As I have started to notice a few people asking about doing a engine swap into a ED/EF I've decided to make a guide for the swap. This is a basic guide to a B-series engine conversion into a 1988-1991 Honda Civic ED. This is not meant to be a how to guide, just some general information on what to look out for, and what you will be getting yourself into.
To start off I will try to explain a few things about why I chose an ED for my track project. First off, I like the shape, nice and old school. It's a bit different as well, no one expects a B16A equipped ED Civic. They are cheap, and best of all they are light, very light. Although this does mean the chassis is not as strong as a EG or EK civic. I used to have a EK before this car, and you can feel a slight difference between the chassis rigidity. But if you put a rollcage or half cage into there it will stiffen it right up and will still be way lighter than an EG or EK. Or you can also get or make up some chassis bars for the B & C pillars, which will help.
ENGINE:
You have a few engines to choose from to put into the ED shell:
ZC engine: This is a good cheap and powerful engine. It puts out some good power, and the cost is fairly low. Only disadvantage is that it does not have the aftermarket support that the B-Series engines have.
B16A engine: This has very good aftermarket support, and is fairly easy to source compared to others. It's the easiest of the B-Series to fit into the ED civic, as it is cable clutch operated. The other engines are hydraulic operated and to get these to work you will need a cable - hydraulic conversion kit. This comes from the JDM EF9 Civic SIR, JDM EF8 CRX Sir, and JDM DA8 XSI Integra.
B16A2 engine: This is fairly similar to the B16A engine, but has slightly higher compression, and uses the hydraulic operated clutch.
B18C engine: This is similar to the B16A2 but slightly higher block (about 19mm) and 1800cc not 1600cc. This will give you more torque and will be just as easy to fit as the B16A2. Cost will be slightly higher by about $500 and they are harder to find. Its also hydraulic operated, so you will need the conversion kit, or else you can get and use the B16a cable gearbox.
There are many more engines than these, but these are the main ones. Each has its own advantages/disadvantages, so do you research before buying. Its best to get a front cut as well as you will need the wiring loom and a few other bits and pieces will come in handy too.
MOUNTS:
With the mounts there are a few ways you can do it. You can buy some bolt in mounts (usually from America), or custom make some mounts. I recommend you get some ready-made bolt in mounts. These will make your life a lot easier. Hasport would be the biggest and in my opinion the best brand to use. They offer their mounts with 3 different strength bushes, street, race, or extreme race. These will govern how much the engine moves back and forward when on/off the accelerator. But the stiffer you go, the more the car will shake and rattle instead. With the Hasport kit you are only provided 3 mounts where as stock there would be 4. This is because they have compensated for this in making their other mounts, and is not a problem. The Hasport mounts will also sit your engine lower than what an EF9 SIR would, so there is no need to replace the bonnet with the SIR hood.
AXLES:
You have 2 choices with the axles. You can use the Integra DA8 ones, and with a little bit of modifying they will fit. Also they will stick out a little more on one side than the other (not a huge difference though). Or you can get some ready made ones. I got some Hasport ones for my conversion, and although they do cost more, the fit is perfect.
DPFI to MPFI:
Your ED should of come with a dual carby engine, and to do the conversion you will need to convert it to EFI. I decided to leave this to the experts, but from the look of it wasn't too hard. The easiest way is to add a fuel pump and a fuel surge tank. I used a Bosch O40 fuel pump, but you can use pretty much anything. I was originally going to use a WRX one, but decided to upgrade. The fuel surge tank looks kind of like an oil catch can, but has more connections coming out of it. I've seen these all around the place and shouldn't be too much to buy. Search around the Internet and you will find many places that go though the process.
WIRING LOOM:
The wiring loom is very hard and complex, and should only be done yourself if you are very knowledgeable or have lots of time. I personally didn't do it myself; I left it to my mechanic. There are many things that can go wrong here, but if you have the time, patience, and resources, then give it a go.
SHIFT LINKAGE:
You have 2 options for a shift linkage. Get a Integra DA8 one and cut it shorter, then reweld it back together. Or you can get one from a company like Hasport. I chose the Hasport one, so that I knew it would be right, and won't break apart when driving hard.
