So I finished my auto to manual swap a few weeks ago (https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-...3288509/page2/) and replaced the engine with a ZC. While it was out I replaced the timing belt and the clutch and all the major gaskets and seals except the head gasket, I also switched out the ECU for the manual unit. It fired up after a few cranks and ran like a champ. I thought I was all set until I took it it out for its first test drive recently and discovered that when going up any sort of incline I have NO POWER! Even in the super low gear it can't get out of its own way. On the flats and down hill it feels fairly normal. It kind of feels like some kind of turbo lag (there is no turbo on the car) because once you get in the higher Rpms it takes off. I was hoping it was bad gas and drained the tank and ran some injector cleaner, as well as replacing the fuel filter but it made no difference. I also replaced the spark plugs and I'm running fresh wires, cap and rotor. I took it over to my local mechanic to check over my work but so far they seem stumped as well. Any ideas?

 

Got a wideband to look at the o2? I bet it is running lean.

 

Just a couple ideas...

Throttle cable adjustment
TPS
Hook up a vacuum gauge and see what it's pullin
Check ignition timing, could be retarded
Correct ecu with ZC map?
Compression test

If it were running lean, it should go fine until it starts to studder or misfire I would think. Should be noticeable, but I could be wrong.

 

Well according the the shop they found the problem, I didn't get to talk to the mechanic but the person behind the counter said the distributor wiring was off 180 degrees. He said the way I had it set up was correct for some years but not others??? I don't know, but I did take the cap with the wires attached off the original engine and put it on the new engine's distributor so maybe that's where i ran into trouble. He said it runs great now. My only other issue is that my coolant fan has yet to kick on and the engine feels hot after a test run thought the gauge shows it to be normal. I'm hoping the wiring changes I had to make didn't somehow take the fan out of commission. The shop started talking about running an auxiliary switch for the fan but I really don't want to go there. I won't get the car back till next week but I'll try to find out exactly what the problem was.

 

Can't believe that it would idle with the distributor being 180 degrees out?