How To: Swap a B18c into a 96-00 Civic
This write up is basically a rough guide of how to swap a b series into your civic. It will be more specific to a b18c going into an 96-00 chassis but most parts it will be the same as long as its a b series going into a civic.
Tools:
- a nice set from craftsman..metric ofcourse...it can be both though...$200-$250 set is fine with mixed standard and metric
- a torque wrench
- a big sturdy pipe for leverage
- Jack and Jack stands..i would spend the extra money and get the 3 ton jack and stands...i did mine with 2 1/4 ton jack and jack stands but 3 ton is better
***Please do not work under the car with only the jack supporting the car...MAKE SURE u use the jack stands..it is very very risky to work under a car supported by just a jack..invst in 4 jack stands to make life much easier although 2 will do u just fine***
- Punch..8mm or 10mm for the b***h pin in the shift linkage
- needle nose pliers
- 1/2 inch 32 mm socket for the axles nuts
- 1/2 inch swivel sockets and extension bars
- Lots of PB Blaster
- Engine lift and lift chain
- Soldering iron, flux, black electrical tape
- cotter pins..2 different sizes..the smallest and the one bigger than that...
- Factory service manual for accurate torque specs, Helms, Haynes are good to keep handy as well
- Rear tranny bracket from a 99-00 si .. Part # 50827-S04-N10
- Front upper driver side bracket by the timing belt from a 99-00 si .. 11910-P30-000
- gsr throttle cable
a few of these tools u can get from autozone by putting a deposit down and when u return them u will get ur full deposit back...i.e. tq wrench, engine lift chain, ball joint separator (if u must use one)
First and foremost make sure u have all the necessary parts that u need for the swap came with the swap..
even if u get a complete changeover insist on making sure that it really is a complete changeover
So let's begin...
Drain all the fluids..
Take off those damned axles nuts...spray a lot of Pb and let it soak..
Straighten out the lock tabs...u'll need some1 to hold the socket in place while u try for ur dear life to loosen the damn axle nuts...use that pipe i mentioned..put it over the 1/2 inch ratchet and go at it...breaker bars will..well..break..so don't even waste ur money on them
DON'T GIVE UP...they will come off
take the 17mm nut on the lower fork off..there's a 14mm nut in the back of it so just hold it in lace with a wrench while u take the 17mm one off...then remove the lower fork...
take off the castle nuts on the ball joint..use the needle nose plier to take out the cotter pins...when u have the pins str8ened out gently hammer them out...dont break them because it will be a b***h to get them out then...take ur suspension off if u want to (for clearance issues) and get those damn axles out...you might need to use a crow bar or something to pry it out of the inner haflshaft...
to separate ur ball joint i recommend a good sturdy hammer..not the ones with a fork on the other side but something solid...hit it a few times and it should pop out..i don't recommend using a ball joint separaor because it will eat thru the damn boots...
take the bolts connecting the cat and the pipes off..
Next..unhook everything that will keep the engine from coming out other than the mounts...
Now go back under the car and take out the shift linkage...u can't use ur shift linkage..u will need the b series shift linkage..94+ teg shift linkage will do fine...
Move the rubber at the end of the linkage by the shifter to expose the b***h pin..
the infamous pin that gives a lot of people trouble won't give u any if u do it right...it will pop right out..
As i recall it is a 8mm punch that u will need to pop that b***h out...place the punch there and tap it with a hammer and it should pop out..
Don't hit it with all ur might because u will mushroom it
Once that's out just disconnect the linkage from the rear of the car and your good as far as that goes...
Take out ur battery..remove the holder underneath..and that will expose the wiring harness going into the passenger side cabin to the ecu...if u haven't disconnected all the plugs already do it now...label them if u want to...
Now secure the chain to the engine..try and balance it out when u secure the chain onto the block..one side put it close to the tranny and the other u can put towards the back of the head on the driver's side...
once its secure connect it to the lift..position it right so there is no pull or anything...
Take off the lower mounts first..there's one on each side..u'll have to get them from the underside of the car...
