i have a first gen CRX Si and planning to swap motor. i was told the motor from first gen Integras(86-89) will fit the easiest.
But will the motor from a 90-93(ls, gs) Integras fit as well? (w/o much trouble?)

i guess i can go as far as B-series but then i'd have to deal with more custom work.
has anybody done any swap without using the Hasport mounts?

im still open to suggestions. anybody have any good advice for my first gen CRX?

btw, i'm new and so glad i found this post!

 

i would stick with the d16a1, unless you shell out the cash for the hasports. Keep in mind about the OBD of your vehicle as there are many wiring headaches....

 

1st you have to assess your car, it's condition and how much $ you want to throw in. Is your car carbed or fuel injected? If it's carbed, you could try and find a carbed ZC from a Honda Quint from a JDM motor importer. They are some of the more rare, but less desired motors, so finding one will be a challenge, but the price shouldn't hurt to bad. If you're already injected, a D16A1 from a 86-87 Integra would be the easiest from here. Or a 1st gen browntop ZC like I have. For both ZCs and the D16A1 you'll need the Integra transmission mount, I think if I recall, one side mount, the transmission, shift linkage, hubs, axles, spindles,ECU, and if your car is carbed, you'll need the Si fuel tank, pump, pickup , and wiring harness. A good, standard swap for these light cars. My ZC runs great and passes MD emissions with flying colors. Great drivable cars. The 88-89 Integra D16 requires a little wiring since they have electronic advance timing as opposed to vacuum advance like the CRX. Any B series engine will require custom mounts. In both swaps you can retain A/C, however the B swaps require more creativity. The B series will obviously get you more power, and they have greater aftermarket support. The D series can use the 92-95 Greddy turbo kits as well, if you want more power in the future, and pistons, rings, rods, and such are still available for the engines. Think about how much money you want to throw into a 20+ year old car. See if the car is capable of handling the power. If you throw a high hp/torque B18 into your car, make sure it isn' rusted to the point where the motor rips the front of the car off. Also stiffen up the car. 1st gen CRX chassis' are kinda flimsy. I love my Zc. If I had time and money to throw at it, I'd go B series. However, I saved $ and bought some boost. Any motor you get, overhaul it and check it completely 1st, before putting it in. A motor is much easier to work on when out of the car. Replace all seals, gaskets, check leakdown, thermostat, repl timing belt, water pump, etc... Have the motor as new as possible with as low miles, but go over it thouroughly before install. Drop a new clutch in. I have seen some people use the used clutch, saying it looked fine. Always start fresh. Check out http://www.redpepperracing.com, thezcr.com, and d-series.org for help. Good luck.



EDIT-Never mind about the carbed ZC, I just noticed you said yours was a Si.

 

thanks for your insightful advice. it'll be a great help.

one of the reasons for considering anything other than d16a1 was those were really hard to find (at least for me, mainly b/c i didn't know where to look, i guess).
specially in lower mile/decent conditions.

my CRX is a 87, has 270k miles, the body and floor is in really good shape. i bought the car form california not too long ago. no rust. so i'm pretty confident about throwing money in it. i will be changing suspension, exhaust too soon but i want to do the engine first.

so, it seems like the B-series has lot more potential. other than the cost for the mounts, how much am i looking at for motor/trans, axle, ECU and usual stuff? (ball park)

and how much (again, ball park) if i decide to go for the d16a1?

 

so i just picked up a d16a1 and tranny. the guys said 120k miles but who knows, but it looked pretty believable though.

i paid $150 was that a good deal?
i only got motor and trans, so i'd need axel, rotor and other bits...

so if anyone is parting out a 1st gen Integra in the Chicagoland area let me know...

 

$150 is a great deal. The stock 84-87 CRX puts out about 76hp, 91 for the Si. The browntop integra puts out 113hp, and 118hp for the blacktop. The browntop ZC puts out 129hp. So going up in hp make a huge difference for such light cars. The B16 is rated at 160hp. The B16 has more aftermarket support, but the D16A1 has support if you know where to look. Race engineering has parts if you want to build up the internals. While you have it out, freshen up the engine. You can also boost the D16A1. My friend, who did my swap has had his boosted for a few years and 45k miles now no problems. Mine is in the process of being boosted. It really all depends on money, but for a 1st gen a D16A1 is a great motor.

 

i'm going to freshen up the engine like you said, change gaskets, water pump, timing belt, etc..

but what if the engine turns out to be a bad one after all that? like burns oil or something.

are there any clues or signs i should look for that will tell me something about how it's going to run?

do you thing i should send it to rebuild? how much is the avg cost for rebuilding these engines?

btw. thanks for your help

 

Well, for $150, you can always get another motor if that one fails. 1st I would take the motor somewhere and see if you can get a leakdown test. That will kinda give you an indication on how the cylinders are. If you open the motor up, check for piston wall scoring, excessive gunk on the piston. How do the old spark plugs look? Burnt white, black and sooty, or just kinda brownish and toasty.How do the ports of the exhaust manifold look? Are they all clogged up with an oily muddy soot, or just have some standard carbon buildup? At $150 for the motor and trans, you should have enough left over. You did get the Integra motor/trans mounts right?

 

Also check out Redpepper Racing.com. That is the site for 1st gen CRXs and 3rd gen Civics.