48 replies to this topic

[dtpten]

Sorry i've been a lurker for the last few years, but im finally getting around to putting up some info about me and my swap. I have a 87 hatch that i started my swap and conversion to FI.

Last May i found a 87 integra on craigslist in Sacramento that had 145,xxx miles. i called the guy and offered him 200. He showed me the papers that it was passing smog. In cali thats pretty important. Only prob was that it an auto.

Me and my car buddy stripped out the entire wire harness, smog equip, motor tranny axles hubs brakes etc.

went to junk yard to get a manual trans, mount, shift linkages, and other various things.
bought a computer from someone on here. thanx

recently had some money to get all the small stuff i.e. timing belt, water pump, tensioner, gaskets.

This weekend the 1.5 is being taken out. prep the bay clean it up.

The hard part is still ahead, The wiring!

i have the teg shop manual. its good.
It will help me through the tough wiring challenge i have in front of me.

luckily i have a second car.

-dtpten

Edited by dtpten, 02 June 2009 - 08:51 PM.

[E-AT_me]

good luck! your car looks nice in the photo man. should be a great swap.

[rinnaye]

Yeah, please keep us posted on how your swap turns out. Would love to see pics too.

[dtpten]

i will be documenting as much as i can, time permitting. i have a couple pics already taken but not posted. After the swap is done and working, i need to get a ref to sign it off, get my registration and then i plan on turbo, my buddy is gonna give me a tiny 11b turbo from his 89 mirage and i'll do a DIY turbo with inter-cooler and probably run low boost.

Anyways, yesterday i changed the water pump, tensioner, timing belt. Today i'm working on the repainting the valve cover because my friend was retarded when we first got the teg, he thought oven cleaner would be a good degreaser, it dissolved the brown top crinkle paint. I haven't yet found brown crinkle paint, but i did get some black VHT crinkle. I'm gonna see if i can find brown, the black will be plan B.

I got a sweet deal on a exedy clutch, throw out bearing, clutch pressure plate and a new spanking flywheel for 175 bucks. Saved me the hassle of getting the fly wheel from the junkyard.

Does anyone know if starter from an auto transmission from the teg will work with the manual transmission?

-dtpten

[rinnaye]

i will be documenting as much as i can, time permitting. i have a couple pics already taken but not posted. After the swap is done and working, i need to get a ref to sign it off, get my registration and then i plan on turbo, my buddy is gonna give me a tiny 11b turbo from his 89 mirage and i'll do a DIY turbo with inter-cooler and probably run low boost.

I too am in California, and just like you, I'm inspired to do an engine swap, but retaining my street legal status in my daily driven is of paramount concerns to me. Why just last year, I was under the impression that the referee, and bar system was unavailable to us here in California. I was told that due to budget restrictions, there would be a temporary suspension of the Ref Program. Has there been a lift on this suspension, and do you have a place that is confirmed to be operating the State's Ref System?

Thanks.

[dtpten]

I too am in California, and just like you, I'm inspired to do an engine swap, but retaining my street legal status in my daily driven is of paramount concerns to me. Why just last year, I was under the impression that the referee, and bar system was unavailable to us here in California. I was told that due to budget restrictions, there would be a temporary suspension of the Ref Program. Has there been a lift on this suspension, and do you have a place that is confirmed to be operating the State's Ref System?

Thanks.

I heard the same thing as well referring to the ref system being cut due to the budget. until then i am going to continue with the swap anyways because i can. You cant drive it anyways if its under the knife!

hopefully the ref station will be brought back in time, if not then, well i dunno..

-dtpten

[dtpten]

Found a local machine shop that is going to lighten my flywheel and balance!


And here is a pic i snapped as the guy was marking it up for surgery!

Edited by dtpten, 08 June 2009 - 01:24 AM.

[dtpten]

I snapped a pic right after i had replaced the timing belt and water pup, tensioner.

from the top



and after i did some work on the valve cover by striping the left over brown paint, masked off important parts and repainted with black wrinkle, and applied new seals. hers a pic.

Edited by dtpten, 08 June 2009 - 01:45 AM.

