d16a6 All Motor Or d16a6 turbo

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ivanef9

New Member
I have a 91 civic hatchback si and I have no clue what would be a better build for my car on a low budget, should i go all motor or jus buy a d series turbo kit. I jus need a good idea of what to do to my car thanx.
 
on a budget, you will see better gains out of a turbo setup than an all motor setup. but that is also kinda dependent on how deep your pockets are.
 
on a budget, you will see better gains out of a turbo setup than an all motor setup. but that is also kinda dependent on how deep your pockets are.

sounds good man thnx, bt yea i was more going towards a turbo more than anything, but where could i find a good turbo under 1200, is ebay a good place or a bad place to look for one.
 
on a budget, you will see better gains out of a turbo setup than an all motor setup. but that is also kinda dependent on how deep your pockets are.

I mean turbo kit to be more specific.
 
under 1200 isnt going to be very reliable.

honestly, your best bet is to save up ~2k and then start looking for used (but quality) pieces in your area.
 
I have a 91 civic hatchback si and I have no clue what would be a better build for my car on a low budget, should i go all motor or jus buy a d series turbo kit. I jus need a good idea of what to do to my car thanx.
What are you doing to the rest of the car? Putting 250-300hp in a stock chassis probably isn't the best/safest approach.

Polyurethane bushings, performance struts, lowering springs, brakes, wheels, tires, strut tower bars, performance sway bars, traction bars, battery, radiator, exhaust system.......

My recommendation without knowing any more than what you have stated is to go all motor and build up the rest of your ride to support the increased performance. You will ultimately have more fun driving it when it all works together and doesn't break.

Work your way up to a boosted ride.

Tell us a little more. :)
 
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Wow, its way more money then i anticipated, i was thinking more along of 1500 the max but i guess i was way wrong. Going all motor isnt cheap at all either, i think i am just gonna go with a b-series swap it should be about the same price rite or even cheaper. They are trying to sell me a 93 b18a1 complete swap with 115xxx miles but wit no ecu or shift linkage for $800. Is that a good price for a LS
 
under 1200 isnt going to be very reliable.

honestly, your best bet is to save up ~2k and then start looking for used (but quality) pieces in your area.


Wow, its way more money then i anticipated, i was thinking more along of 1500 the max but i guess i was way wrong. Going all motor isnt cheap at all either, i think i am just gonna go with a b-series swap it should be about the same price rite or even cheaper. They are trying to sell me a 93 b18a1 complete swap with 115xxx miles but wit no ecu or shift linkage for $800. Is that a good price for a L
 
It's a decision for you and only you. I had to make the same set of decisons with my '91 hatch. It's got the stock D16A6 in it now with all the bolt on's. I'm going to build an all motor ZC twin cam for it.

No, it won't have huge horsepower - looking for 150whp when it's done. It will run good, not real fast, but run good. I've done most all the mods to the chassis. Didn't low it and won't be lowering the car - it's a dd.

When I'm finished, I'll have a new motor as I"m going to totally go through the ZC. If going to the work of pulling the motor, I want a fresh bullet going in. Also had the tranny rebuilt about a year ago so it's fresh.

Look at the total build you are going to do.

Mine, I did the chassis first - poly busings, struts, support bars, full exhaust (can use same header on the ZC), wheels, tires, Optima battery, full brake system rebuild (including master cyl, and flex lines), hubs/wheel bearings, axels, wheels/tires.

Put a head on the D16A6 a couple of months ago when it broke an exhaust valve. Could have done the swap then, but I needed a ride for work and didn't have the time for a full motor build so I put a bandaid on it. Did full exhaust when head was replaced because it will work with the new motor and I can get the performance enhancement now.

Also changed temp sensors on the D16 which will work on the ZC. So, I'll harvest some of the new parts from the D16 when I build the ZC.

Now, I'm ready to do a motor build. So, I'll find a cheap ZC DOHC and then tear it comletely down. Balance, lighter flywheel, mill head, mic it and bore if needed, bearings, seals, valve job, the works.

I'm glad I did the chassis first - when I step up the horsepower, it's ready to go.

On a budget, probably the cheapest is just drop in whatever JDM you can afford and take it from there.

Whatever you do, have fun bro!!!!
 
It's a decision for you and only you. I had to make the same set of decisons with my '91 hatch. It's got the stock D16A6 in it now with all the bolt on's. I'm going to build an all motor ZC twin cam for it.

No, it won't have huge horsepower - looking for 150whp when it's done. It will run good, not real fast, but run good. I've done most all the mods to the chassis. Didn't low it and won't be lowering the car - it's a dd.

