Back by popular demand, a wiring diagram for the obd0 b18a1 in an MPFI 88-91 CRX (that’s HF and Si, not the DX).  This should also apply to EF/ED Civics, but I’m running on memory here and don’t have a car to verify this on.

If there are any questions or corrections (as I’m sure there will be), feel free to leave them in the comments.

Jadkar (John, to some of us) is one of my automotive heroes.  Too few CRX’s receive the love and attention the cars rightfully deserve, and most die deaths of malnutrition and abuse.  He owned a CRX from brand new all the way up to present, and has completely restored and updated it, revitalizing everything from the engine (a supercharged b18c5) to the suspension (powder coating every suspension component) and brakes (with a big brake kit and stainless steel lines) to make the ultimate daily driven CRX.  He also founded tuner-junction, a well-rounded automotive forum that sees light, but high-quality traffic.  Here’s some eye candy of his perfect example of a CRX, but if you’re looking for a bit more check out his CRX gallery.

Driven Daily: What first inspired you to buy a CRX, and how did you get it?
Jadkar:

I always admired Hondas. As a young boy about 6 years of age my Mother’s boyfriend had a early Accord (maybe 83) and I loved the car and til’ this day I don’t know why.  When I was 14 I bought a used 1981 Civic 1300 4spd.  The car was “cute” and that’s about it.  It was slow as hell and I knew from reading that Honda’s CRX was much more what I wanted, still a small hatch but with a hotter engine and much better handling.  When I was alabout 16 I secured a loan with the help of my parents and bought a 1986 red CRX Si.

Driven Daily: How long have you been working on this project?
Jadkar:

I bought my current CRX new when I was a senior in High School and I drove the car until 1996 when I took it off the road and stored it.  I started the rebuild when I took the car out of storage in 2005 and I have been working on it ever since.  You know these things never have an end date, you just get started and keep going.

Driven Daily: If you had to guess, how much of an investment (time and money) have you put into it?
Jadkar:

Well, I bought the car in 1991 for $10,500 and over the years including this past major rebuild I would say I’m a tad over 40K in mods

Driven Daily: If you had to pick, what would you say is your favorite part about your car?
Jadkar:

When the car was stock I liked the styling the best, it was much more ahead of it’s time then anything on the road.  Now that time has elapsed and the rebuild has progressed to what it is I would have to say the drivetrain is my favorite.

Driven Daily: Did you set out with a goal in mind, or just build the car as the pieces came together?

I had a very specific goal.  The whp rose slightly as I was not overly impressed with the na ITR swap but other than that I planned everything out pretty precisely (I had about ten years to do so)

Driven Daily: What would you say the major differences between the US and UK tuning scenes?
Jadkar:

I couldn’t tell you, I don’t follow the tuning scenes very closely.  I have two kids and a hectic schedule, I race in the summer and that’s about as much of the scene that I get and even that isn’t a good judge.  I hang out with hard core track rats not really “tuners” in the sense that you’re refering to.

Driven Daily: You’ve done a few projects in the same chassis.  How many different driveable versions has your CRX seen?
Jadkar:

I would say 4

Driven Daily: If you could change any one thing about the CRX, what would it be?
Jadkar:

I would make it AWD.  The car has way too much power and the front wheels can’t handle it.

Driven Daily: Do you see the upcoming CR-Z as a reinvention of the CRX?
Jadkar:

To an extent yes.  However, Honda needs to get their act together and listen to what the people want.  Many enthusiasts have been screaming for a CRX replacement for a long time and they haven’t been listening.  Just as we have been wanting a RL with a V8 and a real NSX replacement.  Unfortunately, Honda has been making “appliances” for automobiles lately and I’m afraid they will call the new car the CRX replacement but it will be a hybrid or toned down econo-commuter box.

Driven Daily: What are your future plans for this car?
Jadkar:

Keep the fuel system in check and stop it from melting pistons   Actually, nothing.  I need to do some guage work and maybe some rollers but other than that I’m done.  The upkeep from racing every year keeps me busy enough.

