How to swap a b18a1 into a 2g CRX
Posted on July 3, 2009 by Jesse O'Brien in In the Garage
Some of you may have followed my thread on SHO regarding the long and laborious swap that was supposed to be the ”easy” b-series swap. Since hindsight is 20/20, I’m going to offer this post as a writeup to prevent others from running into the same problems I did. You’re all big kids, I’m sure you can come up with your own original problems on your own. No need to repeat mine.
Here are my personal recommendations to anybody planning to go from the 108hp d16a6 to the 150hp b18a1 in their CRX.
Step 1: update to a fuel injected mpfi CRX Si if you haven’t already
Step 2: Get your parts
- b18a1 engine (obd0) from a 1990–1991 Acura Integra
- cable b-series manual transmission
- (obd0) pr4 or pm6 manual ecu
- Modified Shift Linkage
- Integra shift linkage is too long, it can be cut and welded
- Hasport Shift Linkage
- Radiator — the Integra radiator has larger Interior Diameter hoses, so CRX hoses won’t fit out of the box
- Integra radiator with shortened Integra hoses
- CRX radiator with Integra hoses and a chunk of CRX radiator hose stuffed in the end
- exhaust header
- top half: Integra
- bottom half: CRX Si
- 1990–1991 Acura Integra axles
- (these are ABS-sensitive, so if your CRX doesn’t have ABS you’ll want non-ABS axles)
- 1990–1991 Acura Integra throttle and clutch cable
- Motor mount kit
- CRX Si Engine Wiring Harness
- Integra Oil Filter
- Integra Fuel filter
- Any Belts/Hoses that are cracked
- 1 can of Spraypaint or clearcoat (if possible, match with your engine bay color)
- Oil for Transmission and Engine
- Fresh Radiator Fluid
- Sharpie™ Marker
Step 3: Get the basic tools, if you have air tools, substitute them where applicable
- Engine Hoist
- 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 32mm(axle nuts) wrenches (gear wrenches and a ratchet will save you a lot of swearing)
- 4 Jackstands, not just 2
- Fluid Containers
- Radiator Fluid
- Oil
- Burly Jack
- Hammer(s)
- Shop Light
- Plier set (for hose clamps and such)
- Big old assorted pack of zip ties
Step 4: Roll up your sleeves and prep for the swap
- Remove hood
- Remove intake ductwork (removing the intake manifold will make it easier to pull the motor)
- Remove battery
- Drain fluids
- Remove radiator
- Remove axles
- Disconnect clutch cable from transmission, remove from car
- Disconnect shift linkage
- Disconnect Exhaust Manifold from Catalytic Converter
- Disconnect Fuel Lines
- Disconnect Throttle Cable from throttle body, remove from car
- Disconnect Vacuum Lines
- Disconnect Ground and Positive from the engine bay fuse box
- Disconnect ALL wiring harness clips, put engine wiring harness clips on top of the engine
- Bolt up Engine Hoist
- Unbolt Transmission and Motor Mounts
- Pull that old, tired Engine and Transmission in one big greasy pile. I suggest putting cardboard under the car for this step, since there are bound to be fluids in the engine that will snake their way out when you put it at funky angles. It may take you awhile to actually pull the motor, since it needs to be almost vertical as you pull it, and there are 4 mounts to worry about.
Step 5: Now that your sleeves are rolled up, it’s time to get some REAL work done.
- Get a bigger hammer
- Fit the engine in so all 3 motor mounts are lined up (you won’t need that pesky front motor mount any more if you’re using Urethane mounts).
- Using your sharpie, mark off the spot next to the timing belt that is now rubbing.
- Pull the motor back OUT (or up a foot, at least).
- Whack the rub-spot of the engine bay with the hammer until you believe it’ll be out of the way. An inch of indentation should do it.
- Sand down that spot, and spray some primer/sealer/spraypaint on it to keep it from rusting.
- Lower the engine into the 3 motor mounts, and tighten them down
- Once that’s in snugly, remove the wiring harness from the d16a6 engine and bolt in all the wiring clips to the b18a1
- Some of these clips will be less friendly than others, and will require you to cut the grommet around them.
- Some of the clips are not used at all, such as the A/C compressor switch or the Power Steering switch.
