i'm marci. i'm new. hi.

anyway, i've got my sights set on a 1991 CRX hf, with a b18c inside. my question (which may be a stupid one, but oh well) is that when i go to do mods-- specifically, a cold air intake-- will i have to get a cold air for a b18c5 or a 91 crx? how do i know which one will fit before i buy it? basically- will an intake for a b18c fit in the bay of a 91 crx? also-- will the engine fit nicely or be a headache to get in? one more question... how much will the swap run for?

 

damn, can anyone help me?

 

You can swap that motor in, but your going to have some issues. The first issue is mounts. A B-series anything will not bolt into a CRX. Several companies make mount kits to fit B-series engines into older chassis and most of the bugs have been worked out but they aren't free. From what I've heard, HASport seems to be one of the better ones out there.

Second issue, tranny. A B18C5 comes stock with a hydro tranny (meaning the clutch is moved by a hydrolock system, like your brakes). A CRX use a cable to activate the clutch. I've heard of people converting a EF (or '88-'91 Civic or CRX) to hydro, but it never works out right. The easiest solution is to use the a cable tranny from a JDM 1st gen B16A. I believe they are very close in gearing to a B18C5, but may have a lower final drive (just from what I've read). Some JDM trannies also have factory LSD's, but it won't be as new as a B18C5's would be.

Third issue, ECU. A B18C5 will have an OBD II ECU while your car is a pre-OBD car. That means the ECU will not plug into your in-car harness and is basically useless to you (but very valuable, B18C5 ECU's are hard to come by). You can use the JDM 1st gen B16A ECU, but your fuel maps won't be perfect and the fuel cutoff about 400-500 rpm earlier. I've read about a reprogramable ECU from Zydne that is for EF/pre-OBD cars but I don't know much about it.

Scare you out of it yet? It is possible, but it won't be simple. For the same amout of headches and money, you could probably just buy a complete JDM first gen B16A, a mount kit to make it fit and stuff it with new pistons/rings, a new set of good cams/valvetrain along with some head work and a tunable computer (and maybe even a new aftermarket LSD) for just the cost of a B18C5 and run circles around just about anything out there. Save up a little more, skip the cams and head work and go with a turbo if your interested in raw power. B18C5's are great motors and very powerful right out of the box, but not always the most cost effective solution.

 

hmm.

i was going to go with the hasport b-series mounts (the EFB1 kit), but you brought a whole bunch of new issues to light. thanks

 

Glad I could help. Like I said, it's not impossible to do the swap, but it won't be the simplist swap either. I'm not personally a big fan of Type R engine swaps. I realize it's a rare and desireable engine but there are better alternatives out there, at least from a cost standpoint, which is important if your working on a budget.

Another thing you might consider is trading up to a new car too. Even though your is the last years of the CRX's, it's still almost a 13 year old car. '92-'95 Civic's are easier to swap (hydro tranny, OBD I ECU's, bolt in without mount kits) are getting cheaper and cheaper (I bought my '92 for $950 3 years ago) and will have less problems down the road. I've even seen EK ('96-'00) hatches for around $4000 occasionally. After 10 years, a cars electrical system and structural integrity have got to start to break down. I don't mean that to be a knock against your car, just something to think about, especially if you really wanted a B18C5.