2001 Civic Lx Coupe - Honda Tuning Magazine

Questions Answered By Honda Expert, Ryan Basseri Of Rywire • www.rywire.com

I own an '01 Civic Lx Coupe and I have a K20a2 Engine swap in it. I also have a Hondata Ecu, Injen cold air intake, DC Sports 4-to-1 header, and a Koyo Radiator, and I'm using HaSport engine mounts. I've been working on this car for some time and I found that my engine wiring harness and the wiring for the dash board had been cut up and damaged, and now I need to replace them. I recently started removing the sound deadening and removed the dash board. I planned on redoing the interior so I'm going to take the opportunity to replace the dash board as well. What are my options for fixing my wiring problem? Any information will be helpful and greatly appreciated.
Lorenzo

Hi Lorenzo, it's really hard to say since I can't see everything, but for the swap to be done, there's only a little bit of work necessary as far as wiring goes. If it is really that bad then I would say start over and get a new one from an auto dismantler. You can purchase a new jumper harness on www.rywire.com. All that is required from you is a twelve volt power source for the jumper harness. It's as easy as that! If the engine harness is in bad shape as well, you should be able to source an '02-'04 RSX harness online or from your local dismantler. You don't need to do any modification to the RSX harness; it will plug right up to your K20a2.

Hi! Are there any Honda axles out there that would swap into my 1994 Accord EX 4cyl (f22b1) as an upgrade? Maybe something from a Prelude? I'm trying to keep it all Honda, healthy, and sturdy.
ACE

Ace, if you are looking for something larger, thicker, and stronger, I would look at the '92-'96 Prelude H22 axles and half shaft. You can also call around to the aftermarket race axle companies and see what they offer, but I personally would stick with OEM. The axles that came factory on your car will be beefy enough for you. I put my word on it. My buddy drag races a CRX with a K24 making 280whp on slicks, and has yet to snap his OEM RSX axles. I'm not saying he doesn't have a spare set with him while racing, but you catch my drift.

Hello, I have a '94 DB8 with the following mods: bored to 81.5, Arias 9:1 (w/ Arias rings), Crower rods, B16 head, fresh rebuild and mild port on head, Blox valve springs, RS machine IM gasket, ITR header, PW:JDM power chamber, battery relocated to the trunk, tucked the bay, converted to -6 AN fuel lines with a Summit in-line filter and deleted ABS. Here's my problem; the engine fires right up the first time, but promptly revs like it's at WOT. I tore my throttle body apart to sandblast and paint like everything else, but I had trouble getting it back together, which makes me think that may be my problem. The butterfly is closed, and opens when the pedal's depressed. Could I have still gotten something wrong that would cause it to rev like that? TPS and FPR are both newer, and worked fine when removed. I ordered an Omni Power TB and ITR throttle cable in hopes of an easy fix (and because I wanted one anyway). Any other ideas or suggestions?
Dylan

Dylan, the easy and obvious answer would be a vacuum leak in the throttle body, intake manifold, IAC valve, or elsewhere. I would also make sure you have the correct gasket on the intake manifold and throttle body. Some are different, and you might not have noticed that you inadvertently created an air leak. Next, I would suggest you check the TPS sensor. Make sure it's calibrated to .5 volts at closed throttle. Something could be off since you have taken it apart for sand blasting.

I am doing a D16 VTEC swap (probably D16z6) in my '91 civic hatch (base model). From what I have heard and read, this is a very straightforward swap, but I have a few questions. Apart from getting the ECU, transmission, engine, and wiring harness, will I need to get new axles, mounts, or shift linkage? Any information you have would be extremely beneficial. I do not plan to have power steering.
Kenny

Kenny, yes, it's a very easy engine swap. You will more than likely keep it simple and just use the original transmission matching your car. If you do, then no need to change linkage or even axles. As far as the mounts go, you will need to use the original driver side mount bracket from your old D15 and transfer that to the new D16z6. The hardest part about your swap is going to be the electronics. You will want to go OBD1 with the P28 ECU to control VTEC correctly. Take a look at www.rywire.com and look for the dual point-to-multi point conversion with the OBD0 to 1 conversion. It's $300 dollars, but it makes the wiring totally "plug and play" on your base model hatch.

I'm trying to turbo charge my B16a motor but have no idea on what kind of components to get other than low compression pistons. If you can give me any info on what to get, it would be appreciated. I would like to make it a daily driver, too.
Joshua

Joshua, if you plan on keeping it a daily driver I wouldn't go too wild on it. My best advice to you is to use high quality parts. Parts found on eBay that say they are brand name are not always genuine, so be aware! Be sure to size the turbo correctly for your horsepower goals, and never skimp on tuning software or tuning experience! Also, keep in mind that many high quality turbo kits are currently available for the B16 motor. Many of these kits include everything you need to get boosted and back on the road, and many of them run conservative boost levels that allow you to use a bone-stock block and head. Get on line and do a little research, and good luck to you!