TK_237

New here on the forums and im a new honda owner.

Just bought a 97 civic LX 4dr.
Im wanting to completly redo the car and the engine and trans are the first things that are gonna be done. I was wondering if the 1.6 sohc would be worth putting the money into? The H22A engines and trans sell for about $2800 usd with 50k+ miles on them. For $2800 i could do alot of work to the 1.6 and have a fresh engine. Also wondering how much power i could get out of the 1.6.

Thanks

IHateJDM

if you keep the 1.6, go turbo, and max out around 325ish whp. That's about the most i've seen from single cam. h22 gives you a lot more options, but it'll probably cost more. $2800 seems a little steep. Mine was $2300 shipped w/lsd. JHPUSA.com. Hmotors is straight too.

TK_237

how would a nicely built 1.6 and nitrous work? Im kinda leaning toward keeping the SOHC if i can make it turn 9k+ rpm and be quick

dvang

get a gsr and call it a day. h22 with mounts for the install costs as much or more than a gsr.

IHateJDM

9k+ is a stretch for the sohc, but possible. Just remember that any modifications you do to the single cam would yield more hp on a dohc for about the same money. You are just out the cash for the swap to start with. As far as nitrous, I wouldn't run more than a 50 shot on a sohc, and depending on mileage that may not be a good idea. You could sleeve the block and run more, but do you really want to put that much $ into a single cam? You should look into a LS/Vtec. Cheap powerful swap.

dvang

better yet sell your car and by someone elses finished project for cheap itll be cheaper and the best part you can just drive..

TK_237

yea good point, the link you put up JHPUSA.com for $2300 was that motor, trans and comp? and what other stuff would i need to have it ready to go?

TK_237

Hehe dvang, Well i think half the fun is getting it built up and having it just the way you want it. And will give me a good reason to get up and go to work every day!

IHateJDM

it was the full swap. I had to buy motor mounts, axles, shifter + cables. They even sent me the front 2 spindles of a jdm lude with brakes still attached.

dvang

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TK_237 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hehe dvang, Well i think half the fun is getting it built up and having it just the way you want it. And will give me a good reason to get up and go to work every day!</TD></TR></TABLE>

ok ten grand or so into youll say dam why didnt i just buy one for 6 so i could have 4 grand left for hookers and booze

dvang

actually theres a teg for sale in illinois for 5g with a h22 done its in the for sale forum

RStoR

Obviously you need to SEARCH some and figure out what is the best route for you. Couple of things to think about.


Determine your budget ($2800) and deduct 20%. You'll always have a list of misc. stuff you didn't consider whenever you start a project. Those parts add up quickly. If you purchase a swap, it is smart to replace the consumables before it goes in the car; timing belt, oil pump, gaskets, plugs, fluids, etc.

Are you doing the work/swap yourself? Remember to include labor cost unless it is a DIY project.

Can you afford downtime? While a swap/install can be a weekend ordeal, things never go as planned. If it is a DIY project you better add a lot more. At some point you will have down time if you mod your car. Accept it and be prepared.

Reliablity isn't cheap. OEM is the most reliable but that is if the swap is performed right in the first place. Turbo "can be made" reliable but that usually comes with knowing the motors limits and not exceeding them (often). Nitrous "can be made" reliable too but again you gotta respect the limits.

How long do you plan to keep this car? Some mods make returning to OE spec more difficult; ie. cut holes for lude shifter cables. Consider all your options.

Those are just a few things to think about. Good luck!

TK_237

Yea ill prob go with the H22a setup from them. I can just put the engine in as is for a while and be pretty quick i imagine. Then concentrate on getting it handling really well, then the cosmetics. After i get everything else taken care of then dive into the H22 for some hp gains. Thank you very much for the ordering site. The place i was looking to get mine from was a US spec H22. And had been sitting up for a bit.

One thing i was considering on the SOHC that is in the car now is that if i spend alot of money on the engine it still wont mesure up to a JDM H22 stock. And when i do decide on increasing the hp on the engine it will be very easy to get parts for the H22.


Modified by TK_237 at 9:46 AM 3/22/2005

IHateJDM

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RStoR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Obviously you need to SEARCH some and figure out what is the best route for you. Couple of things to think about.


