going vtec...

M706

somethingmorethannothing
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
okay, someone....enlighten me =)
how do you take your stock d16y7 sohc non vtec and make it vtec? what exactly do you need to get to do the job, and how much does it cost? and is it even worth it?
 

knockoff

you can call me ABE
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
i want to know too.....
 


Si_Racer13

JDMchris>>>
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
you basically need the head of a D16Y8 or D16Z6, external oil line, EX intake manifold, new head gasket and ECU from a EX.
 

M706

somethingmorethannothing
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
is there any differences between the head of a d16y7 and d16z6?....how much does this stuff cost
 


Si_Racer13

JDMchris>>>
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
do you mean between the Y8 and Z6? The Z6 is OBDI so you are able to get a little more power out of it. The Y8 is OBDII and has more restrictions to it.
 

99ExCoupe

Volvo > Civic
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
It won't be cheap to get it done I am guessing...I would just go for a B18b...or a B16A2...both will give you alot more potential...but might cost a little more
 

O.Z Chi

Team San Jose
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
A head swap may run you about $500-800 ... maybe less I think. A proper engine swap may go up to $5000.
 

RedSunsEK

New Member
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
If you have a d16y7, you should go with the d16y8 head...you can get the z6 head but then you would have to change your distributor to an obd1 distributor, and that would make it more expensive...as for price, my friend just picked up a vtec head for 200, you can find an ecu for about 100 give or take a few bucks and the manifold should go for about the same price at any local junkyard... and the other stuff, gaskets, oil lines,etc. shouldn't be that much more...
yes i think it could be worth it if you build it.... i know a guy down here in miami with a 95 civic hatch(gutted) and a d16z6, dc 4-1 header, 99-00 Si aem cai, 60 shot from NOS, 22x8x13 m&h slicks and a vafc.. he ran a 12.847 @ 102.97mph :shocked2:
 

M706

somethingmorethannothing
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
oo, neato RedSunsEK....do you think this would be better than an all out b16a2 swap since i'm limited on funds?
 

99ExCoupe

Volvo > Civic
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
I have heard bad things about D-series motors when people build them. My friend has been building honda motors for like 6 years, and hates the D-series motors...I'll ask him why. But I mean...couldn't you get a B18B with like 50k on the clock for like 700-900? I have seen them going for that much a bunch on Honda-Tech?
 

M706

somethingmorethannothing
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
yea, ask him.
and, are you talkin about a complete swap b16b for 700-900?? because hmotorsonline.com is sellin the complete swap for 2200
 

Myogi_Nightkid

New Member
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
it might be just the b18b short block.

doing the "mini-me" project is good as long as it is built the right way. but IMO, i'd rather save the money and get a complete DOHC swap. but then again, it's a good feeling when you smoked someone with a DOHC and you're only running a SOHC. it's all up to you.
 

SickCiViC

New Member
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
how could i go about doing something similar to what M706 was asking about with my d16y8? i mean i know it has vtec already, but more power........

would a d16z6 head be a good way to go? i would still need to change my distributor too right? i am wondering if it would be worth the money i'd spend for the power i might get back...
 

RedSunsEK

New Member
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
brad, stay with the y8... i think you should go with the the usual first... i/h/e and see how you like it... although dual cams are great, alot of people can afford them... but there are a few people who prefer the idea of the "underdog"... i guess it's all about what you like best... you don't always need a dual cam to be fast... so all i can really tell you, is to think about it...
 

imazn

New Member
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
how much power are you looking to get with a vtec swap? is it even worth the money and time.
 

M706

somethingmorethannothing
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
s**t, i might even sell my civic...just buy a 99 or 00 si
 

O.Z Chi

Team San Jose
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
A VTEC head swap may gain you up to 20 horsepower. You also have the option of supercharging it, which may pump you another 50 hp at the right boost settings and proper fuel management.
 

The Civic

New Member
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
I'll start this off by saying that I'm a true believer in the d series motors. Mine is supercharged with nitrous & I haven't had any motor issues. It has taken me a lot of work, time, and money to make it work but if you really want to have fun with a sohc it can be done. Check out www.cardomain.com/id/the_civic to find out more about what it will take to keep a sohc Honda motor running strong with lots of extra power.

There's a lot of options when it comes to tuning the d series motors. The big downside however is that the stock parts inside of it aren't as durable as the b series. That's one of the reasons a lot of people don't like to build the sohc's. If done right though you can get some serious power gains out of them. If your looking to build a very fast Honda on a budget, going with a b series is the best bet. If you want to build a quick little street car without breaking the bank a d series can definately do it too. The one thing to really ask yourself though is "how fast do I want to go". If you know that your going to keep wanting more power all of the time, you should definately go with the b series swap. In the long run they hold up better and have more potential.

A mini-me swap is a great way to get a few more hp without having to pay too much for it. Others in here have pretty much covered what you need to get so I'll leave that alone, but I would like to add that the d16y8 has got better airflow characteristics than the d16z6. The only reasons I see to go with a z6 head would be if you are working on a limited budget (it's cheaper but not by much) or you're going to get a bunch of headwork done anyways. If your looking for more serious power I HIGHLY recommend supercharging. If you look around hard enough you can find a used Jackson Racing SC for your car in the $1000-1500 range. Just bolting it on will significantly raise your hp without tearing your motor to shreds.

Any time you do any power adder goodies you'll have to also add the safety measures too though (especially with the d series motors). For instance: if you put on a supercharger or turbo youd better make sure your giving that motor enough fuel. A higher flowing fuel pump is almost a must with an adjustable FMU right behind it in importance. Also any time your adding power your adding heat so make sure the cooling system can deal with the extra load. For a while I had to have the heat on in my car at all times otherwide the engine would overheat & stall out, not fun.

I'm not going to go further into building the motor unless you want me to, but at least this will giv you an idea on how much it takes to make a Honda single cam reliable. Most of this stuff applies to all motors too. So here's my price breakdown for power in your car:

- OBD1 b16 swap into your car. Very reliable 160hp with no major hassles in the long run. $2000
- Single cam built to have 160hp with a supercharger, intake/header/exhaust, extra fuel parts, extra ignition parts, and slight cooling mods. Mostly reliable with occasional hassles & problems. $3000-$4000

Unless you are hell bent on building your single cam I highly suggest saving your money up for a dohc swap. The first generation b16's can be found for $1500 for the whole swap in good condition. If I seem like an annoying know at all I'm sorry about it but I've put a lot of time into researching all of this & hope that some of what I've learned can be of use to everyone else.

Till L8er,
Ken
 

99ExCoupe

Volvo > Civic
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
looks like all the questions have been answered...there...lol
 

M706

somethingmorethannothing
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
wow, thanks for all the responses. they are GREATLY apprieciated :thumbs up:
now i'm at risk of sound like an a*****e and wasting your guy's time (especially The Civic's time), but I think i'm fixin to sell my car..poo, but I'm gonna buy either a 99 or 00 Blue SI...woo
 


Top