Driven Daily: You’ve been tuning other peoples’ cars and powder-coating parts for others for awhile now.  Do you have any plans to go into business doing this?
Jadkar:

Nah, maybe later but not now.  I had my NJ dealer license for a while and I sold it because my full-time job was too time consuming.  I do much much better with my regular job than to try and jeopordize it with the auto stuff.  Later in life when my time gets a little more flexible maybe I will re-visit the auto business.

Driven Daily: What would you consider to be the most important modification a new CRX owner could perform?
Jadkar:

It really depends on what you do with the car.  I think the CRX had two major weaknesses, the engine was not strong enough and the brakes are totally incapable at high speeds.  If you are getting into road racing (legally) I would say learn to drive the car and upgrade the brakes as it will really help.  Plus the temptation to add more whp will get you into trouble if you don’t get some larger binders.  If you’re running 1/4 mile and you’re not too afraid of stopping than go engine.  Use your head though, I’m sure with that big engine you WILL be driving on the road and trust me you WILL NOT stop well.  Good brakes on our car are relativly inexpessive when compared to the engine upgrades so I would say do the brakes first.

I’ve always been a big fan of the CRX HF as a platform to build upon.  It’s lightweight and lacks the extra luxury components from the Si, yet is outfitted with MPFI (multi-point fuel injection) instead of the CRX DX/STD’s DPFI (dual-point fuel injection).  With a little creative swapping, the CRX HF shell can be made into a lighter, more purposeful driving machine than an Si or a DX with less work.

HF Rear Brakes

The stock CRX HF brakes are small, light, easy-to-maintain brakes that suit the stock 1900-lb HF perfectly.  The stock drums do suffer from brake fade as soon as the car is driven moderately roughly, so an upgrade isn’t a bad idea.  The problem is that the trailing arms (which are the parts that your brakes bolt to) are completely different designs.

Si Rear Brakes

The CRX Si rear brakes use a stronger, heavier trailing arm to mount onto.  The whole assembly needs to be swapped for it to work on the CRX HF.

At the end of the day, this setup just makes maintenance simpler and decreases brake fade.

Installation

These images offer a look at the differences in the rear braking system setup between the CRX HF and Si.  The first notable difference is the trailing arms, the part that supports all of the bearing housing and the area that the brakes bolt to are in fact different.  The holes around the si “axle” hold the brake “plate” on, then the caliper covers that and the brake system is complete.  Also, in doing this swap, be aware that the brake lines will be vastly different.  I think the parking brake is shorter on the HF also.

Just for reference know that the lower control arms are also different.  The parts are interchangeable (you can fit SI lca’s on the HF) but the HF lca’s don’t have the hole for the rear sway arm.  If you are switching everything from an SI to HF the sway bar also wont bolt up to the body.  There are holes for it, but they are only empty holes and are not threaded..

I didn’t get as many pictures as I would have liked, so if you do this swap and don’t mind sharing your pictures let me know and I’ll post up more details.

It’s no secret that the first-gen suspension is mushy and leaves much to be desired. The aftermarket suspension for the 84-87 CRX leaves much to be desired as well, so you may think your options end there.

You’d be dead wrong! You simply need to get a little creative with a hybrid setup. First-gen Integra parts are still commonplace as well as third-gen Civic parts.  The second-gen CRX stole the first-gen’s fire, so to speak.

A full rear end can be used from the Integra, which gives the added bonus of rear disks (unless you race heavily, the only difference you’ll notice is the ease of maintenance). The front end of the first-generation CRX is respectable, but the rear really needs lots of suspension love. Focus on stiffening the rear with a strut bar and upgraded sway bar, and if your budget allows, move on to springs and struts.

If possible, search for a full set of matched coilovers or a kit that includes struts. Remember to drive safely, and keep speed on the track.

Tales are told around the campfire on moonless nights about the CRX’s dreaded bitch pin. If you haven’t heard of this terrible monster before, gather ’round and I’ll tell you about it.

