Opinions on B16a swap

[Paul1985]

B16a engine swap for experience.. waste of time/money

ive just started a motor mechanics course a few days ago, but am very inexperienced atm. I really wanna do a b16a engine swap + tranny swap in my 95 EG gli (non-vtec) which is also an auto. Its something i want to do for myself, something i want to achieve, and i really think id enjoy the experience of doing an engine swap. Once i learn a bit more out of this course, or even after finishing though...
the problem is i have quit full-time work for this full-time study so have VERY little money atm.. what money i do have/make i like to spend on my beloved honda :)

i also plan on buying an integra as soon as i can afford to do so, so prob in 1 - 2 years time depending on financial status and where i am with my career, so would doing an engine swap relatively soon on my EG be a complete waste of time/money???

i dont wanna drop a b18c in it anymore.. too expensive and im not fussed whether the b16a is JDM or AUDM.. whichever is cheaper will do me fine for this project, i dont wanna d series engine tho, i love the b's :)
just to do the tranny swap and add a vtec b series engine would be great.

do you think its possible to do this for around $2k - 3k or maybe even less? including 1/2 cut, brake/suspension upgrades, eng cert. if needed and all that is required, taking into consideration i'll be doing it myself??? id be happy if i could achieve this for $2k

Also, what does everyone think.. is this a waste of money??? will doing this add any value to my car???

what does everyone think the pro's and con's of this project would be???

All i know is that i really wanna do a swap on my shitty non-vtec engine, also to get a manual transmission, for experience and so i get a faster car.
atm i dont see any negatives of doing this and im just after some feedback to see what other people think :)

thanks in advance for any help and opinions on this, muchly appreciated.

[z3lda]

just sell it and save that money towards your integra.

converison in that will be a waste of money plus will decrease the value of your can.

[Paul1985]

cheers zelda..
if i only need to spend 2 - 3k then it might not be such a great loss if i gotta keep the car 1 - 2 years...
id be more proud of my car and be happier with it...

trying to work out my options

[civ_sik]

i think it is worth it personally, just my 2c. awesome motor...

[z3lda]

it wont be under 3k if your doing a auto to manual conversion. engine will be atleast 2k. then u have to get other little parts. which will all add up to 1k+

[Perry]

like z3lda said u will need to change the auto transmisson to manual, then i think u will need break up grades as well to balance everything for stopping

[[[d a n n y]]]

just get a auto B16a

[Breeze]

If you get a front cut (b16A manual) for a good price then you are set. The halfcuts are usually around 3K. Half cut includes everything you need to swap from auto to manual. Get a good workshop manual for a civic and it will show you the tricky bits like how to remove the dash without breaking clips.

Remember there will always be something that won't go quite right.

Park the cars next to each other and swap everything over.

First time it will take a while. Be patient. You will also need to have money aside for things like timing belt, new clutch etc, brakes machined. All things you should do while the car is in pieces. Get someone to come with you on the pruchase.

If you are talking an EG civic and you do a full swap properly the value of your car will increase markedly. Enough for you to get most of your money back. It is Bullsh*t that the value of your car will go down.

Don't get the wrong version..wait for a 91-95 front cut don't let someone convince you that an earlier one (even much cheaper) will do the job. You will never be happy with the results and the cost will end up being much higher (ie gearbox: cable vs hydro).

Good luck. The results are well worthwhile.

[panda[cRx]]

it wont be under 3k if your doing a auto to manual conversion. engine will be atleast 2k. then u have to get other little parts. which will all add up to 1k+

^yep what he said, i really doubt you would get this done for $2-3k

[[[d a n n y]]]

have a look at my DIY thread

[fusion_VTi]

from a gli motor to a b16 i reckon would be a worthy swap, getting the experience and the satisfaction of driving it round would be worth while too. id go for it dude, if only a h22 swap was as easy i'd recommend it to you!

[SiR JDM]

If your doing it yourself, you can def get it done for 2-3k

I know a guy who has no mechanical experience or training and he turned his friends EK1 Auto into a Man b16a for 3k, including everything from subframe/brakes etc.. even got power window kit = ] ... and did it all in a few days.. less than a week

Research it a bit more - call all wreckers/importers etc anyone who can source you engines (I HIGHLY recommend using a 1/2 cut, not just engine/gbox/ecu etc packages) and you can get a fairly good idea of what will be involved mechically and costwise, and see if its worth your while...

[spetz]

Do people think B16A in an EG will be quick enough?

[OptionEngineering]

B18 maybe

[J-MuN]

B16A's are great engines... if u dont have the extra money, then go with the B16A swap... i think its

worth it... the power u get from it from a 1.6L... :D:D

[Paul1985]

i was planning on getting a b18c, but since ive gone back to studying now cant afford it, 1 day i plan on having one :)

for now i'd be more than happy with a b16a, it will be good experience for me doing the swap also.

what ive been considering doing is selling my car, buying an earlier model manual EG (with EFI) and then with the money left over putting it towards the 1/2 cut.. this is much more affordable for me than saving for an engine.. its a good thing that my car is a 95 model, newer and would have greater value than say a 92/93. there could even be a possibility of an EG going really, really cheap due to eng. probs which would be perfect seemings id be swapping the engine. could end up with money left over if i get a good deal and am smart about the way i go about doing this.

[DCLXVI]

i say dun sell your current car.. the hassle of selling and searching for another is too much. and from a 95 to a 92/3, how much can you get back. unless you have another car to drive after u sell this one.

and regarding the swap (b16a).. its advisable to set aside at least 3.5k.. beside the necessary hardware, there are things that need replacement (advisable) such as timing belt, water pump, lubricants, and other fluid... etc. Its good to have a higher budget, coz you wouldnt want to halt the project just becoz something crops out and u dun have enuff $$ to get stuff..

[vti-r teg]

b16a's are awesome. my mates breeze with b16 is even with my dc2 vtir (both stock engines) his car is great fun :thumbsup:

[QikCivic]

i'd recomend it, preety straight forward

[Terry]

why ppl just dump their vti or si civic?!........work it out~ they can deliever some good power if u work on it:D

[[[d a n n y]]]

b16a's are awesome. my mates breeze with b16 is even with my dc2 vtir (both stock engines) his car is great fun :thumbsup:

should be able to eat that DC2 it he's an average driver

[Paul1985]

ill be advertising my car very soon..
ill be able to drive my sis car around till mines running (she isnt 18 so only on her L's)
and i'll make sure i have enough money to cover all the changes.. including all fluids, timing belt, brakes, suspension etc..

cant wait to do this swap, i reckon ill be on here all the time stuck asking for some assistance, lol

from what ive read its a pretty straight forward swap

should i hire a hoist to get the engine out or do it from under the car??
ive read a couple of DIY's to get it out under the car using yellow pages books lol, but i think it looks like a pretty dodgy way of doing it