I am going to swap a zc into my 89si real soon and i want to make sure i have enough $$$. So i want to know how much you guys payed for your swap, labor included (unless you did it yourself) I am going to use my si tranny so if you bought a new tranny tell me. Thanks for the help

 

My brother spent about 1500 for a ZC swap at a shop. It included a new ACT clutch though.

 

If you do it right, you only need to rent the engine hoist for one day. Pulling the original motor and dropping in the ZC arent what is time consuming about the swap. Just have everything ready before you rent the hoist and you might be able to get it back in a few hours.

 

$2500... I know, that sounds high, BUT

I got it installed at a local shop
Got the car back in 3 days, tuned
New seals, wires, maint items,
ZC engine AND trans
New Stage II Clutch/pressure plate
New Axles
ZC PM7 ECU
DC Sports Header
Dyno Tune
Free 1000 mile "checkup" and oil change.

12mo/12k mile warranty... yes on EVERYTHING!

I also got a powder coated valve cover



[Modified by cspu, 8:10 AM 7/25/2002]

 

cool thanks for the pointers

 

do any other companies make headers for the zc? how about cams and ****?

 

****** eh. well i guess thats what happens when u dont have friends that can do swaps. my sc swap goes like this.i have an 89 si. so i got motor-450,zc ecu-100,new axle(cv boot was busted.) fluids-40-cherry picker 20,labor -200. thats 860 total fooliossssssss

 

i spent around 1300 altogether. the motor, zc tranny, and ecu were shipped to my door for about $700. I replaced the front and rear main seals, both cam seals, oil pan gasket, valve cover gasket, new plugs and wires, cap and rotor, act clutch set, energy suspension motor mount inserts and shifter bushings, redline synthetic mtl... oh yeah and i replaced the front mount. i'm probably forgetting something, but yeah all in all it was about $1300. I rented an engine hoist for one day, and that's all i needed it for. it was my first and only time pulling out an engine. I spent more time doing things like the wiring and putting everything back together, and then trouble shooting.

 

I paid $750 delievered for my ZC and I got to hand pick it from all the availble ones. Put new main bearing seals, and cam seals, new tensioner (stock D series item, new timing belt , new water pump (stock civic item) Cap and rotor and plug wires, and oil pan gasket. I did the wiring Paid $100 for the JDM ZC ECU. I had a new trans too, as I had a DX. So I figure it was less than a $1,000. not counting the trans. My engine was ultra clean inside, no varnish or discoloration, just clean bright aluminum. on the head and from the inside of the block. I could have and did run the cap rotor plugs aand wires that came with the engine for 3,000 miles after I put it in. Absolutely zero damage of any attached part on the engine I got. Clutch was even great, but I did put a new clutch in anyway. Get a Teg ecu or better a ZC ecu, ZC has better fuel maps but either one runs better than the Si ecu. If you are buying one get one of those two. ZC ecus are hard to find. The only downside with them is the 112 mile limiter all the JDM Ecus have. But it can be chiped to remove it



[Modified by virginia_dude, 8:20 AM 7/25/2002]

 

are main bearing seals the same thing as front and rear crank seals? if so, why are they called main bearing seals (what's a main bearing?) sorry if that's a dumb question, but i honestly don't know.

ABout that 112 mph limiter... I have what i think is a stock zc ecu, and I hit 120 mph in my car last week. But i couldn't go past that, as if i hit a rev limiter or something, it was the worst feeling. but what i dont get is why i was allowed to go that fast. maybe the limit was raised? Maybe my speedo is that far off? i kind of doubt that, because i have larger than stock diameter wheel/tires, so shouldn't that make my speedometer read slower than my actual mph? does anyone know how the ecu knows the cars mph?

 

About 1600 here. For:
ZC motor
88 Teg ECu
ACT Clutch
DC Sports header
B&M short shifter and bushings
new valve cover gasket set
thermostat
hoses and clamps
timing belt / water pump
all the fluids and sealants

there was some other stuff too.
It was worth it though. I'd reccomend a reman dist b/c mine was giving me probs, meaning the igniter, and TDC sensor went out on me, Grrrr.

But I did mine in my auto shop class, so it was free. Took 5 days at 2:30 hrs a day to pull, rewire, put on new stuff, and put back in.


Whatever you do, remember there will be a problem after you do it. Murphys law.

Brian G.

 

Main/ crank seal, same thing there is only 2, one on each end of the crank. I have the ZC ECU but have never been over 90, your speedo could easily be that far off at that speed.


[Modified by virginia_dude, 5:29 PM 7/25/2002]

 

i spent 450 on the longblock, 100 on maintience, and 100 when my distributer went bad the first day it was running. it took a saturday to do the swap (changed the tranny and clutch also) including scrubbing down the engine bay and power washing it....did everything myself so there was no labor and i don't use engine hoists, i leave them for v8 jobs....
floorjacks and stands

 

Damn, I honestly mean no offense at all to anyone, but if I paid $2500 for the performance a ZC delivers, I'd be pissed... and that's coming from a guy who is always talking the ZC up.

I spent $550 to get mine shipped to Ohio. I probably spent another $100 on timing belt, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, and fluids. That was 4 years ago. I didn't get any new seals, etc.. etc.. and its still running like a top.

You have to remember that a ZC is only a ZC... you can either drop a bunch of money in to freshing it up, or you can do the routine things, and if it blows up buy another one.

I mean, for $2500, you can buy almost 5 ZCs. It would be really tough to go through 5 of them in a year unless you're doing some really serious racing.

In conclusion.... you should be able to do the swap for around $700 easily. Don't pay someone else to do it either. It is way to easy, and then you loose bragging rights. There's no bragging to be had when you win with some mechanics car that you just happen to hold the title to.

 

lets see 100 for the complete block head and tranny( tranny had a hole for the case pin plug)
welded tranny hole- FREE
headgasket, rod bearings- ~60 dollars
labor free
axles free
mounts free

wiring harness that the car still need priceless hahaha

 

i spent 1500 installed

ZC Motor + Tranny= 576$
Integra Axles= 190$ (on core exchange)
DC header= 180$
AEM CAI= 180$
Engine Hoist= 25$
Fluids, Belts, Plugs, Wires etc.= 100$
Installation= 200$

Finishing the Swap and Seeing How ******* slow ZC's are and how angry i got for just spending all my savings on that P.O.S swap= PRICELESS

 

I rewired my DX in 4 hours didi all the work taking my time over 2 weekends.

 

i got motor and tranny complete .. with eveything still on it from plugs to belts and i paid $1000 canadin thats like 450 us i have all the tools to do the job but new rad hose $30 plug and new wires $70 mine way a dx so i got a si ecu $20 and mis plug and stuff $20 took a little better than a week by myself( no help) the tranny did`nt work (axle bs) so put the dx in here`s the real kick in the nuts put it in tuned it screwed the clutchin a week (spend the cash a put a new one in with the swap. mine was $500 but i will blow trannys before it slips now .. good luck with the swap

 

you need 90-93 non abs 5speed integra axels for the ZC transmission.. If you have a DX box in there now you will not believe the difference of how that car will run if you put the ZC box in.. OH, and you should be able to pull the old motor and get the new one in in les than 2 hours, alone taking your time, once you have all the wires marked on both the engine and harness. you should be able to get away with a half day rental of the hoist. just prep both engines before you start.


[Modified by virginia_dude, 7:56 AM 7/26/2002]