1999 Civic B18 Swap

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lukedogk12

ek hatch
Hey guys,
I have a 1999 Civic Hatchback. I want to do a motor swap but I can't decide what I want to put in it. Should I do the b16sir or the b18gsr? My local shop wants to charge 1500 for the swap I don't want to spend that much. Are B-series swaps in EK hatchbacks relatively easy? Let me know thanks.
 
well is 1500 for the engine and to put it in? and if so jump on that one..but as for putting it in if you have some common sence and some knowhow of honda's its pretty easy to swap in...and for b16 or b18 it all depends on what you are going to do.. build it or just bolt ons..if you are building i would go with the b16 and if you are going basic bolt ons i would go with the gsr..:D
 
No its 1500 for the labor and stuff, the motor is 2200 for the b16 and 3100 for the gsr. I'm going with hmotorsonline.com. Do you know where i could find a guide to swapping? So i know I'm doing it correctly?
 
Does a 1999 Civic CX have a cable transmission? If so do i need a conversion kit for a b18 gsr with a hydrolic tranny?
 
no its got a hydro tranny.. im pretty sure that everything 92 and up is hydro.. the things you are going to need are...b series shift linkage,b series motor mounts, gsr ecu,and you are going to have to wire vtec in.
 
Do I need to worry about OBD1 and OBD2 issues with a 99 civic cx and a 94-97 gsr motor? Is wiring v-tec in complex? What harness would be the easiest to work with?
 
well 94 and 95 gsr engines are obd1 and 96-2001 are obd2.. are your going to want to puck up a 96-2001 obd2 gsr motor..and i havent wired vtec before so you might want to ask someone who has done it before...
 
Do I need to worry about OBD1 and OBD2 issues with a 99 civic cx and a 94-97 gsr motor? Is wiring v-tec in complex? What harness would be the easiest to work with?

IMO, I would go with the B16A2 for simplicity reasons (i.e. same OBD and retain your stock harness and add the wires you need, vtec etc.). If you're going with the GSR, try to stick with the same OBD (OBD2b) as your vehicle. Nevertheless, it is still not difficult to swap a OBD1 B18/B16 motor into your car, many have done so and there are many parts out there that make it easier as well (i.e. conversion harnesses, motor mount kits etc.). However, if you're doing it yourself I would try to keep it as simple as possible. Hope this helps and good luck.
 
$1500 in labor seems very steep for a swap as straitforeward as one you plan on doing
 
the labor is actually 750. but when you add mounts, harness, axles, new water pump, all new gaskets, linkage, new belts ect it comes out to about 1500.
 
if you have the tools, i would highly recommend doing the swap yourself! not only will you save yourself alot of money, you will learn alot too
 
Yeah, B-Series swaps really aren't that hard.

Get yourself a metric socket set, make sure you have a breaker bar / torque wrench, screw drivers, some needle nose pliers, etc. All the basic tools, and you will be fine on the B-Series swaps.

The choice in swaps somewhat depends on your budget, the GSR runs about $900 more than the SiR (Hmotorsonline.com pricing). So take your pick there. B16's seem to be torqueless to me, thats the only reason I didnt buy one.
 
i will most likely have the shop do the harness, and I will put the motor in myself. If i do it myself i will do the b18 most likely.
 
the harness mods are only like 6-8 wires depending on your car. there is a ton of info on the wiring on here. i did my swap with no wiring experience and i pulled it off just fine using the info here.
 
Really? Well that sounds good, I just might try it. I want something thats reliable if i do it will it last a long time? Quick question...B18b, B18c, or B16a in terms of reliability and installation complexity.
 
all of thoes motors will be roughly the same in difficulty to install as long as they are obd-2. an obd-1 motor will require a conversion harness to run properly. it all depends on what you want and what you're willing to spend
 
B18C
then B18B
then B16A

I hate how torqueless B16's are. Top end power is nice, but its also nice not to have to drop 2 gears to keep up.
 
no its got a hydro tranny.. im pretty sure that everything 92 and up is hydro.. the things you are going to need are...b series shift linkage,b series motor mounts, gsr ecu,and you are going to have to wire vtec in.

I am planning the same build with a gsr B18C. The motor I will buy will come with motor mounts and an ecu already, however will these motor mounts (i presume off an integra) bolt right up to the 99 civ?
 
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