Engine swap options on an 86 hatch DX

[ADRIANFARINA]

hi,
I'm tierd of this lazy engine..
the engine is in exelent condition , but most of the time I'm driving with the trailer and my motocross attached to it , and it's not easy for my Accord.
they started importing Honda to Israel (yes , I'm from Israel :) ) from 1991 , so my options are to get engines from fourth generation and on..
I thought about buying a complete wrecked Accord and taking everything from it , engine+gearbox+loom ... everything , and installing it on my beautiful 3G.
how will I manage to make my gauges work , what problems will I have if I do this kind of swap?
whats the best engine I can find? I'm not looking after the strongest one , I suppose a 150hp one will be enough.
thanks,
Adrian.

[2oodoor]

If you're pulling a trailer most of the time then have the wheel alignment done with that weight in consideration. A Weber 38 carburator would make more of the A20A1 engine torque more available in all rpm ranges.
Swapping 4th gen would be too much trouble for only 20-30 more hp. If I were swapping I would consider an F or H series DOHC engine.

[ADRIANFARINA]

and wich car has the F or the H ?

[A18A]

how about a small turbo for the a20? It might be easier than doing a full swap. (coming from someone who has done a full f/h swap but never turbo'd a car)

[ADRIANFARINA]

don't want one .
I want "regular" car , don't want to fix it all the time..

[ghettogeddy]

You cab do a reliable turbo setup just small boost when you need it the most.

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[Legend_master]

Turbo cars are very reliable as long as you don't plan on making it high HP car, and you actually build the whole system properly. The same thing goes for engine swaps.

[Dr_Snooz]

You guys are forgetting that Adrian is the guy in Israel who is always looking internationally to get parts for his 3g. Every repair sends him on a quest to find the right parts. A turbo would be a really bad idea. In his case, I think swapping in a newer engine would solve a lot of problems for him.

Adrian, if 4th gen Accords are readily available, consider swapping one of those engines in. The 4th gens use the F22 engine which is lighter, smoother and has higher HP than the A20 that we use, though it is less reliable. It will have a lot more parts availability and more aftermarket support. Though the 4th gen is a complete redesign of the 3g, it shares the same basic design and technology, so an F22 won't require you to do anything too crazy to the car.

I think the F22 is taller than the A20, so you'll need to consider how to fit it in the engine bay. If you can, try to swap in the 4th gen gear box too. It's geared a little lower than the 3g gearbox and the whole combo should really wake up your car. My 4th gen was a lot peppier than my 3g, even though it's a lot heavier. I think you'll be pleased with the combo if you can make it work. Keep us updated on your project.



Edit: the 4g uses the F22 engine, not the F20 like I originally posted. Sorry

[lostforawhile]

You will do better with a webber swap and a cam, rather then trying to swap the engine, webber repair parts are available all over the world,

[ADRIANFARINA]

I already did a webber swap. it is better now , but stil.. doesn't have the power needed for the task..
isn't there anyone that did this swap?

thanks

[lostforawhile]

I already did a webber swap. it is better now , but stil.. doesn't have the power needed for the task..
isn't there anyone that did this swap?

thankshave you done a cam swap,headers,etc, the webber is the first step, you should be able to get close to the power of a fourth generation, what are you pulling? I pulled a trailer for years with my dx with no issue,and that was with it relativly stock, with any four cylinder you are simply not going to have the torque of a larger engine, it will pull it but you just have to take it easy

[ADRIANFARINA]

I'm pulling the trailer itself , my Husqwarna motocross and gear.
It wont go more than 110kph unless I I go to 5500-6000 rpm , but I feel comfy only arround 100kph.
Ofcourse it AT.
The tires are a bit big , 205/55/15.
the car uses 1L of fuel avery 6.5km

[ghettogeddy]

I can't say I've ever seen a f swap.. Have seen a Couple h swaps. And a ton of b swaps. Mounts are available for doing b series.

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[ADRIANFARINA]

what is a b swap? from what cars and models? hp?

[lostforawhile]

I'm pulling the trailer itself , my Husqwarna motocross and gear.
It wont go more than 110kph unless I I go to 5500-6000 rpm , but I feel comfy only arround 100kph.
Ofcourse it AT.
The tires are a bit big , 205/55/15.
the car uses 1L of fuel avery 6.5km
you might be a lot happier with the manual, the autos are not very good

[2oodoor]

I would get the 38 weber and put a five sp manual transmission then. When I had that set up , the car ate hills with no strain at all. The automatic does lose a good bit of grunt under a load.
Getting in to a major swap for just the reason of pulling trailer may be too much expense and worry, if limited resources is the situation then a different vehicle may be the wiser solution.
Just my opinion, doesn't mean Im right or an expert.

[HLW]

what is a b swap? from what cars and models? hp?
A b swap is swaping in a b series engine. I don't remember all the cars they came in but some 99 and 00 CR-Vs came with the B20. That engine has been swapped in to 3g accords by some members of this site.

[ghettogeddy]

A b swap is swaping in a b series engine. I don't remember all the cars they came in but some 99 and 00 CR-Vs came with the B20. That engine has been swapped in to 3g accords by some members of this site.

Actually there is not a single CrV b20 swap on this site the b20a that you see swaps of is a JDM Honda accord motor.

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[lostforawhile]

A b swap is swaping in a b series engine. I don't remember all the cars they came in but some 99 and 00 CR-Vs came with the B20. That engine has been swapped in to 3g accords by some members of this site.

Its a three g specific B20 that came in the JDM version of the car,its. Not the regular B20 those don't fit

[HLW]

Its a three g specific B20 that came in the JDM version of the car,its. Not the regular B20 those don't fit


Actually there is not a single CrV b20 swap on this site the b20a that you see swaps of is a JDM Honda accord motor.

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Yes most are the JDM B20a or the JDM B18a but you are forgetting about Legend_Master's 1988 Accord with the CRV B20. Yes it took more work to put it in than a JDM B20A but it is a newer engine with more torque for the CRV.

You both need to make sure you are correct when you tell someone they are wrong or as members that have been here a while you risk disenfranchising newer members.

http://www.3geez.com/forum/classic-honda-discussion/55145-legend_masters-garage-thread-3.html#pos%20t670237
http://www.3geez.com/forum/members/legend_master-5533.html

I wasn't sure if Legend_Master was the only one to put a CRV B20 in his 3G accord, but maybe he is.

Since ADRIANFARINA wants to tow with his, I figure The newer B20 from a CRV is the better option than an older JDM B20A or B18A.

[ghettogeddy]

well i guess hes the only one.. but he used b swap mounts like you would for a b16 or w/e other b series.. its not like a jdm b20a that bolts right in.

[lostforawhile]

Member with 43 posts gets on case of two long term members? He has to import every single little part from. The US. Do you really think he's going to do a very complicated swap only one person has done?

[A18A]

hash_man_sei also used a crv b20 i believe. not that there's much (if any at all) difference between b-series motors when it comes to transplanting them into our cars anyway.

the b20a that came with these cars wouldn't be an option either since they weren't making them anymore in 1991