b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

hey guys, so i've been searching around a bunch of forums for more info on a particular swap. i'm planning on doing an obd1 b18a ls swap into my 1998 obd2a civic hatch. i got a pretty good deal on the motor, so i had to jump on it. was just wondering if anyone had any links, tips, or info that would help me do this swap. thanks in advance guys!



tim

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

It will install just like a LS. Buy all the stuff you need before you start the swap since it makes life a lot easier. You might want to list up all the parts you have if you aren't sure if you have everything.

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

There is just too much to talk about. Why don't you ask questions or give us problems you have. ;D

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

i would ask some questios about problems, but i havent started the swap yet, still waiting for my motor to be delivered. in the mean time, could you guys help me come up with a list of ---- i need? so far this is what i got:

complete motor (including dizzy, manifolds, etc)
integ harness
axles
550 injectors (big, but i got them for free :y)

need to get:
tranny
shift linkage
mounts from 99-00 si
obd2a->obd1 conversion harness

thats all i can think of off the top of my head (at work). could you guys help me get a complete list, and some tips or advice, especially on wiring (im a complete noob at that ----). chime in and help a fella out guys ;D


tim

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

sounds like a good start! Keep it simple and TRUST ME....weird little ---- happens. Take your time and do things right. Even if everything goes to the crappers........once all is said and done....everything will be worth it the first dirve. UNITL....you get the itch for more speed :y

Use your civic wiring harness on the ls motor.
Don't use the 550cc injectors yet.....and find out if they're high/low/ph/s.

GL and ask questions!

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

You'll want to use your harness on your old motor to swap onto the LS, it'll make you life much easier.

Your engine won't much like those injectors if it's stock, but I guess it could be tuned to deal with them until it's turbo'd.

You'll need a throttle cable.

You may be able to use your D series alternator if you shim it, but if you can't get that to work for you, you'll need an LS alt.

Good luck and it sounds like you have a good idea of what you need.

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

Go straight for the turbo....cause...dammit, they're jus built for st8 boost....Gotta luv the torque....
But a b20 is wayyyyy better...If fact i need a memo to get one... 8)

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

Maybe for torque, but I haven't personally seen any turbo'd numbers to support they are as strong of blocks as an LS. To my knowledge, they are bored-out LS blocks that do make more torque, but at the expense of sleeve material. They seem to be better as the bottom for an LS-vtec setup or if you're going to sleeve it. Please correct me if I'm wrong though. :y

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

could you elaborate on using the civic wiring harness? i thought you just need to do this..
http://www.clubcivic.com/board/showt...08#post1905908

also, was does high/low/ph/s stand for? im not good with abbreviations :P

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

He means high or low impedence / peak and hold / or saturated. Figure out what car the injectors are out of, or find out the part # of them and look them up online. Some cars use resistor boxes for the injectors, but soe don't. Yours doesn't from the factory, but if those are for an OBD0 car, or a prelude/accord, they do need resistors. Either way, they should work fine on your car, you just might need to wire in some resistors, which is easy.

You will need that ecu conversion harness to run your car as obd 1, but you'll use your civic motor harness to plug onto the LS motor. You can't use the obd1 harness that is on the motor now, since the plugs won't match up with your plugs at the shock tower (your car's body/interior harness).

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

will be a decent power increase compared to the stock single.. good luck with the swap

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

Thank you for the super-relevant info...and whadya know, post 50. :1

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

lol i know huh. okay, another quick question. i found a local guy that has a swap for sale. he had a b18a (obd1 ls) block, with a b18b (obd2 ls) head. he's cutting me a decent deal, so im thinking about jumping on it. my question is, is it okay to have a obd2 head on an obd1 block? will it make the swap anymore difficult? thanks again for the good info guys, much appreciated

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

Nope, it won't make even the slightest difference. If you have the breather box on the back of the block, you'll probably have to plug it if you have an obd2 valve cover. Other than that, not a problem, and that problem really isn't hard to fix either.

Make sure, if the head isn't attached to the motor now, that you get it resurfaced before replacing the head gasket...most honda heads warp at least a little, so it would suck to get it all together and have a blown HG at startup.

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

^^^so if it doesnt make a difference, does that mean that the b18a (obd1) valve cover could fit on a b18b (obd2) head? just wondering, i wouldnt really do it. b18b vc is way smoother :D

hey, thanks for the useful info man, its gonna help me out when i get the ---- together :y

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

Any B18a1 head is the same as the b18b1 heads, minus maybe some type of small difference, none of which should matter to you. All of the valve covers are swappable. But like a said, the PCV system is different b/t the b18a1 and the b18b1...if you have the older bottom, you'll need to plug up the breather box that is mounted to the back of the block, under the IM. I've never done it myslef, but it doesn't seem like something that would be hard to do.

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

you want to put a second/early third gen ls in your car? why not save yourself alot of headache, and get an obd2 b18b. especially considering the a1 is gonna have oh well in the range of 100k-200k more miles than the 18b... jeesh.

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

It's the same motor... The only difference with obd2 to obd1 wiring is the crank position sensor under the timing cover, and since he's going with an obd1 ecu, it makes no difference.

The mileage aspect is an entirely irrelevant and absolutely stupid thing to say. From my experience, if a 90-93 teg has the same miles as a newer teg does, right now, its probably in better shape and taken better care of. I've owned one 96 teg w/220k miles on it, so the age of the car really does tell you nothing.

