Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

I have a 1996 del Sol VTEC with a factory OBDIIa B16A2 engine.

I am replacing the blown engine with a 1997 OBDII JDM B18C-R. I will be reusing my existing transmission and keeping my A/C and P/S.

I have gotten a lot of great advice from people in my last two posts. :thumbup: The swap will commence next weekend. I will be doing it 400 miles away from home so I need to cover all bases while I can.

I am getting ready to purchase all the necessary parts to complete the swap while taking care of as many maintenance items as possible while the motor is out. I just want to verify that I should be buying parts for a USDM B18C5 to replace the JDM B18C-R parts. Hoses? Gaskets? A/C brackets?

My List:

1. Clutch Kit - EXEDY PRO-KIT

PRESSURE PLATE
CLUTCH DISC
RELEASE BEARING
PILOT BEARING
ALIGNMENT TOOL
EXEDY SPLINE GREASE
EXEDY STICKERS

2. Motor Overhaul Stuff (B18C5 parts from Honda):

TIMING BELT COVER B - Part Number: 11810-P72-A00
TIMING BELT COVER GROMMET - Part Number: 11812-PJ7-310
TIMING BELT (126RU26) - Part Number: 14400-P72-014
TIMING BELT ADJUSTER SPRING - Part Number: 14516-PR4-A00
TIMING BELT TENSIONER (KOYO SEIKO) - Part Number: 14510-P30-003
OIL SEAL (29X43X8) (ARAI) - Part Number: 91213-PR3-004 (2x)
WATER PUMP (YAMADA) - Part Number: 19200-P72-013
OIL PAN GASKET - Part Number: 11251-P30-004
COVER ASSY., R. SIDE - Part Number: 11300-PR4-A00
OIL PUMP ASSEMBLY - Part Number: 15100-P72-A01
REAR MAIN SEAL - Part Number: 91214-PLE-003
Thermostat - O'Reilly - Part Number: 3877

3. Axles (O'Reilly for lifetime warranty):

Part # : HO8063
Part # : HO8121

Is there anything else anyone can think of I should do? I know about the CKF trick. I will be using a USDM B18C5 ITR oil pump so that when emissions time comes here in Nashville I can pass with no issues using my USDM ECU. Through the rest of the year I will use the JDM ECU.

Finally, looking for experienced answers to a serious post. If you have any experiences or words of wisdom for me I would appreciate any and all of them. This is my first swap and I want to do it correctly. If there is a hose that commonly gets confused or a bolt that is going to be stubborn – Let me know!

Thank you. :beer:

P.S. - Here is my Sol for those interested:

http://teamsolcal.com/forum/showthre...d=1469&page=16

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Dead link

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

The link has been updated. Thanks for the heads up, purgat0ry!

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

I did this exact swap into my 93 hatch a few years ago. The biggest mistake I did was attempting to use the JDM engine harness. I tried to extend wires, and I was just never able to make it work. The fuel pump was not priming and the engine would turn over and do nothing else (no start).

I ended up changing over for a USDM engine harness (used one off an Integra RS and added the solenoid wire myself using the JDM harness wire; but I run OBD1) and everything worked beautifully. It was just a lot harder to swap harnesses with the engine inside the car.

Other than that, it is a pretty straightforward swap.

As for your list, I would change the distributor, wiring and spark plugs too while I am at it. You never know how old these things are on JDM engines.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Matt_EG - Thank you for the post! I will DEFINITELY be replacing the plugs, wires, and distributor once the motor is in. I am really focusing on things that are easier to do while the motor is out, but thank you for your insight!

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

You don't need the ckf trick and the USDM oil pump. Just one or the other.

Get the thermostat from honda as well as the coolant. Check pricing on www.bernardiparts.com or acuraexpressparts.com. They're both dealer sites....but heavily discounted.

I would grab hondabond (for the oil pan and oil pump sealing). Don't overtorque the pan bolts. They call for like 8 or 9lbs. Torque them in stages and let the hondabond dry overnight before filling oil. Use the honda bond only on the corners, as indicated by the manual.

Never use an aftermarket thermostat.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

B serious - Note taken. I will go with an OEM thermostat. Any other tips?

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Use your original USDM harness wjth NO modifications. I believe you'll have reuse the B16 fuel rail.

The TPS/MAP and CTS/VTEC plugs are easy to mix up. So mark all your plugs wth a permanent marker before disconnecting them from your B16.

Don't under any circumstances pull on those axles.

FYI, if your orginal axles are in good shape....I'd rather have used Honda axles than brand new parts store axles.