Next, you’ll want to plug up the Power Steering oil lines in the transmission. It’s difficult to see in this picture, but they’re on the speed sensor of the transmission, under the distributor (fair warning, they aren’t quite easy to get to). I simply bought some fuel line (8mm if I remember correctly) cut a section short enough that it could loop without incident, and connected the two oil bungs:
- Now that you’ve got the fancy wiring out of the way, you get to play with the vac lines. The b18a1 is one of the most overcomplicated intake manifolds available. Whether you use the CRX Si MAP sensor or the Integra MAP sensor, you’re going to end up plugging the same vac spaces and running with a bare minimum of hoses in the engine bay. If anybody has a vac diagram, please send it to me so it can be shared with the world. Sorry I don’t have more info on this step, I fumbled my way through it until it was good enough to drive.
Update: I sketched out a quick vacuum diagram. - Hook up the ECU to the chassis wiring harness.
- Check all your grounds, make sure all wires are hooked up (if I’ve missed anything, be sure to leave a comment).
- Connect the battery, position the ”shifter” into neutral, and start the car.
Step 6: enjoy (please note, this is subject to the user’s discretion. My definition, for example, is continuing to troubleshoot little issues that crop up over time and small mistakes that could easily have been avoided by using a bit more foresight and planning during these stages of the swap)
First off, I would like to say props on your previous posts on SHO. I was hoping that you would be able to answer a few questions for me…I currently have an 89 CRX SI with a B18A1 swapped into it, (this swap was started by a friend and finished by myself around a few years ago so I’m trying to refresh/learn a few things) well this shell has seen better days (rust holes in floor, frame, body), and I currently found a 90 DX in almost immaculate condition that I am currently in the process of swapping. Although, I have to came upon a few discrepancies within different web pages that I must clear up in order to continue with the swap. The first one is regarding a dpfi to mpfi swap; I have read in some write-ups and on some boards that I can simply switch the wiring harnesses (engine and chassis [SI to DX]), others have said that the swap must be completed and that the harnesses cannot be used. The second discrepancy is actually in reference to your previous posts on SHO (sub-frame), when I had purchased the SI, the engine was already in it but needed wired, hosed, and bolted down. I had noticed when pulling it that the sub-frame had writing on it (some junkyards mark their parts with a combination of letters and numbers [which made me question if he had swapped the sub-frame?]), will this sub-frame from the SI have to be switched to the DX? (I have previously lost connection with the friend who started the original swap). Any input on these two discrepencies would be appreciated. I am sorry if this was posted on the wrong place, but I am new to this type of blog.
All you have to do is do the DPFI to MPFI conversion, then drop the motor in as described here. The subframe does not matter. You won’t be using the front motor mount at all, so you could weld in a piece of steel and it wouldn’t matter as far as the engine’s concerned.
Honda marked parts with chalk/ink from the factory as well.
There are some other b-series swap howtos available as well:
http://www.b16honda.com/b16swap.htm
http://www.norcalcrx.org/droppedcrxsi/step-by-step.htm
http://www.norcalcrx.org/droppedcrxsi/b18c-step-by-step.htm
http://www.norcalcrx.org/droppedcrxsi/k20-how-to.htm
You might want to check out:
http://hondaswap.com/hybrid-ed-ef-da/all-swap-info-ef-50719/
as well.
hey bro awesome write-up…i just have 2 questions..when are you going to do the vacuum diagram???and did you do anything to the front mount??my motor will not go in properly
As far as the front motor mount goes, I whacked on it until it was bent enough to fit the motor in, then eventually sawed off the mounting bracket. There are a few b-series kits that include a front motor mount, but as long as the bushings are polyurethane (if you can’t bend the rubbery stuff much, it’s polyurethane) you won’t need that front mount at all. Make sure you have the rear and both sides securely attached before you start up the motor though!
Basically, with the CRX Si MAP sensor (pictured) you’ll need to run the bottom MAP line to the back of the intake manifold, and cap the other manifold bung (there are two, one right above the other, on the firewall side). Then you run one from the top of the throttle body to the side of the MAP sensor, and one more from the MAP sensor to the charcoal filter. Leave the larger vac lines in tact, since they don’t even interface with the computer in the first place (they’re just from intake manifold to head) and cap everything else.
