I've been researching engine swaps for my tired, smoking d16a6 and I had pretty much made up my mind that the ZC was the way to go, but it seems to be one of those love or hate it things. Some people really love the thing, others say its a piece of junk. My major concern is that it isn't reliable. I don't wan't to get stranded on the highway ...that sux!

I did some math and I know this: The ZC is almost half the cost per hp of the b series swaps.
Here's my quandry:
ZC swap = $1200 (installed)
B18 swap = $2500 installed
B16 swap = $2800 installed

The million dollar question... Is the ZC a piece of junk?

 

yes it is.
=P

vnt

 

the ZC is a great drop-in engine for the amount of money it costs. you can save even more money by installing it yourself. pretty easy and straighforward. alot of people say it's not reliable, etc...that all depends on whether you get it from a reputable place and whether or not you replace all gaskets, hoses, seals, belts, etc when you have the engine out of the car. plus you can use the Si tranny which saves even more $$$. i got my ZC last year and love it. no problems whatsoever. it's like any other motor, you just have to prep it before you throw it in. for me, the deciding factor was money. if you have money to spend, then i would so go for the b16. if you have a budget and don't wanna spend more than $1000 on a swap, then i would say go for the ZC. in the end, it all hinges on how much you want to spend on your project. good luck.


[Modified by PeTeY, 1:43 PM 4/30/2002]

 

is a good engine , but i would always go with a b16 at least!

 

Since I already had the money budgeted (thought the ZC was gonna be $2500) I'm gonna just get a B16 and stop worrying about it!

Can't wait til Jul 1 now!

 

Go B18 and install it your self. You should be able to find a 100% complete B18 for about $1000 at the most, and you'll have the extra $1500 to put toward a turbo!

A monkey can do a B18 swap!

You could also get a ZC for $500 and spend $2000 on adding a greddy kit with intercooler. You could beat both of the other options with that setup without question.

The options are endless. I just suggest doing the swap yourself. You gain knowledge, respect and bragging rights that you won't have otherwise. We'll help you get it done!

 

I thought about all of this... really I did! The thing is I want a daily driver... not a racer. I knew I'd never go Turbo so I decided to get the most N/A power I could as cheap as I could and still have a reliable, economical street car with some cojones.

As for doing it myself... I don't have the tools, location, patience, or help. I've swapped engines before and I HATE IT, it's just not something I consider fun. It's worth the extra money to me to have it done by a pro.

 

you can get a ZC motor for about 300 and keep your Si tranny and about 400 to install it.

 

If you want a reliable every day motor that can take a little abuse and revs any of those choices are great (ZC, B18, and B16). It just depends on how quick you want to be. I've got them listed in slowest to fastest order.

 

Mines fine. Just need to keep saving till I can have a CRX ZC Si-T

 

yea it's junk!! j/k i got my longblock for $500 and have yet to have anything go wrong.....shifting at 7600rpm everytime and not changing the oil, as it's a temporary motor.......

 

I get ZC's for $400 ($600 CDN) and they can be installed in 5 hours (I've DONE it more than once). $1200 is STEEP. Maybe with new performance clutch. ALWAYS depends on the budget. ****, I bet you could find another board member who lives close, that could do the swap for you for $100 and . Later, Overkll

 

The ZC is the grandfather of the Honda DOHC motors and is based on the "D" series blocks which makes swaps into the SOHC cars dead simple.

BUT. Like most grandparents, any ZC you find is going to be a little long in the tooth and you should probably freshen up the timing belt, the oil pump, and all the critical gaskets at a minimum.

It's a good, strong engine from all i have heard but i don't have any personal experience working on one.

Mike

 

go b18 turbo.....If you got the cash..


Yager-

 

ZC isnt worth the money.. unless you get it for 100$$

and i still cant wait to take it out for my built d16a6

 

whats the bore on a zc anyways? i saw a piston and it was noticably smaller than the average b-series 81mm piston.

 

same as most D series, 75mm.

 

1200 is a bit much. you might want to save just a little bit more and get a b16 or b18b/c.
don't first gen b16 motors sell for 1000-1200??