Ok, so I know I rarely post on here anymore, but I'm hoping some h-t gurus will be able to help me out. I have a 92 DX sedan with the stock D15b7 motor. I am going to be swapping to a D15b, same motor but with Vtec. I'm not swapping this for more hp so before anybody goes off about how that's a dumb idea, that is not my reasoning. If I could find a D15b7 for cheaper than the D15B I would buy the same motor. This car is my only transportation and my motor is done for, so right now I'm buying what I can afford.

Here is my dilema, I know this motor is in almost all aspects the same thing as mine except with Vtec. So I was going to order a new ecu (p08) and that should be able to run it just fine. But right now my car does not have a wiring harness for the vtec. Would it be easier to buy a wiring harness to hook up the vtec or to splice my own rigged up harness? I've heard of people doing both and I don't know what will be easier/cheaper/better.

Also, what are my advantages of not spending $100 and buying a new ecu, and just bypassing the vtec all together? I'm not horribly interested in extra speed, though it would be nice if passing somebody didn't require strategic military grade planning like it currently does.
thanks for any help

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by austinkli

Here is my dilema, I know this motor is in almost all aspects the same thing as mine except with Vtec. So I was going to order a new ecu (p08) and that should be able to run it just fine. But right now my car does not have a wiring harness for the vtec. Would it be easier to buy a wiring harness to hook up the vtec or to splice my own rigged up harness? I've heard of people doing both and I don't know what will be easier/cheaper/better.

JDM engines normally come with a cut RHD harness, remove the vtec wiring from it, remove the tape and loom from your own harness and add the vtec wiring, cut the wiring to length and solder on a couple of salvaged pins and pin them into the shock tower plugs (since your civic is a '92 and is already prewired for vtec from the shock tower plugs to the ECU.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by austinkli

Also, what are my advantages of not spending $100 and buying a new ecu, and just bypassing the vtec all together? I'm not horribly interested in extra speed, though it would be nice if passing somebody didn't require strategic military grade planning like it currently does.
thanks for any help

Theres are some fuel and timing differences too that the correct ECU will address. My advice: Either run a chipped P28 (even a stock P28 will do) or a P08.

 

Thank you sir, you always seem to be pretty knowledgeable about the eg's. I was going to go with a p08, for $125 they will include that with hmotorsonline.com. Just want to get a good feel for what I'm going to be dealing with. I don't mind doing some work for it, and I'm not an idiot, but I'm far from being any kind of mechanic.

 

I was going to suggest a d16xx for a little extra displacement (and maybe torque, but any d-engine car I've driven is just coming alive at 4,000) without much trouble.

I'm not sure how the price of a good engine like that would run, or maybe swapping a d16 short block and using the d15b head and sensors (would it work?), but just a thought.

 

from what i understand the d16 isn't quite plug and play right? I know it's fairly easy, and if I come across a good price i'll do it, but right now i am trying to be as cheap as possible. Like I said, not looking for a power increase, if i found one for the right price i'd take another d15b7. Only motor I won't do is the D15b8. Do not want 8 valves. Thanks though, if i find a d16 for a good price i may have to pm you.

 

Why? The D15B is more powerful from higher compression, among a few other reasons.

 

My car has a mini-me with a p28 ecu(got it for 65) the vtec is not hooked up, if you don't mind the engine light on,you dont need the vtec hooked up. My old car had a D15B in it, and I ran it a good 6 months before I hooked up the VTEC. Worked fine as well. Hopefully it'll save you some money. Also if you do hook it up, Some electrical tape to the harness looks clean if done right (If you individually hook up the VTEC instead of using a VTEC harness like me )

 

thanks, that's kind of what I was wanting to know. I assume without hooking up the VTEC it will run exactly the same as my D15B7. Just wanted to double check, I feel like I'm always so sure when I give others advice, but when it comes to my own car, i have to double check and triple check or else I don't feel secure about it.