There will come a day when you find that your engine must come out of your car, and while your breaker bar will get those motor mounts, and your old rotting rubber hoses can be cut and replaced, the bitch pin is there to stay. Every swap is fraught with danger, but none so great as the bitch pin. It’s an impossible hydra-like beast, meaning every time you hit it it gets stronger and embeds itself further. You may find that perfect punch and a big mini-sledge, but the bitch pin still refuses to move. Never fear, though! This bitch pin has a great weakness to be exploited.

After I had already screwed my bitch pin into a pulp of metal that refused  to move, I looked around on the internet to find that everybody else just whacked it with a hammer.  Eventually it’ll come out, right?

Wrong. Actually, using physics for dynamic pressure and using only enough force to move it is the key. Experimenting with a c-clamp and a wooden dowel yielded positive results, but I came across a better way. This article gives nice pictures and a good walkthrough of what needs to be done:

bitch pin removal

Add this “bitch pin removal kit” to the budget of any swap you tackle.

1. C-clamp
2. sockets (deep and shallow) that fit the bitch pin inside
3. small drill bit set (for putting pressure on the bitch pin itself)

There’s definitely a science to it, but hopefully this will help you work that thing out.

In the 1990′s engine technology took leaps and bounds, and manufacturers began adding advanced engineering principles to all the cars that rolled off their showroom floors.  Small-displacement, highly efficient powerplants were in vogue, with the Honda b16a1 and Toyota’s 4age powering hot hatches all over Japan and Europe.  Even today these engines are sought after as inexpensive ways to produce surprising amounts of power.

The ZC was special because it was a small-displacement 4cylinder motor with aggressively tuned dual overhead camshafts.  It came in the CRX and Civic in the early 90′s, and the very similar d16a8 came to the US in the Acura Integra.  This stocky little beast had excellent transmission options as well with short gear ratios, long gear ratios, and limited slip differentials available.

It is also obd0, making it a simple plug-and-play swap from a previous MPFI engine, and keeping tuning simple and straightforward using PGMFI.  If you have a stock CRX DX, you’ll need to convert the wiring harness to MPFI and use the ZC ecu.

The ZC is one of the more difficult Honda engines to identify, so the folks over at jdmcars put together this pdf:  zc_identification for your reference.  Power output is generally ~130hp with torque to match, and is a very strong candidate for boost with low-compression pistons.  The combination of being inexpensive, efficient, and powerful for its size make this a perfect candidate for a daily driven CRX.

If you’re looking for more info about the ZC, read here:

d-series.org

I’ve been writing a lot about my own project, so today I’m taking a break from updating on that and instead you get to read about one of my all-time favorite engines.

The b16a1 ROCKS.

The b16a1 is the holy grail of CRX motors.  It boasts true vtec, aggressive dual overhead cams, a high safe redline, a lsd-equipped close-ratio cable-driven transmission, and a very tuneable ecu.  It really is as nice a fit for the CRX as Honda ever made.

All b16 motors are good choices because of the aftermarket available and the near-perfect rod/stroke ratio, but the b16a1 is particularly suited to the ED chassis (88-91 CRX and Civics) because it’s obd0 and uses a cable transmission.  If it came from a CRX SiR, the transmission will be LSD-equipped.  If it’s from an Integra XSi, it will come without an LSD.

However, there are downsides.

Because the b16a1 was only available in Japan, and was only produced in the CRX and Civic SiR, getting one requires contacting an importer (who will generally buy one from a running car because of modern Japanese smog restrictions).  You will not know any of the history of the motor, but if the shop is worth spending time on, they will offer a full test run on the engine (dyno run and leakdown test) to ensure that it’s in working condition.

The other problem that arises is finding replacement parts.  The B family of Honda motors benefits from a large aftermarket parts availability, but stock parts are difficult to find because they need to be imported directly.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the b16a1 is a great choice to put in the CRX.  As long as you find a reputable dealer that offers a “complete swap” (axles, ecu, wiring harness, intake manifold, throttle body, exhaust manifold, etc) and the motor and transmission are both in good repair, expect to spend roughly $3,000 USD on this swap, assuming you will be installing it yourself.

