tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

basicly ive been back in forth .. very indecisive about this..

i have 2 civics:
the one im keeping has a ls motor in it.
the one im selling has a built d16y8 in it.

the hard parts is choosing, keep the ls motor or swap the built d series in and sell off the other one with the ls motor in it. there both 96 civics. but one has a nicer body and clean title (one with the LS currently)

pros:
the d is built (eagle rods, JE pistons, ported head etc, already has ACT clutch) and easier to get parts for (huge +) plus i like sohc

d will keep OEM engine mounts

if i keep the ls, i dont have to remove either motor or wire harness's

either one should work good for my goal of 250whp, but the D will probly make a little more torque

the LS will spool my ford 60/63 T3 sooner

boosting the dohc would be a change of pace for me, as ive already done 3 sohc turbo's

the D tranny doesnt grind (unless i shift hard and fast i noticed a little, but f-it there cheaper to replace)


cons:
i didnt build the D , dont know who built it, and it sounds like it has some piston slap, im not familiar with built motors so its hard for me to tell if its safe to boost. also its VERY slow in its current N/A form, not sure if thats right or not. feels like a stock d15 dpfi

the ls motor needs a new head on it, even though it runs good. i can get one for $100.

they built the sohc and used oem headbolts? :1

B series transmission = 3rd gear grinds - sucks - will bother me until i rebuild it or have someone rebuild it

the LS came with egay engine mounts id replace if i was gona make any kinda power cause they just look chinese

b series = pricey parts. prone to theft .
___________________________________thats all i can think of right now__________

also the D has about 100k on it, supposed 10k sence rebuilt. never seen much boost. got it with a JRSC on it with a 5psi pulley. it was pretty weak. felt like my turbo y8 with at about 2psi. the stock pistons were in the trunk, along with his story one was scored from him beating on it when it was cold or somtihng.. then the motor was built by his buddys dad.. also i looked and the head is forsure ported and i found misc papers that came with JE pistons in the car. havent pulled the pan off yet but this guy seem dumb/honest i got it from. i know where he lives, his girl/kid lives, and where he works. he gaurentees it has what he says and i dont think he'd try to get over on me. he's sence continued to answer my phone calls when i had a few questions. comperssion was 170-170-180-185 if i remember. not to great for a recently rebuilt motor.


the LS motor runs strong but has 2 broke bolts on the cam holder brackets and the making klacking sounds, but the motor feels like a normal LS. block is a 94 with unknown miles, head is off a 90 but i can get one from a 98 for 100$ complete. motor leaks little oil around the head, probly assembled by retards judging by the rest of the car and the wiring ive fixed up. has a lightend flywheel (dont like it) possibly a ebay clutch who knows.

sorry for the damn novel, but i need to make my mind up soon and get this done, and i value hmt opnions when it comes to this ----. both motors have there +/- so its almost an even thing and im kinda stuck.. i got people ready to buy what i dont keep. i change my mind every day.. whatever happens its gona be my dd for the next few months at least. of course i plan to turbo whatever motor i jkeep.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

D16Y8 require prompt tuning, not hammering down on the gas with a blower strapped to them. There's a chance the low compression test is due to the headgasket being blown, and the engine itself is still good to go. If the engine makes any real noise past warmup I'd say el redneck machine shop rebuilt it with too much piston-wall clearance because they think they know how to build D16 based on V8 experience. :-\

Either way is work, if the D16 isn't trashed I'd be hard pressed choosing one over the other.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

LS LS LS LS LS LS

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

ya thats what i thought probly some old muscle car guy built the ---- those motors probly dont have the precise clearences or somthing.. ya tought choice..


LS? why? just cause you said it a bunch?

o ya and the y8 was bored .20 over with lower compression pistons i guess too, also said the valves were machined to go lower into the head or some ----

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

Go lower in the head? Why?? Okay, I'm pretty scared of the D16 now.

LS is very robust and boost friendly, and unlike D16 not very prone to detonation.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

hell if i know. i think changes the compression or somthing..

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

because the d sounds like there is sketchiness all around it. and like jd said ls= boost freindly.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

right on. thats my thoughts too . %50 of the time. then im like maybe its a little beast just waiting to be molested with turbo? i dont know? i know what the LS is capable of, which is a safe bet, the other one is kinda a gamble which could turn out bad/really fun

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

First, adjust your valves. Then put each cylinder, in turn, at TDC and run compressed air into the engine via one of the common compression testers that has the air coupler fitting. Listen at valvecover, dipstick, intake, exhaust for sound of air leak and look in radiator for bubbles. Smell the oil (gas?), look in the valvecover (bronzing, build up,white stuff from coolant/headgasket), take a peek at the spark plugs. It's all telling you something, what do you think it is?

