b series into EF

(not original poster)


In my searching i've found like 2 decent write-ups explaining how to physically perform a b-series swap, but nothing really listing exactly what parts you need to complete it. i'll be putting a list together and including other useful and pertinent info as well.


now prior to starting your swap do yourself a favor and make a list of the parts you will need and approximate prices. figure out how much you can/are willing to put into said swap. set goals for the short and long term, and determine a reasonable time frame that you'd like to have the swap completed in.


moving on..



DPFI to MPFI? does your car have mpfi? if yes, pass this section. if No, continue reading. So you picked the short straw and found yourself stuck with dual point fuel injection (dpfi). to run any b-series engine you must convert to mpfi. It consists of adding wiring for a sensor at the distributor, for 2 extra injectors, and for an injector resistor box (if applicable, see below).

there are many writeups on this. here is just one i like
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common question: "can i just use an si mpfi harness in place of my dpfi harness??" Although this would make things a lot easier, it just won't work that way. your stock dual port cabin harness (the part that runs into the car) lacks the wiring for the extra sensors and injectors. this is why during the mpfi conversion you run the extra wires into the car to the ecu, not just over to the harnesses on the shock tower.




OBD??? OBD0 electronics are not compatible with OBD1/2 and vice versa, lets get that out of the way. If you have an obd0 ecu you must run an obd0 distributor. if you have an obd1 or 2 dizzy you must run an obd1 ecu. Yes you could run an obd2 ecu, but i'm not going to cover that. it's many times easier to stay obd0 or odb1. if your engine choice has an acceptable obd0 equivalent ecu then by all means stay obd0 and save some money.

OBD0: for this example lets assume you are installing a 90-91 b18a1. because you are staying obd0 you only need an obd0 dizzy and the obd0 ecu. no extra wiring is needed. if you were running a b16 with a pw0 or pr3 ecu then you would have to run wiring for an extra o2 sensor, vtec solenoid, and vtec pressure switch.

ODB1: now lets assume you are installing a 92-93 obd1 b18a1. you will need either an obd1 pr4 or p75, and an obd1 distributor. the newer dizzy will not plug into your stock harness. you can hardwire it, or you will need an obd0 to obd1 adapter. the ecu will also not plug into your cabin harness. so get yourself an obd0 to obd1 ecu jumper harness. the cabin harness plugs into one side of the jumper, and the ecu plugs into the other side. easy as pie to install. you will then have to connect the subharness wires to there appropriate sensors. if you buy a cheap kit you will find a mess of wires and have to determine where each one goes. however if you purchase a kit from rywire for example, the subharness is already wired into the connectors you need. run those into the engine bay and hook them up. for the ls you will find a 4 wire o2 sensor connector. if you were installing a gsr though then you would also find wires for vtec and for the iabs (secondary butterflies). here is what i would recommend using
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Injectors It doesn't matter what obd# your ecu and dizzy are, the injectors are independant of that. if you are using obd0 peak and hold type injectors, then keep the resistor box as is. if you are using obd1/2 saturated injectors however, the box must be deleted. this consists of physically removing the box, and then soldering all the wires that go to it together. There is NO benefit of going to the newer style other then the fact that they are newer and less likely to malfunction. for people considering boost in the future keep in mind that most larger injectors are peak/hold and will require a resistor box.


So.. do i stay OBD0 or convert to OBD1? so at this point you're likely pondering about which route to go. If your engine choice has an obd0 ecu that will run it properly then by all means go that route and save some money. If your engine does not have an obd0 ecu that will run it properly, then obd1 it is. for people contemplating obd0 setups, keep in mind that tuning is basically non-existent on that platform. if that's something you will need the capability to do in the future, then definitely consider obd1.




now on to..




Parts Needed:


Engine: you could pick up a b18a1(ls) for a few hundred on craigslist, or spend a couple thousand on a type r swap from hmotors. whichever route you go try to make sure the engine you get is in good running shape. it would be quite upsetting to complete your swap only to determine the engine is garbage.