More Info

That’s just the beginning.  There is a wealth of information available for the b16 series.  Here’s a good start for your hunt for more:

• Identify a b16
• Ryans CRX (I can’t find Ryan’s original build thread, but droppedcrxsi was one of the best b16a1 writeups I had ever found.  Now this site is a forum, and I haven’t browsed it yet)
• B16a1 Nitty Gritty
• Wikipedia B-series

It’s the most common caveat long-term CRX owners share: we got no love in the cupholder department. If I adjust my passenger’s seat just right, and the stars are aligned, and I never hit a bump, I can keep my Aroma Joe’s coffee cups between the ebrake handle and the seat. That doesn’t quite cut it. Another solution that doesn’t quite cut it is the armrest that came in JDM and EDM EG civics. They’re too expensive and there just aren’t enough to go around for all of us.  All sorts of other terrible attempts to screw, rubber band, or hang cupholders in a crx have cropped up, but none really fit the bill if you ask me.  Three cheap, stock-ish alternatives have cropped up that I have been able to find.

Option 1: Nissan Sentra cupholder

OZ wrote up a nice DIY on using a Sentra cupholder, but this requires cutting into your console.  It’s a moderate amount of work and can’t be undone if you decide you don’t like it or want to resell the car.  Generally speaking, custom irreversible changes aren’t worth doing if there are other options available to you.  Read on.

Option 2: Taurus SHO Cupholder/Coinholder

The Taurus SHO cupholder fits into a DIN slot, so if you don’t mind moving your stereo head somewhere else, you can fit this beastie in there for around $10. If you’re skilled with fabrication, you can cut your own DIN-sized hole and line up the bolts yourself. Also, heater controls use a DIN space, so if you don’t mind leaving your climate just the way it is you can replace that with this cupholder. Here’s how the SHO cupholder fits into a CRX dash:

Option 3: Acura Integra cupholder

Lastly, the 94+ Integra cupholder fits toward the bottom of your center console. This is a clean replacement for the cigarette lighter and ashtray, stays tasteful, and is common/cheap enough for me to recommend.

I’ve ordered one of these to replace my current Taurus SHO cupholder, it fit pretty well.  You need to be aware of where your fingers are when shifting into third, though. For further research, check out honda-tech’s forum thread here. If you have any alternative ideas for cupholders in your CRX, leave a comment below!  If you’ve already installed one, send in an email with some pictures  and I’ll feature your car.

The d16z6 and d16y8 amount to the same gains.  Both are economical single-cam true-vtec engines.  Both are common in salvage yards, available in 1992–2000 Civic EX and Si’s, and some models of Del Sol.  Power output is roughly 130hp for each model, but a frankenstein of the two is reputed to work best.  The d16z6 has a better-flowing head and the d16y8 has a better-flowing intake manifold, so putting the two together on top of any d16 block will yield some power gains.

The most notable difference between the two is the onboard diagnostics.  The d16z6 is an obd1 engine, while the d16y8 is an obd2 engine.  Both can be converted to obd0 easily enough, or your wiring harness can be converted to obd1 (obd2 is not recommended for engine tuning other than specific applications). During the wiring harness conversion, the vtec solenoid should be wired into the ECU (automatic ECUs are particularly useful for this modification).

Availability of parts and relative ease of engine installation make both these engines excellent candidates for any CRX.

From time to time, I receive emails asking for help and I generally send an email back to the original sender and consider the matter closed.  Sometimes, these answers to these questions are general enough that others could benefit from seeing the answers, so I’m starting a Reader Mailbag section of the site.  Send in your questions and I’ll publish any questions that could help others.

