altoid

I gots the sohc zc, its pulls like a ***** f*cka from 4k-6k. Its the shizzle, just imagine, the dude next to you thinking hes gunna rip you a new one, and right when he finally gets on your tail and you shift from 1st to second and hes coming up on you, you're at 3k and you can smell his dirty breath and wham!!! 4k hits and you're outta there, i like my sohc zc indeed. kick *** indeed


[Modified by altoid, 9:43 PM 3/5/2003]

joey1320

i love my ZC... it sucks that i haven't even driven it with the si tranny.
i was offered GOOD money for my b16, so might sell it and look for the piston/rod combo and go junkyard turbo...
ZC
never had an experience with the other

CRX-RX

What the? Have you ever seen a dyno chart on a ZC? It's torque curve is alot more flat than an A6. And the shorter gear trans? You better double check on that because the stock ZC trans' were actually between the DX and Si (better gear ratios, but DX final drive). I have easily beat Z6's with the ZC/Si hybrid tranny with my stock zc, with stock JDM trans and stock clutch (ouch, which has gotta go!!!). Oh and my vote goes for the A6, unless your gonna spend [B]any[B] money, then B series.

nikitad

I know that distributors are a common honda problem. I never had a prob with my ZC (2 years). Neither distro, nor timing belt, nothing else. I guess it just depends on personal luck. Replacement parts are widely available. Most parts swap with A6, the ones that don't - they are taken from d16a1, 88-89 teg engine.
Head, intake manifold, valvetrain too I'm pretty sure...

Having said that, I still gotta admity that I didnt feel much difference after swapping out my A6 for dohc ZC.

thaiphob

i have a sohc zc in my rex and i loved it! it had lots of power for me. i use it as a DD and a lil race here and there. i never drove in a rex w/ a6 so i cant really compare the two. but im swapping a dohc zc on sunday so i'll tell you how that goes.

Kato7997

If I was starting with a DX, I would go straight to the ZC...maybe the d16Z6...

JaeOne3345

a6 with ZC/a1 pistons, big cam, head work, zc tranny si final drive takes the cake in light car.

therealciviczc

I've had three or four different A6's and 1 ZC. The ZC has been leaps and bounds ahead of the A6s. The best running A6 I've ever had wasn't even close to my ZC when it was stock.

Honestly, I can't think of any advantages to the A6. If it is any lighter, it would probably be less than 10 or 15 lbs. The only slight advantages would be ease of replacement (since they're everwhere) and cam availablity. I've had my ZC since 1999 (I think, might have been 98) and I have yet to run in to a situation where I wanted to buy something for it and couldn't.

It is no less reliable than the A6 since it's basically the identical internal parts.

Drive one of each, in identical cars, and assuming that both are in decent condition, and the ZC will be faster... period. It has more power, revs higher, and and about the same torqe. I ran very low 16s in my Si hatchback bone stock, and at the same track with the ZC, stock, I ran very low 15s. That's identical driver, car, track, similar conditions, etc.

Running a friend really doesn't mean anything because 99.9999% of the people that I see running Honda's at the races, etc, can't drive for dick. A stock ZC in a 1991 Civic Hatchback Si (sunroof, etc, not crx) ran low 15s. I've been to the same track numerous times and I've never seen an A6 run those times in a Civic Si hatch. The ZC is simply a faster motor in stock for and has about the same advantage as similar mods are done to each motor.

drjondurst

Thats all true except for the torque statement.. I beleive the ZC has about 20 ft/lb more. I dunno if thats a noticable difference (not too experienced with power.. having a stock CRX) but it seems like it would be.

And for all the people that say the A6 is better because u can put a cam in it and mill the head or whatever.. why cant you do that to a ZC and get even more power?

And if you're planning on a turbo.. wouldnt the ZC be a better platform?

Kato7997

Cams are hard to find for the ZC. Alot of people don't like ZCs because they are not a USDM Engine, so there aren't many ZC parts available. However, with the exception of valvetrain parts, parts are usually easy to find, you just have to know what to look for....

More than likely, a ZC is going to have lower mileage than your A6, I think that's a bonus right there....

drjondurst

Agreed my d16a6 has 155K on it and I just bought a ZC with 39K on it.. turboing as soon as I get the $$$.

Superhatch

1. The dohc ZC dosent have 20 more ft/lbs of torque. The b16a only has 111..so I doubt the ZC tops that.

2. Valvetrains. Some of the best mods on an engine are on the top end. Cams. Springs, retainers, valves. W/o upgrading those...the bottom end will never take full advantage of anything you have done to increase flow.

3. I know people that give away a6's. Ive got two..soon to be 3 free A6's in my garage now (edit that I got for free.

4. The difference between your average ZC, and your average A6 isnt anything to write home about. Personally I would (and have) rather go with a motor I know I can get parts for, and is easially, and cheaply replaced.

-Jake


[Modified by Superhatch, 11:16 AM 3/6/2003]

drjondurst

I never said it had more than a B16, I said it has around 20 more ft/lbs than an a6. The a6 has 90 ft/lbs right? I think the ZC has 108. I could be wrong.. this is all out of memory.

kim_2_da_chee

too bad im selling my car...
yes the sohc zc that i have feels wonderful!
i dont know why someone says that it is torqueless..
i even kept up with SiR's (Si) on the highway.
so ya, ZC gets my vote.

also, wouldn't it be a better comparison if you compare the a6 with the sohc zc?
isn't the a6 basically the U.S. version of the japan spec sohc zc? correct me if im wrong... i was thinking this the whole time.




