BriJ

Has anyone had an engine swap recently? How much did you pay and what to look out in order to protect yourself

Did you order your engine online from places like www.importautosalvage.com

or did you go to places like ALTECH and RT.

Im looking to add a B16B or a B18C or B18C1
but I would settle for B16A6/A3/A4 if they have low KMs.

I want to buy a 6th Gen ASAP, LIKE last week.... I'm imagining a Hatch with an EL front end....

I'm hearing a lot of horror stories out there so i would really appreciate the help of experienced pros

BriJ

Here's the info I gathered so far from reading the forums if anyone else needs help with this...because we all are horsepower ****** when it really gets down to it

your looking to spend about 4G's for the swap if your getting a GSR...that includes installation and B16A SI-R is about 3G's

be careful with the wiring harnessess...lots of people get screwed. Most places have them compression tested...ask to get it steam cleaned and properly packaged.

Getting parts is a bitch, and the process could be a long time...so be patient, and plan impromptu visits to check progress.

Larry from importautosalvage is a nice guy and they are one of the best in the states to get JDM engines

don't know any info on ALTECH or Splitfire. Had a friend who went to RT and is happy with his B18 swap for a B16...done (with trade in included) for 3G's

getting an older engine in a newer car is illegal...

BriJ

there is soo much more info, I see why its a bitch to post. If any one could just post what they got, who they got it from, where did they install it, why they are trust worthy and how much did it cost it would be wicked

I'll let you guys know of my progress

imported_starboy869

I got a SOHC ZC engine from luckystarjapanese for about $500 shipped to London. Install, parts ie clutch, etc, safety check, e-test was around another $1500 with tax.

I would've done it myself, but my only place I could do it was my friend driveway and it was Feb.

shlammed

check all sensors for sure

red90dx

Yes, check all sensors as Luka said,

first off, I would forget about spending the money on a b16, they do have nice top end, but not worth the time & money of swapping one in...my advice to you, is either looking at the b18b, or b18c models..

while the b18b has less hp, the torque is very nice, mated up to a good tranny will make good acceleration, but dies off quickly uptop, on the other hand the b18c has good torque&topend, that will carry you to REDLINE very quickly..

best consideration for your car is b18c (gsr) or spend the money and get an R...

as far as shops, read around in the forums, and before you take your car anywere, why not stop in some of the shops and TALK to the people you are going to be handing over your hard worked cash too...


hope this helps a little.

zeeman

iTrader: (1)

keep in mind that a shop owner will tell you anything you want to hear to get your money. Whether or not they will actually do what they say is a whole other story.
With my swap, i was told things would be one way but really it was a different way. I was told i was going to be able to keep my a/c but sure enough i have no a/c. I was told that they would do something as simple as remove the old wheel locks i had on my back 2 wheels and put the new ones i had on, but they didn't.
I am not going to say where i got it done but i got a b16 swap into a 95 civic. I paid a little over $4000 parts and labor and then immediately spent almost another $1000 on a new timing belt/water pump, distributor cap and rotor, spark plugs, wires, thermoswitch, and other misc parts.
If you think the swap is gunna cost you $4000 make sure you save $5000. And another piece of advice BE PATIENT!!!!
So, talk to people who have dealt with the potential shop and hear their experiences b/c the shop will always tell you that they are the best choice, and that they have done that swap a million times. Honestly, now that i've had a b16 for a couple of months, i regret not waiting like 3 more weeks to save up for the B18C.

BriJ

I went over to RT, it seems that JDM B18'S are really rare and expensive. So I may go with the initial route and go with 2nd GEN JDM B16, and just add a little to tune the engine with Cams headers and all that jazz.

I'm kind of dissapointed though and wondering if this is all worth it for a B16

but i feel comfortable with RT because of their track record and warranties....I have to go into more if I have to drop anymore if any problems like yours come up

Project SIR

Does RT have a web-site?? Any contact info??

Roacho2

I wanna put a V8 into my civic.

imported_t_dot_SiR

don't go for b16a2.... go for gsr b18c or just grab a b16a1 and get some nice pistons, rods, cam, etc.... or i think you can go b16a top and b18c bottom... b16a2 is like 1g more expensive than b16a1, but its only 10hp more... not much diff in torque or compression or anything....

BriJ

Oh man...i've been looking for a decent B18C....hard as hell to find a good one. I have some leads

looks like im going with a b16 (ONLY JDM PLEASE if you know of any one)

red90dx

there are plenty of GSR's around... $2200 for the engine, $3000 for complete swap most of the time.

imported_loudsubz

g all out and get an h22

imported_GoldBadge

Thats the only swap I'd ever do. The question is...Is my car worthy?

imported_Cablerat

seen my car?? trust me, your is worthy enough!

BriJ

hmmm H22???? I never considered it. I heard some horror stories about it....why you getting rid of it?

excel88

For an H22 shop you better be a damn good mechanic, its a VERY hard swap........

and many shops know how to screw one up very well..

Tranny Is HARRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDD

dee123

So for this guys swap question, realistically a b18c1 is his best bet? Sometimes the conversation gets a little off topic. I'm looking for a swap also. My friend swears by the b16, but i'm thinking b18b for everyday driving. I don't want to have to do it twice, and high horse numbers are nice, but I don't plan on taking my car to the track anytime soon. For a four door daily driver, is the b18b ok, or should I go b18c? I already know what your going to say, but I'll ask anyways.

imported_Moe_Mentum

ALright I have done the b16A2 swap, and I would say its not worth it! Then again a b18C1 is gonna cost you more still so if you have the money then do the b18c1. MAKE SURE you get the right Generation Engine Stick with OBD-II! if your gonna get a b16A2 don't get it confused with a Second Generation B16A from Japan (These Are OBD-I) and if your car is 96+ you'll end up paying out of your *** for extra $hit like I did. Go with the GSR swap, it's OBD-2, drops right in, and quicker then a B16A2... WHat else can I say. Also Take it to Altech if you want to be in good hands, I took my car there to get fixed from another place and Joe did an amazing job. One last thing! Don't buy an Engine from a guy named Ervin, and I say stay away from Big Japanese Auto Parts, and Optional Performance (hmm wonder where I got my stuff at)