Ok so where to start... Lets start with where I'm at now. I currently have a 97 civic lx manual with a bone stock d16y7 with 188k miles and a blown trans which will soon be replaced with a S20 B000.


Here is where the fun start im planning on doing a d1y8 mini me swap and using a p2p vtec ecu so that i dont have to worry about getting a chipped p28 or converting from odb2a to odb1 for the time being but there are plans that i have for it in the future

Please keep the flaming to a minimum and also please feel free to chime in with opinions other then just doing a b series swap.

Here is whats I'm planning a bit further down the road after the mini me swap so here are my though on what i would like to do.

I would like to completely rebuild the bottom end using
pg6 pistons attached to b18a1 rods yes i know what needs to be done to make them work the search button works very well
also planning on using arp head studs and rod bolts
d16y8 head gasket
y8 intake manifold
a 4-1 exhaust manifold and either a 2.25 or 2.5 exhaust

Here is where i need some help from y'all i have no idea about what i should do about the internals of the head itself keep it stock or just get it rebuilt
also thinking about eventually getting a obx itb setup but i don't know if that's gonna take to take me to the point where i need to get a chipped p28 so that it can be tuned with hondata/nuptune

if anyone one here has any ideas/concerns please let me know i take all your opinions seriously because honestly i don't know too much about hondas as i have driven a mazda rx7's most of my life.

 

What are your goals for the engine / vehicle?

 

no goals really just trying to see what hp and tq i can squeeze out of it





Edit: Now that i think about it if i could get the car to 160 hp at the wheels without having to run hondata/neptune i would be completely happy with that

 

so no comments opinions or suggestions

 

you really will need some form of tuning that setup to get the most out of it. Stock ecu wont cut it.

 

If not Hondata or neptune then you will need AEM, or some other full stand alone. Your stock ecu will not be happy with pg6 pistons. Been there done that....

 

You're not going to get much input on a D series build in here. Just FYI.

Build a solid motor and throw a 75 shot on it.

 

i figured once i put in the b18 rods and pg6 pistons the stock ecu would hate me which is why for now im just gonna do the mini me swap and collect the money/parts so i can turn it into a high compression build. and why slap a 75 shot on it when i get tired of the high comp build ill just swap the pistons out and boots it

 

Why waste all the money on the high comp stuff :shrugs:

A 75 dry kit is way less than building a motor that would get walked all over by a stock motor on spray anyways.

Just my opinion, it's your build/car

i don't like to waste money

 

then maybe ill juts do the mini me swap and get another fc rx7

 

All I'm saying is the money you put in doing a mini-me or D series build is not justified (unless you run class races that have specific rules) when you can find a LS/B20 swap for $800 and have more power, more potential, and spend less money. Strap a shorter geared tranny to a higher displacement B series and enjoy torque.

 

see thats what i wanted to do originally but as i was ading everything up it was gonna cost alot more hen 800 to put ont together and drop it into my car. honestly i still want to build one and drop it into my car

 

Take your time and do it right. Builds worth while dont happen over night. I saved and gathered parts for my build for almost 2 years. It all about establishing a budget, then budgeting your money. For me, I wanted to purchase a house too so I had to find a balance.

Half assed builds get half assed results. Do it right or don't do it at all. Take your time, it will be worth it. Anyone with some tenure on here will agree.

 

I have a 12:1 daily d16a6 crx.
Stock rods with arp bolts
Pg6b pistons
Rebuilt head w/isky springs and new oem retainers/clips
Crane 0012 cam
Edelbrock intake manifold
Integra tb
H22a4 injectors
Skunk2 alpha header
Plm 2.5 test pipe
Tanabe exhaust
Lightweight flywheel
Mfactory diff
S300

I looked at b16a cable swap from a REPUTABLE seller and 1800 to 2200 was pretty common. Add Hasport mounts and linkage, a header and I'm 2400 to 2700 into it most likely...for a used engine that does NOT have 30k miles.

I have about $2200 in my setup. It has 28k miles since rebuild. It should last a long time. Its fun, gets 33mpg, has had every pump/gasket/seal/bearing replaced. It pulls on 99-00 Civic Si's and that's with street tuning only...doing it right adds up but since i had a spare engine and bought everything at deals over time i did well and came out way ahead of a b series swap with the same or better power. Though no one believes its stock with boltons anymore...

 

maybe then ill just go to a local pick and pull and pull a short block d16y7 and take it all apart and build it from the bottom up my only thing is that if i do it that way then im gonna wanna put itb's on it before it gets swapped into my civic

 

Hey now, this is a guy who has a legit reason for being a newb at hondas, he doesn't even know how a piston engine works jk, I love rotaries I wish I owned one.

