i'm a noob, ENGINE REBUILD VS SWAP!

[Killer]

.... I'll be the first to admit that i have no idea what i'm talkin about when it comes to cars... i'm learning as i go... my hatch is the first modded car i've ever owned.. and i've never been one to "read up" on things.. and my dad never taught me a thing when it comes to cars.. so hear goes...


as i've mentioned before i'm pretty sure my rings are bad...

most say i should just do a rebuildl... some say swap it out...

which is gonna cost less.... and what parts are needed for either...

i don't know the difference in most this terminology.. lol.. an engine is an engine.. and i don't know all the break downs to it.. i don't know the difference in all these b series engines either.. like which ones will work with what..


i've got a 93 hatch with a b18a1, gsr hydro tranny, dc headers, exhaust, and cold air intake... that's about all that i know right there.. ( i didn't build the car so..) i don't know the diff in a long block and a short block.. where the block ends and the head begins... i'm being as honest and humble about this as possible...

if my rings are bad, and i decided to do a rebuild.. what is my cheapest route..

help me out here guys.. if u wanna flame me for not knowing.. that's fine.. as long as u know more about the subject than i do... and as long as ur criticism helps me fix my car...

thanks.

[2.0civic]

on a ls just do rings and seals...on d series, rebuilds are pointless if you are going for stock

[fight club]

if your rings are bad your looking at a labor intinsive job. "bad rings" refer to the piston ring <just as info>. to remedy this problem your would be dissassemblying the block. as far as which way to go. both have their ups and downs.
if you swapped, you could put in a higher hp engine etc. take a bad time and turn it good by building the engine as well. this is costly.
you could rebuild it, and rebuild it stronger with mods. this is also slightly costly.
or just rebuild it.
or just swap it. lol

either way if you are going to do either make sure someone who is experienced is there to help. i personally would rebuild it but with higher comp pistons, cams, maybe some independent throttle bodies.....

[2.0civic]

if your rings are bad your looking at a labor intinsive job. "bad rings" refer to the piston ring <just as info>. to remedy this problem your would be dissassemblying the block. as far as which way to go. both have their ups and downs.
if you swapped, you could put in a higher hp engine etc. take a bad time and turn it good by building the engine as well. this is costly.
you could rebuild it, and rebuild it stronger with mods. this is also slightly costly.
or just rebuild it.
or just swap it. lol

either way if you are going to do either make sure someone who is experienced is there to help. i personally would rebuild it but with higher comp pistons, cams, maybe some independent throttle bodies.....

do you have any idea what you are talking about?? its INDIVIDUAL throttle bodies not independent

[fight club]

do you have any idea what you are talking about?? its INDIVIDUAL throttle bodies not independent

i mix up those words frequently for some reason. slip of the tongue i guess.

[2.0civic]

and rings arent really THAT bad as long as everything else is in spec

[B18c1Turboed]

Doing the rings and rebuilding the block would be alot cheaper!! I would rebuild the block!!

[Killer]

yeah, i've been told to get some higher comp pistons.. maybe cams...

and i know what the rings are and the pistons and all that... but i've been told by many that if im doing that i might as well do a rebuil rods, bearings, pistons, rings... and such..

and it's not even buying the parts that's gonna hurt it's the labor.. so i would rather do it all at once then just the rings and then later on something else go wrong...


(i'm not a complete retard by the way, i've done a lot to this car myself.. fixed a lot of problems.. i'm just not engine talk savy)

what's a "head" and what's the "block"?

one person will have a for sale thread for a block and have one pick... some one else will have another and i don't which is what.. u know?

[2.0civic]

head=top end with valves and springs

block=pistons rod, crank

[Killer]

head=top end with valves and springs

block=pistons rod, crank

gotcha...




i think instead of selling my car, i'm just gonna man up take a loan out and fix the stuff... (unless i move back to north ga and have to commute.. in that situation.. i'm still selling it! lol)

[2.0civic]

commute and you would sell a civic?

