hey guys, i live in so cal and emissions are a real bitch here. anyways, i would like to get a header for my 96 civic DX. i have found a heck-of-alot for the ex models because i think the cat is not mounted right off the engine/exhaust mani like mine is. i need it to be carb legal/exempt but i have not found any for the dx model. is there some kind of setup that i could do to put the header on and possibly relocate the cat to keep everything legal? any input would be much appreciated, thanks.

 

have you checked all the brands like DC Sports and GReddy and Injen and.......running on no sleep so i cant think of any more.

 

The reason why there are not many out there is b/c of the cat mounted to the exhaust manifold.

You can go the expensive route and convert your exhaust to EX spec, but its not worth the $$ for the minimal gains.

 

yes, i can appreciate that. i already have aem intakem, what can i do next with the dx? for about two seconds i wanted to put in a vtec head (i know it is not a simple undertaking), or possibly a turbo kit.... any help on what i can do next would be great. thanks.

 

not much is out there for that motor. it is probably has the least amount of aftermarket parts because of the emissions equiptment.

you can always swap for the K20...and go from there in the future

 

ok the K20 looks like it is a better engine, but also at the same time pretty expensive. i was thinking about a partial vtec swap, i think "ls vtec"? like i just want to replace the head and some wires and do i need to:
add an oil line
a new ecu
wires

how about that swap instead, can i get a good condition used head? do i need some kind kit or can i just re-wire my ecu without it throwing a code? what about the final cost and actual gains from this frankstein-esk engine. where do you recomend getting parts for the swap, junkyard for the head? thanks.


oh btw this also has to be completly cali friendly.


i am open to other engine swaps, i have been searching and there is loads of info on this(not always good info) and i am haveing a hard time determining what would be the best route. haveing a vtec engine would be really cool and just swapping out the head seems to be the most affordable, but let me know what you guys think. thanks again.

 

The LS VTEC route is cheaper and makes more torque, but will not pass emissions in California (visual). There are also reliability issues since you will want to consider somebody who has done the conversion before. You can swap the B16A (93-96 Del Sol DOHC VTEC or 99-00 Civic Si) or the B18C (Integra GSR) if you want to go the VTEC route. Those will be able to pass emissions (visual and sniffer).

If you want to spend less or plan to turbo in the future, a B18B (Integra RS/LS) is a good swap.

 

ok where would be the best place to get an complete engine package? i saw some on ebay, but i am not too sure about all of that. sometimes ebay is not all that legit. about how much should i expect to pay and are the JDM motors worth anything if i have to get it through cali inspections? thanks.

 

www.hmotorsonline.com have good prices and clean engines. The only thing you want to request is a u.s. spec motor. California emissions requires you to have a u.s. spec ECU. The motor will pass visual as long as you have all the required emission equiptment. Getting a japanese motor to pass is a hit or miss.

 

ok, well the motor swap is a little far off for me right now because a whole swap is like 3 grand plus shipping. is there any kit sold that i can convert my exhaust to an ex system legally? i really would like a headder, if worst comes to worst is this worth anything?.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT


will this even fit my car now? how loud will it be? thanks for the input.