92 civic vx to zc or?

We may earn a small commission from affiliate links and paid advertisements. Terms

V

vw craig

New Member
looking for help. have a 92 civic with a d-15-b-8 engine that needs replaced with a slightly higher output engine for wifes car as we live in the mountains and worse the car has air that must be kept in working order. i thought i could just drop a zc engine in it like i did for my sons 91 dx hatchback and maybe also need to replace a few things like computer or harness and etc. but i seem to be getting varied answers about this swap or any low cost swap for that matter for this car. one very well kown importer tells me you would need to purchace a whole front clip with engine trans,axles, harness, computer etc to make this swap for around 2500 bucks. we just want a few xtra ponies not half a new car. will the single or dual cam zc engine fit and if so what needs to be changed or added. will the stock trans fit ? do i need a different computer or harness?
this swap seemed easy until i said it had the 8 valve engine and at that point they either did not have any engine that would convert or at least without buying half a car. others say the zc is a direct bolt in and no other needed parts other than what comes with the new engine. others have said the front pulleys and belt are completely different and wont work. whats up are they trying to hose me or what. im the first to say im not a honda expert thats why im here. can some one explain to me who's right and what is needed and if there are any swap info on the zc single or dual into a 92 civic with the d15-b-8 engine, i think the car is the 92 vx model. im told the vtec uses a different trans but the zc will accept the stock one so thats why im thinking zc plus there cheaper and available.if you have the correct answers please let me know.
 
Have you considered using the integra B18b (1.8L non-vtec)? its cheap, avaliable and easy to get parts for since there are so many around, its both a JDM and USDM engine. The extra displacement (more torque) would be great for hills/mountains and running AC, plus since your wifes car is a 92 it would be a bolt in swap and you wont have to hassel with JDM only parts either.
 
Dark93DX said:
Have you considered using the integra B18b (1.8L non-vtec)? its cheap, avaliable and easy to get parts for since there are so many around, its both a JDM and USDM engine. The extra displacement (more torque) would be great for hills/mountains and running AC, plus since your wifes car is a 92 it would be a bolt in swap and you wont have to hassel with JDM only parts either.
Click to expand...

It's not really that cheap if you're buying from a reputable importer. Think in the range of $1,500 - $2,000 for an entire swap. And he will need an entire swap package; the Civic's transmission won't bolt up to a B18B. He might be able to find a swap cheaper locally, but there's no guarantee on the quality that way.

I think that was part of his reasoning for wanting the ZC, that he could reuse his current transmission and save some money...
 
I hear ya, I wasn't trying to say it'll be cheaper then the ZC, I just suggested it b/c it might be worth considering....as the "or?" in the tittle. True it'll cost more initially, but any replacement parts in the long run should be easier to find and since he lives in a mountain area the extra TQ will come in handy, esp with the AC running.

The JDM ZC will bolt up to his D-series tranny, but it may be harder to find any replacement parts, depending on where you live.
 
Yeah that's true. For replacement parts you'd have to look to either the D16A1 from the 1st-gen Integra or the D16Z6 (depending on which ZC engine we're talking about)...
 
reply 92 civic zc

the zc may not be the largest engine or even the most powerful but it has a lot more hp than the stock engine and is cheap and plentiful. we have one of them now in my sons 91dx he drives it pretty hard but not abusive and we have never had any trouble with it for 3 years now. what i need to know is if the zc will fit and what parts will i need for the swap?
i keep getting different info from different jdm dealers regarding if this will fit. some say it will drop right in while others say it wont work for various reasons. you cant find the original engine through the importers due to it being a us mod only and another one would have no bennifeit of higher hp.. dont flick the zc if you have never used one or maybe you just had a bad one. we have always found the parts needed although we have not needed much. the integra motor is also much heavier and not as cheap as the zc engine( around 750.00 delivered ) but thanks for the reply. looking for a drop in replacement for the engine only and not tranny and and and. when we did the 91 dx we changed the engine,ecu, and did the wiring conversion from the dual point to multipoint injection and etc. this car already has the multi point injection all though the intake manifold is much smaller looking than the one we are running on my sons car it seems it would make it easeir since it has the multi point already. the zc comes both single and dual cam models and both have a lot more horse power than the stock 1500. im just kidding about you flicking the zc and i value your opinion but im really looking for the zc swap info due to its cost and weight vs others, plus as the other gentelman was correct in saying that i wanted to keep the original trans etc. so if anyone has the answer please reply and thanks. also im new to how the forum actually works when it comes to posting so im sorry if i dont do everything right as im still learning. also the zc im talking about is the 92-9? ones they sell through jdm and others.same year model as car.
 
i can find the motors without problem but will they fit as i ask? as im getting mixed signals on if they will work. ones that have them say they wont fit and the ones that dont have the zc say they fit. will the proper year fit.? thanks
 
Which ZC are you wanting to put in the car specifically? You mentioned both the dual-cam and single-cam VTEC versions...
 
