BrutalB83 & retroblew240:
Certainly can't disagree with your response to mine to retro y'day, as I KNOW that my nephew's has been falsely re-badged as Vtec on the body, I don't trust what it might otherwise display elsewhere, either. I've been in the process today of attempting to positively ID this 90 hatchback by it's VIN as to it's 'grade' (RS/LS/GS) by the 8th digit, which in this case is '4.', but so far, I've been unable to find a site/link with the appropriate VIN decoding info. Perhaps somebody could help me out here with a referral?? I've already got the Honda decodes from pissedoffsol's stuff on this very site, as well as his dist & ECU codes, and his Honda engine list. This is the info that I had been researching just prior to trying to assist retroblew, thinking at the time that I had interpreted the engine list correctly. But today, I realized that I might not have due to the fact that when I printed that list, my page 1 and page 2 wound up splitting the two versions of the ..A1 as one on one page and the other on the second page. Since then, I've sent pissedoff a msg trying to clarify the accuracy of my interpretation , and yet since then, @ Acuraworld.com, I've seen the 90-91 OBD-0* number-coded as the B18A and the 92-93 OBD-1 coded as the B18A1. But the engine (at least the block) is stamped on the boss close to the rear half-way down from the top on the exhaust(right) side, very clearly B18A1. So clearly, I'm not yet fully confident that I know what the hell's going on with my nephew's, but still working on it. Notwithstanding that I know over the years, there are often asthetic variations between US and Cdn models of the same name, I can't disagree with your take on the different grades available - that's where I hope to fully satisfy myself as to the accurate ID of this one from the VIN decoding and yet further checking as to eng/chassis #s matching as they should or shouldn't as the case might be, if necessary.
Regardless of my having likely been confused as to my own situation though, you're still upgrading from a lesser OBD system (likely as Brutal points out, OBD-0) to an OBD-2, and so I stand behind the rest of what I wrote you y'day. It used to be that the manufacturers tried wherever possible, to make things as common as they could between different models and years, but today with the rapidity of technological advancements and such a wide variation in options even within the same line and model and year, I doubt that it's very practical to attempt to do that any longer unless you're looking at a line where there's been very little change in the same line for several model years, and that same line had a very limited number of options. And in the case of the ten-year spread between your swaps complete with a two-generation jump in electronics/emissions systems under the hood especially, I'm sure you can go to the bank on having to make the choice of either: 1) acquire the appropriate harness(s) - that'll be probably close to half of your underhood harnesses, and quite possibly even some of the under-dash stuff as well, all of it to enable the sensors, relays, etc, for a fully-functioning OBD system; this is all in addition to the ECU and it's own separate harness(s) OR 2) eliminate the OBD system from operating at all, which these days, is probably NOT very advisable due to legally having to meet emissions standards, which is almost if not absolutely impossible to do
without the OBD because it and the emissions systems are so interconnected, they're practically one and the same. And to take this latter option also carries the probability of developing intermittent and ocassionally ongoing vacuum leaks, which can be problematic enough all by themselves. Buuuuutt MAYBE it MIGHT be possible to pass emissions tests without the OBD system functioning - you'd have to get someone with a hell of a lot more knowledge than I possess in that very particular area to advise you as to that possibility and what that woul;d involve and for what cost and at what chance of succeeding - OR maybe depending on your locale, you might not be too concerned about that entire aspect of it.
I don't mean to burst your balloon here, and I'm not always as pessimistic as I might seem here, but I've been twisting wrenches for almost 40 years, and I've learned the hard way over those many years that a lot of forethought, anticipation of potential problems and trying to work out theoretical solutions to such problems BEFORE you even start something of this magnitude, can save one a real load of grief.
If you're changing from a manual to an auto trans, you'll probably be getting into having to do a few minor mods for vacuum and fluid cooling lines, and possibly changing out rads, as well. As well, look thoroughly beforehand into mounting differences, primarily I think with any cross-member mounting situations - trans to eng should be no problem outside of you might have to change the bellhousing over as well.
I don't profess to be any kind of quasi-mechanic on Honda/Acura, as I've only been working on four different ones ocassionally for the past two years. I'm certain that there's lots more help here from others that are very much more knowledgeable than I am, should you need it.
Good Luck, retroblew!!
