b16 hatch might buy any pointers.

[pappaj]

I found a civic hatch i think a dx, the body is absolutely brutal but it has a b16 in it. The guy wants 750 for the car and he says ecu is fried due to moisture but he has another ecu in it so it can run. I am just looking for some pointers as to what I should look for to make sure I am not getting screwed. He says it runs but there is no vtec because of ecu which is fine.

I just want it for the motor and I am looking at a mint si hatch no rust to put it in, the si has 345000 kms on it but still runs and absolutely no rust for 1000 obo. Any opinions are apreciated I want to go tonight to look at it.

 

[CAFROG]

If you want it for the motor....you need to test the motor for integrity

Leak down tests. Compressing tests. take the valve cover off.....and I would get another ECU to
try in there to see this 'fine running motor' in action. If the trans and motor are good and all it
needs is an ECU....its a decent find that can be parted out ($$ depends on year and what you
got) after you take what you need.

And the Mint Si hatch....if its mint then its a great deal. If its doesn't have a clean title and has
been pieced back together...not so great of a deal.

 

[pappaj]

I am just unfamiliar with vtec and was wondering if there is any common problems associated. Maybe something that would cause someone to want to get rid of it. He just emailed me saying it ran good when he first got it then it started bogging and running on three cylinders, he replaced plugs wires distributer, and then traced it back to the ecu. He said the ecu is all corroded inside, judging by the shape of the car that doesn't surprise me.

 

[pappaj]

I don't have anything to do compression tests or leak down tests. My dad does but he live two hours away from me.

 

[pappaj]

I just found a complete b16a gen2 swap for 650 everything but axles, then at least I wouldn't have to pull everything out then get rid of the car, there isn't very many good parts on the car.

 

[CAFROG]

IMO you NEED to do the tests....get access to the stuff...period. 2hrs ain't nothing if you want it
These tests are what you do for any motor. Aspects of VTEC common troubles are not worth
worrying about more then what I told you to do. Those are the most important things to do to
the motor...or make this guy shut up and start the thing with some ECU...or you don't buy it

Or be silly and take the gamble.

 

[pappaj]

thanks for talking some sense into me
anxiety sometimes gets the best of me.
what am I looking for 160 psi or better.

 

[CAFROG]

Yeah....around that and make sure they're all within each piston's psi (all 4 pistons really close to the same)

Leak down test tool is cheap (or you can make it with a welder)
Take the valve cover off and just look if its clean. You can get crazy and take the oil pan off too

Look for metal shavings (bad) on the top end (prob none) and maybe the oil pan.
Or you can throw a magnetic oil plug and see what it attracts
(car needs to run to do this, obviously)

 

[CAFROG]

Shit....just make the guy start it...
and do compression test
and try to drive it and you can check the motor and trans for integrity.

This will make it easier on you

Can you borrow soemone's ECU? (p30 or chipped p28 for the B16)

 

[pappaj]

This guy sounds more shady the more I talk to him, I think I'm better off avoiding this one.
There is another one I'm looking at, complete swap mounts included everything but axles. The problem is the motor is not in the car, could I still do a compression check turning it over by hand?

The rust free hatch I'm looking at is auto, i'm now wondering on difficulty level of auto to manual conversion. I will have to look in to difficulty and cost which is really my main concern. This car is immaculate inside and out, a good candidate for auto to manual in my opinion.

 

[97h22dxcoupe]

make him start it up!!!

 

[CAFROG]

Yeah...stay away from the car...it sounds shady. He starts it or you let it go.
Moisture....huh? what the hell happened to get moisture there? No VTEC b/c
the ECU? I don't get it. No car runny b/c its a P.O.S. Move on.

You need to look for a while. Is this your first Honda? Just take you time and look into what
works. I'm from CA so rust isn't an issue. But it sounds like a big one there. I would look into a
stick shift 92-95 hatchback. You can find one (getting harder) that some oold lady drove to
work and such...commuter. Find one that doesn't really need paint....interior is decent and I
would look for 5-speed manual. Then...when you can...do suspension first. Then worry about a
new drivetrain. The EG hatch is easy to mod and can be a quick little rocket with the right
combo

 

[CAFROG]

Is the AT car you speaking of the *mint Si* from your first post? Auto Si? Huh?

 

[pappaj]

yes the one from the first post, it's the car that has sparked all of this interest.
It is a one owner, lady driven, with no rust, but high kms.

 

[pappaj]

No this is not my first honda, I bought an 89 crx si with a zc about 3 years ago. 6 months after I got it I swapped in an ls that I have been saving for 6 years to put in a crx.

I just want to take the crx off the road for a while, to replace the clutch axles and I have some b16b pistons coming any day now I want to put in there, once that is done and running I want to sell the hatch to help fund fresh paint for the rex and cams for the ls.

I was thinking to buy this hatch spend some time swapping in the b16 drive that while my rex is out of commision then selling it. Around here I could charge quite a bit for something like that because cars with no rust here are like a diamond in the ruff.

 

[CAFROG]

buy the old lady's car if its solid and focus on the CRX

 

[pappaj]

I was thinking with the hatch if I throw a b16 in it I can get one of the local kids to pay out the ass for it when I want to sell it and make some extra cash.

No worries the crx isn't going anywhere.

 

[CAFROG]

I would lean towards a clean ZC motor too (just a thought). They go in a little easier and can get you some cool JDM points with kids that know whats up

 

[pappaj]

The pistons came in this morning as soon as I wrote that they should be here any day now they showed up. I just need new axles.

I do have an extra manual tranny from an si, along with extra ecu I would only need linkage, shifter boot, and pedals if I were to keep stock motor, I have a whole other motor with 180000kms on it but valve seals are pooched, I have just never driven a vtec and am kind of curious what the hype is

 

[pappaj]

I just put my old zc in my friends crx. I just can't figure out why the timing is so retarded, I have checked and rechecked camshaft timing, tried switching wires on cps still no success. I does run good but not really an upgrade, and they can be difficult to find parts for.