Hey guys so im kind of a newbie to the site but did read a few stickies and threads about this swap so i hope you guys can help me out a little.

So i have 99 Civic EX Sedan that is nearing the 350,000 kms mark and its still running like a champ, but i am considering a swap in the near future, but i have some questions or clarifications, and thats where you come in lol.

1. So im having some trouble with deciding between the 96-97 spec itr engine or the 98+ spec itr engine. what are some of the differences and what do you guys recommend?

2. Now the obd1/obd2 issue. From what i have read the 96+ hondas have obd2 right? and so do the 96+ acuras right? so then i wouldnt have any obd problems putting the b18 into my car. Is there any other electrical issues i should consider?

3. I am really confused on the ECU, should i stick with the one that comes with the itr engine or should i buy something else. I mean would i have problems with just using the strock itr one not?

4. What should i consider changing as soon as i get the engine? i know i will get new cams, header, exhaust, but should i also change the spark plugs, timing belt/tensioner etc?

5. Now i am not a complete noob at working on cars but i have also never done a swap, so what do you guys think, could i do it myself or should i go to a shop and have it done? What i really mean is are there a lot of problems i can run into and get stuck on? (any good manuals to help me out?)

The main site i know for the complete swap is http://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/sc...age&item=30011
Is this a good site to buy from? (good quality parts and not a ripoff?)

I have no future plans on going turbo so i dont want to worry about any of those problems. Also this car is not going to be a full out track car but i will go sometimes.

Thanks a lot
Tudor

 

Your car is OBD2 already so you wont have problems with the OBD on the ITR engine.

350 000 kilometers = 217 479.917 miles
Thats alot of miles lol.
When you get the engine change the spark plugs, wires, and your fuel filter and air filter (or get a short ram on ebay, u should be able to find one for around $30).
There are many manuals for civics, ill look for the tech service manual link.
U should just run the stock ITR ECU as u will have a stock motor in there.
As for cams they arent really needed, the ITR ones are pretty agressive and getting higher lift ones will rape your gas mileage. Header, exhaust, intake is fine tho.
You should probably also replace the timing belt on the motor. At least I would for safety lol.
Hope this helped.

 

hmo perfect site

 

thanks for the replies guys, that answered my questions but i still have one lol. What kind of problems can i run into? is there any electrical stuff i really need to worry about? and is this pretty much a swap that goes in and then i just "hook everything up" or are there things that need to be more cutom fit?

as for the miles hahaha. this was my parents family car and my dad drove 70 kms on the highway each way, everyday to get to and from work so the miles added up. But its still in really good condition and runs like a champ lol

thanks again
tudor

 

well the only diff will be the ecu which will most likely be obd2a which u just get a conversion harness obd2b to obd2a and then plug it into that. everything else should hook up correctly i think. make sure you reuse your EX harness as it should have VTEC wired into the harness at least i think so since i dont know much about canadian models.

 

Canadian EX sedans are identical to US LX sedans, in other words D16Y7 non vtec engine. We didn't get a real EX sedan in canada for '96 - '00 btw, perhaps because of this we ended up with the Acura EL which the US did not receive.

To the OP, either reuse your existing harness and modify it for the swap (not particularly hard) Or aquire a '99 - '00 5 speed Si or SiR harness and use that Do not get a '96 - '98 harness, it WILL NOT WORK

 

okay so i need to modify the harness then. is there a good thread that explains how i would go about that or where should i look? the whole wiring thing is what scares me lol, i dont wanna screw anything up.

thanks

 

also i forgot to ask but are the b18c5's usually reliable. i mean this is gonna be a fun daily driver and ocasionally on the track but will it last past me a while without a rebuild? thanks and also an answer to the above question would be awsome lol

thanks

 

well like the other guy said i dont have a thread off hand but yes if you dont beat the hell outta the swap every day hitting 8000 every day 24/7 like some power happy ppl do you should be alright.its a reliable motor,good power,make you faster than a good bit of ppl stock,just go with like civic si mounts or hasport whichever,get either a 99-00ex harness you know the ex with the D16Y8 motor v-tec already there you can use that , or an 99-00Si harness either one,and of course the jumper harness OBD2a-OBD2b,Short Ram intake,Header,exhaust,and if you wish intake manifold. but not need and other than needing a hoist,patients,the tools,knowledge,and everything to do that swap it should be pretty easy to do because B-series are a pretty quick bolt up in the 96-00 civics

 

just so we dont get mixed up here you will need an OBD2b to OBD2a conversion harness, not the other way around if you use the 99-00 US harnesses.

 

None of it is what I would call complicated wiring. Check out Katman's awesome ff-squad website all you need to know ---> http://technet.ff-squad.com/

 

thanks a lot guys. i will let you know how this turns out, but its gonna be in a while, i just wanted to get ready and know what im getting into lol, now its time to save some more money

tudot

 

If you cant fined a harness with vtec. Its simple to wire into your ECU. Run 1 wire to the ECU for vtec solenoid and 1 for vtec pressure switch. The other wire from the vtec pressure switch goes to the ground.