That will get you out of limp mode. As far as getting 100% correct vacuum to the correct MAP sensors, I’m not entirely sure how that would work. It gets a little more complex, and goes beyond my rudimentary understanding of how a MAP sensor works. I don’t have the math to back it up. As soon as my drawing tablet comes in, I’ll draw up a proper diagram, but until then ask any other questions you have or point out any flaws in my explanation.
Good luck, and take lots of pictures!
on my b18a1 non vtec i have three sensors ! One is a thermol sensor.(green plug) One is a oil sensor.(one prong) And one is a temp sensor. (two prong). what did u do for the green plug. On the axels did you have to remove the outer dust seal on the axel itself. I know on the hub u have to remove the dust ring. i went to tighten the hub nut and the axel isnt turning freely The artical said something about none abs what b series has a none abs axel. Do you or any one have a pin out diagram for a 90 teg gs. I know i sak alot of ? but its the unknown that gets u in the end. thanks memphis
on my b18a1 non vtec i have three sensors ! One is a thermol sensor.(green plug) One is a oil sensor.(one prong) And one is a temp sensor. (two prong). what did u do for the green plug. On the axels did you have to remove the outer dust seal on the axel itself. I know on the hub u have to remove the dust ring. i went to tighten the hub nut and the axel isnt turning freely The artical said something about none abs what b series has a none abs axel. Do you or any one have a pin out diagram for a 90 teg gs. I know i sak alot of ? but its the unknown that gets u in the end. thanks memphis
You can get 90-93 Integra axles that are non-abs. That’s what most swappers get, and rebuilt half-shafts are easy to come by (and therefore cheap).
As far as the three sensors, is this what you mean? http://picasaweb.google.com/drummingpariah/CRX/photo#5104995500953293618
Do you have any pictures that you can offer to help explain exactly which one you mean?
ok so i went to do my vaccum lines and got really confused there arelike 4-5 metal linesright on the back of the I.M..and my sensors on the firewall are a little diff than yours,,could you send a vaccum diagram to my thread on HS..the one called ls already covered?
Head on ova heya:
Bitch Pin
One quick question, there is a pin (not sure if it’s a dowel pin or if it’s threaded) in the transmission holding the shifting rod to the transmission. I tried googling/searching for it on SHO, but I didn’t know the correct term for it and I just got a bunch of junk answers…Well my engine would be out and the B18 on it’s way in if I could get this one little f*cking pin out. I have been going to war with this little bastard all morning/afternoon and it’s pissing me off. I have been tying to get it out with needle-nosed vice grips but to no avail. Is this a dowel pin or is it threaded and any ideas on how to get it out? I would like to get it out because as soon as it’s out, my engine will follow (need to get the pin out then I can unbolt my mounts and jerk the son of a bitch right out). Thanks for all of your help guys…
one quick question cause u get asked a lot of them but i have a 1990 crx si with a b18a1 swap. my question is what color wires are the temp sensor for the computer on the head and not the sensor for the temp guage. i cant find a diagram anywhere. what color wires are yours. the reason i ask is because the dumbass that wired up the car didnt wire it up right so im throwing a cel 6 for a engine temp sensor failure or wire problem so i replaced the sensor and tried to reset the sensor and as soon as i go to start it the cel sets off the same code so something is wrong with the two wires on the sensor. i just need to know what color the two wires are cause my car will start after 15 minutes of turning it over and once it starts i have to rev it to 4000 grand to keep it running until it warms up a lil then it runs like a champ. but since the ecu is sensing that the temp sensor isnt working it cant give it the correct fuel adjustment for a cold start and thats when it doesnt wanna start when its colder than 45-50 degrees. if you have any help i would be so happy cause im out of ideas at the moment.
This is something I can’t especially help with. I’m very color blind, so I can’t go by colors. However, I’ll email a complete (really, very very complete) diagram of the wiring system to you.