Use the exedy supplied grease or Honda high temp urea grease for your clutch after cleaning everything thoroughly with brake cleaner and a rag. Dont be crazy and use anti sieze or random grease.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Everything will pretty much be plug and play. Should be a very easy swap done in a day

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Why do I need to reuse my fuel rail?

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Yep, exactly. Same goes for the distributor. The OEM Honda stuff is way better quality. Sometimes you have to go through several aftermarket axles to get a good one.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Because most of the time, your fuel feed line won't match up to the JDM ITR rail.

I'm almost 100% sure I've always had to reuse the fuel rail on all the OBD2 civics I've swapped...including EM1's.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Recommend non-chlorinated brake cleaner on aluminum parts.

Wish you were closer so I could dump this JDM SiR B18 LSD trans on you that I have collecting dust. :( Looks like it would go to a good home.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

^ehhhh....GSR/SiR-G gearing is so awful, though.....

I'm with you on the non-chlorinated brake cleaner, however

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

So, will my B16A2 fuel rail be any better or worse than the JDM ITR?

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

No gain or loss. Just different fittings.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Thanks B serious. I have been doing a little more research and found that some people have had some issues with a second O2 sensor. Anything worth noting here? I just reregistered my car in my old county again (No emissions) so I have bought 1 year of extra time before I have to worry about emissions. :thumbup:

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

JDM ECUs don't look for the 2nd O2 sensor.

Leave it where it currently sits. Leave it plugged in as it currently is. Ignore that its there. Assuming you have a cat, when you plug your USDM B16A2 ECU in for emissions testing, everything will be in place.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

To pass emissions, you'll need your USDM ECU plugged in and drive cycled. It will need the following additonal things:

-CKF sensor from your B16 swapped into a USDM oil pump housing...or the CKF trick. Seems you ave this covered.

-2ndary O2 sensor installed after a WORKING cat (or into a defouler) and plugged into the stock harness provision.

-Using a T fitting on the intake manifold inlet to route the PCV and EVAP lines in. JDM intake manifolds have 1 port....so you need to route 2 lines into 1 port. USDM manifolds have 2 seperate ports.

Just leave all your emissions parts in place and plugged in, basically. I always plug in the USDM ECU after a swap to make sure everything is golden. Then put it on a shelf. Plug in your JDM ECU and let it rip.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Sweet. This information is going to be really helpful. A couple more questions:

Will the B18C5 oil pump I just ordered from Acura have to use the B16 CKF sensor? Will the existing one not work?

If I already have my stock del Sol VTEC exhaust in place, when it comes time to run through emissions next year I will not need to install any more O2 sensors because they will already be in place, correct? Sorry for any repeat questions - just trying to be crystal clear for this weekend. I will post some pics here.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Correct on the o2 sensor, correct on the ckf sensor. As long as you use the crank gear with it you'll be fine. Its good that you plan to replace allt hose seals, those are places you won't be able to get to so easily. IMHO you can swap the b16 oil pump over but since you blew the engine who knows what really happen. You should also be able to reuse the timing belt cover from the b16 as well.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

The CKF is just a sensor that's held by two 10mm head bolts. Unbolt from your B16 oil pump. Install on the C5 oil pump. Oil pumps don't come with CKF's on them. As Tony mentioned, re-use your B16 crank gear or the CKF won't read.

Leave your secondary (after cat) O2 sensor alone. You won't even need to unplug it to do the swap. You will, however, need a torch and a 22mm wrench to remove your PRIMARY O2 from your exhaust manifold. You'll need to transfer the primary to the B18C header/manifold.

If you decide you want a new primary sensor, buy a NGK or Denso direct plug and play one for your 96 Del Sol. Don't buy any other brands and don't buy a "universal" sensor. I use rockauto or sparkplugs.com.

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

http://www.acuraoemparts.com/delray/...All&vinsrch=no

So, buying #2 here won't come with a new CKF sensor? That sucks. I wish I had have realized that up front. Well, I guess I will be reusing the B16A2 sensor. I am assuming that I need to reuse the crank gear because the new B18C5 pump assembly lacks one of those as well? :thud:

Thanks for the O2 sensor help too. I will be sure to swap it over. Funds are getting tight!

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Just out of curiosity that would be the UPSTREAM sensor correct?

http://www.sparkplugs.com/product.aspx?zpid=17977

Re: Last words of advice - JDM 97' B18C-R Swap
 

Yup. Primary = upstream.

Oil pumps don't come with CKF's for sure. CKF is #14 in the diagram. You can see its not in the assembly box for the pump.

Nothing wrong with reusing your old CKF. A new one is expensive. And yes...use your B16A2 crank gear. Just match it up to your B18 crank gear that's coming off so that you can confirm size/tooth count. Just put them up against each other, face to face.