[Juan Sanchez]

hey whats up community, I'm new to the community so this is my quick intro: I'm a 19 year college student who just recently purchased a 89 crx Si. I love the feeling of the rex but i need more power. i was thinking about swaping the engine for a b17A but i have no idea if this is a good idea or if i would even gut a good power upgrade from this engine. any communts would be appriciated. Thanks sorry for the long post

 

[baker_jeff]

Welcome! B17 is definately a good upgrade, and a rare engine at that if you can get ahold of one!

 

[Juan Sanchez]

so if i where to go to a local shop odds are they wont be able to get it? if they did would they charge something outrageous?

 

[jfrolang]

I have never seen a B17 for sale. I've only heard of one CRX that had one. B16 is a more common swap and the performance is probably the same, they're both rated at 160hp.

 

[baker_jeff]

Probably. The more common swap is B16. B17 came out of a second gen Integra GS-R.

 

[Baker]

1st off, the b17 is a good engine, but have heard they have weak bottom ends. You seem like you are new to this "Honda Hobby", so what would seemingly make you choose a random & rare motor as the b17? They were only produced for 92-93 Integra Gsr's, being that they were produced in somewhat limited quantities (i have read 900 a year, so 1800 cars over the 2 model years).

I'm not saying they cannot be found and this cannot be done, but you seem like you have little knowledge about Hondas, so picking an easier motor to find might be the better option.

You also have to ask yourself a few questions:
What do you want/expect as far as power for the car?
How much do you have to spend?
How much are you willing to spend?

Many options out there, find the answers to those questions and read up and do some research. Just know what you are getting into.
What are you looking to do with it, daily driver, auto-x, Etc...?

 

[Tiersin]

but you seem like you have little knowledge about Hondas, so picking an easier motor to find might be the better option.

Ouch. ease up. nothin wrong with being unique. if he can get a hold of one, may as well for the difference factor.

 

[Baker]

but you seem like you have little knowledge about Hondas, so picking an easier motor to find might be the better option.

Ouch. ease up. nothin wrong with being unique. if he can get a hold of one, may as well for the difference factor.

I really didn't mean to come off harsh. Simply stating that since he seems to have little honda knowledge, it might be easier and more viable for him to find a motor that is NOT so hard to find. Just some things to think about. :?

 

[Savage]

i think what we're trying to say is. if you can easily find the b17 for a good price giv'r but don't bother searching hard. if you don't come across the b17 easily just grab a b16.

 

[Juan Sanchez]

lol yeah my knowledge about hondas is minimum to none so thats why i ask:
with a b16 what kind of speed would i be expecting and is it expensive because i only have 2000 to spend on the swap

 

[ComposiMo]

$2000 forthe -total- swap?!?

Well, keep saving. Realistically, $2k won't cut it to get the motor reliably in your car. Sure, you could cut a LOT of corners, and do things half-ass, but then you'll deserve every major issue that the motor will throw at you. When it leaves you on the side of the highway, you can thank yourself. Sounds harsh, but this is experience talking... if you choose not to listen, well.... :rolleyes1:

Now, as to the original question... there is nothing wrong with the B17.... its not weaker, its not any less reliable, it is EXACTLY the same to work on/with as a B16 or B18C... The only difference is the rods and crank for the most part.

This IS a rare engine though... with a $2000 budget for everything, you will likely not be able to find the motor and have enough left over to come close to even buying your mounts, let alone the other things you NEED to make this swap relaible ($2000 won't cover it anyway, but you know what i'm saying). Even if you found a CHEAP motor, it makes it even worse, because there could be other serious issues with it.

Even if you did buy it, to purchase it would serve no purpose other than so you can say that you have a rare engine... woo hoo, zippity-da... build the car for YOU, and believe me, having a rare engine only impresses people so much... you need to WANT that particular engine in your car, don't worry about impressing people. For the $$ you'll spend on a B17, you can likely even get a B18C1 for your car. Also, if you ignore the motor cost, the swapping of a B18C, B17, or B16 will pretty much cost exactly the same.

Anyway, much of this depends on the budget, so again, specify if $2000 was what you have set aside for the WHOLE swap, or what you have set aside for the motor/tranny my itself.

 

[Baker]

i only have 2000 to spend on the swap

For 2k you could get a DOHZ Zc swap installed.
I am assuming that 2k to spend includes labor cost since you will not be installing it yourself. 2k will get you a b16, but not installed, a b17 or b18c will be more expensive.
You still need to answer the question, "What are you looking to do with it, daily driver, auto-x, Etc...?"

Motor swaps you should be looking at and will easily fit are a Zc, any D series from '88-'00 or B series motor. Zc will be the cheapest and B will be the most expensive.

