine, etc etc. Now, reading some of the FAQ and past threads last night, I see that similar letter series engines will swap out fine without having to change all the axles, trannies, and other fun stuff. Now granted, its worth my while, while the engine is out to change things like the clutch, belts, wires, fuel pump, etc etc. But lets face it, money or no money, a new tranny and axles is expensive. So...question is...what the hell series engine do I have!?!?! I know that sounds SOO stupid, but 3 hours on the internet and this forum last night and I couldn't find an answer. if I have a b-series engine, unlikely, Im gonna save the tranny and axles till later, Im a bit anxious ,

what ch'all think?

and yeah, why would you want to go from stick to auto? i dont get it.

anywho, thanks for all the help, you guys rock!
-wheel

dude... you have to get everything... you have like a d15 or some shit.. i dont know stock engines.. sorry... but i know the other shit... but dont worry... if you purchase from those sites... its gonna be like 1500 less then from honda... and it will have EVERYTHING you need.... so just take the 1500 you saved get the motor rebuild at a machine shop... and at the same time drop in some fun toys