Now u can start loosening the other mounts...
PLEASE make sure that the lift and the chain are securely connected and is holding up the block before u proceed to take the bolts off...use the swivel pieces and the extension bars to help u reach the rear tranny bolts and whichever other ones that u have trouble reaching...
once everything is out yank the b***h out and start cleaning ur engine bay
Well so now that the hard part is done...u basically have to just reverse everythign i said...
Take the chain off of the motor u just pulled out and secure it onto the B series...
Now it's well known that honda motors go in much much easier from the bottom...I had known this but decided to drop it from top anyways lol..just know this..a bolt in swap is not quite so much a bolt in
The D will seem puny comapred to the B that u will be dropping in..therefore there will be obvious clearance issues...especially so if bolts seize on u on the lower mounts on the underside of the car..it happened to me so it was extra tough for me to slide the motor through that mount and secure it...
But it can be done...u will have to have some1 lower the motor while you or another person check for clerance as u drop it...
The biggest thing here is that u want everything to line up so that u can fasten the bolts on...
Once u got it in secure all the bolts and look at her and smoke a blunt or drink a beer whatevers ur thing
Now the wiring...it is always easier to wire up the motor before u drop it in..because it will be very tough for u to get the plugs to reach where they should with the motor in the car..
Yes i'm speaking from experience again..it was a b***h...so yeh wire it up FIRST...that way u can extend what u need to while its out and wont have to stick ur hand thru and risk ripping out wires or breaking plugs or sensors even...
I dropped the swap in a DX..and my swap was a JDM sir-G..hence the only things i really needed to do wiring wise..was switch up my IACV pins at the ecu(only for dx, lx, cx models)..ex is already wired up the way it should be...then I had wire up vtec and the IAB..and i was good to go..
When dealing with USDM swaps..there's a whole bunch of other stuff that u willhave to wire up..
follow the ref. link i post at the end and u'll be fine as far as wiring goes..whether usdm or jdm...
Disconnecting the pins from the ecu harness is definitely an issue that u must be very careful about...
They are double locked so u'll have use ur needle nose to first unlock one of the tabs and then the other to actually get the wire with the pin out of there...again details with pics are available in the link i will provide at the end as to how to properly pull them out without f**kin them up
There will be a couple of plugs that u will have to cut fro the gsr harness or whatever harness that comes with ur swap and swap them out on the stock harness from ur car so they will plug right up on the sensor..off the top of my head i know u will have to do this for about 2 or 3 of the plugs...u'll know which ones they are because ur stock harness plugs wont go onto those sensors...
If u notice i mentioned for u to get the gsr throttle cable..the stock civic throttle cable will have too much play when u hook it up...so basically when u press on the gas pedal it will go str8 flat on the floor but there will be no response..I've heard people say u can use spacers to get rid of the play..but i just went with a gsr throttle cable..it was about $40 from an Acura dealer...the cable is connected to the bottom of the gas pedal..just disconnect urs and connect the new one and run it to the throttle body and ur good as far as that
again like said this is basically a rough guide...if you have any questions feel free to post up or shoot me a pm
Use the following sites for references....
Swap info
http://www.phear7imports.net/trey/6gen/
http://tech.hybridgarage.com/tech/index.html#swaps
b18c1 into 5th gen info with pics!!!
http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/b18cswap/swap.php
Wiring
www.ff-squad.com
I had written up a how-to before but i never saved a copy and it was probably much more detailed than this one is... and u mustn't follow everythign in the order i posted other than the part involving pulling the motor out..but i would basically follow the type of steps i posted... If u have questions on anything or if u see any mistakes please let me know and i will change/correct/update as i see fit..this is the only swap that i have under my belt lol..hopefully i will swap in something different this time around and i'll make sure to post a detailed step by step how to with fresh fresh pics
I am not some1 that u would call mechanically inclined whatsoever...so please don't be discouraged from doing a swap if the same applies to u...take it from me in that u will learn a great deal in doing the swap and u will have a new found appreciation for ur car.
