Hi, im new here. Maybe some one has the info i need....

Im new to Hondas, but well seasoned when it comes to general mechanics. I just got a '91 civic and want to tackle the engine first. Long ago I recall someone telling me about the "ultimate head/engine combo" giving the best of both worlds. My question: What is this magical combo? Is that a H23 on a F22 or the other way around? Am I even close?

Bottom line, what's the hot ticket? Can someone point me in the right direction? I'm also open to something better.

Thanks!
Tim

 

i would strongly suggest that rather than going with what someone else thinks or suggests, that you research what it is your actually trying to do. research what motors come from what, what they are generally putting out unmodified, and figure out your overall intentions. there really is no biggest motor or magical combo to be suggested. everyone builds their motor as they see fit and to their liking, you should do the same.

 

what is your budget, power goals and resources available to you?
Check the FAQs on this forum and on the forced induction FAQs. you might not need the biggest engine.

 

Hmm... Goals; Mildly streetable - meaning I can drive it to the track. What type of track? Right now I'm thinking more drag than autocross.

I've always been a muscle car kind of guy and love that bottom end grunt. If I can achieve something close to that in what I've got. Bonus!

 

look bro you wont get no answers like that

answer them in order
a.how much you looking to spend
b.how much power you looking to make
c.you should not take someone elses advice on what you should do to your car cuz all people dont like the same setups

 

a. No more than $3000 (motor & trany)
b. 320+ Hp
c. Is this unrealistic?

Mabe i should say as fast as 3 grand will go...

 

well 3 grand i would say is a decent start.. it will get you a b-series swap.. go on a website an search engine osakajdmmotors.com ONLY TO LOOK AT ENGINES, i like there web setup better for comparison sake, when you order go to hmotorsonline.com a llittle more expensive but worth it, trust me if you dont believe me google.com an search where ppl buy there motors, for a big investment for a motor that u cant hand pick out its worth it to go by there customer service an customer feedbacks.. with that out of the way, remember your car is a 91 civic, its obd0 and uses a cable tranny.. so this basically leaves you with a b16 or b18a UNLESS you convert to obd1 an convert it to hydraulic transmisson (check out boomslang.net for conversion harness) and check out hasport.com (for motor mounts an hydraulic conversions).. trust me you want to do alot of research before you buy stuff an notice you need more parts then you thought.. of course you'll make more power with h an k series, but your on a 3 grand budget.. in my opinion, and this is only my opinion and IF you want to go with a b series, an once again this is my personal opinion for someone new to hondas an with you have a 91 car, the best starting point for a 88-91 car is a b16 because you have a cable tranny, and b16 cable transmission are the shortest and best transmissions for all motor 1/4, and b16 heads are also very good b series heads, and easy to get parts for.. an b16s are available in obd0.. so you put this swap in your car an expect 14's-15's stock motor depending on driver an traction an how strong the motor is.... ok so you got the motor in your car, have fun an do research, build the head up, tune it.. research ls vtec's (search for "how to build a reliable ls/vtec") it will tell you all about it, find a cheap or junk yard b18a block, read that article an other peoples builds, build that block, throw your fully built head on it, an it will be a nice running car if built right, but once again this is only my opinion..

 

For $3000 you're really limited on your setup because of the car you have. The 92 and up chassis would have been better to start with and give you more options for your money. Realistically you're going to end up with a b16a that you'll need to make sure is in good shape, i.e.- not something that has 10+ year old valvetrain parts etc and the valve seats pounded flat. You'll need that and nitrous to give you anywhere near the power levels you want. I wouldn't expect to go beyond 250hp on a setup like that, on that budget and remain reliable.

 

well yea 3grand is not that bad but i would not swap a b16 atleast a b18 he would be spending his money on junk unless he gets a great deal but6 if your ordering them off h-motorsonline.com then just save another week and get a gsr because 320hp is very unrealistic and i hope your not talking to the wheels

 

Go big

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread/2252451

 

Buy a b16 swap with a lsd tranny, put a ITR intake mani/tb/Chinese tri-y header, good 3" intake, and a good exhaust on it. Get it tuned and have fun.

