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Most reliable engine platform for an 89 CRX swap.

  • Re-build Stock SI Block

    Votes: 4 23.5%
  • B16A

    Votes: 8 47.1%
  • B16A2

    Votes: 2 11.8%
  • B18A

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • B18B

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • B18C

    Votes: 1 5.9%
  • B18C1

    Votes: 1 5.9%
  • D16z6

    Votes: 1 5.9%
  • D16Y8

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • JDM ZC

    Votes: 3 17.6%

Canadian 1989 Honda CRX Project Code-name: "The Raped Ape"

4K views 21 replies 4 participants last post by  BlackMerc04-89 
#1 ·
Call me BlackMerc, I've purchased a 1989 Honda civic CRX Si with 347000 km, follow me as i take it from beat on stolen wreck and make it better than any new car made to date suited just for me. Weight reduction, battery relocation, interior refinishing, and stock engine upgrades (until she blows up). pictures to come VERRY soon! Dyna-mat install, full aftermarket suspension, and exhaust overhaul coming hopefully by November, and then im considering a roll-cage, Off set wheels and fenderflares, sound system, custom hood body work, head and tail-light replacement, tinting, possibly some body work, more work under the hood (repairs and upgrades) and a spray in bed-liner floor in the near future and im also considering run-flats, new engine, ecu, turbo, sticky tires, carbon fiber body panels and more for the far future of my little CRX, im into it $200 + $60 +45 tax, $25 for the oil change, 250 + $80 for the battery relocation, $ 50+ $80 for intake and about$ $50 in the interior prep work, $40 for the tsunami fuse block. then about 60 for the LEDS, and 250 for the dyna-mat totaling about $1190 thus far. Stay tuned for pictured of the different days and dates i work on it. let me know what you think and any suggestions you have to make this thing fast and safe. things you have found to work, or things you tried that may not have worked id like to know everything i can as im 27 on a very limited budget but i wanna do this as i always built this car and the del soul in all my racing games and id love to own a restored CRX and maintain it for the rest of my life. im ready to spend much mroe than i will ever see back from it as i dont intend to sell it. this is something i wanna make for me. hop on board lets ahve some fun. Check out the pole to help give ur input on this little guys future! :) check out this short vid of how peppy this 350,000km+ engine is before answering the poll
Video Link:
 
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#10 ·
big 3 (2 outta 3)








more photos to come, doin dyna-mat next its already being shipped, then full suspension upgrades upper and lower front and rear stabilizers, 0"-3" adjustable coil-overs, front and rear control arms with camber adjustment, traction bar. suspension will be my main focus until i figure out what ima do as far as a power-plant is concerned. make it corner then make it fast... also told my shop to hurry up and get the pipe bender for my cage :) see u all soon this thread will be active for my entire build usually random weekly updates. lemme know what u think i really want input on this its my first build ever and i know there is a lot of knowledge out there id like to pick all your brains :rofl: into it for about 2400 now.
 
#11 ·
The parts are starting to pile in from all over the world...got upper and lower tie bars and a heavy shipment of 50mil dyna-mat.




HOPE i can put a permit on the CRX either before or just after the suspension install all depending on hoist availabilty at the shop. Ive only driven it a couple blocks one time after buying it and only moved it in first gear since all the upgrades thus far have been thrown on it. my daily drivers a auto 95 cavalire. it killing me not to have my honda on the road... :cry:
My buddys been nice enough to let me store a whole wack of shiznit at his place

Im wondering should i do rubberized undercoating on the doors and no panels OR should i rock the panels they only have a couple cracks and my idea with keeping them was when Officer BuzzKill pulls up next to me and peers into my little Honda hes gonna see stock from the seats forward and im going to tint the back (in Canada you cant have any tint on the wind-sheild or front side windows so police can tell if a car is occupied easily


dont be afraid to reply lemme know ur personal opinion, tis why i went on the forums with my build i want input, dos and donts.
 
#12 ·
Its time, i gave my mechnic all the suspension told him to put it together this weekend he got it done friday night and when i didnt answer my phone to tell him the ride height and camber i wanted he of course slammed it, im pretty sure i wont make it over the lip to get out of the shop so ims have it raised 2 inches and less rear camber.




Installed:









a bit heavy on he lower and camber, just to see it at an extreme, gonna lift it back up 2 inches and straiten the back wheels out to about -2 degrees, -3 in the front. then its time for off-set wheels
 
#14 ·
Last day of not being a daily driver








Dynamat first layer complete about 90%, took it out on the road and the front top camber adjustment bolts let loose, steering input between 10:00 and 2:00 on the wheel became completely up to the front wheels, kinda scary in turns, figured out the problem; however, the shop was closed so i had to fix it myself without a jack, did it SLOWLY may post the vid of me cussin alot to youtube while fixin it, im considering starting a vlog. car drives fine now but i couldn't get the passenger side to camber out anymore than like 3 degrees with it on the ground, picked up a honda jack and jack tool so i can fix it in the morning and top her up on oil as the light started a flikkerin and i know she leaks power (oil leak from crank case seal) which i will fix on the next oil change. took my friend out and she said "please dont kill us" 6 times in 3 minutes so i figured im doing something right... well until next time guys! :blah:
 
#15 ·
Told the mechanic to find a b18 block, im going to build it up, i think the d10 in the CRX heard me talkin because the oil light came on tonight i topped it up but first it was at idol and its getting higher and higher in the rev band to turn it out once the engines warmed up. not a happy sight its running on royal purple mixed with some Lucas engine, oil isnt too thick or thin, there is no moisture in the oil, dosnt smell like gas and isnt dark or murky at all and seems to be getting to the top end but i heard what i think may have been a little rocker noice tonight and i hope it wasn't a sign of things to come. this is my daily driver now and its rainy season i aint going back to riding a bike or transit! :cry:
 
#17 ·
Thanx Justinwinn !

oh shes broken bad.... the stock d-10 block has made it clear shes done. only took me a couple days to blow it up :cry:

stay tuned as i intend to pickup a commuter tranny and engine for the time being and then begin the build of the b-18 motor im trying to design to handle up to 30PSI turbo and still be a daily driver. may need to do some rigidity upgrades befor putting that in though.
 
