I'm planning on swapping my engine out, and wanted to ask if anyone knows of any issues with the process.

I'm replacing a 1.6l from my '97 LX with a JDM 1.5l (D15B-l). I've heard theres some issues with 'americanizing' the engine, something to do with the crank gear...but I havent found any info on it from searching the internet.

Other than that, will there be any issues swapping? Do I need to know anything before starting?

 

Which D15B is it?

88-91 non-VTEC (spark plugs towards back edge of valve cover)
92-95 VTEC (VTEC solenoid on rear-left corner of head)
or
96-00 3-stage VTEC (VTEC solenoid on rear-left corner of head, has two solenoids built into it instead of 1)

And what state do you live in? Some states have strict emissions and you have to setup the JDM engine to comply with emissions

 

If you're merely replacing a blown / worn out engine for daily driving, use only the main engine itself: the block / head, valve cover, and oil pan. Take the external parts (in particular the manifolds, flywheel, crank pulley, and distributor) off of your old engine and reuse them. This setup should pass smog checks in states other than California. There, they might actually check the model numbers of all the parts.