My name is Eric, I’m Bam’s friend he told you about with the CRX? Anyway, here is the trouble I’m having.  I have a 91 CRX HF shell, that bam had previously swapped the guts into off of his old 91 Si.  When I got the car it had a pretty much dead motor, the car still ran, but it had no compression, so I swapped the motor.  The motor I ended up with is a D15b6 out of a 91 HF.  So the motors in there, and has the correct motor harness, PM8 ECU, connected to the Si’s dash wiring.  Here’s the catch, everything works, except I’m not getting spark?  I have fuel, I have compression, but not spark.  Plugs are new, I’ve tried swapping dizzy’s, ECU’s and checked connections, and can’t seem to find a problem? and am at a loss as to where to look next?  Any help or insight you could give me would be awesome.

Well Eric, there are a few causes that you can check for.  I would go about this by process of elimination.  Systematically eliminate problems in the chain, one component at a time.  Start from the end result and work back until you find the source of the problem.

1. Spark plugs — Inline spark testers are inexpensive and work well, but you can also test them the old-fashioned way.  Unscrew the plug from the engine and put the diode (the end that would go inside the engine) close to bare metal and crank the engine.  If a spark jumps from the diode to the bare metal, the plug is functioning correctly.
2. Spark plug wires — Test spark plug wires with a multimeter or a test light.  Plug one end into a power source and the other end into a test light.  If the light doesn’t turn on you can be relatively sure that the cable is bad and should be replaced.
3. Distributor — The most common malfunction with distributors is a worn cap and rotor, which will prevent spark plugs from receiving electricity that would allow it to create a spark.  It’s also a good idea to make sure your distributor timing is correct (check with your manual) using a timing light (available at most local automotive stores).
4. Ignition Coil — An ignition coil is essentially a capacitor which stores electricity and powers the spark plugs (the distributor just controls when the coil and a spark plug are connected, the coil is the power source).  Most Hondas (including your CRX) use an internal coil, meaning the coil and distributor are one unit.  Since you’ve replaced the distributor (and I’m assuming you tested it to make sure it worked in another car, or bought a remanufactured one that had been tested), you should be in the clear on both the coil and distributor.
5. Fuses — Check the fuse box under the dash, on the driver’s side.  There should be a fuse labeled ‘ignition’.  Is it blown?
6. Relays — Relays are a great idea to put in cars, until you have to start troubleshooting.  The main relay on obd0 cars are notorious for dying on all Hondas, and are generally in terrible locations (close to the fuse box under the driver’s side dash).  There’s a good writeup on tegger.com that discusses them.
7. ECU — Since you’ve already swapped the ECU for another pm8, this is probably not the problem.  Double-check to see if the ECU is throwing any codes (a blinking light on the ECU itself is a good indication).
8. Wiring — If you check everything above, the wiring harness or connectors are most likely at fault.  Since so many CRX owners upgrade to obd1 (or even obd2 in some cases) wiring harnesses are inexpensive online and you should be able to get a replacement without breaking the bank.

I definitely want to know how this turns out, so be sure to update me directly or on the forum (link below).  I hope to hear that this is sorted out and your HF is purring like a kitten soon!

The first-gen (1984–1987) CRX was a very different beast than the more common 2nd-gen (1988–1991) CRX. There were more engines to choose from, each one less stimulating than the last. With more current generations of Hondas, this isn’t a problem. It simply means that you swap in another motor and create a ”hybrid” CRX. As the CRX model was refined, a new generation emerged in 1988 and nearly everything engine/drivetrain-related changed. Anyone behind that missed much of the tuner movement, and information became scarce because the more lucrative second-gen CRX was so easy to attain. There is hope for those who own a first-gen, though! You can update your whole platform to the newer generation, allowing b-series swaps, updated brake systems, and all SORTS of other goodies. Just putting in a d16a6 from a second-gen CRX Si will net you between 25%-50% more power!

You’re probably chomping at the bit to get your hands greasy, but there is quite a lot of work to be done.

Physical Fitment

As far as fitting the engine in goes, you’re going to have to start with new motor mounts. You can purchase motor mounts from hasport for your particular engine, you may also need to take a big heavy hammer to some parts of the engine bay (this depends on the specific mounts and motor you’re using, there is no catch-all explanation for what to smash up).

