So I'm trying to look at the best way to get the most MPG for my 1989 Honda Accord LXi, and I'm contemplating an engine swap. A few questions come to mind. What engine gets the best MPG (D16y5 from the HX Civic looks nice). How much does this all cost? Is it worth it?
Last edited by hondatech26; 09-09-2013 at 10:08 PM.
if you are looking for better fuel economy just swap the transmission from a carbureted model so any DX or LX. They have taller gears saving you gas on the highway.
1989 Honda Accord LX-i
B18c1 swap since 7/2011
175whp and 132tq
Redzone tuned
The best mod for better MPGs is to tighten the loose screw behind the steering wheel. There are several members that have gotten close to 40MPG on interstate trips, so you're not going to do a whole lot better. The carb trans swap will give you steeper gears, but it isn't going to account for a large improvement.
Gasoline engine swaps for fuel economy isn't the right way to be thinking. Look into diesel power. Shop around for some VW TDis or diesel Benzes. Convert to WVO and have free or nearly free fuel for life. Well, at least until they start locking up all the waste cooking oil receptacles and bio fuel companies start buying it up for themselves.
Would'nt be enough gains to make it worth a d swap unless you got everthing free and did ur own work and even then hypermiling civics and crx are not consistantly getting much better than 30-45 mpg. Sure they benchmark in the 50's mpg but think you will be under powering your accord by the loss of torque that the A20a3 has if you went for the civic motor.
If this turns into a d troll thread don't expect me to support it but Seeing some input from anybody thats done this swap could be interesting for you.
An engine swap is not cheap. The car would rust into the ground before you'd ever break even.
Dr_Snooz
"I like to take hammers, and just break stuff, just break stuff." - Beavis
1989 Honda Accord LX-i Coupe, 240k miles, MT swap, rear disc swap
Shop manual downloads available here: CLICK TO VIEW
I'd say with an obd1 swap, and proper tuning you could get 40-50mpg easily. My b20 gets average 25city, and 40highway after tuning. You also have to change driving type. Try to coast to lights without stopping, that is where most of the fuel is being used. Make sure to press the clutch when going down hills. Just try to use momentum to your advantage.
What loose screw behind the steering wheel are you refering to?
88 lxi:
shortram, msd blaster 2 coil, lowered 2.5" in the rear 3" in the front, stripped because race car XD
the driver lol
Originally Posted by 88lxi-shortram
Took me a few reads...
It was a good pun lol.
I'm dead serious about that, though. A driver that is good at saving fuel will get better fuel economy in any car they drive. The same goes for racing; Tighten the loose screw behind the wheel for faster lap times.
Taking our 2008 Saturn Astra for instance, I can drive the car for a week and turn in 32 or 33 MPG, but if my wife or brother in law drive it, they can only manage 26 or 27 miles per gallon. Same car, different driver, around 5 miles per gallon difference.
All true. Once you get used to driving with the low fuel light on and it's several miles to go and you have no idea when the next gas station is or if they take credit cards, that'll learn ya!
Or drive with no brakes for months, or drive a big diesel super heavy anything and you learn quickley you only give it what it needs and give it the least brakes it needs to stop since it may not.
For me, it was a Jeep Cherokee with a bad clutch. If you came to a complete stop in gear, the engine died. If you came to a stop in neutral, you couldn't get it back into gear without turning the engine off. That sort of thing makes you look way down the road and predict traffic lights and timing for the California roll.
I couldn't imagine driving for MPGS with that much traffic lol. Its all based on how much the car moves without the engine pushing it. Use hills, use your clutch, automatics should be used rationally as putting them in nutral can damage some of them. Just look up the definition of coasting, and make your car is doing that lol.
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