3G TECH

1984 to 1987 CIVIC/CRX

What fits:

Bolt in:

• 1.6L DOHC D16A1 from 86-89 Integra

Motor mount mods:

• Anything goes if you got the $$$$

Integra 1.6L

The 1st gen Integra motor pretty much bolts right in. You only need to modify one motor mount and it is a rather simple mod. And while getting the Integra engine, get the rear suspension, including the sway bar and disks. They all bolt on. If you have an Si, you can use the stock Si ecu or use the Integra ecu. The Integra ecu has a higher redline and a better fuel mixture, but the stock Si ecu works fine too. If you have a carbureted car using the Integra (or Si) ecu will be a pain in the ass. The fuel system in a carbureted car is not up to the task of supplying the EFI system, so everything from the gas tank forward needs to be upgraded. For the time and money required, you should think hard about an aftermarket computer like a Tech-II, DFI, or Motec. The fastest setup would be based on a non-sunroof equipped, formerly carbureted 84-85 Crx with an aftermarket computer controlling the Integra motor.

Grassroots did an install article (May/June 1996) detailing the motor swap, its advantages and likely pitfalls. SCC and Grassroots (Mar/April 1996) have detailed the rear brake conversion.

A step by step guide to the motor swap, by Wes Grammer.

What about A/C?

If your car already has A/C, you can use either the Civic or Integra compressor. They both fit well, but you should read the Grassroots article and Wes' article for more on this. If you don't have A/C, you should be able to swap over everything from the donor Integra if its available. Get the radiator too.

The Integra motor can be built up similarly to the 2nd gen 1.8L DOHC Integra motor. And of course the DOHC head means it can be tuned for horsepower better than the SOHC motors. The pistons and rods are also stronger on this motor, so it should be able to handle more NOS, or boost. But be careful, since most of these motors are getting pretty old.

B16, B18, B22 Power

Everything from the B16A to the Prelude VTEC motor has been stuffed into the 3G Civic/CRX. It will take serious fabrication and likely serious money, but pretty much anything can be made to fit. Since the base weight is lower than the 4G Civics, a very potent package is possible. Its all custom and one-off, so there is not much to detail here. If your interested, call you local shops and see what they've done, or try it yourself.