Hi, I spent 40 minutes searching and reading and came up with no information. Useless info any ways. Everyone is always replying, "it's not worth it." Yes it is, if you want a daily driver with a new engine.

Well, back to my question. I need the info so I could have it as a daily driver. I just want a new engine in my '94 LS and that's the cheapest one.

That's not my race car. My race car is an '94 NSX.

Can someone please direct me to some information on doing the swap, ie... what I need or don't need.

I was looking at buying this:

http://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/sc...age&item=30001

 

the b16 will bolt right into your stock mounts. the thing about getting a b16a is the cable clutch/tranny situation, unless you plan on bolting up your stock ls tranny. cause the b16a is cable and your car is hydro. i'm not sure about wiring, someone else will have to answer on that one.

 

differrent OBDs too....i cant remember though which is which... but yeah....you'll probably spend more money getting that thing to work on your car than anything else...i was going to go with that for my Civic but there was too much work on converting it to work for my car..that well...im going with the LS motor....

 

You will have a lot of problems getting the one you linked to to work. Aside from the issues listed above, that engine uses a cable activated clutch while your car is hydrolock, and that engine is pre OBD and you need an OBD I computer, that engine will also be at least 12 years old (you said new engine in your post). They stopped making 1st gen B16A in either 91 or 92. If you want to use a JDM engine, your better off saving up your money and going with a 2nd gen B16A (or the USDM B16A3).

Since the motor is JDM, you will have to remove your stock wiring harness and swap it over to the new engine, as well as add the wires for VTEC and the knock sensor (the JDM harness is designed for right hand drive cars so everything is backwards). Since your LS is OBD I (pre '96) the ECU will plug right in and the wiring harness should swap right over (I never tried it myself before but it should). Here's a link to the motor you want.

http://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/sc...age&item=30004

From what I can tell from the site, this package does not come with shift linkage or axles (the next one down on the page does), but since you have an Integra already, you should be able to reuse your old stuff.

I won't lecture you on the lack of torque of a B16A as opposed to a 1.8L engine, I'm sure you'll get enough of that, but good luck with the swap and let us know how it goes.

 

Thanks for all the great information.

Hey, if I was to get the one you posted:

http://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/sc...age&item=30004

then would it be "a drop" in as far as mechanical stuff...ie...motor mounts. Since it has a hydro tranny. I think I'm more worried about the motor mounts and axels. If anyone have any info on what axels to use and whether or not I can use the old mounts. Remember, this is a daily driver for me, so I don't really want to buy extra parts that will jack up the price to equal to a B18C, or I would've just gotten a B18C anyways. I was hoping, I would stay around $2000 for the low mileage motor. I didn't mean "brand new motor." I just meant a low mileage motor so I could keep driving my integra for a long time. I love integras.

I've done a few H22's and F20's into accords and prelude, but haven't done any studies on B series.

Also, I'm an Electronics Engineer, so I'm not worried about the wiring. I've done quite a few ECU swaps before on the H series and once on a 91 HF CRX with the same motor as listed above from hmotorsonline also. (OBD0 to OBD1 conversion, had to rewire all the wires, because I don't like to spend money on a conversion harness.)

Thanks for the help and sorry for the long post.

 

This is definately 1 forum you don't have to applogize for long posts.

As far as I know, you should be able to unbolt the mounts from your engine, and bolt them right onto a 2ng gen B16A and slap it right into your car. To the best of my knowledge, the axles from your B18B should slide right into the B16A's transmission without issue. Like I said, I've never done this kind of swap so I can't say for sure. It's probably going to push your budget over $2000, but I would recommend a new timing belt/water pump and a new clutch along with the standard new belts, hoses. fuel filter, plugs, wires, cap and rotor when you swap the engine in. It will save you the trouble of having to replace those parts later and worse leaving you stranded on the side of the road if the old stuff fails.

It's good you've got the electrical background, but honestly that shouldn't be a big issue with this swap. You'll need to run to the 2 VTEC wires to the ECU and ground the VTEC solenoid along with run the knock sensor wire back to the ECU as well. Everything else should work like normal.

If you don't mind me asking, why are you dumping the B18B? Just want something new or hoping to get some more top end with the VTEC engine? The small displacement of the B16A is going to cost you some very useable torque and may not be the best swap. You'll get the top end which is great for racing, but you spend most of your day (you mentioned it's your daily driver) in the 2000-5000 rpm range which is the B18B's extra torque will shine and below the B16A's 5500 rpm VTEC switchover point. Just something to consider.

 

Hmm, your right with the torgue Andy. But, it shouldn't be that great of a deal would it?

I'm swapping it because the old engine and tranny has 150K on it now and I would like to drive the car down to California this July or something. Therefore, I would like to swap in a low mileage motor and the cheapest one is the B16A. I would love the B18C, but it's over the budget and it's not going to be raced, so that's why I was looking at the B16A.

The other engines would have to be over the $3K range. So that's why the B16A is a candidate.

Okay, since the second Gen B16A will fit, then that's perfect. My B18B is still running strong, so I guess I'll throw that into my 92 civic hatch later on, just to run in town.

Thanks for all the help Andy.

 

If your moving to CA, you may have issues passing emissions with a JDM engine. I don't know the specific laws since I'm in PA, and I believe as long as you keep everything hooked up and leave the cat on it will pass a sniffer test, but you probably won't pass a visual without jumping through some legal hoops. I don't know specificaly what you have to do, and the internet version changes every time someone tells it, but it's something I would keep in mind.

I still say stick with the B18B. The difference in torque means you'll be downshifting everytime you have to go up a hill. My '98 EX (with the stock D16Y8) sometimes needs 3rd gear to really pull up certain hills. My '92 CX with a B18C1 would go up just fine in 5th. The light weight CX had something to do with, but I think the bigger displacement 1.8L engine had more (at 2500-3000, the VTEC wasn't much of an issue). I was actually shopping for a B20 for my '98 EX (I still have all the GS-R tranny stuff, but sold the long block) but I decided to go back to school and money's getting tight. I was really curious what the extra displacement of that engine would have done for me.

For a $2000 budget you could freshen up the B18B with a new set of rings and maybe a set of new cams. I was looking at the Crower 402 or 403's for the B20 I never bought. They offer good power throughout the powerband and get some respectable top end gains as well. If your compressions good and the clutch is up for it, a small turbo isn't out of the question on $2000 either. I just like to make people's lives harder by giving them more options.

 

Options are great.

I'm not moving to Cali, but just taking a 3.5 week driving trip. Anyways, I guess you're right.

Okay, now I'm looking at putting this:
http://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/sc...age&item=30004
into my 92 Civic DX. I'll do some more search and see what I need on that.

Thanks again Andy.

 

If you do want that B16a to work and are looking for the cheapest way around everything then you can get a bare b16a and use your Intake mani, ls tranny, ls distro "not sure if it will work", ls everything on your b16a. then all you need to do is get an OBD1 ECU that has VTEC and you just run 3 wires. That is if you want VTEC. Goodluck with whatever you do. I read all the other replys and there all great. Im just posting my opinion if your looking to get something good at a cheap price.