Transmission: If you like longer gearing grab yourself an ls trans from a b18a1. if you like shorter gearing consider a b16 or gsr trans. and if you want lsd get yourself a type r tranny. you of course have the option to install lsd in a trans not so equipped. if you want lower highway cruising rpm consider a hybrid short geared trans with an ls 5th gear. If you do get a tranny that is operated hydraulically you will need to either convert your car to use hydro clutch lines, or more easily, convert the trans to accept your stock clutch cable. this can be done quite easily. innovative has a decent kit, and hasport has a nicer one.
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Axles and intermediate shaft You have the choice of using 90-93 integra axles and intermediate shaft, or 94-01 teg/99-00 civic si axles and intermediate shaft. an int. shaft from the older style teg will not work with the driver side axle from a new teg/civic. the intermediate shaft on the da teg is female where as on the newer teg/civic it is male. the passenger side axles are interchangeable though. try to get non-abs axles, although axles with the abs ring will still work the same. make sure the intermediate shaft you use came from a vehicle that had a 5spd. if you try to use an auto shaft on your 5spd car, it will not fit or bolt to the block.


Shift linkages You can either get a pre-made b-series into ed linkage, or use 90-93 teg linkages and shorten them to fit. hasport, avid, eBay, etc all offer the pre-made custom linkages.


Motor mounts hasport, avid, eBay, etc all offer mounts for a b-series engine into an ed chassis. prices and quality vary but they all get the job done. take note that b-series swaps in the ed chassis will not use either of the lower torque mounts, or the front trans mount.
-something to keep in mind. when installing a 94 and newer engine you will find the post mount to be different than the older style. (this is the part with the studs in it that bolts to the side of your block) your driverside motor mount, unless designed for the newer engine, will not work. you will need a post mount from a 90-93 integra.


Coolant hoses 92 gsr, trim to fit for the upper hose, and 90 integra hose for the lower radiator hose, also trim to fit. now although i'm sure that probably works, there is nothing wrong with using the stock d-series lower hose and trimmed ls upper hose. whatever you can get to fit and work without leaking will be fine.
-note: stock full size radiator and fan will cool a b-series engine perfectly. no upgrade necessary


Fuel the stock fuel pump, lines, injectors, etc will run any stock b-series swap perfectly fine. no upgrades or changes necessary.


Intake the stock d-series short ram or cai works fine with the b-series engine. no upgrades or changes necessary.


Exhaust the b-series header flange will most likely not line up with the flange on your d-series catalytic converter. in order to make it fit you will need to cut off and reweld either the header flange or cat flange so that it sits at the appropriate angle. if not that, then you will have to run something like a blox adjustable test pipe.



Small things
-if converting to obd1 i recommend highly using the obd1 map on the throttle body. an obd0 firewall mounted map would work just fine however.
-90-93 integra rear transmission bracket (must be from manual trans vehicle)
-90-93 integra throttle cable
-retain the stock clutch cable
-A new clutch. don't reuse an old one, they're not that expensive. buy a new one or resurface your flywheel before installing a new clutch.




Other bits of useful info


-CRX HF and Civic STD hubs will not work with b-series axles. If your car is an hf or std then you will need to swap to different knuckles from a dx,ex, or si 4th gen civic/crx

-some people, including myself, have ran into problems with the stock crank pulley hitting the radius rod. If your car is lowered you may run into this problem. myself and many others have fixed this problem by running a ctr n1 pulley. it basically removes the ribs for a/c and p/s. i think another company might offer a similar pulley that would fix the problem also, but it has the internal damper like the stock pulley and is a lot more expensive. the last option would be to somehow alter the radius rod so as not to hit the crank pulley.

-Clearance must be made for the alternator to fit. i've heard that you can just use a smaller belt and it won't be a problem but i can't verify this personally. in order to make room for the alternator pulley and keep it from rubbing on the chassis you have to beat in an area of the frame rail. you should see a square shaped hole and the area you are looking to alter is about 2 inches below that.
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-it's a good idea to remove the dust covers from the back side of the spindle. it gives the axles just a little bit more room to move and helps prevent binding at the cv joints.

dust ring post removal pictured here
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-if you are installing a newer engine its quite possible the coolant fan switch will no longer be on the back of the block. if it's there you'll see this green 2 prong connector. and that's where you will plug back in your stock fan wires.
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if you see this instead. wires, but no where to put them.
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then you need to extend those wires over to the thermostat, and splice on an appropriate connector.
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i think that about does it