VTEC conversion ek: DX to EX

[divisii]

my civic's overheating more often. At this time, I'm left with the cheapest route if I want VTEC ... D16Y8 motor. I'm researching, though have lotsa questions.

1Are junkyards a reliable source for a motor or where else should I look?
2What's involved in wiring & ecu ... are these tough to do for an electrical novice?
3I know transmission is the same as the EX, will it matter to california smog/ref?
4So key hings I'll want are the EX p2p ecu, distributer/intake/exhaust manifolds etc, & need to use a new water pump & timebelt an aftermarket exhaust & cat ... Am I forgetting anything else?

thanx

 

[get_nick]

1. i wouldn't go to a junkyard. i would go to an engine importer. they will usually guarantee the motor and are a lot more knowledgable of what they are selling.
2. it's not that tough. wiring diagrams are in the FAQ's
3. Tranny won't make a difference with smog. just a little in gas mileage.
4. i would just swap the whole motor and not just certain parts. but you have most of the rest of the stuff pretty good.

 

[divisii]

appreciate it, get nick.
{slow on gettin back, becaus I was outta town}
yeah, this isn't a "minime" vtec head onto a dx ... this is the whole motor. I just want to make sure 1-I have all the right parts for the job, 2-make good use of my time to get the job done, instead of waiting/chasing down parts

 

[Papermaker77]

Heres it what you need if u go with sohc vtec.
If you use an sohc OBD2 vtec motor (96-00)then use an OBD2 ecu otherwise, if you use an older head (92-95) then->
NOT a p2p ecu, thats OBD2, u MUST have a jumper harness to convert the car to OBD1 and obviously an OBD1 ecu. (p28 is the best all around)
As far as wiring you can find faq's wiring online no prob, its not too tough.
Also you are going to need a distributor adapter as well and do some modification to your wiring harness. check out Rywire - Online Store they have awesome swap stuff and are really helpful. they will modify your harness to OBD1 spec's for 125$ making the swap a piece of cake.

 

[divisii]

true on the info Papermaker77
I DO need to use an obd2 (1999 or newer) motor to keep it street LEGAL and the California smog nazis away.

I totally agree, p28 is good programming, though I believe p2p is what came on all usdm EK Civic d16y8 (VTEC) motors.

The positive, compared to 1998 and previous year models, I'm told it is far easier to wire up a k-series... though I know wiring harnessess can be make for anything.

Thanx&take care