Carburetor to Fuel Injection

Since the first-gen CRX was the end of carbureted Civics, you’re going to have to cross over to fuel injection. The most difficult part of this is included with your new motor in the form of a fuel rail and injectors. You’ll need new engine management and wiring, so make sure wherever you source the engine from sends you a full body wiring harness. The easiest way about this is to get everything from headlights to tail lights, and the clip-on engine wires that come with the particular engine. A 2nd gen CRX Si is considered the industry standard for this, and that’s what I suggest. A d16a6 wiring harness will fit any d-series or b-series obd0 fuel-injected Honda motor out there. The only thing lacking is a wire for vtec, but that’s a relatively simple addition if you decide to install a vtec-equipped motor.

Assuming your EW motor was carbed, you’ll also need to install a fuel pump and pressurized fuel lines to get fuel to your new injectors. While it’s possible to run a dual-carb setup on a modern d-series motor, that’s well beyond the scope of this article and I’ll have no part of that. I like carbs on my motorcycle, not on my car. An inline pump and new pressurized fuel lines should do the trick nicely, if used with stock injectors.

After you’ve installed the motor, you’ll have to go through the laborious process of installing your wiring harness. A cable snake is a great tool to own or rent for this process, but you can get by with some string and a metal coat-hanger.

Now that you’re armed with information, you’re going to need to get some parts together. Here’s a basic list that you can fill in the blanks for:

1. Engine
   1. Block (d16a6 is suggested, but any d-series will do)
   2. Head (d16a6 or d16zc is suggested)
2. Transmission
   1. MANUAL transmission for a manual chassis
   2. axles should correspond to the motor you’re using
3. Shift Linkage (you’ll have to fabricate this or order from hasport)
4. ECU (should match the engine head you’re using)
5. Wiring Harness
   1. should include a map sensor for the ecu you’re using
6. Motor Mounts
7. Fuel chain
   1. pump
   2. pressurized lines
   3. fuel rail
   4. injectors

The crew over at redpepperracing is dedicated to all the first-gen types, and can be a huge help when trying to catch up to the more recent generation and beyond. A walkthrough specific to mashing a b16 into a 1st-gen CRX is up on fondahonda’s site. b16 swap also contains useful information for your swap needs. Corey’s swap site also holds a lot of good first-gen info.

If you’re still asking yourself why to upgrade your brakes, you can roll right on past this article.   I upgraded mine simply because I had the brakes lying around and needed to change out my rotors.   The upgrade cost me less than fixing the stock brakes.  The rear CRX Si disk brakes from 90–91 are the exact same as the Integra brakes, so you can leave them be unless you’re doing a rear-disk conversion anyway.   That’s beyond the scope of this article, so we’ll get down to the nitty-gritty on swapping the front brake system.   This article is pretty long, though, so sit back with some coffee, a Monster Khaos, or a Guinness and enjoy the ride.

Disclaimer

This particular writeup does change your front camber, but if your car is lowered, it reigns it in to be closer to zero degrees.   Undertake this at your own risk, I accept no responsibility for any stupidity that ensues because of following anything that is recommended, including (but not limited to) pinched fingers and cuts and scrapes from sharp bolts, all the way up to more severe injuries like bruised egos.  Proceed at your own risk and always put safety first!

OPTIONAL supplies:

• Stainless braided or kevlar brake lines (increase braking response)
• 90–93 Integra Master Cylinder (this increases the brake response, but ends up feeling too twitchy for my tastes.)
• Loud angry music
• Camera to take pictures of your handiwork

Step 1: Prep Work

Safety First!

Once you have your parts assembled, you’ll have to remove your old calipers, rotors, and knuckles to fit the new ones on. Break the 8 lug nuts on both front wheels (use a tire iron to loosen them a few degrees, so they aren’t stuck when you get the car jacked up).   Jack the front end of the car up, and use at least two jackstands under the subframe to hold it up (the subframe is under the engine).

