I've tried using the search to find my answer, but it seems that you have to be specific about what exactly you want from the swap. So I'll start by saying that I just want a DOHC VTEC engine that can push me back into my seat without a turbo. Considerably fast, yet still a daily driver. I was thinking of a B18, but from what I understand, there are several different versions of it. I'm also unsure if I'll need to do a transmission swap as well, and what car I could get the engine from. My current stock D15 has a little over 300k on it, so I'd say the car is pretty much begging to be swapped. If it makes a difference on the transmission, it's not the HF, and obviously not the Si. Any help is appreciated.

 

No B series is going to do that without forced induction. Daily driver is going to be up to you on the build quality, turbo or not. You won't be getting pushed back in your seat by a B18, I wouldn't expect it out of a K series either - Hondas just don't have that much torque (without FI).

That you're unsure if you need to transmission swap means you need to read more. The D series tranny ain't going to be used for most of your options (unless you wanted to go SOHC turbo).

Seriously, read more, or look up one of the simple Honda Performance books @ your local retailer. These are all pretty basic, nebulous, questions.

 

Well I have a certified mechanic to do the work for me, I just gotta buy what I need to do it. And the only problems I have with forced induction are that it puts excessive strain on the engine, and I've been told that you're supposed to use premium gas when you have a turbo. It's just all too much maintenance to be anything but a weekend track car.

 

certified mechanic, sounds sexy.

 

With that line of thinking you'll always be in the slow lane. Nothing like the joy of turbo Vtec

 

Most dohc VTEC engines need a higher octane premium fuel. Look up h2b or f2b builds. Cheap and they bolt to a b series tranny. Just get higher comp pistons and you have fair amount of low end torque. LSvtec is also another cheap build.

 

Well the mechanic is also my father... I won't be throwing money away at all. And I'm pretty sure I'll technically always be in the slow lane as long as I own a Honda. But even if I were a millionaire, I'd still have a crx as my daily. I ******* love them.

 

Thank you... Your post has been the most informative one yet, without making yourself seem like an *******. I appreciate that.

 

Budget is going to be your biggest thing here.
Premium gas is going to be a must with your build. All performance Hondas should use it. If you are worried about using premium gas, you shouldn't even begin to think about building a fast Honda. Seriously…
As far as a good NA build in a CRX, Do an H23A blue top H2B. I have one in my CRX and it is VERY quick for an NA car.(see my build thread) On a stock long block I run in the 12s on street tires and a full interior. It's going to be fairly expensive though, but not much considering the alternative NA builds. Another guy (whose car is lighter than mine, and he is a better driver than me) ran 12.15 on pump gas and slicks on almost the same set up with the same exact WHP He is now deep in the 11s with cams and methanol.
Money wise, this is the best "bang for the buck" NA build available AND with a stock long block you have good reliability.
Regarding your concerns: Somebody lied to you about turbo cars. Sure, many people have reliability issues, but that is because (and they will tell you) they did not plan right, or they cut corners. If you are worried about engine wear with a turbo, you need to do some more research. There are methods to build reliable turbo cars, the only thing that would hold you back is research, money, and your power goals. There comes a point where no matter what you do the cars they will not be reliable, but you will not need to get anywhere near that point on a street car. Seriously just carefully plan your turbo build and DO NOT cheap out and cut corners and you can have a long lasting car.
One more thing, traction and seat time are major issues with these cars and you need to get a handle on that before you can realize the potential of your build. You can have all the WHP in the world, but if your spinning you're not winning. When all is said and done invest in good tires… trust me on that.

 

Even more informative, thank you as well. How much do you think a build such as that would run me? Aside from labor? And after a little research, I've been having second thoughts on the whole turbo idea, I may just install one after all. I've also heard that with any H or K swap, you need to do a custom fitting involving cutting and welding the engine bay to make room. Is that true? Also, h23s come from Preludes if I'm not mistaken. Correct?

 

Upon looking at a different thread, I've read that not only are the H23s mostly non-VTEC, but the ones that are are rare. And if it has a VTEC head swapped onto it, it will likely have reliability issues. Which has me thinking I should probably just stick to B series. 'Cause Integras are pretty easy to come by, and dropping a B18 into my car with the Integra transmission seems like it would be pretty easy.

 

Do more research dude. Like hours and hours. You will be much better off. "Easy to come by"… um pretty much everything in Honda-engine-land is easy to come by. Just go to Tiger, Hmotors, or even Ebay and you can buy an H23A for around $1000 (the last one I bought was less than $900 shipped). There is no need to "swap heads". Honda already did it for you in a reliable OEM platform.
The H23A Blue top came from an Accord Wagon in Japan. It is rare b/c: 1) people don't know about them so they avoid them, 2) there were not many made. But since people don't buy them as often, the market is not to the point where the engine is expensive at all. In fact after bolt ons and a tune, it performs better than the typeS and costs considerably less.
An H2B WILL NOT require you to cut or weld and mounts.
A K swap is going to be very expensive and a lot of work. Just research that for a while and you'll see what I am talking about. An awesome platform, but probably not for you.
The H2B like mine in parts alone will cost you a good bit. Just do your homework and price it out, then add 20% for incidental stuff you may have not accounted for. That will give you an idea.
Also the B18s out of Integras are good engines. The LS is a great engine and cheap. They are great for budget turbo builds, and you can eventually add a vtec head for some more power. The B18C GSR is going to be a much better engine over the B18 LS in a stock configuration. The LS transmission is very long for an NA car, so you will want either a SI trans, a GSR trans, or an ITR trans. But the H2B is not much more expensive (in some cases might even be less) and way more powerful… like a very noticeable difference. Personally if I were to go B series, I would do a GSR swap. Here is why: they respond well to bolt-ons and cams, they are not that expensive, the transmissions have good gearing, they respond very well to turbo, and they have decent torque.
If you are set on an NA car and a B series, then the GSR is the way to go if you do not want to actually build an engine.