I have done searching, but either I am a dumb ass and not using the right terms, or there isn’t anything (which is highly unlikely), but the fact still remains that I can’t find what I need. So here it goes…
I have a quick question…I have done the MPFI-DPFI swap on the engine side because I am using the CRX/Integra wiring setup (it was already done by my buddy and works great)…Well, I had finished the MPFI swap on my 1988 (donor) Rex at the ecu. I have recently ran into a problem with the wiring in me 1990 CRX though. The wires are different colors (but at the same pin location)on the ecu harness than the ones on the 1988 harness. My question is are the wires running the same components (I would think that they are seeing as how both cars are DX’s and the ecu pins would be in the same location)? Also would you be able to email me the wiring diagram in your above post also…
@Jordan,
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, it’s been a busy weekend. I shot the manuals over to you, take a good look over them and come on back if you have more questions.
@Dream Sport,
With the DX wiring harness, you need to convert your wiring harness to MPFI before plugging the motor in, and you’ll basically scrap the b18a1 (Integra) and d16a6 (CRX Si) wiring harnesses.
hey bro thankx for the info but like most im still a lil slow on this thats why i want to do my swap. i got 91civic dx and i got the 91teg engien trany tha whole deal just got a problem wit the wiring,ecu my plugs dont match i also got tha complet 91si engien and i see that the si and the teg plugs match Help me out
kool but how do i convert the wiring harness to MPFI? can u school me on that and what a bout the ECU do i need a conector or something like that and if i do which one?
I googled it, and found a couple links you might want to read:
hondaswap DPFI -> MPFI
dx -> si wiring
one more write-up
I may be doing this swap myself in the near future, so I’ll be sure to write it up and take some pictures for you.
kool ill be comin back to check it out thanks!
you ever figure out the vaccum lines??im still trying to figure them out myself lol
This post is as close as I came to getting it nailed down. Hopefully, with a little ingenuity you’ll be able to straighten it out, cap off most of the vac lines, and have yourself a nice, running b18a1 in an EF. If you’re looking for more advice, take some pictures and send ‘em over to me!
do i still have to get the CRX Si Engine Wiring Harness if i got a 1990 crx hf. also will the b18a1 ecu plug straight into the hf without any wiring or do i still have to wire a little? Thanks lots. and great write up helped me alot.
Jimmy,
That’s a great question. The HF and Si wiring harnesses should be interchangeable since both are obd0 mpfi harnesses. The b18a1 ecu WILL plug in directly without modification. You could actually run your d15 on the b18a1 ecu, but it would run pretty badly.
Make sure the b18a1 is an obd0 version, not the obd1. The 90-91 was obd0, the 92-93 was obd1, and after that the b18b was introduced to replace the b18a1. Make sure you take lots of pictures!
okay so do you think on the destructive part it would look and be more structuraly sound to cut that inch or so out and run a tunnel form there
ya i think its obd0 it says(37820-pr4-A10) on the ecu. I pluging in the ecu it plugged in great it even ran my d15b2 like you said it would and didnt even cut out reved up great. the only thing that didnt work good is how it bolted down didnt fit but all i got to do is spin the ecu aroung 180 degrees and move the plugs to the other side so it will bolt in. Next i got to get either 90-92 crx/civic dx or the Acura Integra steering knuckles for the cv axles to fit, becouse the hf are smaller splined thats what i read on some forum and i tried putting the tegs cv joint in the dx and it worked didnt have time to try it in the hf but pretty sure it wont fit. Now all i need to do the swap is wait on my motor mounts, shift linkage, new cv axles and possibly dx or integra knuckles. Ya i can go ahead and take pics of the ecu and harness and how to bolt it in. But im still waiting on my mounts and shift linkage so it might be a while B4 i get to accually get to put the motor in, But i will take lots of pictures and post them when i do. Thanks
I have a question, I did a b18b (obd1) swapped into a 89 CRX DX. Everything is wired up correctly and getting fuel to all 4 injectors, but no spark. I am using the oBD1 distributor, but hell I might as well be color blind too cause matching the colors on harness to dizzy is not working. Do you have a dizzy pinout for a OBD0 and OBD1 distributor?
Chu,
I actually am color blind, so I know what you mean. I don’t have a pinout offhand for you, but I’m going to dig around a little and see what i can find.
Hey, I was just wondering if you had ANY problems with your half shaft lining up? Ive got a 90 crx dx, with the front suspension, axles, engine and m/t out of a 91 integra. all the suspension works fine, but when i go to put the halfshaft in, the bolt holes don’t line up. at first i thought maybe i had a b16 trans & a b18 H/S, so i bought another. it looked identicle to the one i had, so I thought maybe my trans was a b18 and my shaft was a b16, so i bought another. it was different but it still doesn’t work…. any ideas?