Once you’re up on jack stands, push the car around a bit.   Kick the tires, push on the fenders and the bumper, be 100% confident that it’s not going to slip and fall off of them.   You’re going to be wrenching pretty hard under there and don’t want to get hurt.   Put the jack up underneath the center of the subframe (you’re going to spend most of your time underneath the suspension) and jack it all the way up, just in case one of the jack stands does slip.

Wheel removal

Now you can finally remove one wheel.   Again, in the interest of safety and planning for the worst, only one wheel should be off at once when you’re up on jackstands.  If a jackstand does slip, that’ll at least hold the car up on one side.   On the side you remove the tire on, slide the tire on its side under the rocker panels (where the door is) so in a worst-case scenario the full weight isn’t coming down on you.

Rotor removal

First we’ll take off the rotor.  You’ll need some strong string handy to tie the caliper up, or something tall to place it on.   There’s no reason to destroy your lines or old calipers when you can keep them in good condition and sell them or save them as seconds. Do this by removing the two retaining bolts on the inside (toward the middle of the car) of the caliper. If my memory serves me correctly, they are both 14mm, one toward the top of the caliper, the other toward the bottom. Once it’s off, it should slide off the rotor cleanly. If not, tap it lightly with a hammer, pushing it away from the rotor. Toss your old pads which are still inside the calipers, they’re rarely worth keeping.

Knuckle removal

Next, you’ll have to remove the axle nut from the side you’re working on.   It should be a 32mm brass nut in the center of the rotor.   As long as it was installed correctly, there will be a notch in it to keep it from wriggling loose.   You’ll want to take a flat-head screwdriver and pry that notch back out so it’s out of the way.   Remove the nut altogether and you may be able to pull the axle out of the knuckle altogether.  That’s bad, so please don’t.   We’ll get to why in a few paragraphs.

Once the axle nut is off, you’ll want to pull the knuckle, starting with the wishbone. Jadkar wrote up a GREAT howto on how to remove the LCA nut. Remove the tie-rod castle nut connecting the tie-rod to the knuckle (if anybody has a picture of this I can use, please let me know!) and the upper control arm bolt. After this, the knuckle should slide out nicely (if the tie rod gets stuck in the knuckle, wedge something between them, do not hammer on the tie rod).

Axle removal

When removing your axles, take care to push rather than pull. Let me explain a little better. Think of your axles as being like a pair of arms. If you were to rip someone else’s arms off at the shoulder, if you were to grab them by the fingertips and yank as hard as you could, you’d probably pull off some fingers or rip apart their elbow. Instead, you should grab nice and close to the shoulder and yank from there. That way it all comes off at once and you don’t break anything important. Push from the center of the car, never pull from the outside of the car. Your axles should slide out nicely. Check the rubber boots for tears while you have them exposed, and if they’re ripped I suggest replacing the entire axle.

Brake Line removal

If you’re taking my advice whole-heartedly like this article expects, you’re also upgrading to stainless steel lines.  To remove your brake lines, it’s a simple process of removing the banjo bolt on the caliper, and another on the top of the fender wall (Have a container handy for the fluid that comes out, and try not to get too much fluid on you: it’s corrosive and will eat your arm as happily as it eats your car’s paint).   The old line should come out easily, and after you clean out the fender wall a bit, you’re good to start installing components!

Step 2: Installation

After you finally have the side you’re working on disassembled (one side at a time, remember), you’re ready to start re-assembly. For the most part, reassembly is the same as disassembly, except that you’re using Integra knuckles, rotors, and calipers, and you’re swapping in your shiny new stainless steel brake lines (for better brake response and less maintenance required). Be sure to bleed your lines when you’re finished with reassembly, and make sure the lug nuts are torqued down nicely. If I’ve left anything out or you’d like to submit some pictures, please leave a comment below.