Determine your budget ($2800) and deduct 20%. You'll always have a list of misc. stuff you didn't consider whenever you start a project. Those parts add up quickly. If you purchase a swap, it is smart to replace the consumables before it goes in the car; timing belt, oil pump, gaskets, plugs, fluids, etc.

Are you doing the work/swap yourself? Remember to include labor cost unless it is a DIY project.

Can you afford downtime? While a swap/install can be a weekend ordeal, things never go as planned. If it is a DIY project you better add a lot more. At some point you will have down time if you mod your car. Accept it and be prepared.

Reliablity isn't cheap. OEM is the most reliable but that is if the swap is performed right in the first place. Turbo "can be made" reliable but that usually comes with knowing the motors limits and not exceeding them (often). Nitrous "can be made" reliable too but again you gotta respect the limits.

How long do you plan to keep this car? Some mods make returning to OE spec more difficult; ie. cut holes for lude shifter cables. Consider all your options.

Those are just a few things to think about. Good luck!</TD></TR></TABLE>


All very true. My h22 swap left my car with a hacked up bracket for the passenger side motor mount, and an ugly *** hole where the shifter was. Both can be returned to stock, but not without a welder. As far as extras, also think timing belt, plugs, wires, dist rotor + cap, exhaust, fluids, and some extra $ before you do the swap because little things always pop up.

ssbpturbohatch

stay with the sohc, there cheap and easy to repair/replace, and there lots of fun, and i've spun 8k or so on stock sohc with boost and didnt encounter any probs, but thats just me and may not be the case for every set up, but like i said, there cheap and easy and parts are everywhere. Just my thought on the matter. Good luck man.

panix

My buddy hasa 94 civic lx with a 1.5 and swapped it to an h22a. it only took him a few days but he had to do some unwanted cutting inthe engine bay. Since he did that no other motor will fit except a prelude motor. he also had the wrong mounts which lead to his tranny scraping off the road. but then again no1 around here ever had that swap ina civic so it was the first. and ov course theres always problems..

93_db2

if you are going to do a swap, i would stay with the b series. h22 is too heavy of a motor for a civic in my opinion

BOOST_92

Well here's my $.02. I recently did the h22 swap into my 00 civic and it was well worth it. But you are gonna be closer to $4000 with the swap complete. But that is everything. You had better do some research b4 you order that swap cause you need alot more than what comes with your typical swap.

I got mine from Hmotorsonline and the total was $3000 w/o shipping. But I got the Hasport mounts and Hasport axels from him.

For $3000 I got:
-h22a
-tranny
-ecu
-shift box and cables
-injector resistor box
-Hasport mounts
-Hasport axels

The other $1000 went towards:
-new dual core Rad. (from Del Sol with b16)
-ACT 6 puck clutch
-ACT heavyduty pressure plate.
-getting my flywheel cut
-timing belt
-water pump
-tensioner belt
-alternator belt
-fuel line and clamps
-vaccum line
-oil and filter
-plugs and wires
-dist. cap and rotor
-heater hose
-upper rad. hose
-thermostat
-tranny fluid
-exhaust work
-obd1 to obd2 conversion harness

Another thing to think about!!! If you wanna keep power steering and air cond. Count this swap out. And If you like your car really low count this swap out.

Those are a few thing to think of when considering an H22. I will tell you this with the only upgrade being an ACT clutch kit the car will spin 3 gears quite easy. Also keep in mind that I did the swap myself so I didn't pay any labor costs. I hope your good with wiring!!! Good luck

Pikachu

H22 all the way. Nothing beats the torque of an h22.

IHateJDM

If you go h22, you may want to think about better brakes soon too, unless you have rear discs. All I hear on this board is that the motor is too heavy for handling. That is total BS. My car handles great, but with drums in the back, the rear end wants to come around the car under heavy braking.

BOOST_92

i agree. brakes are my next upgrade.

slixxracing

H22 is a really good swap for the $$$. Good power and torque for a little less money than the gsr's. H22 is a heavy motor, but w/ good suspension work it will handle like a porsche.

Good luck on your quest!

jerbear!

Personally, I say build+turbo the and spank dohcs all day long

penguinman717

well if u keep to d16 go for turbo, but personally i would go for the h22 over the d16 cuz if u go against a fully modded h22 vs. ur d16 ( if fully modded) then yeah.. i think u can just keep up with them.. i mean basically keep up with dohc