[dtpten]

heres a before and after shot from the exhaust side.

after

[dtpten]

Here is the flywheel after getting some weight reduction and balancing. I could have went more extreme but i only wanted to spend a little money, he took off 2 lbs. Not bad

Edited by dtpten, 17 June 2009 - 07:21 PM.

[rinnaye]

I'm drooling!

That valve cover is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

It looks so new!

Hey, do you ever plan on attending any of the upcoming meets here in Cali? Would love to see the finished product in person.

Rene

[dtpten]

I'm drooling!

That valve cover is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

It looks so new!

Hey, do you ever plan on attending any of the upcoming meets here in Cali? Would love to see the finished product in person.

Rene

Thanks!
I stripped it three times, then cleaned it well, then taped it carefully and shot it. i like it too.

If i can get my wiring sorted out. i would be down to come to events

-dtpten

[dtpten]

UPDATE!
It took a while to get over the gas exposure but i'm back at it folks.
i found it difficult to work on the car in my small garage so i moved it out side after putting the front teg parts on at least to get the car rolling. I swapped the the MC from the early prelude, braided steel brake lines, ceramic brake pads, teg rear brake assembly, (NOTE: trying to score the left rear spindle studs cus i pulled the right side thinking they would work on the left and they dont.) may have to go to junk yard one more time for that. Other wise i'm almost done with the brake swap.
I just finished fitting the teg cluster to the civic cluster housing.
Next project to remove dash and rewire the harness interior. ALso hook up the fuel pump. Dropping engine in soon after that. Ordered little thinga along the way, other than that i got most everything from my donor car which had long been in a scrap pile somewheres!!

Pics up soon. Time change has made my evenings dark before i get home from work... booo.

[rinnaye]

UPDATE!
It took a while to get over the gas exposure but i'm back at it folks.
i found it difficult to work on the car in my small garage so i moved it out side after putting the front teg parts on at least to get the car rolling. I swapped the the MC from the early prelude, braided steel brake lines, ceramic brake pads, teg rear brake assembly, (NOTE: trying to score the left rear spindle studs cus i pulled the right side thinking they would work on the left and they dont.) may have to go to junk yard one more time for that. Other wise i'm almost done with the brake swap.
I just finished fitting the teg cluster to the civic cluster housing.
Next project to remove dash and rewire the harness interior. ALso hook up the fuel pump. Dropping engine in soon after that. Ordered little thinga along the way, other than that i got most everything from my donor car which had long been in a scrap pile somewheres!!

Pics up soon. Time change has made my evenings dark before i get home from work... booo.

Looks like I'll be joining you in the swaps department mate.

I just ran my engine into the ground, car is dead, and most likely am going with the D16a1 myself. Where did you get that black wrinkle paint for the valve cover? I need to get some myself.

Thanks.

Rene

[dtpten]

I got mine from Pep Boys, the brand is VHT High temp wrinkle plus. the temp rating is 350 deg F (177 Cel)
It comes in red and black but the store didn't have any red at all, even kragen didnt have the VHT, they had Krylon wrinkle. I went with black because i did not want it to look hot rodded when i go to the ref station.

I did my cover in the middle of summer because heat is your best friend when it comes to wrinkle paint, you have to spray it liberally, aka a heavy coat but not too heavy it will sag or drip, direct sunlight is best on hot cement. lol!

if you read above in earlier post i stripped the cover three times with a citrus stripper. then lightly sanded after that with a 3m pad.
cleaned again. i also used a high grit sponge block on the honda emblem before taping to get that effect of brushed metal grain in a single direction. i then masked it off with blue tape and used an x-acto blade to carefully trim the lettering plugged all the holes, spark plugs hole etc. Oh yeah i also used a solvent prep cleaner before i taped to do a final degreasing.

Are you trying to source an engine? Best thing is craigslist and get a complete car if you can. MT of course. i got a low mileage auto browntop. You could also try to go the harder route and and try auto recyclers. Since i live in Sactown its is like one of the best areas for junk yard cars in northern cali.

best of luck.

-Brian

Looks like I'll be joining you in the swaps department mate.

I just ran my engine into the ground, car is dead, and most likely am going with the D16a1 myself. Where did you get that black wrinkle paint for the valve cover? I need to get some myself.

Thanks.

Rene