BRAKES:
The standard braking setup on the ED6 civic is good for the standard engine, but once you get more power they become very inadequate. The most common brake upgrade for the ED civic is to use the Integra DA8 front brakes and some CRX rear disc brakes. The stock rear brakes are drum brakes, so it's a good idea to replace these as part of your conversion. You can also use EG civic brakes, as I am running the EG5 setup on the back. For both the front and the rear brakes you will need all the components including all arms, so all you need to do is bolt it in and its done. It's a fairly easy task and should take about a day or two. I decided at the same time to replace my lines with some braided items.
You might also want to upgrade you brake master cylinder (BMC), proportioning valve, and brake booster while you're at it. This will increase the force at which your brakes will perform. All these parts I got from a DA8 Integra, the BMC along with the brake booster is much bigger than the stock ED6 one. The prop valve also helps distribute the brake force better now you don't have drum rear brakes.
SUSPENSION:
There are a few things to look out for with the suspension in the ED/EF's. The 88 ED civic came with ITR/EG6 style rear lower control arms, and these are attached slightly lower than the 89-91 arms on the other ED's. The arms are interchangeable with each other; you just need to watch out, as the rear suspension mounts are different too. ED and EF suspension are the same and should all fit together fine. You can also use EG6 and ITR suspension, but you will need the 88 model or some EG6/ITR rear lower control arms. At the front you will also need to use the EG6/ITR upper wishbone fork as if you use the standard ED one, it will rub.
EXHAUST:
You will also need to find some headers to suit. Normal B series ones will fit but may require you to bash in your cross member a bit to fit. This is because if you have a look, there is not much room at all between the engine and the cross member, for the headers to fit down. If you can find some headers for a EF9 civic or EF8 CRX, these should fit right. I got some FGK Fugitsubo headers and they fit in perfect. Quality was awesome too. Another option too would be to get some custom made.
RADIATOR:
You can use pretty much any radiator for the conversion. I got a custom one made up for mine, as my car will see a lot of track work at high temps. But you can use the standard ED ones, but you will find it wont be that good. An upgrade would be to get an Integra, EF9, or EF8 radiator, and this should do the job fine for normal use.
MISC:
Always allow some extra money aside for small little things like hoses, filters, oil, etc. You tend to overlook these little parts, but they all can add up very quickly.
Also as you don't know the history of the engine, it would be wise to get a full service done and replace the timing belt. Better off to spend a little bit more and be sure that the engine will be fine. (THIS IS EXCELLENT ADVICE!! - DON'T CUT CORNERS!!! OR DO SO AT YOUR OWN PERIL)
INSTALLATION:
The installation of the engine is fairly simple. To remove the old engine it just a matter of unplugging the old engine and removing it. If you have bought the mounts then it's just a matter of lowering in the new engine and bolting everything up. You will need to make an indent into your passenger side shock tower. This is to provide enough room for the alternator to fit. There is no pretty way of doing this, so just grab a mallet and go nuts. You will also need an engine hoist to remove and insert the engines. You might find as well that your power steering pulley is close to your radiator support bar. I removed mine, so I didn't have to worry about it, but it should be fine. You might have to knock in the support bar a bit, but this shouldn't affect anything.
COSTS:
To give you an idea of costs here is what I paid (I think EFracer will agree with me in saying that these costs are ONLY a guide - Exchange rate fluctuations, changing stock availability and labour costs will ALL vary):
1988 Honda Civic ED6 $1700.00au
Integra XSI DA8 Frontcut $2500.00au
o B16A engine
o B16A cable gearbox
o Front Brakes
o Brake Master Cylinder
o Brake Booster
o Proportioning Valve
Hasport Engine Mounts (EFB1) $350.00us
Hasport EFBAXCMP Axles $360.00us
Hasport Shift Linkage $110.00us
Braided Brake Lines $95.00us
Rear EG5 Brakes $250.00au
Bosch O40 Fuel Pump $200.00au
Misc. Stuff approx. $1000.00au
Labour approx. $1500.00au
Obviously the more you do yourself the cheaper the conversion will be. But remember than the cheapest place is not always the best. You don't want to waste any money with poor workmanship, and always be back getting parts fixed.
*Note, this is just based on my experience with my engine swap. I'm If you do not agree with something PM me and I will correct or add to it. Neither myself nor Ozhonda take any responsibility for the outcomes of someone else doing the following.