When I'm finished, I'll have a new motor as I"m going to totally go through the ZC. If going to the work of pulling the motor, I want a fresh bullet going in. Also had the tranny rebuilt about a year ago so it's fresh.

Look at the total build you are going to do.

Mine, I did the chassis first - poly busings, struts, support bars, full exhaust (can use same header on the ZC), wheels, tires, Optima battery, full brake system rebuild (including master cyl, and flex lines), hubs/wheel bearings, axels, wheels/tires.

Put a head on the D16A6 a couple of months ago when it broke an exhaust valve. Could have done the swap then, but I needed a ride for work and didn't have the time for a full motor build so I put a bandaid on it. Did full exhaust when head was replaced because it will work with the new motor and I can get the performance enhancement now.

Also changed temp sensors on the D16 which will work on the ZC. So, I'll harvest some of the new parts from the D16 when I build the ZC.

Now, I'm ready to do a motor build. So, I'll find a cheap ZC DOHC and then tear it comletely down. Balance, lighter flywheel, mill head, mic it and bore if needed, bearings, seals, valve job, the works.

I'm glad I did the chassis first - when I step up the horsepower, it's ready to go.

On a budget, probably the cheapest is just drop in whatever JDM you can afford and take it from there.

Whatever you do, have fun bro!!!!

damn thats koo man, thnx alot bro, bt ZC sounds pretty nice and cheap 2.
 
damn thats koo man, thnx alot bro, bt ZC sounds pretty nice and cheap 2.
Whatever you decide, lay out a plan.

The ZC, built is gonna run me $2000-2500 including buying the motor and shipping and full rebuild. Now that I have a completely refurbed rolling chassis, I want a "new" engine.

If you just dropped one in, you could do it for grand.
 
Whatever you decide, lay out a plan.

The ZC, built is gonna run me $2000-2500 including buying the motor and shipping and full rebuild. Now that I have a completely refurbed rolling chassis, I want a "new" engine.

If you just dropped one in, you could do it for grand.

thnx alot for your help i already made up my mind now for sure, b18a1, and go ls/v-tech. but thanx again
 
I hate that Honda technology is mistakenly called a cheap ass cordless phone all the damn time






VTECH = cheap ass cordless phone

VTEC = Variable Timing Electronic Control
 
I hate that Honda technology is mistakenly called a cheap ass cordless phone all the damn time






VTECH = cheap ass cordless phone

VTEC = Variable Timing Electronic Control

lil off topic huh?! lol, i agree 100% though!
 
^^^ Right on topic. He said ls/vtech

My post (IMO) elicits the perception that information is key to learning. A person should educate oneself before he/she puts a plan into action
 
^ I'd say that's exactly what he's doing.
 
Whatever you decide, lay out a plan.

The ZC, built is gonna run me $2000-2500 including buying the motor and shipping and full rebuild. Now that I have a completely refurbed rolling chassis, I want a "new" engine.

If you just dropped one in, you could do it for grand.

Now i am going to need help on the parts list, besides the hasport motor mounts is there any cheaper ones i kuld get thatll be as good as hasport. I knw i need a d to b series shiftlinkage, bt other than that i have no clue, i jus bought an 93Ls motor complete for $500 with less than 150xxxmiles on it, it has everything in tact EVERYTHING, axles,tranny,shift linkage,harness,dizzy,manifold,exhaust. Bt if anyone kuld give me some help i would appreciate it,, its going into my 91 si hatchback, Ef. Thnx
 
Aftermarket Engine mounts aren't cheap and if there are cheaper ones than hasport....its for a valid reason. You get what you pay for. This theory holds true to many aspects of life.....especially Honda aftermarket products lol

You also have a engine harness issue that needs to be addressed. You need to mate your Civic Si harness to the OBD1 B18A harness or have a company like Rywire do it. But it sounds like your budget is very low so you should investigate the procedure and see if you are willing to take it on.

You can also run a OBD0 B18A ECU but if you already have the 93 OBD1 B18A ECU (PR4...???) Than you need a jumper harness to mate your OBD0 plugs to the OBD1 ECU

You can modify (shorten) the shift linkage to fit in your car but its easier (and often safer) to buy the aftermarket solid piece for the swap in your car.

No matter what....you have a chassis that's more time and money consuming than the typical 92-95 Civic...so plan on spending money or.....cutting corners and crossing your fingers
 
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Mystery axle

Does anybody know what drive axle fits a 88 crx si, right side. Car has a D16A6 with an L3 transmission. The drive shaft i pulled off cannot be matched for that year model? Must of had an engine swap so i thought someone might know what would fit?
 
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