Motors, Trannys, Swaps LOOK HERE FIRST!!! - Tuner-Junction

XLR8 · #1 (**permalink**) March 7th, 2006, 02:30 PM

Definitions
VTEC: Variable Valve Timing and Electronic lift Control. What the hell does that mean? Go here: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question229.htm
SOHC: Single Over Head Camshafts. One in or above each cylinder head to operate both the exhaust valves and the intake valves.
DOHC: Dual Over Head Camshafts. One for intake, one for exhaust.
JDM: Japanese Domestic Market
USDM: United States Domestic Market
EDM/UKDM: European / United Kingdom Domestic Market

Deciphering Engine Codes
You can see what motor you have by checking the block stamp. It is located near the exhaust manifold, and is a little square area with the code etched in it. To decipher it, I will use the B16A as an example.
B: The engine series
16: Displacement, in this case 1.6 litres.
A: Model/generation of the motor.
B16A comes in a CR-X siR, B16B comes in a Civic Type R. Similar engine code, but quite different motors.
USDM and EDM/UKDM motors have a 5th numeric digit afterwards (ex. B16A1). JDM motors ALWAYS have only 4 digits. This is a good way to distunguish if a motor is mAd TyTe JdM yO.

The Powerplant
To start off, lets point out some kinds of motors to get.

JDM Motors: The good thing with JDM motors is the ones available to us commonly have only 35,000 - 50,000 kms. on them. They also usually have a bit more power, from better ECU maps, possible higher compression ratio, and less restrictions.
VTEC Motors: If you get a motor with VTEC, you're going to have to get a new distributor, ECU, and wire harness (complete swap packages will include these), since our cars didn't come with VTEC stock. It's not a lot of work, but wiring is a pain in the ass. You will probably get better fuel economy when not in the VTEC powerband as well.

If you bought an HF or DX model CR-X, the best thing you could do is swap that powerless motor out for something a little more peppy. Also, even if you have an si, if it has high mileage (200,000 miles, which isn't uncommon for a car this old) you may want to swap it out or rebuild it. Otherwise it would be like taking a 60 year old man and training him for a marathon. He might be able to do it, but he's 60 years old and his body will never keep up to someone who is 20.

Now, for what motor to get. The cheapest solution would be to stay within the D series family, since this is what comes stock in our cars. Because of this, if you want something like a B series (ex. B16A), you're going to have to buy new motor mounts, which can cost somewhere from $400+. Also, most people like to swap out their D series for a B series, so if you could find one locally with say 100,000 miles on it, it would probably cost you a couple hundred, and still run strong. There is also some JDM D series motors you can get such as the D15B (SOHC VTEC with ~130hp), SOHC ZC (JDM equivalent to D16A6 with ~116hp), SOHC ZC VTEC (JDM equivalent to D16Z6 with ~130hp) and the DOHC ZC (with ~130hp).

There are lots of other, different series motors as well, one of the most common being a B16A (B series, 1.6l, DOHC VTEC ~160-170hp depending on generation). A few other motors such as B16B, B18A/B, B18C etc can be used as well. B series motors are very sought after because they come as DOHC VTEC, better top end, more stock power, and have a bigger aftermarket. You can also go with an H series or F series, but those aren't so common and require a lot of work, especially the H22A from a Prelude. We're getting a little bit off track now.

The Transmission
The reason a lot of people on a budget stay with a D series is if you have an si transmission, all you have to do it get the motor. With a different series motor like B or H, you need to get a new tranny with it. Different motor series parts do not bolt up. A D series tranny will not work on a B series motor. Also, our cars came with cable actuated clutches for our transmissions. A lot of B series motors come with a hydraulic actuated clutch. This means if you decide to get a newer generation B series with a hydro tranny, you're going to have to buy a mount kit for that too.
If you are going to do a motor swap, it would be a good idea to crack open that tranny and have a look inside. That way you can see if it has any grinds on the gears, and how beat up it is. Keep in mind that most Honda tranny's have a "click" into second or third gear due to shitty syncros. This only happens if you're actually taking the car to redline and/or power shifting. My si tranny does it sometimes into second gear if I'm giving her hell, but if you're careful and practice it probably wont happen. If I shift perfectly, it doesn't click.

What Do YOU Want?
Now that we have some basic knowledge under the belt, it's time to figure out what's right for you. So before you make a thread about what swap you should get, answer these questions:

1. What will you be using the car for (daily driver, track, drag)?
2. What is your budget to work with?
3. What is your HP goal?
4. Do you want to go forced induction or all motor?

Links
Here's a few general links to get started with.

Motors, trannys, parts OH MY: http://www.hmotorsonline.com
Mount kits: http://www.hasport.com
Maintenance parts: http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com
General info: http://www.howstuffworks.com

I will be adding more and/or editing later. Anyone who wishes to add to this, please feel free to do so. However, I do ask that you be specific when adding anything, and make sure you got the facts straight!