Engine Swaps


AzAc54

AzAc54

K20 VSM EK
Staff member
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Jun 12, 2011
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VSM EJ9 - Sold, Civic Jordan #64 - Sold, 96 Spec DC2 - Sold, VSM EK K20 - Current
Alright guys just wanted to know how easy engine swaps are, reason for asking is hopefully the end of the year or next year i want to swap out the d14 and put either a b16 or b18 in and was wondering how long it would take and how much roughly it would cost etc, thanks :nice:
 
1. Difficulty - not hard, depends on: skill/tools/other equipment

2. Time - can be done in a day

3. No two engine swaps will cost the same, cannot account for anything needing replacing
 
I spent roughly 3 grand on a b16b swap and that is including parts, labour and shipping etc

Complete engine with ecu, gearbox, mounts, driveshafts, manifold, linkage, correct looms and so on. You need to give the engine a service too. If you have all the parts ready, should take a few hours (3 hours according to Maz from hond-r) and my mechanic said it was prob the quickest swap he's ever done lol. You need to do some research in what you need exactly as each car is diff ESP with the wiring
 
the first engine swap i did i found a nightmare, but many many swaps later it was a lot easier as you know exactly what parts to go for first etc...

tools and equipment is important its very hard work changing a b16 on the side of the road with a halfords socket set.....i know:angry2:

My first swap took me a long weekend, my last swap the engine was easy to get out, only 1hr 50! getting back in was a nightmare due to the new avid motor mounts that was fitted, the engine had to sit perfect down to the last micron before the bolts would go through:angry2:

as for cost Andy is spot on, parts may break or something will slip your mind which you aint got and then the price go's up and the swap gets longer.

if you plan out your swap in advance and make sure you have all the right tools for the job it makes it easier, but it is definately worth doing:woot:
 
boro_andy said:
1. Difficulty - not hard, depends on: skill/tools/other equipment

2. Time - can be done in a day

3. No two engine swaps will cost the same, cannot account for anything needing replacing
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Perfect Answer
 
is it that easy? have a friend that want's to do the same....engine and gearbox ( with driveshafts?) and stronger engine mounts. so the D14 uses the sam emounts as the B16/B18? no welding? seems plug and play then :s
 
Uses the same rubber mounts, the brackets are different but these should come with most swaps.
 
if your going B16 (only saying that coz its what I swapped) then you will need

engine mounts (not just stronger its just the B16 mounts)
drive shafts
ecu
engine wiring loom
gear linkage
radiator+pipes
manifold
B16 engine+gearbox

I also got new engine torque mounts, new lower ball joints, while your there I changed clutch, cambelt, oil filter, waterpump, rocker cover garket, and mani garket.

I flushed everything through so gearbox oil, coolent, engine oil, power steering and clutch fluid.

my swap was nice because i had the engine out a VTi the same year as mine so just plugged it all in but can get confusing with wiring which im not even going to attempt to go in to lol im not great at this, its just to give you a idea,im just saying what i can remeber im sure iv missed a few bits but someone well correct me :)

i done mine for £1000 also
 
Having just done one I can tell you my experience: I spent about $3k US. That was for the longblock B16B and a bunch of refreshing (full suspension and linkages, axles, flywheel, brakes, etc., all used but refurbed). It's been almost 10mos. since I started, but I did a full rehab, brakes, susp., interior and was often waiting for parts b/c I'd find something to replace. If I did just the engine swap it would have been a lot faster and I only worked on it sporadically as I was busy and traveling a lot. My lesson is everything takes way longer than you think it should if it's your 1st time. Especially if you've just got hand tools like me, 10yr old bolts corroded in place are a bear. I snapped 3 1/2" breaker bars on one axle nut alone. Then there are all the bugs and kinks to work out once it's installed, mostly sorted now. I'd say the swap alone minus all the other restoration I did, maybe 20 hours, give or take. Could probably do it in one long day, or over a weekend now. It's a great learning experience, but don't expect to have your car back on the road in a weekend.
 
themanfrombeantown said:
Having just done one I can tell you my experience: I spent about $3k US. That was for the longblock B16B and a bunch of refreshing (full suspension and linkages, axles, flywheel, brakes, etc., all used but refurbed). It's been almost 10mos. since I started, but I did a full rehab, brakes, susp., interior and was often waiting for parts b/c I'd find something to replace. If I did just the engine swap it would have been a lot faster and I only worked on it sporadically as I was busy and traveling a lot. My lesson is everything takes way longer than you think it should if it's your 1st time. Especially if you've just got hand tools like me, 10yr old bolts corroded in place are a bear. I snapped 3 1/2" breaker bars on one axle nut alone. Then there are all the bugs and kinks to work out once it's installed, mostly sorted now. I'd say the swap alone minus all the other restoration I did, maybe 20 hours, give or take. Could probably do it in one long day, or over a weekend now. It's a great learning experience, but don't expect to have your car back on the road in a weekend.
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Yes thanks for saying suspeion is important to need to uprate that, i would give it one week to finish thats not working on it every day thats giving time to run round replacing and buying bits you forgot or broke but maybe two days of actually working on it. just keep the car secure when working under it

the B16B is your more expensive build if you want a good realiable build that fairly easy fairly cheap and i found good fun i would go for B16A2. If you want to go more serious then maybe B18C, thats what im saving for now. theres plenty choices out there def worth doing i loved it :)
 
I know it's better for handling and braking to upgrade the chassis to ek9 as much as poss. Having that in mind, the swap only needs the wanted engine,mounts, rubber mounts his wire tuck and ecu?

Btw is a radiator change a must? Do the temp gets higher?

Never swapped before so i wanna explain it wright :p
Tcx for every info!!
 
krissedc2 said:
I know it's better for handling and braking to upgrade the chassis to ek9 as much as poss. Having that in mind, the swap only needs the wanted engine,mounts, rubber mounts his wire tuck and ecu?

Btw is a radiator change a must? Do the temp gets higher?

Never swapped before so i wanna explain it wright :p
Tcx for every info!!
Click to expand...

you will never get the handling a EK9 has there chassies completly diffrent, but strut braces good suspension wont do any harm :)

as said above all them parts are a must, driveshafts etc.

is that you want a wire tuck or need one? you dont need a wire tuck to do a swap just to put that out there lol

yer a rad is a must there diffrent sizes completly and so are hoses
 
Ye it can be done cheap but it depends on what goes wrong,

I picked up a complete B16 swap for 600 which seemed like a bargain, but ive just spent money on new cv boots as some are split. Also need to get a radiator, intake and exhaust system for it. Also all of the fluids/ belts/ plugs. filters etc can add up.

Also i found some of the engine mounts need replacing so thats another £100 and 2 of the sensors have broken but im goner repair them.

So the cost does add up quick, im hoping to do the whole swap for around £1200 with ecu.
 
1200 is'nt alot of money though, i will not find an engine for that price here in belgium :angry2: nevertheless you did the full swap for it :bow:

and no, the road performance will never be the same as the ek9 chassis but i know he has already changed the suspension etc, the basic changes as everyone does.

any up's are welcome
thx.
 
swapping them is crazy eazy imo!! basically 3 mounts, shafts, wire up a few plugs and a few small bits and boom starts first tip!.. did for me anyway throwing a b16b into my ek3
 
fitzer said:
swapping them is crazy eazy imo!! basically 3 mounts, shafts, wire up a few plugs and a few small bits and boom starts first tip!.. did for me anyway throwing a b16b into my ek3
Click to expand...

This thread is over 2 years old :lol:
 
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