Hello everyone, I have a 92 civic vx(hatchback). I want to get a new engine and transmission so I can have a bit more power, the goal isn't to make the car super fast (gas mileage is a factor) I would just like some more power and gears that arent so long. I wouldn't want to be getting any worse than 25 with daily spirited driving. Ive been thinking about either d16y8 or d16z6 with a 96-00 EX hatch tranny(hatch's have a lower final drive gear which will help with mpg when going 80 on the hw) if I couldnt find that tranny a 92-00 ex coupe/sedan tranny or 92-95 civic/delsol si tranny(non hatch), same gear ratios but higher final drive gear (4.058 vs 4.250). I know this swap would only add roughly 35% hp and 10% tq. The tranny will make it feel like more a bit more power and tq i know, I had a 95 del sol S which weights about 200 more lbs with only 8 more hp and the same tq basically. This swap seems nice because it will be the most affordable, will get the best mileage while still having a bit more power. The other two im thinking of are a b18c1 swap with an LS tranny or a k20a/a2/z1/z3 with a 6 speed from an civic Si or type S RSX. Between these two id rather do a k series no question; they get better mpg while making more hp and tq, they have 6 speed transmission options, they weigh within 10 lbs of the b series, vtec was improved and the engines are on the same reliability level as the B's (or at least very close on average), the only con is the swap isnt as 'simple', and i hear lots of people say they cost more than a b series swap. I went on K-tuned and to get a kit with everything I need would be roughly 3800, Id try to find an engine for 2-2.25k and tranny for 1000-1500.
This is how I see the pros and cons of each swap basically:

Stock, 92hp, 97tq, long geared 5 speed

D16Y8 125-127hp, 106 tq, and medium/closer geared tranny
Pros: best mileage(30/36mpg for 1997 civic sedan, 2518lbs), least expensive, weighs the least. Jegs has a crate engine for 2650$
Cons: Not much more hp, hardly any more tq, no 6 speed option, may not be satisfied with power gain.

B18c1 170hp, 127tq, with LS tranny (mediumish gears short gears)
Pros: Almost twice the hp, about 32.5% more tq, has reputation for being reliable even when being driven at high rpms
Cons: costs similar to the K series swap but worst mpg and less hp and tq(22/28mpg for 2000 acura GSR, 2643lbs), no 6 speed option, may be disappointed with mpg

K20a/a2/z1/z3 (200-220hp, 139-142tq) with RSX or civic Si tranny (Short/medium gears with high final drive gear)
Pros: most hp and tq, better mileage than B series (24/31mpg for 2003 rsx type S, 2778lbs), has 6 speed option, sounds the best to me than the rest
Cons: Most expensive, would take the longest to do

also not interested in swapping an LS engine in, It gets the same mileage as a c1 but has less power due to not having vtec. Also not interested in the lower powered k20's because vtec kicks in super early like with my civic vx which causes me to get bad mileage because I live in the mountains.
Anyone have any suggestions on which route I should go? Thank you all

 

Sell the VX to someone that will love it for what it is and buy something else.

 

I love the car but it has no power, everywhere i drive has steep hills and lots of sharp turns that are to sharp to keep the same speed around. This isnt a ricer, everything is stock besides the rims and the muffler because the guy I bought it from installed those. I just want some more power, plus i have a 12" sub that weighs 35lbs withe the box and amp, plus my 150lbs and my girlfriends 115, so thats a total of 300lbs plus the 2100 the car weighs makes 2400, 2400/90=26.66 - 1, thats a pretty damn terrible power to weight ratio even compared to 2016+ civics that have a 16.66-1 hp and tq to power to weight ratio. The goal isnt to be fast but to actually have some power to move around at the speed limit, cant even get above 34 mpg no matter how light I am on the pedal due to the hills and stop and go driving in town.

 

Tough to see another VX taken apart. They are so desirable in their original form, if you could find a clean non-VX hatch to modify I'm positive that it's at its most valuable with the D15Z1 still in it. Do you know if it's a federal or California spec?

You can easily get >35mpg with a B18C if it's properly tuned and retains cams with mild primary profiles. It will be an absolute dog with the LS transmission though, so abandon that idea. The economy penalty of the shorter geared transmissions absolutely does not outweigh the performance penalty of the longer geared transmissions, especially if you are operating in more rugged territory. I had an LS 5th gear in my daily that was tolerable when I lived in Florida but couldn't get back to the GS-R 5th fast enough when I moved to California.

I've played around with this a bit over the years and honestly, chasing mpg's ends up being a case of stepping over dollars to pick up dimes. The absolute best mod you can do to improve the mileage is the driver mod. Expecting great mileage when you are 'spirited' driving seems like an exercise in compromise.

Put whatever reasonably built swap you want in the car, properly tune the cruise parts of the map, drive like a sane person and you will have a car that's fun when you want it and gets respectable mileage when you need it.

 

Put a JDM high comp B20! try a B16 trans for shorter gears.

When i had a JDM B20 in my Integra that thing was a beast!! much more torque! ~ I could care less about vtec when i had that swap, I also had a B18C5 with bolt ons in my other integra and the B20 was strangely just as fun and all stock! no mods! that thing pulled like train! Just had an aftermarket clutch! I miss that Integra is was so smooth and had more torque than my other B series and I could feel it and that makes a huge difference! In a civic it will be even stronger! AND got great MPG! I daily drove that thing for a year or 2 before I sold it.

A k20 swap is nowhere near a B series swap! trust me you will spend a butt load more on a K swap. But once you have the K swap done the replacement engines can be found very cheap compared to a B series.