my 94 civic ex beginner build, im getting in to building this Honda for performance. I need some suggestions for where to go next. I have throttle body and intake manifold, cold air intake and an exaust. what should I invest in next to help me for more performance. what I have now is lightweight stuff I know but im new to this and would appreciate any opinions, suggestions or tips. ive heard about swapping engines but I would rather stick to this d series since it is pretty simple rather than k20's I imagine.

 

boost

 

don't I need upgraded pistons connecting rods and other internals for turbo or boost though?

 

I have an ej2 also. What engine do you have and how many miles are on it?

 

He doesn't have a ej2...says 94 ex, that would mean he has a ej1. You guys have two different engines if you both have stock motors. You should have a d15b7 and he a d16z6.

 

d16, its got 200k+ on it but it runs great.

 

that is right have the d16z6 and have heard it is an ej1.

 

remove the d16 or d15 whatever it may be and swap in a dohc swap (b16a, b16b, b16a2, b16a3, b18b, b18b1, b18c1, b18c, b18c5, f20b, h23a, h23a1, h22a, h22a1, h22a4, h22a7, k20a, k20a3, k20a2, k24xx, thats enough to pick from..

search is your friend... example "92 95 civic b18 swap" or 96 00 civic h22 swap..

pick what you want and go from there...

any engine can be boosted but if you have enough money why not boost or build a n/a dohc engine so you are working with a better platform..

h22 and k20 will both provide Excellent out of the box performance....

 

its a back and forth argument ive noticed. honestly I don't want to do a swap, like I said the d16 seems to be pretty simple and that's better for me as a beginner. and I have heard d16 are pretty strong stock wise but wouldn't it be stronger if internals were upgraded? adding boost is something I want last because I want the engine to be able to handle it without blowing.

 

You can boost to 200whp for about a grand. I have the turbo and manifold you need to do it sitting on my counter right now. A B18C5 swap would put you around that, but the motor itself would cost you $1500, then there's the other costs for all the other hardware you'll need. You can get more power now for cheaper with boost, or B18 swap for less power now, with the possibility for more later boosting that motor.

 

You need to figure out how much power you want when all is said and done and go from there. How much are you willing to spend for this power goal?

No swap... fine, No boost for now... fine. But doing something like buying a header is pointless if you do plan on boosting in the future.

 

 

well if I said 900HP, ridiculous right? how about my goal for 250HP, about 3,000$ max realistic? with the upgrades I have now and no tune I don't know how much HP I have currently. stock with no upgrades maybe 125HP? I recall reading? so maybe im at 130-135HP?

 

125 BHP. With bolt-ons, maybe 130 BHP. Minus drivetrain loss, maybe 110 WHP if your engine was in perfect running condition, which it isn't. Realistically, you're in the 90-100 WHP range.

250 WHP for $3K is doable, but it'll take a lot of shopping around. You'll need forged rods/pistons to make that work with any semblance of reliability.

 

cheap and fast is NOT reliable keep that in mind... budget has a lot to do with this..

I personally chose higher displacement engines to drop in rather than trying to squeeze every last drop out of a current sohc/tiny displacement engine..

bigger engine and boost is good!

 

building your dream car 101.

 

There is a difference between "cheap" and "budget", though. Shop around. Find good deals. Some stuff doesn't have to be name brand, other should. It's all about knowing what you're getting.

 

Example. I picked up new 75mm Vitara pistons for $80. Couldn't pass that up.

 

Example 2: I picked up my Greddy mani/turbo/dp for $500. Now selling it for $200.

 

manifold/complete turbo? and a what? and this will give me how much HP?

 

Let me get my crystal ball...

 

well there's always an estimated gain with performance parts. but I guess you are right it is a gamble, lol. what does he mean by dp?

 

what is the best way to remove a broken exaust manifold stud?

 

Uh no. The dyno tells all. No two setups are alike. What you're asking is called bench racing. Not allowed by the rules.
DP=downpipe

 

ahhh gotcha. and he's not talking about intake mani, exaust mani for the turbo.