Noob Swap Question

[civicbsi]

hey all, i am swapping out my dead 96 lx motor for a new one. I am wondering if the Honda Civic SIR2 170hp B16A2 2nd Generation DOHC VTEC engine i saw on ebay would do me the justice i want it too. Also want kind of work will be needed besides the ovbious? Will i be able to use my stock wire hardness and swap the ecu's? and axles as well- will i need to change them when going from a auto to manual tranny. I assume i will need engine mounts as well but again i am not too sure. I believe the b16 is the way to go but would a b18 be better? help me out please cause i need to make a desicion soon to get back on the road. Thanks in adv ance for all the imput

[Calesta]

The SiR2 is generally an OBD1 setup. Your 96 Civic uses an OBD2 system. You would be better served with an OBD2 engine, not OBD1.

Axles- you'll definitely have to change them, because the B series transmission uses an intermediate shaft and equal length axles. Your D series transmission does not. You can use your stock wiring harness if you're using an OBD2 engine, but some people still like to swap them out. You generally only have to change a few wires and add VTEC for a same-OBD B16.

Engine choice... I would go with the B18. You'll have a lot more torque than the B16 and be almost as fast for less money, and you don't have to wire for VTEC. You can always add boost or VTEC later if you want- and you'll have more power because of the added displacement. A straight B18B swap into your car might cost $3000, plus the cost of converting to a manual transmission. A B16 swap will cost more, and leave you searching for more torque.

[simplegreen]

i dont reall think he knows which is which.. he's said SiR2 but b16A2 their two diff OBD models.. you want jdm or usdm?

[civicbsi]

to be honest i would rather have jdm but this was an unplanned. i blew the engine, which sux. i had planned to do an engine swap but that was suppossed to be in the future, not now. i just wanna get my car back on the road, but if im gonna do a swap i wanna get a good engine. a kid i know has a b18 and an ecu set up for auto tranny. my car is an auto also, so that way i wouldnt have to do a tranny swap. to be honest tho, i would much rather have a manual,i love to drive and it gives u such a better feeling. i found a jdm b16 from a different place than ebay for 2600 with everything, ecu hydro tranny axles ect. not sure which way to go cause i dont knwo how the b18 compares to the b16. any info u have that will help me out is appreciated, cause i have everything else done to my car but the engine, and i want to get the right engine for my car. thanks for all the help

[simplegreen]

well first off 2600 for a b16 is high. there are quite a few factors which factors into picking the best motor for you.

a lot of that can be found here http://www.civicland.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=149

basically if your turning the wrenches i'd say auto b18 give yo a little more pep stock (but hell not much). if you paying to get the work done. you might wanna opt into the b16 but i wouldnt go jdm if you just want your car running again.. lot of issues comes with that alone.

[civicbsi]

imp:" class="inlineimg" /> thanks for the info on the engine swap, thats exactly what i was looking for. this was unexpected and i do just want to get my car running, but then again, the engine is basically the last thing i have to do before my car is done. i already have all the body work done, rims, kit, paint, exhaust, ect......so i dont wanna get something that is not up to par. the b18 im not sure about b/c i havent seen it or heard it, i dont even knwo how many miles are on it yet. how much is a good price for a b16 or b18 and where do i go to look for them, b/c i need to find one asap......thanks again

[simplegreen]

try www.totaljdm.com ask for herman tell him i sent you over he will take excelent care of you their JDM stuff but you should be able to handle it... as far as the motor blowing..

dude.. thats the only excuse that got my ass in gear now i wish i would have done it sooner

[civicbsi]

imp:" class="inlineimg" /> ok, heres the deal. I dont know if i can afford the b16 from totaljdm.com, but my mechanic found me an engine and i wanted to see what u knew about it. It is an engine with 47000 on it and its from a 99 civic, i believe an ex. i just wanted to know if this engine was decent or if i should try and beg for my parents to help me out with the jdm engine. i got a quote for the engine and the work and it came out to be like 12 - 1500. that i can afford but i dont want to get a shitty engine. also, with this engine i dont have to do a tranny swap cause its an automatic. one last question, with this engine, do i need to swap ecu as well, cause im pretty sure this one is a vtec and mine is not. thanks for all ur help

[simplegreen]

you will need to swap out the harness and ECU (unless you wanna run the additional wires and not get the harness.

IMO ex isn't really worth it you can get a b16 for a little more if you do the work yourself.. or get a friend to help.

I've seen ex's sold for way way way less when i did my swap i sold mine for 500 and I got off real good in that deal i think dan sold his for 400. look around first before you buy that ex

[civicbsi]

imp:" class="inlineimg" /> aight, heres the problem, i wouldnt mind seeing if i could get the b16 and spending a little more money, but i dont think there is any way i could do all the engine work. i dont have any of the equip needed to swap out an engine and a tranny, plus i dont even know where to start with the tranny. so i would be spending an extra 700 or so on the engine, plus i would have to pay someone to put it in. that might be too expensive unless i can get a killer deal from totaljdm.com on the engine. another question on the engine my mechanic found, is it sohc or dohc, and what is the horsepower? thanks again