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

1. b18a1 engine (obd0) from a 1990–1991 Acura Integra
2. cable b-series manual transmission
3. (obd0) pr4 or pm6 manual ecu
4. Modified Shift Linkage
   1. Integra shift linkage is too long, it can be cut and welded
   2. Hasport Shift Linkage
5. Radiator — the Integra radiator has larger Interior Diameter hoses, so CRX hoses won’t fit out of the box
   1. Integra radiator with shortened Integra hoses
   1. CRX radiator with Integra hoses and a chunk of CRX radiator hose stuffed in the end
6. exhaust header
   1. top half: Integra
   2. bottom half: CRX Si
7. 1990–1991 Acura Integra axles
   1. (these are ABS-sensitive, so if your CRX doesn’t have ABS you’ll want non-ABS axles)
8. 1990–1991 Acura Integra throttle and clutch cable
9. Motor mount kit
10. CRX Si Engine Wiring Harness
11. Integra Oil Filter
12. Integra Fuel filter
13. Any Belts/Hoses that are cracked
14. 1 can of Spraypaint or clearcoat (if possible, match with your engine bay color)
15. Oil for Transmission and Engine
16. Fresh Radiator Fluid
17. Sharpie™ Marker

Step 3: Get the basic tools, if you have air tools, substitute them where applicable

1. Engine Hoist
2. 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 32mm(axle nuts) wrenches (gear wrenches and a ratchet will save you a lot of swearing)
3. 4 Jackstands, not just 2
4. Fluid Containers
   1. Radiator Fluid
   1. Oil
5. Burly Jack
6. Hammer(s)
7. Shop Light
8. Plier set (for hose clamps and such)
9. Big old assorted pack of zip ties

Step 4: Roll up your sleeves and prep for the swap

1. Remove hood
2. Remove intake ductwork (removing the intake manifold will make it easier to pull the motor)
3. Remove battery
4. Drain fluids
5. Remove radiator
6. Remove axles
7. Disconnect clutch cable from transmission, remove from car
8. Disconnect shift linkage
   1. Bitch Pin
9. Disconnect Exhaust Manifold from Catalytic Converter
10. Disconnect Fuel Lines
11. Disconnect Throttle Cable from throttle body, remove from car
12. Disconnect Vacuum Lines
13. Disconnect Ground and Positive from the engine bay fuse box
14. Disconnect ALL wiring harness clips, put engine wiring harness clips on top of the engine
15. Bolt up Engine Hoist
16. Unbolt Transmission and Motor Mounts
17. 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.

1. Get a bigger hammer
   1. 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).
   2. Using your sharpie, mark off the spot next to the timing belt that is now rubbing.
   3. Pull the motor back OUT (or up a foot, at least).
   4. 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.
   5. Sand down that spot, and spray some primer/sealer/spraypaint on it to keep it from rusting.
2. Lower the engine into the 3 motor mounts, and tighten them down
3. Once that’s in snugly, remove the wiring harness from the d16a6 engine and bolt in all the wiring clips to the b18a1
   1. Some of these clips will be less friendly than others, and will require you to cut the grommet around them.
   2. Some of the clips are not used at all, such as the A/C compressor switch or the Power Steering switch.
4. 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:
5. 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.
6. Hook up the ECU to the chassis wiring harness.
7. Check all your grounds, make sure all wires are hooked up (if I’ve missed anything, be sure to leave a comment).
8. 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)

My 1991 Honda CRX Si was the first meaningful project car I ever owned.  In many ways, it was my initiation into automotive culture and my first wobbling steps into engineering.  I learned a lot, and did as many things wrong as I did right.

When I finally sold it to a very excited girl named Natalie (or was it Natasha?), I had replaced most of the major systems in it:  Engine, transmission, wheels/tires, brakes, exhaust (headers all the way back), and repaired most of the rust (there was more that I wasn’t aware of lurking in the rocker panels).

My second CRX I owned, the original plan was to stuff a 13b rotary engine into this and make it RWD.  Unfortunately, smog regulations in California and vertical engine bay space limitations kept me from finishing this, and I ended up selling it after painting the interior and installing a DOHC ZC motor into it.