By kelly (152.163.207.201) on Thursday, August 09, 2001 - 05:26 pm:

ok heres what im dealing with, im somewhat new to the old school civics and im buying a 78 for 300 bucks, it has the eb3 and a 4 speed manual. anyways, my friend has done work to it but its time for him to sell it.
the dipstick shows oil and water mixing, is this a head gasket, water pump or worse? it also needs new shocks/struts and ive been reading posts on parts swaping so im not totally lost.
my question is: is the head or cylinders prone to cracking and while im there what machine work should i do, im looking into a rebuild with hopes for speed. i would like to know what luck anybody has had with the aftermarket or engine swaps also.

By kelly (64.12.101.182) on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 06:09 am:

anybody out there?

By errol (152.163.213.52) on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 07:26 am:

You know, It's funny. I think people aren't answering because you can probably go back to when the board started and find out all your answers. (but that would take a looong time, and heck, new people are checking out this site every day!) But if anyone gives they're opinion on what you should do, you always have someone who thinks they're way is better. So here goes.... The early civics (really all hondas had a overheating problem(s) with the thermosensors going bad in the radiator or (even the thermostat)head and the fan doesn't come on and you overheat (crack or warp a head)or blow a headgasket. Now depending on your time and money,(if you have both!and another car to drive) pull the engine and tranny (if you live in "the city" and don't need a fifth gear, keep the 4spd. otherwise get a fivespd from a 80 civic 1300 that shows a GJxxxxxxx on the serial number 'tape' down by the shifter cable bracket) Try to find a early 80's 1300 engine for the rotating assembly (crank/rods/flywheel)have a 'good' machineshop to bore/hone the block for oversize pistons and pressure check the head for cracks. If good, have them pocket port and 'deck' it and a good 3 angle valve job. Get a NEW cam (and check the rockers for bad wear,replace) or have yours reground to the specs you need-- (another thread) don't forget to get new rod bolts also!......Take time and put it all together slow checking and cleaning everything and put the drivetrain back in. Try and find a weber carb (32/36) and adapt it to the stock intake. Check the distributor and get a CRANE XR 700 universal electronic ignition from JC Whittney and replace the points check the vacume advance can on the distributor, get the timing right and see if it starts!....NO it's not that easy! That's just the engine! and I'm running out of room. You can email me for more confusion if you want. Expect to pay around 700-1000.00 (DON'T CHEAT YOUSELF ON CRAP PARTS, if done well it's gonna run for another 20something years!) Now watch, here they come!

By Don (209.181.52.91) on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 08:00 am:

"Now watch, here they come!" A little paranoid, Errol?
Very good post! I would use a pertronix ignitor to replace the points with, 69.95 from Summit and never change points again.

By kelly (152.163.207.179) on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 09:33 pm:

thanks for the help, im 25, and not new to working on cars but ive been a chevy 350 guy for most of my youth, anyways the help with years and specs is great, also any suggestion will not go unquestioned, ive been looking at the early 80s prelude swap threads and that might be the way for me to go, theres a wrecked 85 that is only 400 bucks for sale near me. ive got a MSD 6al from my van that im planning to reuse but i still havent taken delivery of the honda, its still in my friends backyard. i will go to the scrapyards sometime next week, but thanks for all the help

By errol (205.188.200.166) on Monday, August 13, 2001 - 07:25 am:

Theeeeeey're Heeeeeaaarr! Only kiddn. Yeah I guess I'm paranoid to an extent! I had a pertronics setup on my 914 and i toasted it (from what i think the wiring directions were a little vague) and Porsche wiring is just goofy. Anyhow as soon as the key was turned...(smoke check!!) That lovely smell eminated from the cap. The Crane setup was 3wires (Great diagrams) and I was up and running!....A Chevy man eh? The Honda work feeds my disease for Chevys. Got a 72 monte with a twisted headed 406/2004r waiting to go in this fall, should be around 430hp/400tq (according to the desktop dyno) (Don't want to get tooo far off track, but if you need 4/2 bolt blocks or heads ect.. let me know) .......You may want to think about the 85. Have you ever looked at all those vacume lines??? Measure between the frame rails/Channel supports on both cars and see if you're gonna have to do 'axle work' to center the assembly and from firewall to fan motor so your exhaust isnt right up to toast the fan motor. Now if you can get a Weber conversion and get away from all the vacume lines that's great!..And if it all looks good, do a clutch job and replace the front and rear seals, oil pan gasket and shifter seal while you have it out so you won't be like me and 'drip' everywhere you park. by the way where do you live?

By Don (209.181.52.97) on Monday, August 13, 2001 - 05:58 pm:

AH, You guys are messing with the wrong American car brand!

Here you go, Fully street legal, stock interior except for a rollbar and a shift light. 351W, auto, 4.10 gear 11.80s -1/4 mile spining the street tires and running mufflers (no nitrous or forced induction).
I built it from a shell I found in a field, and sold it to a friend so I could try messing around with Honda 1200's.
Glad I could sent you guys straight

By Don (209.181.52.97) on Monday, August 13, 2001 - 06:02 pm:

http://www.rvi.net/~dforeman/must.html
Look here instead.
I don't know why but I could not upload a mini 8kb picture!

By kelly (64.12.104.48) on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 04:16 am:

hey errol, i heard the "E" series motors just swap right in with minimal mods, but thats just what ive read around here. anyways i might look around to see if other motors will swap easier, i figured if im going to have to rebuild the 78 motor i might as well throw in a bigger motor, (i like torque) anyways, im trying to sell my 2000 civic so i can really get the ball rollin on this project...my 78 chevy van was a hauler too, it had a 350 with edelbrock carb, intake, cam, headers, flowmasters, etc. oh yeah i live in richmond, va. thanks for your help

By errol (152.163.213.62) on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 07:24 am:

Don, sorry to see you blew a headgasket in the second pic (LOL) Only kidding, Ever since I started working on things on our farm, we always had sooo much problems with fords, we were ALWAYS WORKING ON THEM so i stayed away from them. But i did port a couple sets GT40 heads. one for a customer that knocked off 3 tenths, and then a friend with a Mastercraft that kept eating cams (found out to be the Block)........ Kelly, the e series engines will fit all right 'but' the spark plugs will be hitting the radiator the 1200's were about 4" shorter in the front. Anyhow, stick with the 1200 and make a stroker with the 1300 EJ rotating assembly or I've tried a EM1 1500(80-83) crank in a 1200 block and it looks like it will work with only minimal machine work to the maincap saddle because of the counterwieghts hitting the oil galleys. But if you were to shave some metal off of a couple of the throws and the Main oil galley on bottom!!!?. (I stopped there because I had other pressing projects) Now for this, one would have to figure out which honda rod and custom pistons would work. Or a 1500 flat top with a bushed 1300 rod end so you would have a big bore and short stroke! (like a 377 chevy, High revin big bore) Darn..I just might try this! Again, stick with the 1200 motor