ZC vs b16a swap?

[civicman38]

I have been thinking of doing a motor swap in my 91 civic HB I either want to put in a B16a(more power) or a ZC( less power but easier to swap) or so i have heard. I know the b16a has more power. but what kind of price VS performance differences am i looking at? I have also heard that the ZC is a bit unreliable compaired to the B16a? Any opinions? Ideas. Also how difficult is the wiring harness for the DX to switch over? Thanks...

[court]

b16a swap is nicer, but its a little more work/money( mount kit or reweld)
the prices for the change over are pretty much the same( first gen b16a/zc)

[Jay]

B16 all the way...drove a hybrid CRX with a B16..great grip type car:)

[Dreamspeed]

your looking at like 2000-2500 for the b16a installed the zc is like dirt cheap now i'm guessing way under 1000 for a zc but basically the zc is just a dohc version of the EX motor it's only got like 130 hp go with b16a

[civicman38]

well since i have a DX how difficult is the wiring harness since its different than the SI

[court]

you need an 89-91 si wireharness

first gen b16a swaps generally go for 1200, then a mount kit for 4-5, and the wire harness for 100

you are golden for under 2k

put it in and vroom

a friend of mine does the swap w/o using the mount kit( re weld) if you want his info, lmk, its definately a cheaper route

[Dreamspeed]

a friend of mine does the swap w/o using the mount kit( re weld) if you want his info, lmk, its definately a cheaper route [/B][/QUOTE]

i personally don't recommend this route as if for some reason you have to put the stock motor back on or something your will have to recut the mount and re weld, as for the wiring for your 91 i'm not sure but it might come with a japanese harness, my 92 cx came with a japanese harness and they only had to run one additional wire to make the b16a work so you might want to check up on that

[civicman38]

nah my harness is completely different.

[Spdyjay]

You do not need the Si harness, all you need is to wire in an injector resistor (easy process involving 6 wires diagrams avalible on honda hybrid site)
and two diferent wires for the VTEC solinoid, all the rest is plug and play, except the TPS sensor wires which must be relocated to the exhaust side cam (which is easy since the wires are the same color on both engines)

As for the ZC being a DOHC EF series motor (D16 for all those not up on chassis lingo) Yes and no. The lower block is similar, the connecting rods are much sturdier, and the slugs closer resemble the domed B16a slugs.

The head is closer to the LS 1.8 engine found in second gen integra. Its valve train is much strudier than the D16's (beefier valve stems) and the cam profiles are a little more aggressive than those found on the integra (why the 1.6 ZC makes a tad more hp than the teg's 1.8)

Out of the box the B16a will be much faster. So if you want to go fast its actually the cheapest route (20-30 more hp for just a little more cash) and its easier to find an LSD equiped tranny for the B16a.

As for the ZC it is cheaper but a tad slower out of the box. However it responds very well to mods. Cams net you 12hp more (the zc makes most HP down low reground cams bring the level back up closer to the redline) Riping out the joke of an exhaust on the EF's will net you a bit more too.
Where the ZC shines is turbo/nitrous. Its stoutness/mid range comp. ratio yield to a very capable turbo platform Ive seen a ZC run 12+ psi with a stock bottom end with no problems.

My own ZC is getting revamped for nitrous. Its also made for your engine compartment so the turbo and manifold can sit much easier in the space provided , where as B16 mounting kits tend to tip the engine forward hampering turbo installation a bit (proper wielded mounts fix this problem however)

Parts for the ZC get a little creative and require some patience as you have to find out what will fit and what won't. A list of parts and their comparable USDM conterparts are avalible on the web from site linked to hybrid honda's web page (Jason's ZC for Dummies). Most everything can be found on other engines.

Hope that helps you a bit. Overall I am happy with my ZC choice because it is a bit different, and requires a bit more skill and creativity, as I love to wrench on my car.

But if a quick fix of speed without much mechanical fuss is your bag than go with the B16a

[civicman38]

Thanks for the Reply. ABout how much cheaper is the ZC.. I am not only interested in the drag racing but Auto cross as well. IS the ZC much lighter?

[Spdyjay]

Check out http://www.redshift.ca
on the prices of each setup
The complete ZC cost me $1200 for engine, tranny, new axles,
civic spindles (<----my CRX was an Hf) New clutch masters clutch, integra ecu, and a pat on the back through Canadian Customs while crossing the border

Ive seen 16's for about the same price -tranny. Some might say I paid a bit too much, but it was important to me that I could buy an engine from a nearby location so that if problems arose I could throw bricks through someones window (jk about the bricks)

[Dex]

I sell B16A1s with Y1 tranny, no ECU for 900 bux... Direct import from Japan. e-mail me if you are interested.

[civicman38]

Originally posted by Dex
I sell B16A1s with Y1 tranny, no ECU for 900 bux... Direct import from Japan. e-mail me if you are interested.
Alright I'll hit you up when i get more $$$ is that the first generation b16a or Second?