about to do my engine swap

Hey guys I picked up a zc for a decent price and i'm soon (once i find the time) going to replace my dual carby engine..

i have everything i need and I was wondering, what sort of problems or tricky situations did u guys run into when doing a swap...

also, while the engine is out i plan to do this (quoted from a website)

While the engine is out do all the necessary things to it that otherwise would be a pain in the ass. I highly recommend replacing the timing belt, alternator belt, oil filter, fuel filter, fuel injectors, clutch (might not do this), radiator hoses, water pump, spark plugs, and if money permits, anything else you can think of that could possible break at a later time. All of these can be done while the engine is in the car, but while everything is apart it is a good idea to do it all at that time.

Does anyone agree with this comment, however:

Almost every engine that comes over from Japan has a broken TPS (Throttle Position Sensor). You can either use the old Si TPS, or you can replace throttle bodies entirely, they are identical.

Is there anything else I can/should do to the engine while it's out. I was thinking to change the head gasket, how would i know if this is possible, would a pressure test be the only way?



Thanks in advance guys.

Hey man,
Good to hear you are ready to get dirty.
I agree with most of the stuff you have listed to replace, however: Just get your injectors ultra-sonically cleaned and new fuel seals, your radiator hoses should be replaced if you suspect them.
Check everything, replace the thermostat too(cause they rust up and seize without water on them all the time)
Check your engine mounts and CV joints while the motor is out. Using a hose to flush out the radiator and heater core will be a good idea while your in an empty engine bay.
IMPORTANT: As much as you probably want to, do not use glycol based inhibitor for first week of two. When the motor sits for ages without water in it, the sudden addition of glycol causes the headgasket to lift. Best to just use water and monitor water temp, then drain the water out(getting all the gunk out while your at it) then fresh inhibitor/anti-freeze.
PM Sent

if it aint broken dont touch it.

although the timming betl is a good idea

wow - i put a ZC into my civic just last week :D

BTW - what gearbox + driveshafts are you using ?

stock and stock...


is that ok?

u did this just last week?
i thought u had an Si already?

i do but im crazy and chucked ANOTHER ZC in. Dont worry -
Anyway - did you purchase the ZC gearbox/driveshafts/engine all together ? Because ive been told your normal EG shafts wont fit ( smaller than Si shafts) -

yeh it all came in one so that means the driveshafts also


was it a difficult process for you?

any problems u came accross?

yup dont worry about my previous comment - Anyway , having a engine lifter/hoist makes things much easier . Also , be carefull not to crush the loom or any wires - make sure to keep ALL bolts and nuts well known and in seperate containers for different areas etc - the ONE thing that I kept / keep on doing is lose bolts :)
Replace all rubber parts on the engine+box to save hassle further on too ( camcover gasketer,o rings, injector/dizzy etc seals , driveshaft seals)...

Also, if u need any spare bits i have a garage full of ZC parts :)

good luck

kool thanks alot for that

apparently the third synchro is worn

how do i fix this?

with the engine harness, for now, would i be able to install the new one and connect it to my carby engine, just so i can get the wiring in?

I dont personally know - but to be safe use everything stock you can :)

Replace your timing belt and water pump while you've still got it out of the car. Bitch to do otherwise.

how about the head gasket...should i change that?
how would i know if i would need to change it, would a pressure test be the only way?

and if i do change it would it be beneficial (in terms of compression) to get a thinner head gasket?

Think about it this way. If your not going to be doing things down the track yourself now is a great time to start building the motor! Will be a lot easier on your pocket if you need to pay for labour.

As for thinner head gasket, it really depends what your looking for out of the ZC.

yeh thats a good point, the motor wont be going in for a while so i might spend time reconditioning and building the engine while it's out, will save me a lot of troubles.

of course the gearbox bearings are gone. every single SI from that age has had a gearbox rebuild by now :P

use ur current gearbox so u dont have th change the driveshafts etc.

the gearbox from my engine will be ok with the si?

and same with the driveshafts?

if u use ur current gearbox u drive shafts stock shafts wil be fine. the only different is the gear ratios.

ahh ok

i might as well change everything over then

well rebuild the gearbox before u put it on. or its just a waste of time. crunching is terminal, its not gonna go away. and if he told u about it, it must be pretty bad.

still new to this

so when he said the third synchro is worn does that mean i would have to rebuild the whole gbox?

and how would i go about that?