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

The $500 teg I bought... Doug684 (or whatever numbers) just bought an LS block which came with a head. Well, he has a vtec head so doesn't need the LS head. I'm going to throw it on my LS with the snapped timing belt, a new headgasket/timing belt/arp head studs... Then after the civic is sold I'll buy a nice big ball bearing setup for it until the built motor is ready :D

I say LS.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

ya i've been leaning a little towards keep the ls and pick up the head. just out of pure lazy-ness. i've never replaced a head but i think ill be ok i have a manual. can i get a head resurfaced even if its assembled? or do they only resurace bare heads?

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

I've changed heads and never resurfaced. Don't think it really matters unless the head is warped due to overheating, I've never had one leak. I've never replaced a b-series, but doubt it is too much harder...although the headbolts seem to be under the cams, that'll just be a nuisance. I don't think it matters if the head is assembled or not.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

I myself enjoy a D that fucks B's.

as for your piston slap, is it only under cold engine temps? forged pistons expand a tad under temps...

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

its pretty much all the time, it kinda sounds like if youve ever heard a jetta diesel, sounds like a truck but not nearly as loud

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

plugs/oil/coolant all look and smell normal, i checked all the easy stuff before i got it, ive driven this car all over too, i think the piston clearence is probly a good bet as far as the noise/ possibly the compression too? what would happen if i were to turbo it and the piston clearence is off like that anyways?

me too, and id like to get and build / have built another d sometime, but this might not be the one

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

Piston clearance being off will introduce oil into the combustion chamber and cause your pistons to melt around the rings, or else the detonation this causes spins a rod bearing. A couple other things could happen, but they are much less likely than those two things. Keep in mind that piston clearances deteriorate quickly with a varying size forging scraping the hell out of the bore - and that's when clearances are *correct*. Since they are already sloppy... ick.

LS is sounding pretty sweet, bro.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

word. with that knowledge the ls is lookin like the keeper

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

I'm just curious why you think you can make more torque with a ~1.6L D versus a 1.8L B?

All that aside, you should keep the LS for sure. I've never really been a D series fan but the one boosted D series setup I had felt pretty fast, but didn't actually end up being any faster than my stock (afaik) B16 swap.

Plus the D seems very sketchy...I personally wouldn't feel comfortable using somebody else's throw together built motor that they've been doing their best to kill because it's "built." If you replace the head on the LS then you know it's a 100% solid motor and it's not going to ---- up on you, plus they love boost and fairly large turbos. Throw a VTEC head on there if you get bored and then you're really talking about power that would require forged parts in a D.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

from the dyno sheets ive seen the hp/tq numbers are usually closer on d series. ( i said i was shooting for 250whp)

if you had a boosted d and your n/a b16 felt faster somthing was defiently wrong.. b16s are weak.(no offence) ive driven alot of cars, and various b series. my boosted d16z6 and y8's were quik. they had torque, n/a b series dont. i would put money on my last z6 on 7psi off a 14b against a hype r swap in the same car anytime.

but i am a fan of boosted Ds. anyways i probly will keep the LS, you guys confirm my thinking. basicly i just dont trust it, its a built motor and i dont know who built it. probly just better off sellin the car, got it cheap anyways. gona swap the front brakes/larger mc off it onto my lx though before i sell it.. free upgrade :6

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

keep the ls imo... i had one that i was putting together for my hatch that i traded for a 5 speed swap into my TA. all in all it wasnt really a bad deal, but sometimes i wish i would have kept it over the d i have now. just boost it on stock internals and call it a day. seems like that would be fine.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

The B16 CRX didn't necessarily feel faster, and me and the guy I sold it to haven't raced but they are definitely close. If I do come out on top it wouldn't be the first turbo D I've put a notch on my bedpost for. I've raced a D16Z6 powered hatch on 10lbs with a T25 and Uberdata, and pulled about a car length before 100mph. Then I raced a '89 Si with a 14b and TE and that race wasn't even worth talking about, probably cause his clutch was slipping a bit.

I've got the Z6 race on video and I've posted it on here before, I'll dig it up if you're interested. As soon as we get some nicer weather and I get some bugs worked out of my CRX I'll post up a vid of my 91 HF B16 vs. the 88 HF SOHC ZC turbo.

Another thing worth mentioning is that I canned a '06 Si 2 out of 3 races. I missed 2nd gear in one of them. Plus he was driving the piss out of his car and I had to be careful with mine since about all my gears grind at high RPMs now, I've got bald Proxes 4 (no tread at all, almost belts), and my toe is out by several degrees. Even taking easy on the launch I was still coming out of the hole much faster than the Si. Maybe I've got a freak B16...who knows. I hang with cars running high 13's and low 14's all the time.

Re: tough choice. let me know what ya think, built d or keep the dohc
 

I say keep the LS. If your going for just 250whp then a stock LS will work just fine and won't have to worry about the shady D.