[Killer]

commute and you would sell a civic?

... not because of gas mileage.. noise... and room for my dog... car is freaking loud...

[LIKEG6]

like he said above replacing the rings will be a lot of money in labor, basically taking apart the whole motor

So I guess see how much it would be at a shop to fix the rings and then see how much a new swap would be

[silversol]

for the price of rebuilding it you can get a jdm b20 engine they are around 900$ with a 6 month warrenty! if you want little down time its the way to go!

[2.0civic]

for the price of rebuilding it you can get a jdm b20 engine they are around 900$ with a 6 month warrenty! if you want little down time its the way to go!

this is true

[Killer]

for the price of rebuilding it you can get a jdm b20 engine they are around 900$ with a 6 month warrenty! if you want little down time its the way to go!

so what's the diff in a b20 and a b18? and how much does the labor cost?

and where do i get the engine?

[silversol]

so what's the diff in a b20 and a b18? and how much does the labor cost?

and where do i get the engine?

not much diffrence but the b20 internals are diffrent! I sent a link in the post above. pm me I will do it for a good price

[silversol]

http://www.nadauto.com/

just swap your manafolds becase the b20 are out of crvs and have a tall intake manafold! but its a complete bolt in process!

[Killer]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to silversol again.

[Vteckidd]

you really have 3 options:

1) Quick rebuild. MOst likely your oil control rings are bad, USUALLY you can rering it an be fine. ive done it a few times and had great success. this is doing the work IN THE CAR ie NOT PULLING THE MOTOR.
DOING IT YOURSELF:
Rings OEM HONDA $100
ACL ROD BEARINGS(might as well replace these) $60
OEM HONDA headgasket $65
oil pan gasket $15

MAINSTREAM PRICES
Rings OEM HONDA $100
ACL ROD BEARINGS(might as well replace these) $60
OEM HONDA headgasket $65
oil pan gasket $15
Labor $700

2) A complete rebuild, with upgrades is next in the food chain. you can rebuild with OEM aftermarket parts like pistons, machine work, etc.
DOING THE WORK YOURSELF
Rings OEM HONDA $100
ACL ROD BEARINGS(might as well replace these) $60
OEM HONDA headgasket $65
oil pan gasket $15
Machine work $350 (bore , hone, balance, chamfer)*prices vary*
Lower gasket kit $55
Timing belt and water pump $150
Oil Pump $100
PR3 b16 Pistons $150 (raise compression)
or
CTR PIstons $165 (raise compression)

MAINSTREAM PRICING
Rings OEM HONDA $100
ACL ROD BEARINGS(might as well replace these) $60
OEM HONDA headgasket $65
oil pan gasket $15
Machine work $350 (bore , hone, balance, chamfer)*prices vary*
Lower gasket kit $55
Timing belt and water pump $150
Oil Pump $100
PR3 b16 Pistons $150 (raise compression)
or
CTR PIstons $165 (raise compression)
Labor RR ENGINE $700
Assemble Longblock $550

3) Swapping in a different motor can be a good option as well. in your particular choise you have a few options like a b20, or a b16.
DOING THE WORK YOURSELF
Hmotorsonline.com B20 Longblock $649 +225 shipping
youll ahve to swap your LS intake manifold onto the B20 longblock

MAINSTREAM PRICING
Hmotorsonline.com B20 Longblock $649 +225 shipping
Labor RR ENGINE $700
Fluids $50


Option 1 is the cheapest if you do it yourself, however, on a high mileage motor, the chance is 50/50 it will work. If the bore is out of round, or there is no hone left, then reringing it will work temporarily, but it wont last forever. if there is a factory hone left, then it will 99% fix all your problems. you CANNOT HONE A MOTOR IN THE car with factory pistons. you will have to much piston to wall clearance and the smoking will get worse.

Option 2 is an all out rebuild with machine work which will ensure ring seat, ZERO MILES on the motor with all new OEM parts and you can upgrade to better pistons, and its much more costly, but thats the way to ensure it will work.

