I'm working on a friends car while he's deployed. Its a 90 civic four door with a Z6 turbo swap in it running emanage blue. The head was damaged and we aquired a new head for it, but it's a Y8 head. I've got it all bolted up and the engine put together, but i have been doing some research and just wanted to check with you guys. We also got a y8 dizzy for it, but i know it wont work because it's an OBD2 dizzy. I've been told to use a D15b7 dizzy, which is easy enough to come by, but im just wanting ot see if there's anything else i should be aware of. Everything else is Z6 (intake, TB etc.) Anything you can come up with will be appreciated. also, i've heard that theres an issue with the cam gear when the y8 head is put on a z6 block....any help would be appreciated. I may end up needing to just get another Z6 head. please help

 

I don't know where you are located, but I have a z6 head.......super cheap....

 

Use the Y8 distributor.
OBD2 is compatible with OBD1
It's OBD0 distributors you can't use.

D15b7 is non-vtec.
The "snail" inside is backwards compared to a vtec distributor.

z6 and Y8 block deck heights are the same.
Use the Y8 cam gear.

One bolt next to the vtec solenoid is longer on the Y8 head.
Make sure to use a Y8 bolt for that one - all others use the Z6 bolts

 

i appreciate the info, it just so happens that i found a z6 head here in town for sale, i'm going to pick it up tomorrow and save the Y8 head for a back up. We were considering putting the Z6/Y8 combo into a ek civic coupe, but decided against it because the EF is already wired and set up for it. Another reason were sticking with the EF is because i'm short the emanage harness for the P2P ECU and the P28 in the EF is already set up and everything. however i'm going to use the tranny out of the EK because the one that was on the Z6 got damaged and needs the case swapped out. The good news is that i already have the hasport conversion kit for the hydro to cable set-up. another question.....can I use the y8 dizzy on a z6 head and save myself from buying one for the Z6...the head i'm picking up tomorrow doesn't come with one?

 

The bolt patterns are different and so are the electrical connectors.
Other than that, they are compatible.

 

Use the y8 head, you'll be much happier. Use the b7 dizzy and the p28

 

^^ I agree with using the Y8 head.
A little bump in compression is nice

However, I disagree with the b7 distributor.
The pickup "snail" inside is backwards.
Use the proper Y8 distributor and the P28.

 

i may just do that...i know that the y8 head has a smaller combustion chamber, thereby bumping up the compresstion.. just got done pulling the trans out of an EK civic for this re-build. i was hoping it was the S20 trans, but alas it was not.

 

if you bump the compression you'll need a retune... remember that

 

Right. And doing that with emanage blue isn't the easiest thing. I may just stick with the z6 head and maybe swap them out later. I need a z6 dizzy tho. Unless I can use the y8 dizzy, will that work??

 

Z6 head is the weird one with a strange bolt pattern.
All the other heads are the same, but the Z6 is odd.
So, no matter what distributor you put on (y8 will work with the ECU) they will require modification to fit the bolt pattern.

The bump in compression isn't so much that you need a tune. Ran a Y8 head and Y8 pistons in a Z6 with a P28 for well over a year with no tune. Many people run a stock Y8 with a P28.
Tune is better but you can drive for a good long time and not even worry about it.

 

oh ok....i appreciate the info. Another question. I've got the block at TDC, but i want to make sure my head is set right to be re-installed. I've done this hundred of times with other cars, but no matter how many time i've done it, i always worry when i put them back together. can anyone give me a pointer in the right direction for valve position when installing the head?

 

Set the cam gear to TDC.
Now the block and head should be set close to where you will want them for installing the timing belt.
Done.

FREE TIP: NEVER EVER put the bottom surface of the head against the ground or on a table. If you have a full valve train installed, then the valves will be sitting on the ground of on the table. Not good.
Sit the edges of the head on wood blocks or store it upside down or on it's side.

 

Just found out that the z6 head I bought is screwed. I was setting the timing on it to match the block and it bound up and then the cam gear bolt snapped off. Looks like its got a bent valve. So it's back to the y8 head. Just to clarify, I can use the y8 head and distributor? It's going in the ef that was already running a z6 motor with p28 ecu. So I should be able to put the y8 head in with no modification is that correct? And I assume I would use the z6 intake?

 

yeah the y8 parts will fit on the z6 just fine. if you have the y8 manifold i'd say use that, supposedly it's better flowing