hey, i currently have a 91 B18a1 in my 89 CRX si... and i was interested in selling this engine and buying a 1st gen B16a... but then i remembered that the 1st gens are not USDM... the reason i need a USDM engine is because i live in california and smog refs wont allow JDM engines... i need a fairly cheap USDM motor that will fit in my car... i was thinking the B16a2, but then i would need the hydro/cable tranny conversion... any ideas? anyone? thanks

 

Throw in a B17A or a OBDI GSR motor (94-95). You will still have to do the cable to hydro swap but those motors will work if you want a legal swap.

 

but if i go with another acura engine, i will need a second solenoid in order to pass visual inspection from the smog ref, which costs $4000 (ecu, harness, undercariage, solenoid, and install)... there are no B-series USDM engines out there that would bolt in?


[Modified by LSyellowREX, 2:56 AM 6/10/2002]

 

go with the b16a2 and a cable tranny. and unless the smog place you go to really knows there motor codes just tell them its a motor out of a del sol. law states that aslong as the motor is the same year or newer it is completely legal. i got my ef9 smogged all the time just told them it was a teg motor.

 

yellowrex....

i have a 90 crx hf....im was planning to swap a 90-93 gs/ls motor, so that i dont have to deal with any smog problems? what all do i need to do this swap meaning what mounts do i need or will i need after market mounts and will the wires be a plug and play? will this swap be a drop in? what bout the ecu, do i need a ecu jumper?

i was planning to swap a b17a gsr in it but KATMAN emailed me saying this swap would be same as swapping a jdm b16. dealing with ignition problems, mounts, and shift linkage

jdm sir1 b16 wont pass smog, ZC has no vtec, jdm sir2 is hydraulic, b18c's are too expensive,and the last choice is 94+ b18b's has no vtec, $2500 average, and problem with hydraulic, so y waste that money and run across problems when i can swap a 90-93 ls/gs motor at 130hp with bout the same horse as the 94 ls 140hp but the downside is no vtec ( which later u can swap vtec head). and thats y i want to swap a 90-93 ls motor....but im afraid of the problems i said earlier......

last choice motor is b17a, but its rear to find one,even the car itself is rear......it has good power, cable tranny, usdm

i say stick with the motor u have or b17........since u and i have a same perspective in looking at crx...not wanting to deal with hydro to cable conversion, and wanting to pass smog, having atleast vtec head, usdm motor.

 

the thing about B17's is that the visual smog inspection requires two solenoids, and your CRX only needs one... that is the reason im selling the current B18a out of my rex... Here's what i am swapping out of my REX-- 1991 B18a1, blueprinted and balanced, ported and polished head, titanium valve springs, five-angle valve job, forged rods, balanced crankshaft, ductile sleeved, JG pistons, JG cams, JG flywheel, oil pump and seals.. (it was the first REX on the cover of Import Tuner)..

Now, the only other option i can think of, is if i go with the B16a2 (del sol), and do a tranny conversion... it's dohc, vtec, usdm, and not that much over $2000... though, it being an OBD1 engine, and my rex being OBD0, i would need a new ECU and wire harness...




[Modified by LSyellowREX, 9:48 AM 6/10/2002]

 

aren't A2's from 99-00 Si's and A's form del sols?

 

we were actually both wrong... i dont know why i said the del sol has an A2.. it has an A3 and the 99-00 civic si has an A2... so i need to go with an A3... since i already have a B18a in my car, what exactly would i need to swap in the A3, and how much would those things cost? (i would need a new ECU and wire harness, correct? or could a get an A3 wire conversion for my current ECU?) BTW, doesnt the B16a3 cost around $2000 for the engine with tranny? pleeez help..





[Modified by LSyellowREX, 11:13 AM 6/10/2002]

 

B17 Good luck finding one at a fair price.....wait.....nevermind that, just good luck finding one. I've been looking for a while, but I'm pretty picky on getting a motor.

 

jdm motors are legal in cali if you have all the smog stuff hooked up and also a b17a requires only one solenoid according to the helm which you can check out at http://www.spaztik.net/integra/helm

Also, swapping a b18a into a crx is exactly the same as swapping a b16a or b17a into a crx. the motor mounts are all the same and the wiring is the same on the b18a and b16a while the b17a is obd1

The easiest swap with most gain for money in my opinion is the gen 1 b16a which you can make legal


[Modified by erniecars, 10:50 AM 6/10/2002]

 

when i went to the smog ref, the first thing he said to me was, "i will not pass JDM engines".... so i cant buy the 1st gen B16a because it's a JDM.... and i dont really wanna mess with another Acura engine, just in case i do run into another solenoid problem... so i think im stuck with the B16a3... how much do the cable/hydro tranny conversions cost? like $300, right? and also, if ANYBODY knows where i can buy a USDM B16a3, PLEEEZ tell me!! --all of the local california swap shops dont sell em..


[Modified by LSyellowREX, 8:48 PM 6/10/2002]

 

so you are looking for another engine because you need that solenoid? go to the junk yard and get one and if you want ill send you the diagram of how to wire it up properly. its only 3 wires. not that hard

tooqwik1 on h-t passed with a jdm b16a3 so i know you can pass with a jdm motor. maybe that ref was just bring a dick.


[Modified by erniecars, 1:08 PM 6/10/2002]

 

well, its alot more complicated to hook up that second solenoid to a Honda ECU, and wire harness... its actually going to require a new under carrage, new ECU, new wire harness, solenoid, and install-- $4300..... i think most acura engines require that number 2 solenoid too...so **** it, i'd rather sell the engine.... so the guy that passed with a JDM engine, lived in california? do you know if he went to a smog ref?


[Modified by LSyellowREX, 9:27 PM 6/10/2002]

 

Throw a B16 head on the motor you're currently using.

 

you should pm tooqwik1 here on honda-tech to get details. it was at a soCAL smog ref. I think they made him used a delsol ecu because he was using a gsr ecu before or something but my point was that jdm motors can be legal if you have the right stuff hooked up.

According to my helm, in order to wire that other solenoid you run a ground common with some other sensors, one wire that taps to the tps, and one wire that goes to the ecu. if you are not using a b18a ecu then you will need that. there shouldnt be anything else to hook up with that unless there are other things they told you to fix

 

i went to a junkyard today and got a solenoid with some extra vacuume lines from a 90 hatch, then i took my car over to a swap shop and they wired the solenoid up so that it looks like the solenoid is actually working... im going back to a different smog ref tomorrow, and hopefully, he doesnt see the vacuume lines from the new solenoid leading off to no where... hehe.. now, with a b16 head, would i still be able to use the same ECU and harness from my B18a? and the b16 head wont require the second solenoid, im guessing, because its honda... right? thanks for the help everyone


[Modified by LSyellowREX, 1:26 AM 6/11/2002]

 

i love my county in GA. no smog ****'s to deal w/!!!