I-no-nussink

I have a 93 del sol si. I have had the car for a while and have been putting money away to do a lil something to it. I bought a kit, fenders, and spoiler, but have not mounted any of them....I dont want the car to appear fast. I want it to be fast.

The engine runs fine. There are no real problems with it. It definitely has over 120 thousand miles on it. Right now I have a greddy catback, aem intake, and dc sport header on there, but I am thinking about getting something real done to it. Does anyone have any suggestions or numbers for real improvements here. I was thinking about getting my engine reworked and in the rebuild getting things in there machined and what not. I dont really know anything about this sort of thing. I also was looking to get a turbo. Again any suggestions would be most appreciated. (approximate prices too...if you are gonna suggest anything..please)

thanks
brian

jdmsol

GReddy Turbo kit sounds good to me (as long as your motor is in decent shape)
I've seen them go for around $1500.00
Most people around here are going to tell you to 1) do a swap (not much love for the D-series here ) 2) don't use any of the body mods that you have gotten for the fear that it will make the car ricey. Do what you like, because you are the one that has to drive it.
My advice would be to talk to Mista Bone.


[Modified by jdmsol, 3:33 PM 11/12/2002]

I-no-nussink

Thanks for the advice...I am actually currently looking at some greddy kits. I am wondering though....with a considerable amount of miles on the engine, should I get my engine reworked? People talk to me about porting and polishing etc. and I am wondering if that is a good idea or if it is even an option and if so, how much it would cost me.

I dont need my car to be a rocket, but if it is somewhat affordable and feasible for it to be more than a go-cart....I am allllll ears!

Ricey McRicerton

If i were you, Id look into the Greddy kit (which I have one for sale PM me if your interested) but just make sure you have around 500 dollars or so to fall back on (you can buy a used D16y8 (which is your engine code incase you didnt know) for around 500 dollars) Just with a turbo always make sure you have more money to fall back on incase something goes wrong!

Edit: also PM me if you want to learn more about cars


[Modified by Ricey McRicerton, 10:42 PM 11/12/2002]

jdmsol

I find this hilarious, especially the last part about learning things. The 93 del Sol Si had the D16Z6 not the D16y8 Sorry man, but I had to.

Ricey McRicerton

Good catch mang! But i wasnt acutaly trying to teach him engine codes for all the hondas. Those two motors are so similar that it wont realy matter (except for the 2 hp bump for the y8) and the OBD stuff. I was acutaly just trying to help somebody out, and didnt even look at the year of the Sol, just the Si part! Anyways....I just got OWNED...have 1 on me

jdmsol

Sorry, I know what your intentions were. Just had to correct you, no hard feelings.

stevecockrill

I'd have to suggest a swap in this instance. While your SOHC motor may last another 100k miles if cared for, it really needs to be "examined" and probably refreshed in the areas that wear before you do anything. The GReddy kit is nice, but like was posted above, make sure you have enough money to replace the engine if/when it finally does go. And seeing as you're still learning about things, I'd suggest keeping it as simple and reliable as possible.

On with the swap. You get 100% bulletproof Honda OEM reliability. That's what counted in my book. You can do the swap yourself. You just need some time and/or tools and buddies to help with the work (you actually don't even need the buddies). If you can afford to take the car off the road for a while during the swap process, that would help immensely.

I did the swap with the help of a friend. It took a while for me to finally get all the parts assembled in one place, and my instance was complicated by my engine choice (OBDII B16A2). Before all I'd done is a couple of installs (intake, brakes, etc) and maintenance stuff. I learned a TON about my car and I really love the feeling of the DOHC VTEC swap. You'll get the about the same performance as a GReddy turbo on your SOHC motor.

I'd also suggest reading as much as you can about whatever it is you decide to do. Remember, if you do a swap, you have a "fallback" engine (your original D16Z6) in case something goes wrong.

HTH!

Steve

I-no-nussink

Ok...all your advice is definitely appreciated. I am still wondering a lil about prices. How much should I expect to spend on an engine swap?? What else would I have to replace besides the engine? I am severely torn because I also have a 2001 Impreza RS that I was considering swapping an EJ20TT into, but it only has about 25000 miles on it and I couldnt really justify that move....yet.