SoDakCRX,
I’m not sure if you mean the half-shafts that are toward the outside of the car or the intermediary shaft that bolts to the block.
If it’s your axle half-shafts, make sure your half-shafts are non-abs, along with your knuckle assemblies. Also, make sure you take off the dust shields (little steel ring on the inside of the knuckle).
If you’re referring to the intermediary shaft, you should check the stamp on the side of the transmission to find out exactly what transmission and block you’re running. The 91 Integra SHOULD have a b18a1 block, but I’ve seen b18b blocks mated to b18a1 heads by some shops so I’d check the stamp on the block to confirm.
On my swap, I never removed the intermediary shaft. I simply dropped the b18a1 with trans and intermediary in, bolted up axles, electronics, and fuel, and fired it up. I had no issues with the axles at all.
do you have a diagram of all the wires and hooks up for this engine.
do you have a diagram of all the wires and hooks up for this engine.
ok i got a crx si 91 i swapped a b18a1 as u did but my only problem is it wont catch speed i step on the gas and it struggles to? do u know what it can be ?
Well, there are a lot of potential causes but the first place I'd look is the ECU. See what fault codes it's blinking out, and make sure you're using the right ECU for it (the pr4 is technically the right ecu for obd0, but the pm6 will also work). You may also have a vac leak that could cause power loss, or low cylinder compression would be what I'd consider the worst case scenario. Go ahead and post your fault codes and I'll help however I can.
hey nice swap i just got mine done.problem is not knowing where my vac lines go to im useing the stock crx si map sensor.and stock d16a6 wires harness.there is all the vac tubes on the back of the manifold just wanted to know if you could post a pic of it or could point me in the right direction.i can see in the one pic but not the best and the diagrams on google suck non show with the crx map sensor.the swap was out of a 91 integra rs.ohh and when i tightin my driver side axle the tire wont turn but my passenger side is fine…nice work good right up.lots of insight on here thank you
I did have a diagram written up. If you can email me a picture of your current setup I'll draw up a new diagram for the vac lines. Just send it to jobrien@drivendaily.orgAs far as the axles go, you may have a bad wheel hub that's at an angle. Putting pressure on it could put pressure on the wrong part of the bearing, seizing it up. It's hard to say exactly what the problem might be, but that's certainly a new one for me.
well sounds like relay under dash had same problem in civic
hey brother.so got the car running good idles good rev good when its not in motion.when going to drive it sputters out up two 2,000 rpm.then cuts back in for a second then sputters again.changed the fuel filter got whatever air was in the line out.ran good for a bit then started again.starting to trip.had the code come on for the [tps] but went off and didn’t come back on again.i changed it anyways…….it like if i wake up in the morning hop in the car take off when the engines cold it runs with know sputter.then when it warms is when i feel it sputter out.
Awesome, this is with the ZC engine? Sounds like it’s a bad MAP sensor, or the ECU may not be running quite right.The cold/warm issue is kind of weird, I’m not sure what’s going on with that.
no just a stock b18a1 out of a 1991 acura integra.just one thing i need to know.what other distributors fit that engine.i got one i believe its off a b18b1 if i rewired it with the plug ends i need for it to plug in.will it work or no just the stock ones work?
man its so much easyer if you just get a obd0 SI harnest and a obdo disributor it will have the same hp and you intake hose prob huck the trotle diafram into you up positioner it behind the trotle diafram and your fule pressor regulater in to one of the pins on tha back of the intake then huck up the map to the top of you trottle body pin and the other hose that is in to the map goes to the other oin on tha back of the intake manifoldbut about the wiring the colors or very diff iv got a 90 civic box wid a b18b1 and its very easy to huck up wid the 88-91 SI harnest an obdo distributor an if you didnt know the shif linkage has to be cut 2 1/2 inches down to work thats the teg links ans it will run grate
Thanks a lot extremely helpful .soon to be doing the swap I’ll let u know what I stumble on.
