daver

Ok, this is a repost in part from other rooms, but i just wanted to describe allt he problems i had with my swap so others don't have to go through the same thing. Skip down to the end for the summaries and the US$ total if you'd like.

Basically i had problems with everyone i've dealt with, EVERYONE, and here's the story.

I first chose a place in Montreal where i could check it over and pick it up in person (don't trust these guys). Upon checking it over, i noticed a mishandling crack in the valve cover . Everything else looked good on it. The axels looked a little abused, one had pinholes in the boot and the other was rusty, but i didn't fuss. The shift linkage was a little grimy but so what. It included the mounts but not many nuts and bolts. 4300$ cdn complete(no ECU)

I got home and noticed that the shift linkage was broken (cut actually) . Upon engine installation, the rear tranny mount turned out to be the wrong one. So i brought them back a week later when he finally got the right ones in. I also returned a throttle cable that turned out to be not one, but more like a clutch cable...?? Serves me right tho for not inspecting the accessories, i was so worried about the engine. I also picked up an EG jdm cluster for 250$ cdn on that visit.

Engine in, the axels don't fit. The gsr needs a female drivers side one, i got two passenger side male axels (from who knows what car) and one was about an inch longer than the other (so they both "kinda" fit). So i send them back to him (no more 2.5 hour trips for me) for 30$ shipping and asked for two GSR axels in good shape. He sent me the correct drivers side axel about two weeks later and he returned one of my original axels claiming it was the right one. It later yanked out of place while driving and spewed tranny oil everywhere, so i just exchanged it for a jobber rebuilt one (longer one) 150$ there.

The rad. I ordered a rad from a rad shop, asked for the del sol vtec and he said he had it in stock ..(??!!). The necks turned out to be D series necks and i had a bugger of a time trying to clamp them shut to stop the leaks. Del sol vtec nothing, stupid generic rad - one size fits all. 150$ for that, plus 30$ hose.

ECU. Bought a USDM p72 form a guy online, chipped with a jun program via a jumper. I actually exchanged a p28 for it so i paid only 150 or so cdn. Upon wiring it, i followed what people said from Honda-tech here, and i blew the IAB circuit (thanks guys). I ordered an autometer rpm switch form a guy online here (not arrived yet), used, for 69$ US shipped (100$ cdn). I think its a good ECU, but i had a horrible time getting my questions answered, emailed him for about 2 weeks before i decided to trust him.

Alternator. Didn't charge the battery. so i bought a rebuilt one for 290$. Still didn't charge the battery, so i spent a full week trouble shooting my wiring job and then finally pulled the alt from my integra (which took as long as it took me to pull the d15 out) and the hatch worked fine. Exchanged the bad one for a good one at no extra charge, just about 50 hours labour is all it cost me.

Exhaust, I ordered the 2 1/4 ss custom piping from kteller8 (i think thats his member name). BIG MISTAKE. Partly my fault, i thought i would save some money going this route and weld it myself. Turns out welding stainless is not for the novice so i had it done. BUT, upon installation, we discovered that the muffler hung out past the bumper ohhh, ....about 8 INCHES. With all the slack taken out of the pipes too. The problem is the pipe part that goes over the back axel section. By the time the bend straightens out, it leaves only about about 10" to fit a muffler in. It would be ok on a coupe maybe , but not a hatch. Obviously this system wasn't designed for a hatch.

Well the muffler was all scratched up, and kteller8 didn't respond to my query (on his website), so no exchange. I just ordered a smaller magnaflow muff and got it welded on finally. Sounds like crap, like no muffler at all, cept maybe a bit quieter.

So, 215$ US for the ss pipes, + 65 for the resonator and 90$ for the first muffler (sad thing is i could have gotten a made to fit, ss magnaflow cat back for less this already. So that was like 530$ cdn plus 150 cdn for the second muffler, and about 60$ for the hi flow cat, plus 257 friggin $ for the install (thanks to all the problems). exhaust = 1000$ cdn, it sound like loud crap and the piping rattles against the heat shield and the muffler looks crooked. I also paid 430$ for a greddy ss header that i'm going to try to sell.

cliff notes

in cdn $$...

Engine package (lsd) = 4300$
ECU and rpm switch= 250
axel problems = 180
alternator = 290$
rad = 170
new knock sensor (my fault) =180$
plugs = 15$
coolant and oil = 70$
hose = 30$
pump and belt = 250 ish
throttle cable = 50$?
Exhaust = 1000$ (no header)

So that about 4000+ us$ for the basic swap (5765$ Cdn) for the basic swap and add 700 US (1000 cdn) for the exhaust crap, all labour done by me.

warning #1...

I can't recommend jspecauto.com for their engine packages. I don't know if others have problems too, but this is how he works. He's basically just a store and he buys them wholesale from other local importers in Montreal. He bought mine from Nagano, and they suck. They obviously don't keep thier parts with their respective engines and they don't label them. Ismael at jspec doesn't know his parts either, because he checks everything over before he ships out. I said it before and i'm saying it again, i'd never buy an engine without personally checking it over myself. And at least pick up the accessories while your there (axels, linkage, mounts,...to make sure you get good ones and not junk. Getting the correct ones can be hard because parts look so similar. He's a one man show, so jspec is very slow.

warning 2...

I wouldn't recommend getting a custum catback setup unless you can do the install yourself or you can't get an after market catback system. Labour is very expensive, especially ss welding. And especially don't get "kteller8" pipes for an eg, the pipe section going over the rear "axel" has a bend thats too long and leaves very little room for a muffler, namely the one that he sells with it (magnaflow oval es, he calls it). If you need a custom lengthed exhaust to reach your header, then take care of it when you put the high flow cat in.

warning 3...

Wiring the iabs is crazy, lots of conflicting info on this site. I fried my circuit; good luck to you

Took 2 months before the car was drivable, and 2.5 months including the exhaust work. And after all that i don't even want to drive it because of the loud rattley frigin diamond plated exhaust. Its ok if i'm cruising under 3k rpms, but it feels like my head will implode if i stomp on it.

Good engine and good tranny tho, no complaints there, and those were the main things.

d