D16y7 help.

[WitheringShadow]

Ive got a 96 honda civic hatchback with the D16Y7 engine in it and im not mechanic or tuner saaby build i would like to be and i would like to get more hp and speed out of my car. I dont really see anything wrong with the motor so i dont see a need in a motor swap. Ive also got an extra D16Y7 head for this motor. Can anyone give me some suggestions on what i should do?

 

[phunky.buddha]

Welcome to Hondaswap!

Questions everyone has to answer before moving forward:

1. How much power do you want?
2. What's your budget?
3. What do you want to use the car for (racing type, street)?
4. Do you live in California?

If you want to stay with the stock engine, I'd recommend a small turbo setup, or just intake/header/exhaust. A bolt-on turbo kit can get you a sizable power boost, like 30-40%, but will require a more watchful eye while driving and maintaining to make sure things don't go to hell later. Intake/header/exhaust are pretty much risk free- just bolt them on and go. No tuning required, no major extra stress on the engine or car. You won't get much more power though, maybe 10%.

 

[WitheringShadow]

I dont really want like pro racing power seeing as bc this is my first tuner car. Ill probably use the car for mostly just driving around but i want to be able to show some of my friends up when they get ballsy and try to race. I might use it for a little street racing at night. I mean the car is most stock with the exception of a cold air intake and an aftermarket exhaust. The car runs good it just seems like it has a hard time getting over 75mph and that just wont do for me. I dont really want something stupid expensive. But something i can do over time while im in college. And i dont live in california. I live in arkansas.

 

[Matts96HB]

Take the racing to the track

Well, everything aside from adding a few more bolt-ons to the current engine is not something that you can do over time. I mean you can slowly piece together a cheap turbo kit and then install it once you have everything gathered up, but the chances of you not running in to some sort of a problem that leaves you without a car for at least a day are slim at best.

Even if you get a turbo installed, you probably won't be too impressed with that engine. It is what it is, an economy engine. It will perform as such even with forced induction. Sure, it'll be a little faster, but not likely too reliable unless you really dig in and replace some parts. Clutch, fuel pump, etc. all need to be changed along with the regular maintenance. Then there's all the supporting modifications that you should do to support your new power.. brakes, suspension, tires, etc. The list goes on.

Depending on your mechanical know-how, one of these two options would be best (in my opinion):
1) Swap the engine for a B-Series. Even an LS (B18b1) would be fun in that car. Trust me, I had this exact swap. Pair it with a GSR transmission and you can still enjoy the car and retain some fuel efficiency. If you want a little more, there's always a GSR swap. This will cost you at least 3k to complete. If you are a little more resourceful, you might be able to get it done cheaper. But expect a cost in the 3-6k range for a B swap.

2) Swap for a different d-series. D16y8 comes to mind. My sister has a 97 EX coupe and it surely isn't quick, but it isn't as much of a turd as my hatch was when it was stock either. You could also swap the head from a y8 or z6 on there and create a "mini-me" (do some research, these have been covered in great detail all over the net.) I'm not sure you'll be surprising anyone with the power output though.
A full swap could probably be done for $1500.
Mini-me maybe 800-1000.

You could also pull the transmission out of that car and throw something with better gearing in it. The transmission that comes with the y7 really makes that car seem completely hopeless.

There are lots of variables. Budget, mechanical know how, etc. It's up to you, really. I was in a similar spot as you when I was in school, and I just sort of went for the swap and started screwing around with everything else after. Here's my thread if you want to take a peek. Sold the car, but still plenty of pics and stuff so you can see what goes into a full build.
https://hondaswap.com/auto-multi-media/matts96hbs-ej6-build-85658/

 

[WitheringShadow]

Ok. Thanks a lot man. I really appreciate it.

 

[reikoshea]

I think the biggest upgrade you could find would be a different transmission. The one from the Del Sol Si (one of the many variants of the transmission labeled "S20") would probably make that car a lot more fun, but it is the worst on gas milage.

But a 92-95 civic ex trans has the same 5th gear ratio as you have right now, so highway milage would stay the same, if you're worried about something like that. Unfortunately for the d series there aren't a lot of transmission choices for you.

Matt pretty much summed up all the important bits.

 

[WitheringShadow]

So how about how much did you spend on your LS swap? And how difficult was the wire running? And did you have to change out computers or were u able to just flash the one you have?

 

[Matts96HB]

I spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500 on my swap. You have to use a different ECU, and the correct ECU will usually come with the swap. The wiring wasn't bad at all. In fact, all I had to do was change a few wires around at the ECU and I was good to go. 3 > 2 wire iacv conversion, ckf bypass were the only two wiring modifications needed. You just have to make sure you get an obd2 swap. It'll come with the axles, shift linkage, ecu, and mounts if you pay extra. Its pretty straightforward.

BTW, the only way to "flash" Honda ECUs is if they are chipped. Obd1 ecus are easily chipped, obd2 not so much from what I understand.