So I hate to bring up a dead horse here, but I got a car from a friend of a friend type deal, so I have little to no history of how this was done, but I have a 91 CRX Si, with a B18A1 swap, with PR4 ECU, and YS1 tranny in it. It had some issues, but was never a completed swap. It had a bad main relay and blown main fuses (the battery fell over and touched the fender, and shorted things out, which I changed, and now the car starts perfect, and idles nice. I even was able to move it around the yard without issue other than the RPM’s. However, it won’t rev past 2500rpm or so, without hitting what I can describe as a slow rev limiter. I believe this to be a limp mode. The ECU blinks out code 4 and 7…crank sensor and TPS? Both I think are in the distributor. It has a TD23 distributor in it (I think this means it’s OBD0). When I got the car, I swapped the coil out of it from another distributor laying in the car, trying to figure out why I had no spark. Could I have screwed something up in there that is causing this code? What can I check? I don’t have a manual for the car or the motor. Also, there are coolant lines not hooked up near the back of the head/intake manifold. Is there a diagram or good pics of where these things should go?
There are some spliced together wires above the tranny, one goes to the starter. One light yellow wires isn’t attached to anything. From what I can tell, it has the crx harness in it.
The guy I got it from told me he had run it up and down the road and it ran great…I don’t know if I can even believe that, being all the non hooked up coolant lines etc, but I don’t have access to a known good distributor, but did this thing come in any other honda’s that I could junk yard hunt them down?
I can take pictures etc, I just need some guidance, I’d like to get this thing going for my wife.
Thanks,
Curt
Curt,
I tend to not believe anything a previous owner tells me. It’s a good rule of thumb, and I end up being pleasantly surprised more often than not.
It sounds like you’re right, that you have the mpfi obd0 CRX harness and the obd0 Integra ECU. There shouldn’t be any spliced wires, though. If I remember correctly, the only wires I didn’t connect were for power steering. I’d say your best bet at this point is to pick up a Factory Service Manual for the 90-91 Acura Integra. Your TPS may be wires backward, and I’m pretty sure you can just disconnect the CPS temporarily and it’ll still run without going into limp mode.
If you haven’t already, go visit PGMFI to get some help diagnosing exactly what causes fault codes. There are some real experts on there who’ll be happy to help as long as you provide great informatoin like you just did.
It’s possible that you damaged something by swapping the coil, but unlikely. You may just have a dead ignition relay, or the ecu may have been damaged at any point. As long as the ECU is functioning, it’ll keep the engine running in limp mode regardless of the TPS/CPS sensors. I’m betting your spark problem is between the ECU and spark plugs, for what it’s worth.
I’ve been looking around the PGMFI site trying to find some answers.
So an update…
I swapped the other TD23 distributor into the car, and have the same issue, won’t rev past 2500rpm. It still starts instantly and idles immediately at 1000rpm solid, no hiccups or surging. Everything inside both distributors is hooked up and seems solid. The firing order was wrong on the spare distributor, once correct the car started again without issue, but still won’t rev.
I re-examined the ECU LED codes…long 1, 4, 6, 7, and repeat.
The harness feeding the injectors seems to have been opened but not spliced or rewired at all.
I followed some of the spliced wires. There is a red, and a green, going to a 2 wire sensor on the side of the head. There is also a single yellow wire going to a difference sensor on the side of the head. There is a random, lonely white wire, back further in a black sheeth. I also noticed the 1 wire 02 sensor was unplugged…these two wires reach each other on the side of the motor. I ASSUME this is the wire for the o2 sensor.
I checked all the connections at the distributor. I did run a ground to the thermostat housing, which it didn’t seem to like too much, it didn’t want to idle or rev, it died out quickly when trying to rev with this grounded.
I remember reading somewhere about the MAP sensor vacuum being hooked wrong would cause issues. I took a good picture of what mine looks like, but cannot find where someone described this to check mine out. The image here posted seems to be a different map sensor than what’s in mine.
I also verified that the TPS and MAP sensor plugs aren’t switched. The MAP sensor wiring is still factory tied to the fire wall and would never make it to the TPS.
I’m unsure of where to post pics etc, but I have them if anyone is willing to take a look.
Thanks,
Curt
So I took a look at the MAP sensor. It seems to have been hooked up wrong.
