D16z6 What Do You Think?

[imported_bricrx]

go with the z6 head mini me swap...cheaper than a whole engine and less work....

[imported_KOOL-AID]

well im dropping a d16z6 into my 91 civic 4dr. i also got the p28 ecu from a del sol so i had to convert my harness to obd 1 it wasnt that bad but i wish i could drop my new engine now but im out of cash and i want to get an act clutch and flywheel kit while the engine is out so im going to hold out.....but i think the d16z6 is a great choice im also going to turbo out my 4dr so id suggest get the d16z6 and smoke those b-series even though i wanted a b16a!!!!! id rather have a sohc under my hood and when i smoke my friends they'll know whats up!!!

[imported_biocac]

Here's what I'm talking about!


- image stolen from www.d-series.org -

d-16zc all the way.

My bud Corey just did this swap and it's unbelievable!
Now I've just got to convince him to bolt on some goodies!

[imported_methenolcrx]

I think if I were to move from an hf to a mini-me or to a sohc vtec I would opt to go the zc route for around the same money,it has some nice potential and is easy to swap into that car. Who knows maybe you could boost a zc and get some nice hp #s. I am a B-series guy tho.

[Vtec_Power]

i got a question and its not my intention to hijack this thread, but would it be a good move to swap a d16z6 for a ZC? in a 1992 civic ex sedan?

[Calesta]

Nope.

[imported_theemaddhatterr]

to wire up the VTEC u can go 3 ways the nice(expensive) way is to swap the whole car to obd1 but you can go getto and use a 88-91 si ecu and hook the vtec up to a rpm actavation switch easy to hook up and cheap and if you really want to go factory just get a 90-91 si/ex auto ecu it was to be auto what you do is run the vtec to the ecu and use turboedit and burn a chip with a d16z6 maps on it and install it into the ecu the lock up silonod is what will triger the VTEC thats way it has to be an automatic

[mikebreezy]

regarding d16y8 and z6 heads (z6 being obd1 92-95 sohc vtec and y8 is i think 96-00 obd2) i cant say i know the flow bench cc's but i do know that there is a major difference in the type of combustion chamber in favor of the d16y8. the y8 head is called a pentproof design, as opposed to an open chamber. basically the combustion chamber has two flat spots on the perimeter of the chamber, sort of like islands, that do a few things. the simpler is to raise compression slightly, making a little more horsepower, the second is to create more turbulence in the combustion process by pinching the swirling charge away from the cylinder walls and in toward the center of the combustion chamber where the flame front can reach and burn it. cool gasses that are trapped along the cylinder walls and do not burn completely will build up and eventually auto-ignite causing detonation.
i know it sounds funny, controlling detonation by raising compression, but its the design more than the ratio that counts. it doesnt bother me if you dont believe me, but look at serious purpose built turbo racing pistons. the compression is low but they are never flat tops. a turbo piston's sides raise to the same height as a high comp. piston, but the compression is reduced by milling a pocket in the crown. basically a dish right? so why not just put the wrist pin higher so that the piston sits down lower in the bore, lowering compressiong and saving the manufacturer from more time on the cnc mill? because flat tops dont squeeze the charge to the center, therefore gasses are allowed to sit stagnant on the cylinder wall and detonate.
this is more pronounced on high compression engines because the raised dome of the piston gets in the way of the flame front, basically blocking the sides of the combustion chamber. remember, at 8000 rpms there is very little time before the exh valve opens, ending that cylinder's chances of making any more power out of what fuel/air charge we worked so damn hard (intakes, porting, cams, camgears, turbos, tb's etc) to get in there in the first place. its also a big deal for big boost, since having 12 lbs of air forced into a cylinder is sort of like high compression,, the effective compression ratio i think they call it. anyways the pentproofing will push the detonation threshold up a little higher.
the raised sides again scrape left over gases off the cylinder walls and into the middle to prevent detonation. its very possible for a flat top 6:1 piston to ping like crazy while a properly designed 9:1 turbo piston will not.

b16's and type R's use an open combustion chamber design while gsr and h22 heads are both pentproof. look into what the pros are running at the track and most are running gsr's or their ls/vtec has a gsr head. its a much better design regarding horsepower and detonation. "cloverleafing" is when a round or open combustion chamber is welded, machined and then hand ground to have 4 islands, making it look square, basically double pentproofing. any honda head can be pentproofed or cloverleafed but why bother when you can pick up a gsr, h22, or y8 that already have it? that covers B, D and H.
y8 heads dont go for under 200 very often, i would say 250-300 and if youve got the ability to handle making the vtec engage i would say go with that. the benefit wont show much in quick horsepower, but it will be a big difference when turning up the boost and you cant get past 9 lbs on 93 with the z6 head ya know? i believe the most effective way to mini-me is with a y8 head and a fields vafc controller which im told has a vtec wire and an adjustable engagement point. i see them on ebay for around 100 pretty often. ive never mini-me'd personally, im into b16s and b18bs


as for sohc d16 vs dohc d16, granted vtec is nice, but the motor is limited by not being able to time the camshaft spot on for intake and seperately for exhaust. there will always be a cam timing compromise. also dohc's tend to rev very well and anything with "VTEC" stamped on it is suddenly worth more. be it a valvecover, ecu, wiring harness or a damn radiator. nonvtecs are cheaper and go good with less wiring to chase.. look at LS motors.