Thinking of a motor swap: 94 coupe

[Tony J]

I have a '94 Civic Coupe 1.5l with 60K original miles.. Bought new, wife stopped driving.. now it's occasionally driven.. long story.. She wants to sell.. I want a weekend sleeper

I did the whole intake, exhuast thing.. Si wheels, wing, etc.. Looks like a stock Si and it's a load of fun to tool around in.

Anyway, I am up for a project car and I want to know which motor is the best/direct fit, can get me near or over the 200 hp mark, and will still work with all the factory options (i.e. A/C - live in Florida lol).

What exactly is needed as far as parts, wires, etc?

And... Do you have any shops you know of in Jacksonville Florida area who are reputable and could do the swap if I decide it's too big for me to do.. I really don't have a shop to work out of and I work 50-60 hours a week anyway..

 

[HeX]

As boofoo implied, do some research first as any viable option has been accomplished and covered many times in this forum alone.

Also, it is not possible to make your car look like an SI unless it's a hatchback. That statement alone tells me there is plenty of research needed in your future.

 

[Tony J]

Well, this is my first post - I have read countless hours.. All the misinformation out there could take years to search through so I thought maybe someone in this forum could help.. I thought that's what these forums were for.. helping others find info and lending friendly, helpful advice.

I saw the post about forced induction and if I was interested in that route I would consider it.. But I want a engine that is reliable and doesn't need constant tweaking and tuning. In my experience turbo and super chargers can be temperamental and a pain in the ass.. Fast yeah.. but not for me.

Also, the Si wasn't only a hatchback model.. it was a 2 door coupe Si model in Canada (USDM EX/CDM Si).. We aren't the only place in the world with cars.. I know I don't know everything, that's why am here looking. I was looking for some advice, some place to start.. I suppose I picked the wrong forum?

 

[Tony J]

What's your budget? Forced induction is the way to achieve the HP you seek for the least amount of money. What do you mean by temperamental? Did you purchase quality forced induction parts in the past and do a thoughtful installation?

I have three buddies who have or have had turbocharged cars, one had a factory supercharged. All three said they were always having issues with the systems, returning, etc.. Maybe they were just complaining???

I really do not know a lot about these small Japanese engines and what they are capable of taking. Mine has the smaller 1.5l series. Is it worth looking into forced induction? I read a while back that Jackson used to make a supercharger for it but I can't find any info on it now..

Advice?

 

[BusterEGHatch]

Easy swap would be a B16a, B18 or B20. All are damn near drop in with only having to buy a small amount of parts. I'm in the middle of an JDM H23 Blue Top swap and so far just in small parts and mounts I'm already $1300 in, and that's not including a few things that I still need to buy/replace. Also, I'd look into a Mini Me swap. There's a few write-ups in here that'll give you a good idea of what it takes to do.
Also, a 1994 Civic with only 60k on the clock is extremely impressive.

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[blandsarcasm]

Like already stated, do some research. There's more than one way to skin a cat. Personally I wouldn't bother boosting a 1.5 but that's me. I'd rather have a semi built na bseries to get to the 200whp mark but that takes more money. Or a stock k series but I'm guessing that's over your head and budget no offense. Set your budget and how you intend to use the car. Are you looking for something to enjoy on some twisty back roads or are you going to be trying to pull on everyone on the highway? Or maybe you'd like to take it out on a road course?


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[HeX]

Well, this is my first post - I have read countless hours.. All the misinformation out there could take years to search through so I thought maybe someone in this forum could help.. I thought that's what these forums were for.. helping others find info and lending friendly, helpful advice.
... I was looking for some advice, some place to start.. I suppose I picked the wrong forum?

You picked a great forum filled with experienced members and years of documented informatiom. With that said, avoid the mistakes of many others by not assuming we blindly know your skillset or research ethic. Be concisely detailed and explain what your research has yielded and you will get responses of equal attention. We get alot of lazy people who expect everything to be spoonfed as if thats a forums purpose when its merely a source of information sharing. You wouldn't sit in front of a book and wait for the pages to turn themselves.

With all that out of the way, a B-series build is the best combination of reliability and solid performance. B18 or B20 typically.

1) Decide on a budget and desired horsepower. Is your plan feasible?
2) Choose an engine and/or forced induction based on above parameters.
3) Do your own homework, and don't rely on any single source for information. Why would you think information obtained here at ClubCivic is any more reliable than what you have read elsewhere? Take responsibility for your build. Otherwise, expect a lot of wasted time and money.

You need to pick all relevant forums and threads on the topic, and then read extensively and use your brain. Only then can you make wise decisions. Once you've educated yourself, then choose the best forums to ask specific technical questions rather than ask others to tell you what to do.

Good luck on your adventure, but realize that many people become discouraged at this point when confronted with the actual work required to get a substantial increase in horsepower.

Very well put!

 

[Diana Nam]

as far as swap goes.. from what you want seems like b16 or b18 swap would be your best bet. if you save up or if you already have good amount saved for buying a swap you can go with type r motor from ek9 civic b16b, or intergra b18c. both are about 200hp from factory. with some mods and good tune you can make it pass the 200 whp mark.

 

[Mr.Baker]

as far as swap goes.. from what you want seems like b16 or b18 swap would be your best bet. if you save up or if you already have good amount saved for buying a swap you can go with type r motor from ek9 civic b16b, or intergra b18c. both are about 200hp from factory.

Be prepared to get your wallet out, retail, you're looking at between $2k-$4k for the low end b16a up to the Civic Type R motor.
Without boost, you're not going to reach 200hp to the wheels easily and it won't be cheap either to do it correctly and reliably.

 

[blandsarcasm]

Wouldn't even waste the money on a b16. B16a is weak and b16b is retardedly overpriced. A stock b18c1 is fun compared to a d15 but still not all that fast. Stock b18c5 or its jdm equivalent is slightly more powerful but also carries a stupid price tag. Now if you're mechanically inclined or you have some money to spend, a b20 crv block paired with a b16 or Gsr head would give you some decent torque as well as vtec. There's plenty of options depending on your skill and wallet


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[Mr.Baker]

Wouldn't even waste the money on a b16. B16a is weak and b16b is retardedly overpriced.
There's plenty of options depending on your skill and wallet

The b16 family is ridiculously overpriced for what it is....
I think a best bang for the buck, happy medium is the GSR motor.
But this is why it is important to come up with a realistic budget that you can afford, as well as factor in your skill level, who will be doing the swap.
Ultimately, budget dictates your power goal.