I just bought a 97 civic ex 5sp, and i want to make it a vtech, which ones do i need to put in, there are so many after looking into it. i want a big one not just the most basic so which one will fit no problem with the most hp like whats the difference between the gsr from a integra or h22 from an accord or the basic engine out of a civic si and a D series or B serieces like B16 or B18 or what? I know im a newbie and i apologize, so if someone doesnt mind to spend time explaining to me i would appreiate this, i want the most Hp i can get for it, i know ill prob need a new tranny but what would be the best set up i could get for a turbo on it, i want this to be sick, if there is a forum that already says the difference in all of them then just direct me to that.
thanks
newbie

 

Okay, first off, welcome to HCF

Now, you have a '97 EX, so you have a d16y8 (that's your engine code); it's actually already a vtec (there's no "h" ) engine, though it's a single overhead cam engine.

Since you're a newbie, here's the basic breakdown of the engine codes:

For example, a B18C1 (USDM Integra GSR):
B = engine series
18 = displacement; 18 would be 1.8L, 16 would be 1.6L, etc.
C = generation
1 = generation subset (first generations typically end in just the letter [ie, B18C] )

For the most part, the D- and F-series engines are SOHC (with the exception of the F20/F22C from the S2000), and the others are DOHC. For the most part, you're going to get more power out of a DOHC mod-for-mod.

As far as common swaps, here's the basic breakdown of what engine is best to swap in, starting with the most power/torque

H22Ax
B18Cx
B18b1
B16Ax
D16z6/D16y8

The H22 sits at 200hp at the crank from the factory (~170hp at the wheels) and 160ft*lbs of torque. A good engine, but if you plan on turbocharging it, there's better options.

The B18C1 is about 170bhp (horsepower at the crank) and ~130ft*lbs of torque; it's a vtec engine, and responds very well to forced induction.

The B18B1 is ~140bhp and ~130ft*lbs of torque, and also responds well to forced induction, but it is not a vtec engine (though it's about $1,000 cheaper to swap in than either the H22 or B18C).

The B16A2 is little more than the engine you already have, but with the addition of a second camshaft. It's about 160bhp and ~110ft*lbs of torque. It's vtec and loves forced induction, but the low torque number means there's better swaps available IMO.

If you swap to any of those engines, you'll need a new transmission, as well as the ECU for that engine and the mounts/axles. The H22 will need custom mounts and axles, but for the B-series, you can use integra axles if I'm not mistaken.

Here's about what you'd be looking at as far as the cost of a swap if you change out the maintenance items before you put the new engine in:

-B18C/H22 ~$4,000
-B18b/B16a ~$3,000


But to be honest, the engine you have right now is a very good engine to turbo if you're not aiming for huge horsepower numbers; you can put down 200whp out of a turbocharged D16y8 with a very conservative tune. Obviously, it's also the cheapest and easiest route.


Hope this helps


*edit: Are you in the United States or Canada? It makes a difference as far as what engine is in what civic (USDM civic ex = d16y8, CDM civic ex = d16y7).

 

well that was a HUGE help, oh and the vtech-vtec thing hahaha i knew that but i have a vtech cordless phone by my computer and just noticed that lol but yeah that was a Huge help thank you so much,
Im from US in Kentucky, someone around me was selling their b18c1 so i was wondering if that would work well or not.
He's selling it for 1000 cuz it has like 100,000 but my friend who is a mechanic says he could rebuild it if it gave me any problems.

 

can you be more specific on the 1000$ for the motor what all does it come with..?
it takes more than just a motor to make it work in a civic

 

No problem.

For the B18C1, you'll need the engine, transmission, shift linkage, motor mounts (from the B18), axles (Acura Integra axles will work), and the ECU for the B18. And like I said earlier, the B18C1 is great for forced induction.

 

I also have a question same situation as i want to swap an engine to a 95 civic 1.5L coupe DX auto trans. that the head gasket blown up twice, what an idiot mechanic did a lousy job. It seems that i need a new tranny as i want to convert to a manual trans. now i need your help for me to decide on which engine should i get. H22...but need custom mounting, maybe its kindda big too and very expensive i found B series is an easy swap like B18C1 so maybe i would go with this. Any advice are welcome. Thanks.

 

first you need to decide on how much hp you are wanting, also how much you are wanting to spend and a few other decisions, have you thought about just building your current motor and turbo..? and do a manual swap. also look around your area ex: craigslist and stuff to see what motors are avaliable to you and als what state you live in and what about emmissions and inspections.

 

Thanks. My stock engine it only has 125hp/106torque according to the specs and i want to add more at least 50 on both. I dont want to spend over two thousand dollars as i need to do some others things later like covert it to manual. Im not really interested on turboing because it need alot of maintenance.

 

Well, you're going to have to be amazingly lucky to swap in an engine with 175/160 for under $2k.

Also, turbo cars really aren't a lot of maintenance (trust me, I'm a subaru tech; I work on turbocharged cars on a regular basis); change the oil every 2,000-3,000 miles with synthetic, and when you go to shut it off (if the engine's hot), let it idle for 30 seconds to a minute before you turn it off and get out. That's about it.

 

Do you know if i can turbo this kind of engine? Is it possible? Can you give me a list of parts that i need to buy? Things i've done so far on the engine are AEM intake and DC headers only those two and also is it possible to convert to vtec by replacing the head to a vtec SOHC? Also need a new tranny to convert from auto to manual. i prefer not to replace the whole engine i would be enough for me if i can see some good result by adding turbo, vtec head and performance exaust system. Your help would greatly appreciated. Thanks.