Option 3 is a great choice because the b20 offers slightly more TQ, and you can SELL your old LS LONGBLOCK for a few hundred dollars to make some money back.

most people that come through here do option 3. in the end it hurts them less in the wallet and its also a pretty much guaranteed fix as long as you purchase the motor from a REPUTABLE COMPANY like hmotorsonline.com.

[Killer]

you really have 3 options:

1) Quick rebuild. MOst likely your oil control rings are bad, USUALLY you can rering it an be fine. ive done it a few times and had great success. this is doing the work IN THE CAR ie NOT PULLING THE MOTOR.
DOING IT YOURSELF:
Rings OEM HONDA $100
ACL ROD BEARINGS(might as well replace these) $60
OEM HONDA headgasket $65
oil pan gasket $15

MAINSTREAM PRICES
Rings OEM HONDA $100
ACL ROD BEARINGS(might as well replace these) $60
OEM HONDA headgasket $65
oil pan gasket $15
Labor $700

2) A complete rebuild, with upgrades is next in the food chain. you can rebuild with OEM aftermarket parts like pistons, machine work, etc.
DOING THE WORK YOURSELF
Rings OEM HONDA $100
ACL ROD BEARINGS(might as well replace these) $60
OEM HONDA headgasket $65
oil pan gasket $15
Machine work $350 (bore , hone, balance, chamfer)*prices vary*
Lower gasket kit $55
Timing belt and water pump $150
Oil Pump $100
PR3 b16 Pistons $150 (raise compression)
or
CTR PIstons $165 (raise compression)

MAINSTREAM PRICING
Rings OEM HONDA $100
ACL ROD BEARINGS(might as well replace these) $60
OEM HONDA headgasket $65
oil pan gasket $15
Machine work $350 (bore , hone, balance, chamfer)*prices vary*
Lower gasket kit $55
Timing belt and water pump $150
Oil Pump $100
PR3 b16 Pistons $150 (raise compression)
or
CTR PIstons $165 (raise compression)
Labor RR ENGINE $700
Assemble Longblock $550

3) Swapping in a different motor can be a good option as well. in your particular choise you have a few options like a b20, or a b16.
DOING THE WORK YOURSELF
Hmotorsonline.com B20 Longblock $649 +225 shipping
youll ahve to swap your LS intake manifold onto the B20 longblock

MAINSTREAM PRICING
Hmotorsonline.com B20 Longblock $649 +225 shipping
Labor RR ENGINE $700
Fluids $50


Option 1 is the cheapest if you do it yourself, however, on a high mileage motor, the chance is 50/50 it will work. If the bore is out of round, or there is no hone left, then reringing it will work temporarily, but it wont last forever. if there is a factory hone left, then it will 99% fix all your problems. you CANNOT HONE A MOTOR IN THE car with factory pistons. you will have to much piston to wall clearance and the smoking will get worse.

Option 2 is an all out rebuild with machine work which will ensure ring seat, ZERO MILES on the motor with all new OEM parts and you can upgrade to better pistons, and its much more costly, but thats the way to ensure it will work.

Option 3 is a great choice because the b20 offers slightly more TQ, and you can SELL your old LS LONGBLOCK for a few hundred dollars to make some money back.

most people that come through here do option 3. in the end it hurts them less in the wallet and its also a pretty much guaranteed fix as long as you purchase the motor from a REPUTABLE COMPANY like hmotorsonline.com.

i'm looking at option 3 right now! speaking with a couple people/shops to try to get the ball rolling...

how long would the swap normally take? a day, two days? a week? i've been told a swap can be done in a days time.

thanks for all the info.. helps a lot!!!!

[Killer]

pm'd... thanks again...

i'll rep who i can!

[GermanMuscle]

personally i would base it on how many miles that b18a has on it since the b18a is from the 90-93 integras it probably has a good bit amount of miles on it and might even been rebuild before when it was swaped if you didnt do the swap yourself

[Killer]

yeah i was told it had 55xxx when i bought it, but i bought it from a guy who only had it a couple weeks and someone else did the swap so...