Couple more things....do some more research:
Some books that might be helpful for you, perfect books for beginners:

http://www.themotorbookstore.com/honda- ... swaps.html

http://www.amazon.com/HP-Books-HP1384-E ... 155788384X

Engine code list
http://hondaswap.com/reference-material ... ist-29128/

 

[Juan Sanchez]

i dono if i mentioned earlier bt this is going to be my daily driver so i would need my rex to be dravable on the street and to answer ComposiMo question 2k is what i want to spend on an engine. the only reason being is that i m a student and most of my money goes to school. baker423 i did a some research and found out that the ZC engine wont be street legal here in Cali. I also heard about the Z6 swap. I only heard about this swap but have no idea what it is and the cost or power if it. all i know is that its a D series engine and that it will be street legal (so i heard) is this a good swap for me???

 

[jfrolang]

I also heard about the Z6 swap. I only heard about this swap but have no idea what it is and the cost or power if it. all i know is that its a D series engine and that it will be street legal (so i heard) is this a good swap for me???

This was recently discussed in another thread. Read about it here.

 

[Juan Sanchez]

thanks i might go for the z6. i read it would be making around 125hp but what kind of speed would i expect with that hp in a my rex?

 

[Baker]

thanks i might go for the z6. i read it would be making around 125hp but what kind of speed would i expect with that hp in a my rex?

I don't know how to begin to answer that question.
Expect it to be a little quicker than it is now. What would it matter if it is going to be a daily driver anyway.
You def sound like a prime candidate to read those books.

Personally, since you do not have much $$ and know very little, i would wait a 1-2 years, save up some more, in that time do some more research to figure out what you really want and can afford then go from there.
For 2k you can get a z6 and installed, 2k you won't even touch a b17 or b18c, and 2k will get you a b16, but not installed.

 

[jfrolang]

Personally, since you do not have much $$ and know very little, i would wait a 1-2 years, save up some more, in that time do some more research to figure out what you really want and can afford then go from there.

You seriously want him to wait 2 years? That's entirely unnecessary.

If you've got the funds for a Z6 now Juan, and you decide that it's enough power, go for it. You can always upgrade that engine or swap out for another at a future time.

 

[Baker]

You seriously want him to wait 2 years? That's entirely unnecessary.

Why not? Actually i said 1-2 and it was just a figure i threw out there to make a point. Why not research and read up some more and figure out what engines are out there and really figure out what you want instead of just shelling out the cash and settling for the z6.
If his budget is only 2k (by the sounds of it i assume is for the whole thing, motor and having someone install it), why blow that when he could have saved some more and gotten something that he really wanted, such as a b series.

Took me a about two years when i started out, saving, figuring my budget, reading and researching what was out there for motors, and then finding out what i REALLY wanted. At least the money was there when i made my decision and not blown on the first motor i thought of.

Measure twice , cut once. Just trying to offer some advice, BEFORE he goes to blow the money on something he is not even sure he wants, but i suppose i am wrong in thinking that way.

Go with the z6. :?

 

[jfrolang]

I don't think it should take anybody more than a month or two to make an educated decision.

 

[downest]

I think baker is saying that waiting and researching it will make him happier. Maybe he has the cash for a Z6 now, but if what he really wants is a B series, then he should wait. Otherwise he's going to spend the money and time getting the Z6 in and maybe not be happy with it, and end up losing money when he goes B later on.
As John said, 2 grand isn't going to get a B in there, at least not a reliable setup. Now, if he sits on it and waits, collects parts and gets good deals, maybe, but then he is waiting again!
Personally, unless you already have a B17, I don't know why you would search for one. It will be a lot cheaper and easier to go with a B16 or 18 in the long run, since they are a lot more common. If you go with a B16, you may as well spend the money on a Z6 or another D series (maybe a DOHC ZC) and build it up a little, you can have a reliable D that will make the B16 seem slow.
I have been through this myself, and I say wait and plan it out perfectly. When my A6 blew the headgasket, I was considering a few swaps. Eventually I realised that I couldn't afford to put together a decent, reliable B series, and I didn't want to go with another D. For a couple hundred bucks I rebuilt my A6, and I loved it. I had a good 6 weeks to do the research, and when I did the rebuild I had everything ready to go.
When the A6 threw a rod, I was in a rush, and I put together the motor I have now, A6/Y8 mini-me with PM7 pistons. I had everything on hand, but I didn't think ahead enough to get all the tuning stuff, and I had to run on a stock P28. It sucked. Even now, with all the parts I need to tune it right, it still is giving me trouble trying to tune it right. I also did a bunch of stupid things trying to get it going, since I wanted it done IMMEDIATELY after I pulled the blown motor out. I'll be rebuilding the bottom end this week, and most likely going back to my PM6 pistons for now, and building a separate motor with the PM7s. I just want a reliable, properly working setup, and I can build the other on the side.