I got sone questions for all the Honda savvy peeps out there. I need your honest opinions because I'm looking to keep my hatch cause I really do love it and can see the potential it has. Here's what's wrong....

I bought a 91 si that has a ZC swap done to it. When I bought it I wasn't aware of this and didn't know as much as I do now about Hondas. To tell you the truth I'm not to good with cars and working on them. So since I've had the car I have had to put a new alternator in it, just found out the radiator is shot, so I'll have to put a new one in. I swapped suspension with this local dude I met and got some adjustable coilovers and Blox LCAs. The transmission is acting strange now. It seems like the first gear is extremely to short and the 5 gear is as well. Oh, and the front suspension needs some work done to it because when I'm driving the steering wheel constantly shakes and pulls right.... Especially when I'm stopping.

So what I thought might be cool would be to swap the J35A8 into it as well as the transmission. Is this possible to do? Anyone have any insight on what to do and where I should go to have something like this done, or just get my car to work the way I please and know it can.

 

okay first how much money do you have to invest? J swap pretty pricey, and alot of fabricating for the hood clearance. the shaking and pulling, sounds like you need your tires balance and also front wheel drive cars will always pull to the right due to the axle that is connecting directly to tranny.

but if you say shaking and pulling on stop then check tires and get an alignment too. If your trying to pay someone to put the j swap in for you might want to think about who and are they trustworthy.

people pay attention to cars that have a lot of money put into it and eventually your car will disappear from your driveway. Where are you located also, due to smog and bar'd? If you plan on spending a grip of dough invest in something that you could learn off of like building that zc. Its not as hard as you think just buy yourself a repair manual for the right year and start to work; its not rocket science.

 

and it depends on what tranny you have? explaining the short gears, theres a number on the tranny next to engine stamp just type what it says.

 

good luck with your build

 

Is this number on a sticker with a bar code?
If so it says SL3-5108730 with a bar code over the top

 

What year repaire manual would I need for a ZC?

 

I made a thread on the same thing and I've already BEGUN the process of putting things together..

I can tell you now that this is going to be a Difficult swap for a number of reasons, MOSTLY depending on the type of motor you're trying to use, ALSO, the chasis it's going into.

You're going with the J35A8...I'm using the J32 Type S motor...


1) TRY to get a NON-Drive by WIRE model, this is USUALLY ANY j-swap that's PRIOR to 2002-03..WHY do i say get the non drive by wire models??? Because adding the Drive-by-Wire parts into the whole set up FURTHER adds onto the difficulty...It's MORE harness modification, MORE wiring, which means MORE headache for you..TRY to get a NON-Drive by Wire Engine..IF YOU DID get the drive by wire model, you'd have to change everything, you'd even have to take the GAS and BRAKE pedal from the Donor car and get it PUT INTO your EF.

2) TRY and get a model that doesn't come equipped with an immobilizer Ring. WHY??? because once again, these are two things (The Key and the ring) in order to make the swap work in your chasis, It's BEST that you avoid this altogether, but if you come across a swap equipped with it..MAKE SURE THAT IT HAS BOTH THE IMMOBILIZER RING, AND THE KEY ON DECK..DO NOT cop the swap without it, it is a BITCH to get another key and ring because you will need a LEGIT title for the car or in this case the car the motor came out of.

3)CALL API...Why do I say call API??? Because they are one of the pioneers of the J-Swap. THey put a J-SWAP in a SANDRAIL, which was one of the FIRST cases of the motor ever operating outside of its original Chasis. From API you can get, Axles, Mounts, a FULLY converted wireharness that will plug STRAIGHT into your chasis harness and so forth, BASICALLY, API can make the car as SIMPLE as DROP IN. They will ALSO sell you the shifter box, cables, and mounting plate (Which without, the Shifter box cannot be mounted) and EVEN sell you a conversion added onto your harness to make the motor work with ur CURRENT instrument cluster..ME?? I'm going with the CL-Type S (Manual) Instrument cluster that i'm going to custom fit into my EF.