[GermanMuscle]

he probably meant 55k since the swap not the engine

[Kyle]

You are rich buy another civic. Just curious whose car is faster, Kelly's or yours?

And I am not being an ass I am dead serious you both have civics.

[Killer]

You are rich buy another civic. Just curious whose car is faster, Kelly's or yours?

And I am not being an ass I am dead serious you both have civics.

... rich???? i think not my friend.. where did that come from....


she has a 99 lx..... completely stock...

i have a 93 hatch with b18, headers, exhaust, gsr hydro tranny, short shift... and whatever else...

i'll let u do the math bub...

[Kyle]

... rich???? i think not my friend.. where did that come from....


she has a 99 lx..... completely stock...

i have a 93 hatch with b18, headers, exhaust, gsr hydro tranny, short shift... and whatever else...

i'll let u do the math bub...

The rich thing is a refrence to Chappelles show, nevermind.

Ahhh... Easy Killer. Just wondering... I have never seen you post anything about your car so I have no clue. Sorry.

[Killer]

The rich thing is a refrence to Chappelles show, nevermind.

Ahhh... Easy Killer. Just wondering... I have never seen you post anything about your car so I have no clue. Sorry.

i was just saying...

i didn't take it wrong.... and i wasn't being a smart a.... just telling u..

[Kelly]

... rich???? i think not my friend.. where did that come from....
she has a 99 lx..... completely stock...
i have a 93 hatch with b18, headers, exhaust, gsr hydro tranny, short shift... and whatever else...
i'll let u do the math bub...

[speedminded]

What's your budget? That will answer a few of your questions...

[Killer]

What's your budget? That will answer a few of your questions...

i'm gonna take out a loan.. so 1500-2000 is my limit....

[Vteckidd]

we are extremely busy, so swaps take 3-4 days because we have so many swaps to work on right now along with cars getting built motors ,etc.

if we were dead ass slow, it would take 1 day.

[Sammich]

you arent keeping ur HB are you? if not i'd recommend going back all OEM parts

[Killer]

you arent keeping ur HB are you? if not i'd recommend going back all OEM parts

idk.. if i swap it i may keep it a lil longer... either way.. it's not lookin like it's gonna sell or bring in a decent trade.. so if i throw a fresh swap in... it will increase the value of the car to a bit above what i'm asking now... and will draw U (the consumer in) instead of going... "o.. it burns oil.... nevermind"

[nofive-0]

Do the b20. It is just plug and play minus the swap of the manifold. If you have some friends with experience they should be able to help you do this. If not take it to a shop and let them do it.

To answer your question about the differences in the motors, the b20 is a 2 liter engine out of the crv's. It is basically the same as your engine except for a bigger bore.

[Sammich]

yea i'd get a b20 over LS engine anyday

[Killer]

so which engine out of these two?

https://www.tigerjapanese.com/produc...roducts_id=133

https://www.tigerjapanese.com/produc...roducts_id=192


and also, how hard is it to do add powersteering? and switching from manual to auto?

just curious...

[sirkus]

so which engine out of these two?

https://www.tigerjapanese.com/produc...roducts_id=133

https://www.tigerjapanese.com/produc...roducts_id=192


and also, how hard is it to do add powersteering? and switching from manual to auto?

just curious...

I'd go with either one of those...
And, you want to make your car an auto?

I was wondering... can you put a v-tec head on the b20 block?

[Killer]

I'd go with either one of those...
And, you want to make your car an auto?

I was wondering... can you put a v-tec head on the b20 block?

u can put a vtech head on a 20 block.. (from what i've been told)


and as dumb as it sounds.... i'd like an auto tranny... possibilites of havin to commute from north ga to atl everday are pretty high for me... the traffic is awful, having a manual isn't so bad.. it's the torque and a stage 3 clutch...

even though i do prefer a stick to an auto it's just not compreble(spl?)