What should I expect? any major troubles? I am sticking with my 88 Si tranny....i have the harness and ECU for the Y8.....What am I lookin at for complications?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MacneilBMX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What should I expect? any major troubles? I am sticking with my 88 Si tranny....i have the harness and ECU for the Y8.....What am I lookin at for complications? </TD></TR></TABLE>

LOTS. You have to convert your car to OBD2 to run that ECU.
Are you prepared for that? Do you have a jumper harness for the ECU?
I'm not clear on what harness you meant... engine harness or jumper harness?

 

The hardest part will be the wiring from OBD-O to OBD-II. Have fun there, make sure you got a Helms manual for that engine. Just post up in the forums...we might be able to help you. haha. Or use search...intelligently.


-Jon

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4drEF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

LOTS. You have to convert your car to OBD2 to run that ECU.
Are you prepared for that? Do you have a jumper harness for the ECU?
I'm not clear on what harness you meant... engine harness or jumper harness?

</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's really quite easy.

Get a stock M/T D16Z6 ecu, and run OBD-I, with an OBD-O to OBD-I jumper harness. The OBD-II distributor and injectors, and all plugs work with OBD-I.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mr. S &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

It's really quite easy.

Get a stock M/T D16Z6 ecu, and run OBD-I, with an OBD-O to OBD-I jumper harness. The OBD-II distributor and injectors, and all plugs work with OBD-I.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Read his post.
That's not what he has to work with.

The mechanical part will go right in, but he has the Y8 ECU.

 

Here is what I have.

D16Y8 engine - whole engine
Engine wiring harness from 98 civic EX
D16Y8 ECU


88 CRX Si with stock Si tranny
ECU and engine harness out of the car
old engine pulled.

I was under the impression that it would bolt right in.....maybe im wrong?

 

The engine harness you have will not plug into the firewall harness plugs in your car.

To make your life easy, you should use the engine harness that is on your 88 Si motor. Do whatever modifications you need to make it work on the Y8.

For now, if you are really trying to get this motor to run ASAP, I would suggest you run the Y8 with your original ECU, distributor, O2 sensor, injectors and injector resistor box. To activate VTEC use a VTEC controller. This is the least expensive route and it will ensure that your Y8 engine is good.

You next option is to convert to OBD-1. This will require you to make or buy an OBD0 to OBD1 jumper harness so you can plug an OBD1 ECU (P28) into your under dash harness. You will also need to change to a 4 wire O2 sensor and use that Y8 distributor. To use the distributor you will need to switch the connectors on the engine harness. You can use the connectors from your Y8 engine harness since you can use your Y8 distributor. If you want, you can remove the injector resistor box (cut off the green plug and solder all 5 wires together) and put in the Y8 injectors. You will need to change out the injector plugs for the ones on the Y8 harness as well. Going OBD1 gives you a variety of aftermarket ECU support.

There is also the option to convert to OBD2. There is no benefits from using OBD2 other than using the knock sensor from it's ECU. There is less aftermarket support for these ECU's. You may want to go this route since you already have the ECU for it. You should keep your life easy and just modify your stock engine harness to fit and then do the same conversions I listed in the OBD1 conversion. You will need a OBD0 to OBD2 jumper harness to run that Y8 ECU.

You can try using the Y8 engine harness, locate the firewall connectors, and rewire the underdash harness to work. It's a lot of electrical to deal with so be prepared for a lot of work. I converted to OBD1 and considered using all the OBD1 plugs and harness. Right now I'm running with the jumper harness. I may make some changes in the future, but for now I'm not going to bother. There is no real benefit to it.


Modified by 4drEF at 3:56 PM 8/20/2004

 

Ok, this is going to be a lot of work......but It seems to me that the easiest route will be to locate the firewall connectors, and rewire the underdash harness to work. I just need to know what wires to reconnect to the new plug, and in what order that they go.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MacneilBMX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ok, this is going to be a lot of work......but It seems to me that the easiest route will be to locate the firewall connectors, and rewire the underdash harness to work. I just need to know what wires to reconnect to the new plug, and in what order that they go.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If that sounds easy to you... sounds like a PITA to me.

Are you familiar with eletrical schematics?
I followed these and was able to create a complete engine harness from scratch
http://photobucket.com/albums/...elms/

You will need similar schematics for the Y8 ECU wiring.
You will also need them for your stock ECU.

You can then trace each wire from the ECU plug and label it at the firewall plug.
I used a label maker machine and just ran off every ECU pin (A1, A2, A3, etc.).
With all the wires labeled you can safely depin the firewall connector.

You will then have to locate and label all the pins on the Y8 engine harness.
You can then take the depinned wires from the firewall connector and repin them to the Y8 connector in the appropriate locations. You might have to cut the wires and solder to appropriate loacations on the Y8 firewall plug. I'm not sure if the pins are compatible between the 2 plugs.

(You will have to run wires for the VTEC and knock - they will all be integraated at the firewall plug.)


THEEEENNN... you can get an OBD0 to OBD2 jumper harness OR you can get the ECU plugs from an OBD2 car. (Make sure you get the right OBD2 jumper or OBD2 plugs... there are 2 different OBD2's). If you get the jumper you just need to plug in and you're done. If you get the harness plugs then you have to label all your wires, label all the OBD2 plug wires, cut off your stock plugs, and solder the wires together appropriately.

Is that fun yet????
It's a lot of work.... a LOT.

If you used your stock D16A6 harness you will save sooo much time.
Just change out a couple sensor plugs and run a few wires. No tracing and repinning and crap.
Use a jumper and it's plug and play.

 

Holy Lord. that is way more than I thought it would be. I think on second thought I am going to stick with my ECU for now. my distributor, harness, injectors, injector resistor box.....then wait till next paycheck for the Vtec controller...... I guess it wont be Vtec till the 27th but.....that sounds like the easy way to get it all done.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4drEF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Read his post.
That's not what he has to work with.

The mechanical part will go right in, but he has the Y8 ECU.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I did read his post...

I was offering advice.


For the original poster, just follow my advice. I did this, and it wasn't too hard. And the car ran great. You can even make your own conversion harness. Search around on this site for more instructions.

 

I still don't understand why people buy swaps before they know what they're getting themselves into. If I were you I'd use the money you're going to use for the VTEC controller to buy a jumper harness (OBD-0 to 1) then get a Z6 ecu. Mechanically just remember to use your 88 flywheel and clutch.

 

Oh i understood that this was going to be a lot of work......This is the first swap I am doing by myself.....Just want to make sure I get everything right. I dont want to nickle and dime myself to death.