I am not completely sure about all the engine codes for Hondas. I had been looking at a possible H22, but was told it would destroy my axles and throw off the balance of my car, I was also told it was a near impossible squeeze. So people told me to look for Integra Type R engines, etc. but from what I saw, such an engine purchase was gonna cost me at least 3 grand.

I know that gains dont come cheap, but I also know that my stock engine isnt THAT slow and it still runs dependable.

Everyone talks like the swap is easy to do and like I shouldnt have a hard time finding people who can help me do it....so here is the call out. I live in NJ. I have a del sol that I can easily take off the road for a season. If there are any people out there that want to spend a couple of hours here and there mounting kits, molding fiberglass, and swapping engines, mounting turbos, redoing interiors, etc. contact me. I have a lil bit of money for parts and there is free lemonade, beer, or hot cocoa...depending on the mood...for anyone involved in the process. If you are a considerable contributor....then you will have the satisfaction in knowing that once everything is up and running, the only decals on my car will be those bearing the names of the brave souls that took on this endeavor.

thanks again
brian

stevecockrill

Brian.......

Damn, I'd help you in a heartbeat if you weren't a billion miles away!!

Here's my suggestion and a little info, given your last post.....

1993/1994 del Sol engine codes -

D15B7 is del Sol S......102 hp, ~95 tq SOHC no VTEC
D16Z6 is del Sol Si......125 hp, ~95 tq SOHC VTEC
B16A3 is del Sol VTEC..160hp, ~109 tq DOHC VTEC

In later years, the S got a D16something (1.6 liters), and 105 hp, and the Si got the D16Y8 (127 hp). The VTEC model (DOHC VTEC engine) got the B16A2 in 1996 and 1997. This engine (but with a truly fucked up wiring harness and ECU) came in the 99-00 Civic Si.

Remember, B series engines are DOHC, but not necessarily VTEC.

Integra motors....USDM

B18A or B18B is DOHC non VTEC, ~140 hp and ~120 tq (??)
B18C1 is Integra GSR, DOHC VTEC, ~170 hp and ~130 tq (??)
B18C5 is Type R, DOHC VTEC, ~190 hp and ~145 tq (??) Please correct these numbers if someone can say for sure.

H22A is the prelude motor. Its ~195 hp and a buttload (for a honda) of tq ~160 (??).

Any and all B series motors basically bolt in. Wiring for me is harder, but can be readily accomplished if you take your time. The H22 takes custom mount kits, you lose power steering (no big deal) and people are just now coming out with a/c brackets that work. The alleged downfall to the H22 is that it adds a lot of weight at the front of the car, which is already quite nose-heavy. You can compromise handling that way, but its a bit subjective, and really depends on what you want to do with the car.

The B series swaps are quite pricey due to demand, though the cost is coming down more. A complete swap is what you will need -

Engine, tranny, axles, ECU (or you can rechip your P28 from the del Sol Si like I did), intake, exhaust manifold, throttle body, all sensors. Just imagine if you disconnected your complete engine at the fuel, wiring and coolant points and pulled it out. That's what you need to replace. These parts all come with a complete swap. For prices, look to sohfast.com for the high end of the scale, and others are listed all over the place. Note that JDM engines are cheaper because the are not technically street legal in some places (california, for example).

The H22's are cheaper, but they aren't truly bolt in like I said above.

Here's my recommendation. Save for a swap. If your current motor is ok, then just drive it as it is and save your pennies for the swap. I had a little incident (see my website - link in sig) in my del Sol and ended up having to get a new motor. I'd always planned on a B series swap, so that was the perfect time for me. Insurance covered most of the expense, but I ended up with a motor with about 4000 miles on it!! I was in the same position as you (93 del Sol Si) and couldn't afford the swap right then. Things just kinda worked out for me on that one!!

Just read, read, read. Try to figure out what you want to do, and stick to the plan!

HTH!

Steve