i have a 91 std hatch with a b18a1 swap. long story short i got oil on plugs, it smokes and recently started cutting out on me. looking to rebuild/swap the motor. was wondering what would be better. i have a 1500-2000 budget to work with and i want it to be a dependable dd able to take some hard driving on occasions. theres a b18c1 locally for around 1k and can get it dropped in for 6-750. not sure if i need a ecu or not(currently running a b18a1 from a 92 ls). or i could pull it have it rebuilt for roughly 1500 with the same 6-750 to drop it in. im also open to any options i have overlooked that would fall into the dependable dd catagory for around the same $. im new to this and will be having someone locally do the work i just want my hatch to be reliable with some power. thanks to all who comment in advance.

 

so talked with the guy about the b18c1 has 100k on it. what would i need to switch the two out? ecu, wiring harness? anything ill be missing? really need my car back on the road so trying to get this together asap. mechanic says 3 days to switch em out just dont want any unknown issues popping up. all help is appreciated

 

The mounts should fit directly on the on b18c1, and what obd is it?... becuase youll have to convert to the obd the engine is running look up rywire.com for that and also get the vtec subharness as well, stick with your current injectors and since the gsr had secondary butterflies in the intake manifold youll need to use the stock ecu for a b18c1, your transmission should also bolt up to the block

 

When you say dependable, both options fit that term as there is no major mods being done.
However, what longevity do you expect?

Both engines are old and there is no real gauge for how long they will last without requiring work.
Obviously the LS motor needs immediate work, but even if the C1 runs without issues, I feel you should have a refresh done on it if you want any peace of mind toward longevity - there is no way to tell how the previous owner cared for it so without work done to it there is no way to know if it will last.

With either engine:
Start off with some inspection to see what shape your engine is in.
You may find that you want to ditch that engine before you start because of costs in involved to rebuild it.
Get a cylinder inspection to see if you require a bore or can just have it freshened up with a hone job.
Then have the valve springs and guides inspected - inspect LMAs if you go with the C1.

Work I would have done, no matter what, I would go for a hone with new rings, crank micropolish, new valve seals, and then a simple deck and head resurface.
New bearings and seals all around.
New water pump and timing belt too.

GL!

What OBD are you running your LS with?
If you are OBD1 then the C1 is easy with just a couple wire adds.
If not, then you need to convert your wiring to OBD1 for the C1.
Also, if the C1 is an OBD2 version, then the secondary butterfly solenoid (IAB) runs off a differnt trigger signal than the OBD1.
Probably an easy fix you can look up on the internet.
Can also change out the intake manifold (or wire your IAB to stay open) and get a chipped ECU to eliminate the IAB completely.

 

Basically what he said. If you have any mechanical knowledge at all, I recommend trying to rebuild the LS by yourself. $1500 goes a long way, you could get tools, rings, gaskets, even some aftermarket parts like pistons or light flywheel. I would be wary of someone else's work, unless they are a well-known engine builder. Have a buddy help with the removal, it should take less than a day.

 

with you budget i could make your ls into a high comp vtec motor that would be reliable =]

 

the guy thats doing the swap is reputable so no real worries there. the ecu in my car is a pr4 (obd0?) the b18c1 is a p72 (obd2?). i see obd0 to obd1 harnesses but not obd0-obd2.

 

great when can you get started?

 

as far as doing it myself. id love to just dont have tools or the mechanical know how. have some friends that could do it but apparently dont want to for whatever reasons idk. just trying to get best bang for the buck without alot of trouble. the c1 is in town and making better numbers than the a1 for less than i can find anything else worth putting in it.

 

Check rywire again because they should have an obd0 to 0bd2 jumper harness if not pm crx si-r, he post frequently on this forum and is very knowledgeable on jumper harnesses he can make you one for whatever application you need and his prices are good. Just make sure you get the engine first so you can explain to him the setup your running like ecu, distributer, ect..

 

http://www.rywire.com/catalog/obd0-t...ness-p-11.html

is that the right one? what all would i need to do to make this work is it plug and go or is more wiring required. sorry if these are dumb questions im new to swaps andjust want it to be right. any other info thats needed let me know ill do my best to let you know all i can. thanks again

 

The PR4 ECU comes in both OBD0 and OBD1.
The P72 ECU comes in both OBD1 and OBD2.

which do you have?

OBD2b on top
OBD2a
OBD1
OBD0 on bottom

 

Mine is the one on bottom obd0 the engine I'm looking at is from a 2000 gsr that's supposed to be a obd2 gonna try to go check out engine tomorrow

 

I dont think he has the swap yet to verify,
but definitely find out what type obd is the engine running this will help you plan ahead but as far your looking at, i believe youll need to buy the obd0 to obd2 package that comes with the vtec subharness, all these are plug and play I also belive rywire can add the sensor for IAB(secondary butterflies) and knock sensor, just call them after you get the swap and verify if your ecu and distributer are obd1 or obd2

 

Ok so my friend is gonna do the swap afterall must gonna be a week or so before we get started. But he knows about the wiring I need so hopefully it'll go smooth. Pics to come soon

 

getting a crx with my tax return, but it's just the shell. i wanna do something boosted, but don't know a thing about b-series. any suggestions for a realiable boosted setup? this will be a daily driven setup.

 

8-10 psi on a stock block with a good tune on any b-series, I'm just letting you know though that a boosted stock engine will have it's life shorten but with a good tune you can lower that possiblity and also decrease the chances of something going wrong, but also do some research of you're own, what I'm telling you is from what I've heard when people boost I have no personal experience so take my advice with a grain of salt

 

FinAlly got motor here. No ecu yet...

 

ordered a p28 chipped ecu with gsr basemap. ordering the rywire obd0 to obd1 adapter with vtec harness and dizzy adapter tomorrow. hoping to get everything in by sat so i can do the swap on sunday. also getting valve cover and engine bay sprayed to match rest of the car. figured while we were at it why not. more pics soon

 

Ecu and wiring finally here... Getting started Saturday morning

 

Was your P28 modded to do IAB control?
Seems you got the right fuel,ignition,etc map on the chip, but without the hardware on the board it won't work right.

 

Don't have the iab solenoid or tank so I'm thinking a rpm activated switch and a linear actuator to open em up. That way I can adjust when they open. Just gotta find the right actuator now. But that's gonna have to be a project for later. Just gonna leave em open til then. But definitely gonna work them in eventually.

 

Are you any good with a soldering iron?
I might have a few spare parts to mod the P28 for IAB.

 

never really did any soldering, also dont have the solenoid, vacuum container or tubes for the iab figured a rpm activated switch and a actuator would be cheaper than buying the missing parts. plus it gives me a digital tach as well as the option to adjust the iab to what ever rpm without having to reprogram the chip

 

work in progress