I have a friend who is selling an 89 Crx to me for $200 it doen't run and I know he bought it with a Zc motor. That zc isn't in there anymore (because the kid didn't know what he is doing) snd took it out to try and install a D16Y7. So here's my question: Should I buy a sohc zc? and How hard is it to install into a crx as far as wiring? This is the first Crx i've owned so bare with me or let the flaming begin either way I need some help.

 

The sohc zc is the exact same engine as far as hooking everything up as the engine for the si. Its the same as the D16A6.

goes right in.

 

Is the car in great shape? If so for $200 that is a steal!

Well what engine do YOU want?

 

yea dude, even if its a rust bucket you could part that beast out. pick it up.

 

The possibilities are nearly limitless...but it always comes back to budget. So the CRX is $200. I would count on spending at least that much in fixing the typical **** morons eff up during swap attempts....hacked wiring harnesses, missing (or wrong) ecu, destroyed axles etc etc
So with $400 already spent, how much more do you want to spend to get it running? More means faster.
The sohc zc(118hp) you mentioned runs about $450. A D15b vtec(128 hp) runs about $400+obd1 conversion cost.
...plus shipping, of course.
And then another $150 in maintenance items...timing belt, water pump, spk plugs, distrib cap/rotor, seals etc.
Going this route, I think you could realistically slide in around $1200-1400.

 

I want to put a zc back into it because the cost of them are cheap from what i've seen and i'm hoping that he still has the stuff from the original zc that was in there like the tranny, axles and wiring harness. The car has no rust on it, but the front body panels like the fenders and front bumper are primered black while the rest of the car is blue and the interior is all effed up because well i'm not sure what he was thinking when he did all that. So i've decided i want the Zc motor, does the wiring harnes from that plug right up to the cars wiring harness on the strut tower? Sorry for the many questions I just want to do this right.

 

Bump

 

I hear you...the sohc zc is a decent replacement engine. They're cheap, easy and you get small bump in power.

A stock D16a6 wiring harness should plug directly into the sohc ZC.
Problems you might have...
Previous moron owner changed the distributor plug when he had the dohc ZC. The required change is documeted in most ZC swap articles...just undo it.
He hacked the harness up so that it would plug into the D16y7. Then you're going to be tracking down/correcting his work.

 

The good thing about the last owners stupidity is that he put that d16y7 in there thinking that it would just plug right up and start.
I asked him last night if he still had the Zc tranny and he told me he trashed it because he broke the end of the half-shaft off in it.