Although I've owned a bunch of Hondas, my knowledge of engine and transmission swaps (as well as engine code numbers) is next to nothing.
Suppose someone found an 89 Civic DX hatch with a rust free body and an automatic for about a grand. If you wanted to make a track day weapon out of it (not a drag car and not bound by any rules other than safety stuff), how would you attack it?
How much money?
K swap, w/6spd, or a B swap, w5/spd. Boost or no boost, or even a built D series could be options. Hondas are like legos.
later, matt
I don't think a 6 speed is necessary. What 5 speed and are they a difficult swap into an automatic shell?
K-Series or H-Series are doable, but more expensive and complex. For a track rat, the B-Series is the easiest to source, easiest to swap, easiest to mod, and most thoroughly tested. I have run a D16 Civic against a B18 Civic on the track and believe me, you want the B.
Which engine depends on what your budget is. A rough idea would help. A b series will be much easier in that car than a h or k but those are doable.
Tossing a stick in an auto - not horrible but it does add some more work. Hopefully the swap you buy will be complete and you'll need to find some pedals. If it's a track rat you might not care about interior bits.
One cam, one love. I'll stand by the SOHC D-series because they're cheap & reliable. They are power limited w/o boost.
I did a 5spd swap on the sedan I just sold. Pretty easy, trans, shift linkage, pedal cluster, ECU is optional.
dig around on ef-honda.com
so many options on there from uber cheep ~200bucks to the k-swap mentioned above
I would say keep it grass roots and get a b18 out of a base integra in there. No one wants a b swap any more so it should be cheap.
FWIW, I'd rather have an Si for 2 grand than a DX for 1 grand. Yes, the DX can be built, but with some headaches.
Having owned a '92 Civic CX that had a swapped B18 in it....you would be amazed at how much extra power you get for so little (compared to a H or K swap). Even a mildly built B16 will give you a very solid basis for further mods/power.
Stock B-Series is cheap and fast. A B16 EF would be a killer track car.
K-series is still hard to do PROPERLY for less than uberdollars. By the time you by all of the bits to adapt it to the EF, it'll end up costing a fortune.
how about a (mostly stock) B20 with a 5 speed? I somehow doubt a 10 year old CR-V motor is all that expensive, even with all the goodies to go with it...
Autolex wrote: how about a (mostly stock) B20 with a 5 speed? I somehow doubt a 10 year old CR-V motor is all that expensive, even with all the goodies to go with it...
I like the sound of that.
DILYSI Dave wrote: FWIW, I'd rather have an Si for 2 grand than a DX for 1 grand. Yes, the DX can be built, but with some headaches.
QFT. With the DX, you do get a lighter car to begin with, but on anything but an SI you will have to convert it to multi-port injection. It is a pain.
Either way, cheapest bet is to leave the D-series motor in there; they are a potent little motor and the transmissions are all but bulletproof.
I don't know that I would ever tell dave to QFT... but hey, it's not like he knows anything about hondas or anything....
sobe_death wrote:DILYSI Dave wrote: FWIW, I'd rather have an Si for 2 grand than a DX for 1 grand. Yes, the DX can be built, but with some headaches.QFT. With the DX, you do get a lighter car to begin with, but on anything but an SI you will have to convert it to multi-port injection. It is a pain. Either way, cheapest bet is to leave the D-series motor in there; they are a potent little motor and the transmissions are all but bulletproof.
The dpfi-mpfi conversion is documented and may not be that difficult:
http://hondaswap.com/swap-articles/dpfi-mpfi-writeup-49557/
http://www.vadriven.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-139788.html
http://rywire.com/store/faqdesk_info.php?faqPath=2&faqdesk_id=19&osCsid=4068dae195a9ec2a4fc43600454ba72e
Autolex wrote: I don't know that I would ever tell dave to QFT... but hey, it's not like he knows anything about hondas or anything....
It means Quoted For Truth....
ahh, most people use the QFT reference to "Quit berkeleying Talking" I musta read that incorrectly! 
In reply to Autolex:
HAHA!! for the LONGEST time I thought the same thing! It seems most people here uset the "quoted for truth" meaning so I just adopted that version instead
Autolex wrote: ahh, most people use the QFT reference to "Quit berkeleying Talking" I musta read that incorrectly!
I've only known it as "quoted for truth"--sometimes know as "troof".
Anyway, sonic once did a beautiful B20 swap into a mint 2nd gen CRX--looked factory. It was the 125hp B20, so it was still a bit of a dog, but it held its own at the strip. Owner later turboed it and it went horribly wrong from there--typical Honda turbo project.
gamby wrote: ...Anyway, sonic once did a beautiful B20 swap into a mint 2nd gen CRX--looked factory...
That's my next project car... am 89-91 Civic/CRX with a B20/B20vtec. :)
gamby wrote:Autolex wrote: ahh, most people use the QFT reference to "Quit berkeleying Talking" I musta read that incorrectly!I've only known it as "quoted for truth"--sometimes know as "troof". Anyway, sonic once did a beautiful B20 swap into a mint 2nd gen CRX--looked factory. It was the 125hp B20, so it was still a bit of a dog, but it held its own at the strip. Owner later turboed it and it went horribly wrong from there--typical Honda turbo project.
B20s aren't real boost friendly. Relatively fragile sleeves.
In reply to Woody:
How about a 3.5 or other V-6 in the back seat? I kept a parts car around for a couple years thinking I would do that, but never got around to it. It would be a lot of work, but I think it would be killer. Or consider this: I had a '91 CRX-si that I used for street and driver's schools/track days. I quickly realized that while it handled well, it was way too slow down the straights and out of the corners. This was before turbo kits, so I turbo'd it myself. It didn't cost me much, was pretty simple, and at 5-8 psi boost on the stock block, ran really well and over the 8 years I had it, it never had a failure.
gamby wrote: Anyway, sonic once did a beautiful B20 swap into a mint 2nd gen CRX--looked factory. It was the 125hp B20, so it was still a bit of a dog, but it held its own at the strip. Owner later turboed it and it went horribly wrong from there--typical Honda turbo project.
That was a fun car. It installed just like a B18B. It was a JDM spec B20, I think the 140 hp version, but good torque. some mild cams and an hour on the dyno REALLY woke it up, like a 30+ hp jump. Too bad Alex had to go and berkeley it up by trying to do the turbo install himself.
I can't believe the F/H swap hasn't come up yet. I really can't believe I didn't bring it up.
You need a D-series tranny (which works well, since that's what the car was designed for, and it has 3 of the 4 engine mounts on it). Bisimoto H2D kit. And an F or H engine. F's are dirt cheap, H's are still way cheaper than B's.
I read of one H2D, full interior, stock internals, I/H/E, ended up mid 13's.
xci_ed6 wrote: I can't believe the F/H swap hasn't come up yet. I really can't believe I didn't bring it up. You need a D-series tranny (which works well, since that's what the car was designed for, and it has 3 of the 4 engine mounts on it). Bisimoto H2D kit. And an F or H engine. F's are dirt cheap, H's are still way cheaper than B's. I read of one H2D, full interior, stock internals, I/H/E, ended up mid 13's.
Eh... you can turn that up to 11 for pretty cheap.
F23 bottom end, insert K20 Type S pistons, H22a head, H2B conversion with a GSR or B16 transmission. In an EG or EF, that would probably dip low 12s.
http://www.importtuner.com/tech/impp_0902_k24_vtec_versus_g23_vtec_tech_knowledge/index.html
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