Thanks in advance for the input.

Here's what I have...
-1989 D16A6 block w/ 1995 D16Z6 head
-1989 CRX Si tranny w/ Quiafe LSD
-1991 Civic hatchback STD (bad motor & tranny syncros that are going out)

No issues in assembling that car. All pretty straight forward. However, I have the option to buy a 1993 Del Sol S for a song. If I bought the Del Sol I would want to set the cars up like this...

Del Sol
-A6/Z6 motor
-Si (or Si/ZC) gearset w/ Quaife LSD

Civic
-D15B7 motor
-Leftover 5spd tranny

The most obvious way to set the cars up like this would be to buy hydro/cable conversion kits for both cars. But that seems like a waste of money (especially for the tranny going into the Civic). What other options do I have? Are the cases swappable (or the internals, rather)? I don't guess there is any chance that I could swap just the parts that make the tranny a hydro or cable actuated clutch is there? My preference is to spend less money and more time on this project. Let's say up to 25 hours of labor to get tranny parts swapped. I'm not a tranny expert, but I will study as much as necessary to complete the project.

So what options do I have?

 

well if you get the del sol are you gonna try to sell the hatch? i would leave that set up in the hatch cause its lighter than the sol. also i dont know where you live but that motor isnt legal in the sol in some states.

 

I don't have to pass BAR, just a basic sniffer test.

The original reason for buying the hatch was the weight, but the Del Sol is only 150 lbs heavier. I'm happy to give up the weight difference for the targa and nicer interior.

I'll sell the hatch eventually, but it will be a (tuned) beater car for a while; mpfi swap, A6 cam, and Si ECU. That's why I want at least a 5spd in it.

 

Up for some help.

Mista Bone, any thoughts?

 

don't try D series Cable/Hydro tranny swap, not gonna happen for cheap.

Buy a S20 EX/Si tranny and swap in the ZC 3-4, CRX 5th gearsets.......

Use the 3rd gearset from the STD 4 speed tranny for 4th in the hydro tranny, no need for any machining.............

PS, never blame the synchros in D tranny..........

 

Thank you for your response, Mista Bone. Would it be possible to swap those ZC gears into the S20 (DX I guess -- motor is a D15B7) tranny? Would my Quaife fit?

 

easy for me, yes.

Quaife not gonna fit the DX tranny. Find a EX tranny, then the Quaife will fit.

 

Thanks again. I see the note on the page in your sig about the diff matching the case. I glanced over that previously.

So it looks like this will cost a couple hundred bucks one way or the other. Either a hydro/cable conversion or an S20 EX tranny.

One more question, if your patience hasn't grown thin... Are there any resources that I could use to find part numbers for the ZC gears and related components? I'd rather just buy them new if they're not terribly expensive.

 

ZC 3rd was NEVER available in North America. Your best off to buy a DOHC ZC tranny for the gears. Then sell what is left as a CRX DX tranny with 40mm diff bearings.

 

I know it was never sold in an American car, but I should still be able to order parts through Honda (of America). They can't look up part numbers for Japanese-only parts, but they can order almost anything.

 

can't be ordered, no longer in stock

 

Really? I guess cars really do become archaic much faster in Japan.

I checked on the price of a 3rd gear set for a 91 Si yesterday, and it came out to $191 for employee cost. So buying a whole tranny for $150-$200 is a much better solution. You are right.

...not that I would ever question the accuracy of anything you have to say about trannies.

 

I had a "source" in Japan, he tried to order the 3-4 gear set from both shafts, ZC..........

Would have been about $225 shipped to USA, but the parts were no longer in stock.

Find a true ZC tranny ($150), swap 3-4-5, make the old ZC into a DX tranny, then source a 40mm diff to replace the ZC due to larger axles. Sell it for $150 or have someone buy a OBX for it to run boost.........