non vtech

i never mentioned vtec. there is both in non vtec single and dual and from what ive been told the vtec uses a diierent trans, so there again keeping in mind that i want to keep my trans etc.both the dual and single cam models put out way more than the fuel economy 8 valve engine that is in the car now. im not looking for the biggest gain but a well rounded economy transplant with more power than the gutless one in it now.you can find both engines here in non vtec, although i have found a better price elsewhere. JDM Engine Corp Honda Engines
thanks
 
vw craig said:
i never mentioned vtec. there is both in non vtec single and dual and from what ive been told the vtec uses a diierent trans, so there again keeping in mind that i want to keep my trans etc.both the dual and single cam models put out way more than the fuel economy 8 valve engine that is in the car now. im not looking for the biggest gain but a well rounded economy transplant with more power than the gutless one in it now.you can find both engines here in non vtec, although i have found a better price elsewhere. JDM Engine Corp Honda Engines
thanks
Click to expand...

Those aren't bad prices, but have you talked to anyone that has done business with them?
 
92 civic

as i said ive got a better price and thats not the ?.what makes this model (vx) so different that they would tell me i need a whole front clip? i dont care if this is a good price i want to know if anyone has put in one of these engine into the vx and or if will convert.
 
You shouldn't need an entire front clip. ZC engines are basically just D-series engines by another name. Why they labeled them ZC, I don't know, but a lot of them are identical to other D-series engines that Honda has produced over the years. The only thing you really need to concern yourself with is making sure the engine came from an OBD1 car (92-95). Keeping it within that OBD setup will make for a much easier installation.

Oh, and FYI, the VTEC version WILL bolt up to your existing transmission. The transmission that comes with that motor will have slightly shorter gears for faster acceleration, but there's no reason you couldn't use it with your existing transmission as well. It's essentially just a D16Z6 (1992-1995 Civic EX/Si engine)...
 
I'm guessing the reason they told you your tranny wouldn't work with the ZC is they want you to also buy their transmission as well.

If your wifes civic is a VX then it should already be wired for VTEC.
 
i think some dealers just want to sell you what they can, not what you need.again i dont care about the vtec wires as i dont plan on a vtec.the vx that we have has a d-1500b-8 engine and for some reason this is why they say it wont fit. will i need the ecu for the zc or will the eight valve ecu work with the dual cam zc or the single cam zc. both these engines have a lot more hp than the one in it now. one jdm dealer said the front pulleys were diff and wont interchange. at times im wondering if i know more than they do or are they just trying to take advantage of me. i have not been impressed by them to say the least.thanks for the help .
 
The D15b8 is the CX engine 70 HP, so the ZC is going to be a big improvement.

Yes, get the OBD1 ECU that is specific to the ZC (either SOHC or DOHC) motor that you get.

As for the engine I don't know what those dealers are talking about, the only DOHC D-series engine that doesn't bolt up is the old D16a1 86-89 integra "ZC", but since thats ODB0 it shouldn't concern you.

The JDM OBD1 ZC should bolt up just fine.


For more ZC info read here, hope it helps: https://hondaswap.com/swap-articles/zc-swap-info-29123/
 
92 civic zc

thanks for the answers. thats what i thought also but what i know about honda swaps is the 91 dx to zc that i did for my son. as he bought a project car that the previous owner had bought all the parts for and then could not make it run. i had a hell of a time until i found that the wiring harness that he had paid 300+ for was the wrong one so i cut it back apart and built the correct one for his car and did the proper rewiring at the ecu and oh yes he followed the advise of others and replaced the timing belt but got it off by 2 teeth on the exh cam. some people mean well but should not attempt these swaps or change a timing belts.
other than the ecu will i need to do any other mods like the harness or swapping wires at the ecu ? remember the engine in the car is a single cam engine and most of the zc's were dual cam but i can get a single cam zc, wouldnt i need to add wires for the xtra cam sensor? are the ecu pin outs the same as what i have and just need to add the xtra wires? thanks again to you for your help.
craig
 
Since your car has MPFI you wont have to worry about any dx to zc wiring issues which is nice. The SOHC ZC should just drop straight in no wiring issues, thats a good question about the DOHC cam sensor you're gonna have to search the forum a little or talk to someone who has actually done this swap, I'm not 100% sure about the DOHC.

To get you started he's one thread I found.

https://hondaswap.com/hybrid-eg-ek-dc/zc-swap-question-73151/



Keep in mind many ppl don't bother swapping the OBD1 DOHC ZC, preffering instead to go with the D16Z6 SOHC VTEC from the USDM Civic/Delsol Si since they are more avaliable, but its your car so if you still want the DOHC ZC then go for it.

https://hondaswap.com/hybrid-eg-ek-dc/zc-swap-103444/


Cheers,
 
Last edited:
92 civic

i want to thank you guys again, for all the info. for sure dark93dx and brutal93?? also and a few others. if anyone else has a note about this , throw a few lines down.
thanks again guys i knew this car could not be that hopeless and this will make a big diff for the car from what it has now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top