hi everyone,

i got so much good help with my gfs integra...now i have a 98 Civic EX. im trying to read as much as i can to get a good understanding of what ive got and so i dont have to ask everyone stupid questions (i just sold my jeep, so i know how the boards can be with newbies).

from what i understand i have a SOHC VTEC 1.6L? engine D16Y8. 5 speed tranny. if anyone has any good links about what i can do with this so i can read up and not bother everyone thatd be great, but this is my main question:

is this engine worth throwing ANY money into? is it a good base for minor/major modifications? i dont need a list or anything, but maybe links to good write ups?

i know you'd all like to know my goals with it, but honestly, i dont know yet. i had a jeep that i poured all kinds of money into and im not sure if i'd like to do that with the honda or not, we'll see.

sorry for the really dumb question. thanks!

mike

 

I'm in a good mood today.

I own a 97 EX, and like your car, the engine is a D16Y8 with 5sp manual transmission. This SOHC engine is designed to be an economy engine. That means that it's got displacement, small intake, small exhaust. It already has a stock 4-2-1 exhaust header designed for good low-mid range torque; with tubes narrower than the aftermarket ones. The intake/header/exhaust path barely does anything noticeable, but it helps a little. Note that, though you tend to lose low end torque, which means a lot on the street where you can't stay in the high rpms.

VTEC on the SOHC D16Y8 engages around 5500 rpm, and the 2nd profile is designed primarily for a smooth transition into higher rpms (as opposed to the B16 VTEC which is a more aggressive profile for power).

The best option for street power is the Edelbrock turbo kit. Everything comes with the kit, and most of all **it's already tuned for all the parts in the kit and the engine**. Tuning is a vital part of doing major modifications like a turbo, and it takes expertise, lots of expensive tools, dyno sessions, etc. With the Edelbrock kit, everything is done for you... with a 40+ hp increase.

If you just want a cool whistling sound intake with a tiny bit of performance increase in the mid and upper rpm (at some expense at the low), get an AEM CAI.

An engine swap to a B16 is cool, but I'm not big on having mismatching VIN numbers, since one day I know I'll sell the car.

Besides power, improving handling makes the car very fun to drive. Start with the wheels and tires. Your car's stock wheels are 14" steel rims. Find some lightweight 15" rims or get the 99-00 civic Si 15" rims and put some sticky rubber on them. (I like Yokohama ES100s, because they are cheap, and great bang for the buck). 16"s are probably ok too, and even 17, but just be aware that as you go bigger, it's heavier and more inertia... which is bad for acceleration with itty bitty low torque engines like the D16.

Add a rear sway bar (99-00 si rear sway is a bolt on).

Change the whole suspension. Because this is a street car that I want to make more fun to drive, I put on H&R OE Sport springs which are ~20% stiffer than stock and only lower the car 0.5-0.75"; paired with KYB AGX adjustable shocks.

Urethane bushings for the sway bar, shifter, and suspension components (except the rear trailing arm bushing), but NOT for the engine mounts (too much vibration). For the engine mounts, instead, get Mugen rubber mounts.

The point is, unless you're making a track car or single off road application, you want to maintain the balance of performance/reliability/comfort of a street car. After looking into this for my car (same as your car), the above is the summary of my conclusions for improving our street cars.

 

i think your car is worth spending money on...first of all its a manual tranny...second, honad engines can always be modified and without too much $$ either...in my opinion, go for it!

 

yeah of course any honda engine can be modified, but doing intake/headers/exhaust and calling it a day on a d-series is useless. for the cost of i/h/e u can do a cheap turbo setup and make 10x the power u would with i/h/e untuned.

 

If you have some cash go with the Edelbrock turbo kit. Very nice kit

 

For a D16Y8, the only way you will ever be fast is with FI.

www.turbod16.com is a great site for turbo d series engines.

The best way for you to learn about your car while you are new is to go on several different honda message boards and use the search button. Just about any question you have has already been answered. If you cannot find something, or something is unclear make a post about it. For getting good info on honda's, this site and honda-tech.com have been the most useful for me.

 

thanks everyone for the responses. i dont know if ive got the flow for a turbo kit. i just basically wanted to know if this engine was worth anything or if i should just not bother. if theres one thing i learned in my jeepin days is that you should do it right the first time. i guess this engine wouldnt put me at an immediate disadvantage. my plan right now is to leave it stock for a little while and see how i like it. maybe i'll catch the bug later on. for my wallet's sake, i hope not, but im sure it'll happen

mike

 

It's a great running engine and you will get great gas mpg. It is very reliable. It has the best transmission of any D series.

If you are looking for a really fast car it won't be, but if that isn't your goal it shouldn't matter.

 

It depends on your goals. If you want a reliable, fun to drive STREET car with 170hp AND get over 30mpg, then do it right with the Edelbrock turbo kit for the D16Y8.

If you want to build a monster drag car, a track car, a rally car, etc... maybe you should just buy a different car; cuz to sink enough money to transform this car into one of those, you might as well have started off with one of those platforms.

Honda designed the civic to strike a great balance in economy, utility, comfort, nimbleness, and a little sportyish feel. Staying along those lines will yield the biggest headstart... so in my opinion, it is easiest to make the civic a great street car (or autox car) rather than make it a drag/track/rally/etc. So if street is your goal, then you need to add power, maintain street legalness, and maintain reasonable fuel economy. And unless you have a lot of tuning knowledge, the ease of the Edelbrock kit is clearly the best power/legal/easy route to go. The Edelbrock kit is already CARB certified legal in all 50 states, no custom job is.

SO WE'RE TELLING YOU: get the Edelbrock kit, it is a RIGHT way.