I just recently purchased a 91 civic hatch(std model) w/185k on the odo for a project car. I had planed on driving it with the stock motor in it until I sold my bimmer & found a reliable daily driver for commutes to work. Then I want to gut it, swap in a B16, & full susp. & brakes for auto-x. Well the problem is the first day I got it on the road I was driving down the highway when the timing belt broke . I have the helms manual, so I plan on installing a new one. My question is what do I need to check out to make sure that there isn't any damage that will keep it from running ok until I can get the swap done? Any help will be greatly appreciated. I plan to do the work this weekend. Thanks

 

I'm almost positive that you bent your valves especially if you broke your timing belt on the highway...I'd get a compression check. You can find cheap stock motors around especially now that a lot of people are doing the B/Kseries swaps. Maybe its easier to simply get a good used one instead of fixing what you just broke. Also, you mentioned AutoX...doing a B16 swap would put you in SM (Street Modified), unless you're going to spend more $$, you're B16 swap wont get you anywhere close to the Nat'l champ. Just my .02

 

So you think I should just wait until I can swap in the motor I want? As far as auto-x, from your sig it looks like you know what your talking about. What motor/tranny would you reccomend? I do plan on dumping alot into the suspension & tuning it if that is what you meant.

 

Another thought...what about swapping the head & swapping to mpfi? I've read a little about it, but is it even worth it with the stock 4 spd?

 

ohh, well, your valves could be bent, but theres a chance they could be fine, i snapped one once and nothing happend. Just throw a timgin belt on there and see.

As for swapping to mpfi, your gonn ahave to do that no matter what swap you do, so yes, its worth it. Dpfi isnt going to cut it. SOunds like your gonna get pretty serious with the auto crossing, i would recommend any motor for auto-x, its all an opinion basically. Some people like to keep the revs high ona b16a, not to much torque, but with the righ ttranny, it would be great. I had a built d16z6, sohc vtec, just a cam and bolt ons, not really built, besides crower spirngs and retainers, and it was a peppy little motor. Great for auto-x, cost me under 1000 too. Kept up with some b16s, but the chassis was screwy, never handled jsut right. Im running a turbo d16y8 now, and i wouldnt recommend it for autocross, spins tires to much, slight turbo lag.

Just get comfortable, slowly build it up, see what you want...

 

its not for sure that u bent valves!! i broke my timming belt on the hwy going 70 on a dohc zc, replaced the timing belt, and everything was perfect

 

Anyway I can check the valves w/o removing the entire valvetrane? Would a compression check confirm this?

 

get the timing belt on there, make sure timing is perfect, and get a compression check. bend valves would be your compression totally fucked up