Also, on the 2 way valve on the evap canister, the top nipple was cracked (and now I touched it and it’s broken off, great). that top nipple was running to the side output on the MAP sensor. The bottom of the MAP sensor was running out to the intake manifold, after the throttle plate.
I tried ironing out where things should go, but it seems that someone has jbwelded the small nipple that would have taken the bottom line from the MAP sensor. I tried putting it on the intake manifold, but assume it won’t function right with it after the manifold.
There was a 3 way “T” for vacuum in the diagram I found for the B18A1 integra, which is non existent on my setup. I assume maybe someone tried to d-clutter the lines, but failed.
Thanks,
Curt
Can I bypass the 2 way valve at all since it’s broken…
The map just needs to measure your manifold pressure, anywhere past the throttle body and before the intake runners will give it a usable signal. The 2way valve is required for emissions, but won’t keep the engine from running well.
what else would you recomend for this engine to run faster
It’s a fairly basic DOHC 4cylinder, so the standard upgrades all apply:
1 – Advance timing (safely)
2 – Aggressive fuel map
3 – Better-breathing cams
4 – Supporting mods (air intake, header, and exhaust)
However, the power that the b18a1 makes in stock form is acceptable, installing an LSD and outfitting wider, stickier tires is almost always a better option for improving performance.
I have a civic dx 4 door sedan and was wondering if the info for the hatch back will be the same?
Raynante, The engine bay for the sedan, hatch, and crx are all the same, so the swap will be identical. Because you have a DX, you’ll have the DPFI engine management setup, so you’ll need to convert to MPFI before you can complete this swap. Otherwise, it’ll be pretty straightforward.
was your crx auto or manual? mines an auto and want to know what mods are necessary to properly install my ls
Pete, you’ll need to start with manual pedals and a shifter and modified b-series shift linkage. It’s generally best to replace all the pedals, since the throttle cable may be different for automatics and manuals, and the brake pedal is much wider in automatics. In addition, you’ll need a clutch cable (unless your ls uses a hydraulic clutch, in which case you’ll want hydraulic pedals out of an EG). You may need to cut a bigger hole in the center to accommodate the shift linkage, but I don’t have direct experience with auto-to-manual swaps. I’d suggest checking out http://www.hondaswap.com to pick the brains of more experienced swappers, and look through their FAQ pages.
got innovative b-series mounts and a hydro to cable conversion kit and used a 91 manual pedal cluster and got b seies shift linnkage. thanks for the help
So im looking at buying a 1990 acura with the b18 and it runs great but if you put it in gear nothing happens. Is it a linkage problem or a tranny problem? If its a linkage problem how hard is it gonna be to fix?
Anthony, assuming this is a 5speed manual, a snapped linkage would be the best possible scenario. It’s a very easy part to replace (aside from the bitch pin), and isn’t very expensive. It’s more likely that the clutch is adjusted wrong or the springs are too badly worn to engage the flywheel, and it’s also possible that something inside the transmission is broken. If that’s the case, I would pass on that car altogether, even if it’s a great price. Transmission damage is often a sign of gross neglect or abuse.
Great write up. I just finished my swap and came back to this several times for helpful tips. When I was researching vacuum diagram I found this..http://www.hamotorsports.com/b18a1-vacuum-diagram.html
absolutely critical to my initial start up. The only lines I cant figure out are 2 larger lines on the manifold beneath the throttle body and to the left as well. Other than that mine runs great! Thanks for the great writeup that anyone can follow and understand.
Rob Woolcot AKA Thorshammer
DCAudio Head Subwoofer Builder
Hey I bought a crx with a b18a1 motor swap in it and i need to find out if thats obd0 or obd1 do you know how i can find that out? and if its obd1 i need to know how much wiering i need to do to get it runnung thanks alot
An obd1 engine would only require an obd0 to obd1 wiring harness adapter from ry-wire, it isn’t much extra work at all.
To tell the difference between the two, obd1 engines have a crank angle sensor toward the rear of the block, where obd0 engines lack that sensor.
So I did the swap in my 91 crx dx with a OBD0 b16. for the axles to fit, is all that needs to be removed is the dust ring I been reading about or is there anything else. And also I ordered shif linkages from hasport but when I go to put it in first and second nothing and when I put it in reverse it goes forward. Is that a default shift linkage..