1stgen D16A3 swap 1978 Honda Civic CVCC

Gregoyo1 · Post by **Gregoyo1** » January 18th, 2010, 2:55 am

I have a 1978 Honda Civic CVCC that im truely in love with!! i have a rebuilt cvcc 1500 w .040 flat top pistons, weber carburetor, ignitor electric distributor and flame thrower coil blah blah blah..

Thing is i"ve grown tired of my outdated powerplant and have come across an 88 integra (for dirt cheap) that has the stock running D16A3 config + 17yr owner!!

My question is how difficult will the D16a3 to ed3 complet swap be? How much $$ will i have to invest? I have all the hardware needed right?

I know i need to spend $$
-fabricating the mounts
-modify axles
-shift linkage
What am i missing??
Any advise or direction will be greatly appriciated.

I've done lots of researchs through this site and finally decided to join. It is a big decision for me to do this swap. Do able is great and thanks again

though im sure its been done before i dont think ive run into much info on d16a3 dohc swaps here.. Hope to get guidence cause im about to but the integra doner.. (especially for $500)

Civic79 · Post by **Civic79** » January 21st, 2010, 10:14 am

klyph did the a1, which is basically the same. and i also started doing the a1. Motor wise it fits fine. Takes the standard issue 1st gen modifications. I find it to be a pretty simple swap.

Since you have the entire donor car, yes basically you have everything you need except for the parts that will have to be custom. Best way to learn is to commit and go for it! and learn along the way. not including the cost of the car, you can easily expect to spending another grand finishing the swap.

Gregoyo1 · Post by **Gregoyo1** » January 25th, 2010, 11:52 pm

I finally bought the 88 integra today!! I have the title and keys and will be towing home tmro! I test ran it today for a bit and she still got some power left in her. With a 7000rpm redline the car is very fun to drive too. It has the D16A1 w 5speed transmission. I cant believe the shape of the car too!! The guy who sold it to me was the second owner a has treated it well for the past 17 of owning. the engine bay, engine and transmission looks amazing, and cake free.

All i need to do (hopefully) is replace the water pump. the seller told me (as if overnight) the car started running hot but he never let overheat. No oil in the coolant or visa versa. No coolant smelling exhaust too plus the engine runs too well. The owner said he didnt want to pay a mechanic $400+ for a new timing belt and water pump lol i'm happy i can do these repairs myself for the price of the parts

I'll post pics tmro

Gregoyo1 · Post by **Gregoyo1** » January 27th, 2010, 1:58 am

I got the integra to my garage and even better i fixed the overheating problem with a thermostat lol!! I got stuck with a broken thermostat housing bolt for a few hours but i got it out. Easy jobs go that way alot. now she runs a little on the colder side but no complaints here. Im not sure where to start with the swap. i guess a few drags down the block w no plates and I'll start pulling the engine? Or maybe get some $$ saved up before i commit...

Here is some pics of my virgin integra

Gregoyo1 · Post by **Gregoyo1** » January 27th, 2010, 2:01 am

Here is my 1978 CVCC Civic Sitting on 18"s Not so good for the fenders!!

Gregoyo1 · Post by **Gregoyo1** » February 7th, 2010, 1:51 am

pulled out the engine and transmission

im getting worried about the wiring harness and ecu.. I havent cut 1 wire yet but i really dont know how im going to go about intalling it all in my civic..
I've been told i have to merge it with the harness thats already in the cvcc..
Am I going to have to install the integra gauge cluster and pull the original?

Gregoyo1 · Post by **Gregoyo1** » February 15th, 2010, 5:24 am

I came around to pull the wiring on this project and all i could bring myself to do was disconnect and marked everything needed to expose the whole car's wiring.

I pulled the front seats, carpet, dash, sterring wheel, pedals and all.

No wire has been cut yet but i really dont know if i can trace out the circuits i dont need and deleted/pull them (Like CRUISE CONTROL, POWER STEERING, SUN ROOF ETC) leaving me with the essentials needed to run the powerplant.. Never done this big of a wire job before..

Gregoyo1 · Post by **Gregoyo1** » February 15th, 2010, 5:26 am

This is gonna be a huge job!!
Any advise will be greatly appriciated!!

Gregoyo1 · Post by **Gregoyo1** » February 15th, 2010, 5:26 am

PRAY FOR ME!!

Gregoyo1 · Post by **Gregoyo1** » February 15th, 2010, 5:28 am