Wont be the fastest thing on the block, but it will be a blast to drive and be within your budget. Also, its realistic.

Your 320 mark on the 3k budget....is very unrealistic.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tims Toy 500 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I've always been a muscle car kind of guy and love that bottom end grunt.</TD></TR></TABLE>

one thing that needs to be said first off the words "low end grunt " and "hondas" don't go together

but with 3000 you can build a nice turbo d-series, and you'll get decent times at the strip if you know how to drive

 

well u can buy a ls motor for pretty cheap and turbo it that will get you a decent amount of horsepower out of that setup

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by beana &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

one thing that needs to be said first off the words "low end grunt " and "hondas" don't go together

but with 3000 you can build a nice turbo d-series, and you'll get decent times at the strip if you know how to drive</TD></TR></TABLE>

Good post, I was about to mention these two things myself

 

Wow! Thanks for the info! Let me clear some things up... I'm looking for that 320+ hp at the fly, not the wheels. (And) I've allocated 3 grand for everything inside the block and head. Is this still unreal?

It was mentioned a 92 would have been a better platform to start with... Is there a big difference in the engine-bay chassis wise? (91 vs. 92) I don't mind doing some fab work to make something fit.

 

smallblock dude.

 

The body style completely changed from 91 to 92. The 92 and up was designed to use the hydraulic clutch transmissions and were much easier to fit just about any engine combination you could think of. These two things would have increased your options considerably. It's not that you cannot do much with the chassis you have, it's just that you'll have to spend more of your money doing it than you would have on a different chassis.

If you were to take a cheap b18b and stick some forged rods and pistons in it, then bolt on a 150hp nitrous kit or a decent turbo kit you could probably make some decent power. The trouble may be making everything fit without spending much on fabrication.

 

I don't know about you guys but I think that if your looking for low-end grunt definately go b16 get your vtec cherry popped at 8000rpm's and see how much you want "low-end grunt" after that, I think you'll really get the picture of what honda tuning is all about!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by efsedanfan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I don't know about you guys but I think that if your looking for low-end grunt definately go b16 get your vtec cherry popped at 8000rpm's and see how much you want "low-end grunt" after that, I think you'll really get the picture of what honda tuning is all about! </TD></TR></TABLE> Wow, stop.

I don't needz a power band dis motor gos 8g s0n.

There is a reason my daily driver makes over 200 ft lbs at idle.

Low end torque is king. Even for Hondas.

 

Lsvtec all motor
b18a block
bored over to 81.5
srp pistons
eagle h beams
b16 w/type internals
head decked to reach 11.7 to 1 compression
type r block girdle and bolt ons
93 integra b16 xsi tranny with opt/lsd (thats the key to feel the torque)
4 to 1 headers
2 1/2 exhaust
aem intake
p28 ecu with 9000 redline and 3500 rpm vtec kick in
(built it myself)
in a crx high 12s
AND I'M SURE I LEFT SOME STUFF OUT
i spent 1800 on the short block and machine work on head lucky enough to
have the lsvtec and type r internals in head when i bout the car for 3000
THAT WAS ONLY LIKE 210 HORSEPOWER BUT ITS A VERY LIGHT CAR AND THE KEY IS PUTTING ALL THE POWER TO THE PAVEMENT
STOCK B20 AND MODIFIED COMPUTER IN BROS CRX RUNS MID 13S

 

Never shifted past 8200 though wasn't thinking it was a good idea

 

why? my peak hp is at 8200

adams90crx@msn.com - your vtec kicks in at 3500rpm? so when you're on the highway you're always in vtec?

 

^ VTEC won't engage unless you are near full-throttle anyway so the answer to that question is no, even if his engagement point really is that low.

 

I would def do a b20-T or D16-T. both are dirt cheap engines @ 400~

 

RESEARCH. the options are endless. you can boost single cams. or swap b series or k series. then add internal parts to make them faster! your best bet is to research, narrow down your options based on budget and performance then ask what you should do just for other people's opinions.