92hatch!

i was wondering, is there anyway to make my eg hatch with a type-r swap into all wheel drive... i would really like to make it happen.. maybe crv drivetrain?...any ideas would really help

Red_Army

its a wagovan(i think thats the model) with alot of fabrication and you can make an awd civic. you tube it someone has done it.

NOFX

Some magazine made an AWD or 4WD 3G Integra with a B-series a few years back. I think they used some CRV drivetrain components, but I don't really remember what. I recall that lots of things broke.

There were Wagovans in the US that came with D-series and 4WD. Then in Japan there were 5G Civic sedans (RTi/RTSi, etc), 6G Civic sedans (same trims) and 3G Integra sedans that came with D-series and AWD/4WD.

I don't really know how well you could make D-series parts work with a B-series engine though.

The JDM Civic and Integra parts will likely be difficult to find, but the Wagovan parts will be easier. I still don't know how easy though.

My understanding is the CRV transmission doesn't fit on 6G Civics, but I don't know about 5G Civics. I know you can put an auto Integra B-series transmission on a 5G Civic, for example, but it's not so easy on a 6G Civic.

It's going to cost a lot of money and will probably make the car much less reliable.

Vindicator9000

Yes, lots of fabrication. I always look at build threads for these because it's been a sort of pipe dream of mine for years. Don't take this the wrong way, but typically the guys with the skills to do this don't really ask, they just do it, and then post a badass build thread after they're done.


So anyway, there are several different ways to go about it. No matter which way you go, you'll be doing some level of cutting and welding.

To keep the Type R swap, you basically only have 1 transmission choice: the manual from the 97-01 CRV. I have heard that it will not fit in a Civic engine bay without some fabrication of the passenger side framerail, but I'm not 100% sure, mostly because I've never seen someone do an AWD B-swap in a Civic... most guys go D because it's way easier and parts are cheaper. EDIT: or, you could be the first guy to fab up a D to B bellhousing adapter. I know Bense was trying to get one made back in the day, but I don't think he ever had it finished.

So, you'll find that manual CRV transmissions are very rare. I'm also not sure what kind of gear ratios they have... may not be the best, and I'm not sure if you can mix and match gearsets like you can with other B series transmissions. The CRV transmission is very different than other Civic transmissions (and other 4wd transmissions for that matter) because it incorporates the functions of a transfer case inside what's more or less a FWD transaxle. In most other 4WD/AWD systems, a normal transmission has one output shaft running to a transfer case or a center differential, which then transfers power front/rear. In the Honda AWD systems, they somehow make that happen within the transaxle.

So, once you've figured that out, you'll have to decide on differential. Your obvious choice is the CRV diff, but most people that I've heard of use the wagovan diff. From what I understand, it uses a geared differential rather than a fluid-driven clutchpack dealey, and therefore holds more power more reliably than the CRV is capable of. Also, it may make it easier to use EF subframe components, which may make the whole swap easier because the suspension geometry of the CRV subframe is way out of whack with the typical ride height of a Civic.

So, then you gotta find a way to mount the thing. I've seen people weld in parts of EF wagovan rear subframes. I've seen people weld in parts of CRV subframes. I've seen people completely fab up their own mounts and brackets from scratch and make their own subframe. Regardless, almost every solution I've seen involves cutting out the trunk floor and remaking it with sheet metal.

Then, you have to find a way to run the driveshaft. You can get rid of your exhaust and run it through the exhaust tunnel. Maybe run the exhaust through a side exit. You can attempt to run both through the exhaust tunnel. Or, I've seen someone cut out the exhaust tunnel completely and fab a new one with more clearance.

If you're going to do this, you need pro welding skills and equipment, and at least several months of extensive research and junkyarding to come up with a plan of attack for this.

STRteg

IMO its not worth the money you'll be putting out especially on a B-series application,You should just try and build a decent FWD setup unless of course your going with a K in which case they did an AWD k swapped 3G teggy and the reults were awesome

NOFX

Nix my mention of the AWD B-series Integra. What I was thinking of was actually Braille's RWD Integra.

razorride

Look into some of the diffs from Halidex (sp) I know some of the VW guys had mentioned talking about throwing one in and adding a driveshaft with custom axles from Raxles (sp) Dont know if this helps but I assume anything is possible with a certain amount of $$$ and smarts

97ej6dx

If you are willing to do the fab work your self.. Its not as easy as the DSM guys make it look because the availability of parts and they never made the real time 4wd hatch. Only in 4 door and only in japan. The 4wd sedan lasted from the ef ( same year as the wagovan) up until the 7th gen (2001-05) but the subframes are different and the sedan subframe even if found is not mountable to a hatch.. Most people use wagovan parts for the 4wd swap and its not TRUE awd its 4wd
It requires you to move the fuel lines up so the driveshaft can go thru.
Notch the front sub frame.
you have to run a Fuel cell because the 4wd fuel tank will not fit in the 2wd *(altho the audi 80 and the 1980s e class mercedes fuel tanks work they are shallow enough but they are hard to find )
then you have to cut your rear subframe out and install the wagovan subframe
you have to use wagovan trailing arms and have them shortened.
you have to cut a hole in the bottom of the car to make room for the diff.
and you have to run custom exhaust to go around the rear subframe and run along side the drive shaft.

Vindicator9000

Why isn't it true AWD? It's always-on, not selectable. Are you saying that because they don't have a center diff? Or because it's biased towards the front?

I'd consider the wagovan to be AWD a lot more than my Jeep is... I can't even drive it in 4wd on dry pavement because it'll kill the transfer case if front and rear wheels spin at the same speed. And the Jeep systems aren't supposed to be driven above 50 mph in 4wd. But then again, there' no low range in Honda AWD, but there is in my 4wd Jeep.

As far as I'm concerned, Honda AWD is just as much AWD as everyone else, they just do it a bit differently. I've always called non-selectable, light-duty, any-speed, any-pavement systems 'AWD,' and called selectable, heavy duty, high/low range, offroad setups 4wd. Really though, I don't think there's a governing body that controls this particular naming convention.

For what it's worth, my Cherokee will go through a hell of a lot rougher terrain than my CRV will though.

97ej6dx

well in the Transfercase on the first gen Real time 4wd it has a viscus coupleing to the rear when the front lost traction it automatically transferred power to the rear Via a hydrolic line testing the pressure (D sereis trans) The B sereis based real time had the viscus in the rear diff and the front where the drive shaft would not move at all when the real time was not engaged saving fuel milage but also having the hydrolic line if the front wheels moved faster than the rear it would kick in the 4wd system. Some people make machined parts to solidly connect the front and rear making a 50 50 . but Honda Real time is not FULL time its front wheel drive untill the front wheels slip

thumper64

Just strap the Civic body onto a Ford Ranger chassis.

97ej6dx

or a good old toyota