I also think it's a cool idea to build a little single cammer. Sure everyone will say to swap it but don't let it get you down.

Check out Tong Y's awesome thread here for inspiration and information:
https://honda-tech.com/all-motor-nat...riven-3259958/

 

i actually just got the car back from the trans shop. The input shaft bearing was going out and instead of having a local trans shop going in and replacing it i opted on getting a jdm s20 b000 92-95 ex/si hydro trans put in instead of the crap stock y7 trans and holy **** the difference is like night and day between the 2 transmissions

 

Hell yeah man, good call on the tranny.

As far as your question as to whether or not to modify the head, ABSOLUTELY. That's where the power is made. Getting air in and out of the cylinder is all through the head. Think of a airflow in a stock port vs a wild street port in rotary lingo.
Building the bottom end is more about strengthening it and making it more reliable over making actual HP.

You must have a way to change the fuel and ignition requirements to match the new increase of airflow through the engine. An OBD1 ecu swap is still the most practical and affordable. Or go standalone but that's a little more $.
Stock ecu is mapped for a stock engine. It might run the car ok, but its still not a good idea period.

There is another good sohc build thread around here . It should give you some ideas.
Good luck with the build.

 

well actually i was just thinking about doing the y8 head swap and running the y8 ecu for the time being and just repinning my y7 harness for vtec and for the iacv for the time being. then i would more then likely pull a y7 short block and take my time building that while i enjoy having a nice dd till i get all the goodies i want. and also after noticing the last time i went to the gas station that they have 93 octane im thinking again about going with the p29 pistons instead of the pg6.

so as its looking now i think the build will look like this
the block will be d16y7 block with y7 crank b18a1 rods with p29 pistons
more then likely another y8 head fully built with pp
obx itb
p28 ecu with hondata s300
walboro 255 fuel pump
a fuel pressure regulator

only things i know nothing about is what kind of valvetrain/cam i should use as i have said before i know just about nothing about hondas since i am accustomed to rotarys

any suggestions or advice is more then welcome about the valvetrain/cam thanks in advence

 

I would do pg6 over p29 all day, the high dome on them along with the chamber shape of y8 leads to a lot of issues with octane. the pg6 are a much better match as it squishes everything into the middle of the chamber where the sparkplug is rather than splitting the intake charge.
valve train depends on your cam and how high you will rev. I would look at a Colt Tri Flow 2 or something from Web Camshafts. I am really happy with my Crane 0012 but I bought it NOS and they are hard to find used. I am revving to 7600ish rpm without an issue right now and suspect the cam can keep producing higher but im not messing with it until dyno time.

 

I think that's way too much fuel pump. A stock (vtec) fuel pump will probably be fine until you start making serious power (over 200 whp).
The stock fuel pump in my 98 civic DX could not keep up fuel pressure on a lightly modified ITR engine I had at one time. I verified my suspicions after installing a fuel pressure gauge. I swapped in a stock GSR pump my buddy had, and It never dropped after that (only made around 200 whp).

Maybe try contacting Rocket about a camshaft recommendation. Endyn might offer some insight as well as they're doing a sohc build for a member here.
Im not super familiar with single cams, but this build thread might provide useful info
https://honda-tech.com/all-motor-nat...y-not-3261760/

 

B18a1 rods? What is the purpose of that?

I believe Bisimoto cams will be the way to go for SOHC D series and F series.

You won't be able to find them new I don't think (call him perhaps he still makes them) but you will probably have to buy a used one. Shouldn't be too hard to find. The level 3 cam is the one you want

 

honestly i would lke to try to stay away from aregrind as i have read horror stories about them on this forum and others. and honestly i dont think i would wanna rev the engine past 8k because then i would have to install a aftermarket tach

okay so then if a stock gsr pump will supply the fuel that i will need then what about injectors... i have some 24lb/hr mustang injectors laying around would that be enough or would u need more then that.

the purpose of using b18a1 rods is that they are substantially beefier then stock d-series rods and i dont feel comfortable having to notch the block so that i can use h-beam style rods like scat or eagle rods and as stated above again i have heard and read horror stories about bisimoto cams breaking

 

the injectors i have

 

Ah ok, rods sound like a good idea. And I've read a ton of D series bisi cam threads and haven't ever seen anyone with breaking issues....They aren't regrinds they're solid

As far as injectors, just go RDX like everyone else lol. They are only $200 new, plus about $100 for hats and wire harness. The better spray pattern alone will get you some extra hp