#18 ·
yea i have a daily, a 95 cavalire auto, but i recently got in an accident and i was going to park it and repair it and drive my honda. the motor swap was going to happen this has just kinda etched it in stone, or rather etched it into the crank. ive never heard a bearing spin before. but the sound is unmistakable lol
 
#19 ·
Got the call today, a commuter d-16 (non v-tec :( ) engine is aparently ready to be delivered i just gotta pay $160 for it. its got 200,000km and also has an available tranny for $120, a freind of my mechanics is aparently swapping out his engine for somthing nicer and hes been daily driving the motor so hes gonna have me cover some of the labor hes paying for his motor swap and in exchange i get his engine for CHEAP.

i think i had a d-16block in the CRX originally, im wodering if a d-16 head has vtec (i cant remember if the CRX has vtec i assume it would being an SI) can i switch out the blocks and swap the vtec d-16 head onto the b-18?, there no damage to my old d-10 head im sure i spun a bottom end berring in and knew the sound meant somthing BROKE right away so i was able to keep it together and limp it to storage. so my question is does a d-16 head fit on a b-18 block and if so how many heads are swap-able between the b-series and d-series engines.

Just wondering because its my first time building an engine ever other than the 2 year auto corse i took on brigs and straton small engines, and honda automotive engines back in 2005-2007.im thinking ill just gonna start with a b-18 block, id love a k-20 but i think its supposed to be a generally more expensive build and im going to run out of this extra cash i have coming in and i think a b-18 build with a turbo 30psi max will give me all i need in a front wheel drive go-cart like the CRX. looking for any and all input! thanx in advance

*corrected 17/01/2017*
 
#20 ·
What in the world is a d-10?

BlackMerc04-89 said:
Got the call today, a commuter d-16 (non v-tec :( ) engine is aparently ready to be delivered i just gotta pay $160 for it. its got 200,000km and also has an available tranny for $120, a freind of my mechanics is aparently swapping out his engine for somthing nicer and hes been daily driving the motor so hes gonna have me cover some of the labor hes paying for his motor swap and in exchange i get his engine for CHEAP.

i think i had a d-10 block in the CRX originally, im wodering if a d-10 head has vtec (i cant remember if the CRX has vtec i assume it would being an SI) can i switch out the blocks and swap the vtec d-10 head onto the d-16?, there no damage to my old d-10 head im sure i spun a bottom end berring in and knew the sound meant somthing BROKE right away so i was able to keep it together and limp it to storage. so my question is does a d-10 head fit on a d-16 block and if so how many heads are swap-able between the b-series and d-series engines.

Just wondering because its my first time building an engine ever other than the 2 year auto corse i took on brigs and straton small engines, and honda automotive engines back in 2005-2007.im thinking ill just gonna start with a b-18 block, id love a k-20 but i think its supposed to be a generally more expensive build and im going to run out of this extra cash i have coming in and i think a b-18 build with a turbo 30psi max will give me all i need in a front wheel drive go-cart like the CRX. looking for any and all input! thanx in advance
 
#21 ·
Sorry about that i meant d-16 (ive corrected my previous post), mixing up honda engines and CAT dozers like a boss. anywho b18 is the word now. also neither engine has a vtec head i checked the distributor side. but with a turbo application a vtec head may be more variables and im not looking to sink TOO much into this just ever dollar i have right now :p

crocrx said:
What in the world is a d-10?

BlackMerc04-89 said:
Got the call today, a commuter d-16 (non v-tec :( ) engine is aparently ready to be delivered i just gotta pay $160 for it. its got 200,000km and also has an available tranny for $120, a freind of my mechanics is aparently swapping out his engine for somthing nicer and hes been daily driving the motor so hes gonna have me cover some of the labor hes paying for his motor swap and in exchange i get his engine for CHEAP.

i think i had a d-10 block in the CRX originally, im wodering if a d-10 head has vtec (i cant remember if the CRX has vtec i assume it would being an SI) can i switch out the blocks and swap the vtec d-10 head onto the d-16?, there no damage to my old d-10 head im sure i spun a bottom end berring in and knew the sound meant somthing BROKE right away so i was able to keep it together and limp it to storage. so my question is does a d-10 head fit on a d-16 block and if so how many heads are swap-able between the b-series and d-series engines.

Just wondering because its my first time building an engine ever other than the 2 year auto corse i took on brigs and straton small engines, and honda automotive engines back in 2005-2007.im thinking ill just gonna start with a b-18 block, id love a k-20 but i think its supposed to be a generally more expensive build and im going to run out of this extra cash i have coming in and i think a b-18 build with a turbo 30psi max will give me all i need in a front wheel drive go-cart like the CRX. looking for any and all input! thanx in advance
 
#22 ·
Engine ready for rebuild.







not going full forged, but i am doing a rebuild, new oil pump, timing belt, gaskets, distributor, gonna goo with a stage 2 clutch possibly better and were gonna get a turbo kit ready to rock 30psi but keet it between 8-12. let me know what you think.
 
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