API will tell you basically EVERYTHING i'm telling you but basically i'm paraphrasing and cutting the fat out...BASICALLY, if you HAVE a swap already, you're looking at about 1200 bucks IN PARTS (Custom Harness, Axles, Mounts, Shifter Box & Cables, ect) to get the motor RUNNABLE in your car, As far as J-Swaps go???? The are cheaper then you think...I was lucky enough to have a Manual CL-TYPE S as my daily, a trucker tore the rear of my **** out the frame so now i'm gonna throw the motor in a spare hatch I have. There is a guy on B20 right now selling his J-Swap COMPLETE with a Honda Accord EX Manual Trans for about $1300...Considering that K's are still going for a reasonably HIGHER rate, and put out considerably LESS (Stock) then a J....I can understand the logic...because i'm certainly going the J-ROUTE.

So...Come Febuary..91 DX Hatch J-SWAPPED (Donning A Custom Header, Intake Manifold, COLD AIR intake manifold and if money allows, a custom set of high compression pistons OR some low compression pistons and a Turbo..)

I'm starting mine next week, maybe Christmas day, if you need any notes or input i'll help you best I can.

 

sounds like a newer zc tranny its pretty much an si tranny really short gears and do you know what year zc it is if its a ef gen non vtec or eg gen vtec?

 

It's non Vtech.

 

Thx ExtraBlackRex for the insight. You are defiantly the person I was wanting to talk to. I'm going to check out API and see what I can do. I'm not really the mechanic type.... Probably what you would call a poser, but I'm a car enthusiast all the way. I can do the regular **** like change dark plugs and distributor caps. I have a small idea of what goes on under the hood but not nearly enough know how to perform an undertaking of this magnitude, so I'm gonna gave to rely on a 2nd party mechanic to do the work. What would be your suggestions?

Oh and keep me posted on your build.... Wana see that beast when you get her done.

 

then its a sohc 89-91 zc its the jdm version of a a6 aka usdm si its got very short gears look for sl3 gear ratios might help

 

Just looked at a few different enginges and found these:

J30A5
J32A2

Which one of these would be easier to do?

 

Naw man it's got DOHC

 

Word.

DO consult API on everything you do, but I can tell you now that if you need to set up anything with the Welder, do so, because alot of welding has to be done...EVERYTHING has to come out and by everything I mean EVERYTHING in that bay, INCLUDING the original brackets attatched to the frame..

I'm waiting for my parts from API now but when i get them, i'll begin posting my progress, I took my LS swap out and everything so far, the brackets everything is out, clean naked *** bay...I'll be sure to keep you posted tho!

 

Nice.... Make a build thread or do you have one already? Let me know..

 

I have a thread opened already I think it's called J-Swap in EF...I'm gonna wait till I get the parts from API before I post pics up but right now I have a J32 Type S swap, Manual Transmission (With Lsd), ECU w/Immobilizer Ring + ECU, Unfortunately I have the drive by wire model which means I had to take my Gas and Brake pedal out of my donor car and it costed more for my harness to be customized but I'm good to go...

If I had to make a suggestion for you, get the J32 only because the intake manifold profile is slimmer and you can get around having to cut a hole in your hood, PLUS it makes an ISH load more power then MOST of the J35's...if I had it MY WAY?? I'd take the J37 out of the 2010 TL Type SH but they wanted 9k for the block, which I HAVE..but I cannot bring myself to spend that much on a motor and motor alone..nah (Although, 300hp/280lb-ft torque at the wheel off the gate, ALL MOTOR would be sweeeeeeeeeet). IF you do get the J35, remove the spacer inbetween the intake manifold and the engine head, this spacer is designed to push the torque curve DOWN, when infact, in this set up, you want it UP...you're gonna be fighting for traction as is, Might as well make it easier on yourself.

If u want some pics though I can get my boy to send me some, he's a member of our squad, and he has a J37 (Type SH) swapped into a 93 si and that thing HAULS.....***.

 

Hell yea man... Post some pics

 

I was thinking.... Why don't I just go to API in Pheniox and have them do it for me? How much you think that would cost me?