96'civex

I have a 96' civic ex coupe 1.6 non vtech can i bolt on a vtech head and it work, anything would help thanx

ekb18c

Yes you can. And its VTEC by the way.

rotaryguy

i too am curious about this mod - if i were to bolt on an EX head, and get an ECU from the same car, would my engine make as much power as the EX's?

what all is involved with this? and how much y'think it'd run a guy?

/edit: huh...i though all EXs had the 1.6 VTEC? am i an idiot?


[Modified by rotaryguy, 6:38 PM 1/22/2002]

markedOO1

if you've got a 96 ex....you've got vtec. it doesnt say in on the valve cover (I think it only did in 94-95) but its there....

besides, there's is no 1.6 non vtec in the newer civics...its 1.5

96'civex

its not vtech cause i just got a new engine, when i bought it i was told it wasnt vtech but a sohc1.6n nonvtech

ekb18c

oh yah you have a EX then you have vtec already.

fsp31

First, before you get flamed all to hell, it's VTEC. People are **** about that around here. And for good reason, since bad info/advice can cost people money and hurt the credibility of the forum. But since you're new and asking questions, you're exempt.

Second, EX you say? They don't come non-vtec. If it really is a 96 EX coupe, you can confirm by looking at the engine code stamped on the block. Look to the left of the exhaust manifold. You'll see it down there. It will say D16Y8. This is a SOHC VTEC motor. If you're wondering about swapping the SOHC head for a DOHC VTEC head, forget it. It won't work.

I'm hoping you're not the person who stopped by the shop the other night... They had a 4 door Civic LX. Claimed it was an EX. Now normally I would understand, but if they had just eased on around to the rear of the car, they would have seen "LX" in nice chrome letters stuck to the trunk...

96'civex

nevermind then

fsp31

>>i too am curious about this mod - if i were to bolt on an EX head, and get an ECU from the same car, would my engine make as much power as the EX's?<<

If you're starting with a D16Y7 (nonvtec) and swapping the head from a D16Y8, then yes, you will have an identical motor. Same compression, and same HP as an EX. Since D-series motors are so cheap, I'd say a fair price for the head, manifold, and knock sensor would be about $230-$275. But why stop there? The EX tranny has much better gear ratios. Add that to the total for another $175 or so. However, you'll have to address some other issues.

1) The knock sensor. D16Y7's came without one, and the EX ecu expects one.
2) The VTEC pressure switch.
3) VTEC solenoid.
4) IAC valve (different on the Y8)

So, it isn't just plug-n-play, but it is pretty simple for someone who is experienced with Hondas. All the above could be done in an evening or two without much trouble. Since the Y7 wiring harness may not have the necessary wires, it's easier to just run new ones IMO. All the above mods require running about 6 wires total back to your new EX ecu.

rotaryguy

what's the difference in gearing between the DX and the EX? i assume the EX has closer ratios?

rotaryguy

is this a common mod? it sounds pretty sweet - i'd love to have that little bit of extra punch under the hood.

fsp31

Yeah, it is pretty common. Depending on the head/block combo, people like to call it a "mini-me" swap. One of the more simple swaps really.

The gearing difference is huge. Final drive on the DX is 3.722 and on the EX it's 4.250. That alone makes BIG difference. Check out
http://www.geocities.com/bing_bong916/trannyspecs1.html
6th gen (96+) specs are near the bottom of the page.

Since you're a fellow autoxer, you'll know what I'm talking about. Ultimately, I think a D-series motor could be the engine of choice for SM due to the fact that it's light weight, and capable of producing just about as much HP as a FWD autocross car can use. Dunno about our "EK" chassis though. They're quite a bit heavier than 3rd and 4th gen designs.

FifthGearOnline

<---- 99 civic coupe dx NON-VTEC 1.6 liter


[Modified by fifthgearonline, 2:06 PM 1/22/2002]

rotaryguy

hey cool man, thanks for all the info. i'll probably try to tackle this one sometime this summer. it'll give me some time to learn the car in and out.

in the meantime, my fb mazda's gonna be one mean cone-dodger.

nutsack

is your vtech 900 mhz?