Honda-tech type accuracy being ------ on HMT... :3

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

honda-tech type? ok lets go... first off, if it was the "same motor" it would still be stamped PR4 wouldn't it not p75? thats like saying all b16's are the same.. hmm why would they all be tagged different? BECAUSE THEY ARE YOU MORON. they may be similar in many ways, but they are still different. thats like saying 2 hondas that leave the factory are exactly the same, they are not.

Another thing, in some states like cali it is illegal to swap in a motor older than your car...

as far as your "mileage" aspect, get your head out of your ass.. do you really believe when someone tells you that grandma only drove the car to and from church and occasionally the store? low mileage b18a is one thats rebuilt completely.

and lets go for a below the belt hit like you did by calling me a honda-tech type.... where is your turbocharged car? have you ever had a turbo in your car.. i dont mean your brothers factory equipped eclipse gst/x either... so come with something now... you step to the heater your bound to get burnt.

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

you can reuse your harness im guessing you have a y7 motor, you need to re-pin a spot at the ecu and clip one wire to make it 3wire>2 wire iacv and yes the obd1 block will not have the crank sensor on the oil pump so you will have a cel for that if you run a obd2 ecu, o and the b18a1 have some funny ---- on the intake manifold like actuators and junk id avoid the manifold probly


ive read the a1/b1 have differnces only in the cams and size of the ports thats where the b1 gets a few extra hp, not sure though ive held a1/b1 cams and both had pr4 stamped on them

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

First off, the stamp means nothing when it comes to the actual build of the motor. Why did they stamp them differently? I don't know. The only real difference between the two bottom ends is the obd2 version has a an extra sensor in the bottom end, and a different type of PCV system.

The OP is going to convert to obd1, so does it make a difference if he has a b18a1 bottom end or not....NO! :1

The head might be slightly different b/t b18a1s and b18b1s but who really cares. It's not something somethat really matters. Yes the intakes are different, but that has been established.

What really matters between the two motors is not the mileage (How the ---- does it matter if the LS motor is an A1 and out of a 93 integra, or if it is a B1 out of a 94 integra? ) but how the car was taken care of.

There is no way you can tell me that just because the motor came out of a 90-93 teg, it has more miles than every B1 out there... I have personally pulled quite a few A1s that have had less miles than both of the 94 up integras I've owned... The only way you know how a motor really works, and how many miles it has on it, is through documentation of maintenence, and hearing/driving the motor. This is common sense.

Bringing the "well I drove this and you didn't" ---- into here is absolutely -----tarded of you. I didn't turbo one of my cars personally not because of not knowing my ----, but because working on my friends cars was enough of a headache for me already. Other things come up in life that are more important than turboing your car. Most people sell stuff saying..."I need to pay off a debt," "I have kids," "I'm broke"...or something. I've done plenty of work, especially on LS motors, to know my ----. ---- off and keep your HONDA-TECH info out of threads that obviously don't need it. :y

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

thanks for the novel it was quite boring to read and too see you all "hyped up" over what someone on the internet said to you pist you off..

and this documented proof would be what? what the ------ place/person tells you? excuses are the main reasons upon sellers to make the intended buyer have trust and go on what a cluster tells you... i have a 91 integra in the garage and the clock says 80,916... DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT? get your head out of your ------- ass. i bet you truly believe a intake and exhaust cam are exactly the same too dont you? why not they are both cams... and they are both from the same motor... they are the same... according to your honda-tech buddys they think so... and seeing as your the one with an account there.. hmm

but enough about that. lets put the nail on your coffin: According to honda/acura: Cams are different, cam gears are different, valves are different, pistons are different, crank is different, oil pickup is different.
its ok little boy.. one day you might know your ----. oh yeah excuse for your non-turbo ass too? or just a poor little bitch? btw.. hows that double wide treatin you ?

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

Assuming a motor has less miles b/c it is a b18b1 instead of an a1 is retarded. I simply can't believe people fall for that. Then again, I guess it's a good thing since it funds all those people selling overpriced b1 motors with high miles. :y

The bottom ends in the motors are identical for people who don't care about the stampings on the motor...I don't see what you're really trying to prove about it. Honda changes part numbers for the years they make things, why? who knows. Probably so stupid people will buy the new parts instead of the exact part that is cheaper and a little older. If you're referring to how the intake/exhaust cams are different b/t the heads, that is a terrible argument. Many people who build LS motors will tell you the difference is so small, that it really isn't worth taking the came off of one motor to swap it into the next.

This main reason I'm on honda-tech is to sell stuff. I've probably sold at least 10-15 motors on there (making at least 100% profit on each), is that a stupid reason to be on there? I think not. I'm not saying it doesn't entertain me to read the stupid posts there, but like I've said before, yours is no better than most there.

This "argument" is stupid, I've proven my point, as I'm sure you think you've proven whatever you're proving too. I'm done with responding to your dumbass comments.

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

i would prefer b18b1, to make wiring easier (not having to convert), but the deal was for a b18a, not a b18b

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

Good luck on finding a tranny....i couldnt find one for ----.....
specially hydrolic....iunno tho thats my opinion..im drunk

Re: b18a1 LS motor into 98 civic?
 

I have stock 240cc/min high impedance injectors. They were removed from a running OBD1 B18 teggy.

I'll trade you them for your 550's, if they're all the same impedance.

LMK by pm.

;D