 

getta miata.

 

I like the JDM F20B with a B series LSD trans. I saw a build with a F20B in a CRX. I think the motor made over 200 HP stock.

If you are going for just a swap, that is what I would do. The power of the K with a price below most B series motors. But you will need the adapter plate and such, which will cost a pretty penny. If you go with a GSR trans, you will need a cable to hydro conversion also. But I hear it is well worth the money.

 

 

Thanks for the input, but I don't buy anything from the Internet. So by easy to come by, I meant on my local Craigslist site. I think I'm gonna swap a GSR into my car, I'm just hoping to find an Integra that got rear ended or something so I can get it for next to nothing, but everything I need will be fine.

 

I'm not into women's cars. Sorry.

 

That will be a nice swap. If I were doing a stock block B series, I would probably do the GSR. BTW, you should change your "I don't buy anything from the internet" rule now that you are looking into building a Honda. Just because you have some good affordable possibilities that open up. good luck.

 

So what do you think would be the most legitimate site to buy from? And would the GSR engine just drop right into the bay without any custom fitting? I looked around a bit on HMotors, and the engines are reasonably priced, but transmissions, and ECUs seem pretty damn expensive.

 

Research! These are basic questions and the answers would take like 10 mins of research. I don't mind helping folks with sticky stuff or hard to find info, but seriously dude, you need to invest a little bit of time before starting your project.
If you want to do the ebay thing, look at the seller's feedback on ebay to see if they are reputable. Hmotors is great, but expensive. I have got a couple good engines from Tiger Japanese, but others have some horror stories. I got another 2 engines from some other lesser known dealers (SOKO, and some other one I found on ebay and cannot remember). When a JDM engine comes in, expect some small things to be broken like a distributor cap, TPS… etc. You can call your importer and talk to them and make special requests if you have concerns and see what they can do for you. Sometimes they can do some pretty nice things to help you find the deal you are looking for.
Don't worry about the ECU, just get an OBD1 Vtec socket ECU with a base map, and then get your car TUNED. Trust me.
Any B series swap will require beating the frame rail with a sledgehammer to make clearance, some exhaust work, possibly notching the front and rear cross members (depending on mounts used and the type of header you have), custom mounts, custom linkage, axles, intermediate shaft, some wiring, OBD1 ECU, and an ECU jumper harness to run the OBD1 ECU.

 

I don't have time to find a buried thread for the information I need. I could sit here all day on this forum, and learn everything there is to know. But I'm just trying to hand over some money, and be done with it. I mean there are people with swapped Hondas that don't know **** about ****. I think I might just be better off looking for a different Crx that's already swapped. Thanks anyway, though.

 

Like you said, you might be better off getting another crx which is already swapped. But if you do that, you won't have the satisfaction of having done your research and being able to point your finger under the hood of your car and saying, "I did that... I made my car better..."

Being able to say you did it is well worth the pain in the *** research which might take hours. An hour of research is worth more than ten hours under the hood or days waiting for the right parts.

Just something to think about...

 

It would be nice, but I wouldn't be the one installing it anyway. My dad is my mechanic. The problem is he's much more familiar with shitty American cars, so I'd have to tell him what needs to be done, and just have him do it. He rebuilt the d15 in my old '91 Civic, but I totaled that car by driving like a fool. So I personally wouldn't be able to say I did anything myself anyway. I just want a fast Honda! Asap. Waiting for parts for the rebuild was the worst **** ever, 'cause I obviously couldn't drive with my engine in pieces.

 

10 minutes to find that answer… come on man how busy are you? I guarantee you are less busy than me. With that attitude, you will get no more help form me.
I think I gave you all you really need to know anyways.

 

Sounds like you are not ready for the Honda game friend. Maybe you should buy a Subaru or dodge neon and be done with it.
Most honda people like to be "built not bought"
If you are not willing to learn for your self then how far do you think u will get telling your dad "I want this motor in my car"
People aren't going to sit here and "spoon feed" you every bit of information you need.
There's an abundance of info here..
You should start by checking out the "FAQ's"
At the top of the page.
Then find the ones that talk about swapping motors...
Here's a little more spoon feeding for you to..
If you decide to swap no matter what you will need
Mounts
Axels
An engine harness (or modify your own)
An ecu
A jumper harness(unless you decide to stay obd0)
Different shift linkage
A motor
A cable transmission whether b or h (unless you convert to hydro)

And pretty much none of your old parts or accessories will work on the new motor.
Alternator, dizzy, clutch, and transmission.