The first of the two has a positive counteractive effect. Time in the garage is traded for money in my wallet which can pay for better tools, better parts and the eventual dyno trip(s). I like this. This is very good.
The second project demanding my free time is also good but in a different way. It's a "pro bono" engine swap for my younger brother. There's a little more to it; I'll get to the details in a moment. It takes priority over my build because the swap is also a replacement for the original engine which blew and really wasn't worth fixing. That engine was a D15B2 dual-point fuel injection (glorified electronic carburetor...), was mated to a 4spd auto in a 1990 Civic Wagon! Current engine/trans. aside this is one of my favorite boxes-O-practicality from the "golden age" of the "Japanese auto invasion" of the '80s and '90s. It was definitely worth keeping on the road and also worthy of a better engine and transmission. So we decided to start looking for the best "direct replacement" available. Another D-series should be easy enough, no more expensive than rebuilding what had come in it, and more powerful in stock form if chosen wisely. While we're at it why not toss that spare 5spd manual in that has been in the storage room for countless years. It's free by the way. It will need to be converted to multi-point injection to run any of the good D-series'. May as well go with OBD-1 while we're in there.
Ok, so D15B2 to D16Z6. Great engine. We found a deal on one, tore it down, freshened it up with rings and a hone. We put some new main and rod bearings in. Then a full gasket kit and timing belt kit. It's virtually new. Here is a list of the conversions needing to be done to make this work and what is required for each.
1) Auto to manual: manual trans [have already], shift linkage, clutch kit/flywheel, manual pedal assembly [specific to wagons], clutch cable and manual trans mount brackets.
2) Dual-point to Multi-point: the correct ECU, some extra wires added, injector resistor box [depending on injectors being used], manifold, fuel rail, injectors, multi-point distributor [extra sensor inside]
3) OBD-0 to OBD-1: Wiring... lots of wiring, modified Z6 engine harness, ECU adapter harness, OBD-1 ECU [P06 w/VTEC components added and socketed, running Z6 basemap chip]
4) Non-VTEC to VTEC: More wiring. Simplest of the four, but a conversion nonetheless.
To add to those conversions there were some other items that needed attention. The exhaust for one had been replaced recently, but by some fools who welding the entire system directly to the manifold down-pipe! We had to cut it into three pieces to get it off of the car. The first of the three cuts being necessary just to get the old engine out! Ridiculous. We wanted to use the factory Z6 4-2-1 manifold so the exhaust would need to be welded back in with proper flanges and hangers and a half decent muffler. Since all of the tubing we cut off was still in really good shape and 2in. in diameter, it would be perfect to reuse and keep costs down. We went with a less traditional routing afforded us by the extra clearance for the optional AWD system that we did not have. I could try describing it... but I'll just share some pictures when it's done in the next few days. In summary, I'm building custom "cat back" exhaust for the car.
The final item is the suspension. The car had been put on some bargain-basement China "coilovers" that I'm not certain were the right ones for that car. It was way too low though and the shocks were blown. We would need to set that right to really enjoy the new drivetrain. Civic hatch shocks and springs were installed, which lowers the wagon a little compared to stock but still allows stock-like comfort and ride quality.
After several mishaps with a couple parts being incorrect, some parts being hard to find and money for parts being a little inconsistent we're finally close to completion! The engine is installed, the ECU is modified, the suspension is complete, the transmission and related components are fitted and working. All that remains is the engine harness and some exhaust welding. The engine harness could have a full blog post of it's own, but in short I had to sort through info from each of the four conversions above and combine it into one master plan. Then using a complete D15B2/OBD-0 engine harness and a complete D16Z6/OBD-1 engine harness, I built the new, custom harness to plan. I am certain that the research, organization of data collected and careful application of that data to the building of the harness took more time than pulling the old engine, rebuilding the new(er) engine and dropping it in altogether. Nuts!
I hope to finish soon and get back to my own project so I can finish it as well.
UPDATE: this project has been completed!
The car is running well now, but not without making us work for it. We had a virgin P28, a chipped P06 with a D16Z6 basemap and as a last resort a few spare blank chips and a burner. After the first two most obvious options got the car to start and run, there were loads of drive-ability issues. I think the final solution was a street tune on a Z6 base with slightly adjusted maps intended for a D15 with a cam regrind.
It's no race car but it's a thrill to drive! the exhaust is loud but honest. The power level suits the light, spartan chassis. It pulls well all the way to the limiter. It's tough not to smile the whole time driving it.
I didn't do much photo documentation like I normally do, but here is the finished product. A keen eye will notice some less than professional looking details, but on the shoestring budget of an unemployed 19yo, i think it's pretty great.
How is your brother's car running? I can burn another chip that should work in his ECU if you want.
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