Thank you and have a nice day 8)
This write up is basically a rough guide of how to swap a b series into your civic. It will be more specific to a b18c going into an 96-00 chassis but most parts it will be the same as long as its a b series going into a civic.
Tools:
- a nice set from craftsman..metric ofcourse...it can be both though...$200-$250 set is fine with mixed standard and metric
- a torque wrench
- a big sturdy pipe for leverage
- Jack and Jack stands..i would spend the extra money and get the 3 ton jack and stands...i did mine with 2 1/4 ton jack and jack stands but 3 ton is better
***Please do not work under the car with only the jack supporting the car...MAKE SURE u use the jack stands..it is very very risky to work under a car supported by just a jack..invst in 4 jack stands to make life much easier although 2 will do u just fine***
- Punch..8mm or 10mm for the b***h pin in the shift linkage
- needle nose pliers
- 1/2 inch 32 mm socket for the axles nuts
- 1/2 inch swivel sockets and extension bars
- Lots of PB Blaster
- Engine lift and lift chain
- Soldering iron, flux, black electrical tape
- cotter pins..2 different sizes..the smallest and the one bigger than that...
- Factory service manual for accurate torque specs, Helms, Haynes are good to keep handy as well
- Rear tranny bracket from a 99-00 si .. Part # 50827-S04-N10
- Front upper driver side bracket by the timing belt from a 99-00 si .. 11910-P30-000
- gsr throttle cable
a few of these tools u can get from autozone by putting a deposit down and when u return them u will get ur full deposit back...i.e. tq wrench, engine lift chain, ball joint separator (if u must use one)
First and foremost make sure u have all the necessary parts that u need for the swap came with the swap..
even if u get a complete changeover insist on making sure that it really is a complete changeover
So let's begin...
Drain all the fluids..
Take off those damned axles nuts...spray a lot of Pb and let it soak..
Straighten out the lock tabs...u'll need some1 to hold the socket in place while u try for ur dear life to loosen the damn axle nuts...use that pipe i mentioned..put it over the 1/2 inch ratchet and go at it...breaker bars will..well..break..so don't even waste ur money on them
DON'T GIVE UP...they will come off
take the 17mm nut on the lower fork off..there's a 14mm nut in the back of it so just hold it in lace with a wrench while u take the 17mm one off...then remove the lower fork...
take off the castle nuts on the ball joint..use the needle nose plier to take out the cotter pins...when u have the pins str8ened out gently hammer them out...dont break them because it will be a b***h to get them out then...take ur suspension off if u want to (for clearance issues) and get those damn axles out...you might need to use a crow bar or something to pry it out of the inner haflshaft...
to separate ur ball joint i recommend a good sturdy hammer..not the ones with a fork on the other side but something solid...hit it a few times and it should pop out..i don't recommend using a ball joint separaor because it will eat thru the damn boots...
take the bolts connecting the cat and the pipes off..
Next..unhook everything that will keep the engine from coming out other than the mounts...
Now go back under the car and take out the shift linkage...u can't use ur shift linkage..u will need the b series shift linkage..94+ teg shift linkage will do fine...
Move the rubber at the end of the linkage by the shifter to expose the b***h pin
..the infamous pin that gives a lot of people trouble won't give u any if u do it right...it will pop right out..
As i recall it is a 8mm punch that u will need to pop that b***h out...place the punch there and tap it with a hammer and it should pop out..
Don't hit it with all ur might because u will mushroom it
Once that's out just disconnect the linkage from the rear of the car and your good as far as that goes...
Take out ur battery..remove the holder underneath..and that will expose the wiring harness going into the passenger side cabin to the ecu...if u haven't disconnected all the plugs already do it now...label them if u want to...
Now secure the chain to the engine..try and balance it out when u secure the chain onto the block..one side put it close to the tranny and the other u can put towards the back of the head on the driver's side...
once its secure connect it to the lift..position it right so there is no pull or anything...
Take off the lower mounts first..there's one on each side..u'll have to get them from the underside of the car...