[Modified by kim_2_da_chee, 9:35 AM 3/6/2003]

therealciviczc

This is correct. The published numbers are 100 for the A6, and 108 for the ZC.

But you can do all of that on a ZC, its just tougher to find cams. Basically everything else is interchangeable. Even the cams for the 88-89 teg will work, not very many people make them though.

I know what you mean. I have a two in the front seat area of my spare CRX.

This is where I disagree. My ZC in stock form was about 1 full second faster than any of the A6s I had. I feel like that is more than enough to make the swap worth while, especially if you're faced with needing to replace the engine anyhow. My A6 bit the dust. I was either paying $400 (going rate at the time in Ohio) for an A6, or $500 for a ZC. The ZC is well worth the extra $100 in my opinion.


As for the turbocharging question above... The ZC does respond well to turbocharging. I slapped a greddy kit on, and even with my intercooler leaking boost like crazy, I was able to hit 14.2s. I can't tell you the amount of boost because it kept changing as the turbo tried to make up for the leak.

Now that the intercooler is fixed, the ZC seems to be able to run about 9psi with no problems at all. That is stock everything, and FMU, and a 225lph pump. I would assume the car is good for 13s now.

This isn't for comparison or bragging, because I know it isn't that fast. Only to answer the question someone asked about turbocharging the ZC.

Todd00

I've roasted B16A 99-00 Civic Si's with my A6 Si, so that's not a good comparison.

I've seen several A6's run sub 15 second times in the 1/4 mile. Most low 15's with boltons.

However, a better comparison are the dyno charts. A stock A6 puts out roughly 95hp at the wheels, correct? I've seen some as high as 100hp @ the wheels bone stock A stock Zc does 105-110 stock, correct? That's really not a big difference IMO and not worth the headache. Plus, I believe the A6 demonstrates a better torque curve on the low end.

I'd love to see a dyno of an all-motor ZC. I've seen dynos of all-motor A6's and know the potential they have.

keithv

stock zc with:
- zc manifold
- zc cat
- "custom" 2.25" exhaust
- stock flywheel lightened ~ 2lbs
- 1000mi on the rebuild

therealciviczc

My ZC dyno'd 128 whp with I/H/E. On the same dyno, I know someone who had a A6, 11:1 comp, headwork, etc and did 132 whp (about $3,500 in the motor).

I haven't seen many Si hatches doing sub 16 second runs with bolt ons and an A6, and I would imagine we're going to the same tracks. DXs and STDs yes, but Si hatches will full interiors (or nearly full), etc... no. I've yet to see a decent ZC run a 16 or higher with the eception of a missed shift, or some sort of mistake. Even horrible drivers with ZCs usually hit high 15s.

All I can say is that I've had both, and I still have 2 91 Civics with A6s in them, and not one of them is even in the ballpark of my ZC (before the turbo).


[Modified by therealciviczc, 8:49 PM 3/6/2003]

JaiDM

+1 for the d16a6. for one it came in my car, so i didnt have to do a swap. it runs like champ. and i can give it HELL!!! and it still loves to run for me .
i dont know how easy i could get 300 HP out of it, but for haveing fun, and being a quick car its a great motor. + easy to find parts for and pretty easy to work with.

Loaded Butane

+1 for the ZC

I got my ZC because my D15b2 was dead and there are virtually no imports in yards around here. I have beaten some cars that I didnt think I could beat and have lost to some I thought I could take. IMO the ZC is a fun motor for people on a budget.

FR-MOB: ThE bEe GuY

I have an A6 with 145K miles and still runs strong. i was thinking of dropping in the ZC but i decided to get a Z6 or Y8. On mine all i have is an Injen short ram intake and a cheapy universal fart can exhaust and it actually surprises me how many car it can take. Even bone stock its pretty zippy. I'd say go with the A6 (maybe mini-me it in the future). Plus, more companies are starting to make more D series stuff, for instance Skunk 2. I read in some mag that when their D series manifold comes out, it'll be carb legal and add as much HP as the manifold for GSR's. Theyre also coming out with a cam for it... A6


[Modified by ThE bEe GuY, 10:19 PM 3/6/2003]

silverCRXTC

Im a B16a man myself, but my freind has had 2 zc, one shot a rod through the block after 500miles (no warrenty ) the other leaks like so much oil. the ZC is great after a rebuild but in my opion, I would go with the stock si motor or a 96+ sohc vtec (u can get them cheep for all the slow ex coupe swaping them out for b18c)

But I Still give the ZC props

altoid

Once you hit highway speeds hp becomes more of a factor than torque.

cr-x si

+ 1 for the zc, mine goes in tomarrow. I can't wait to drive it. I know the power wont be that much greater then my a6 but i know it will be faster. I it will have a lot less miles on it. I'll let u guys know how it compairs once i break it in.

bigrob119

A6 here. Raced too many ZC swapped rex's, HB etc and won (in either my 91 EX sedan, or my fiance's 89 CRX Si) for that engine to make a good impression on me. Everyone I knew that had one was always having to mess with cam/ignition timing, fuel, etc to get them to run anywhere near me and my friend's A6's.