Now u can start loosening the other mounts...
PLEASE make sure that the lift and the chain are securely connected and is holding up the block before u proceed to take the bolts off...use the swivel pieces and the extension bars to help u reach the rear tranny bolts and whichever other ones that u have trouble reaching...
once everything is out yank the b***h out and start cleaning ur engine bay
Well so now that the hard part is done...u basically have to just reverse everythign i said...
Take the chain off of the motor u just pulled out and secure it onto the B series...
Now it's well known that honda motors go in much much easier from the bottom...I had known this but decided to drop it from top anyways lol..just know this..a bolt in swap is not quite so much a bolt in
The D will seem puny comapred to the B that u will be dropping in..therefore there will be obvious clearance issues...especially so if bolts seize on u on the lower mounts on the underside of the car..it happened to me so it was extra tough for me to slide the motor through that mount and secure it...
But it can be done...u will have to have some1 lower the motor while you or another person check for clerance as u drop it...
The biggest thing here is that u want everything to line up so that u can fasten the bolts on...
Once u got it in secure all the bolts and look at her and smoke a blunt or drink a beer whatevers ur thing
Now the wiring...it is always easier to wire up the motor before u drop it in..because it will be very tough for u to get the plugs to reach where they should with the motor in the car..
Yes i'm speaking from experience again..it was a b***h...so yeh wire it up FIRST...that way u can extend what u need to while its out and wont have to stick ur hand thru and risk ripping out wires or breaking plugs or sensors even...
I dropped the swap in a DX..and my swap was a JDM sir-G..hence the only things i really needed to do wiring wise..was switch up my IACV pins at the ecu(only for dx, lx, cx models)..ex is already wired up the way it should be...then I had wire up vtec and the IAB..and i was good to go..
When dealing with USDM swaps..there's a whole bunch of other stuff that u willhave to wire up..
follow the ref. link i post at the end and u'll be fine as far as wiring goes..whether usdm or jdm...
Disconnecting the pins from the ecu harness is definitely an issue that u must be very careful about...
They are double locked so u'll have use ur needle nose to first unlock one of the tabs and then the other to actually get the wire with the pin out of there...again details with pics are available in the link i will provide at the end as to how to properly pull them out without f**kin them up
There will be a couple of plugs that u will have to cut fro the gsr harness or whatever harness that comes with ur swap and swap them out on the stock harness from ur car so they will plug right up on the sensor..off the top of my head i know u will have to do this for about 2 or 3 of the plugs...u'll know which ones they are because ur stock harness plugs wont go onto those sensors...
If u notice i mentioned for u to get the gsr throttle cable..the stock civic throttle cable will have too much play when u hook it up...so basically when u press on the gas pedal it will go str8 flat on the floor but there will be no response..I've heard people say u can use spacers to get rid of the play..but i just went with a gsr throttle cable..it was about $40 from an Acura dealer...the cable is connected to the bottom of the gas pedal..just disconnect urs and connect the new one and run it to the throttle body and ur good as far as that
again like said this is basically a rough guide...if you have any questions feel free to post up or shoot me a pm
Use the following sites for references....
Swap info
http://www.phear7imports.net/trey/6gen/
http://tech.hybridgarage.com/tech/index.html#swaps
b18c1 into 5th gen info with pics!!!
http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/b18cswap/swap.php
Wiring
www.ff-squad.com
I had written up a how-to before but i never saved a copy and it was probably much more detailed than this one is... and u mustn't follow everythign in the order i posted other than the part involving pulling the motor out..but i would basically follow the type of steps i posted... If u have questions on anything or if u see any mistakes please let me know and i will change/correct/update as i see fit..this is the only swap that i have under my belt lol..hopefully i will swap in something different this time around and i'll make sure to post a detailed step by step how to with fresh fresh pics
I am not some1 that u would call mechanically inclined whatsoever...so please don't be discouraged from doing a swap if the same applies to u...take it from me in that u will learn a great deal in doing the swap and u will have a new found appreciation for ur car.
Thank you and have a nice day 8)
