Just starting out (looking to build a highway MPG machine - '88-91 honda CRX?)

[scivicblu83]

the crx is the way to go, great milage and handles like a go cart. ive had at least 12 hondas. any civic/crx questions let me know if i can help these might interest you. TREMENDOUS MILEAGE HONDA
Crx hf 50mpg
Honda : CRX HF in Honda | eBay Motors
1991 Honda Civic Crx
1990 Honda CRX HF - Rust Free! No Good Offer Refused!!!
1990 Honda CRX HF - Rust Free! No Good Offer Refused!!!

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

This has been a point of confusion for me: I have seen claims online that the pre-1992 D-series engines did not have hydraulic transmissions, and I have seen it claimed that they did. Which is it?

My '91 Civic has a cable clutch.

[scivicblu83]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

This has been a point of confusion for me: I have seen claims online that the pre-1992 D-series engines did not have hydraulic transmissions, and I have seen it claimed that they did. Which is it?

from 1988-2000 any d series engine and trans will go together, you will possibly have to use the correct clutch and fly wheel to make them work. also 1988-1991 had different engine and trans mounting points in the engine bay, but if you have the mounts for the car you are using, the d series engine and transmissions have all the same bolt holes so you can put any 88-00 engine/trans into it.

1988-1991 cars had cable operated clutches, 1992 and on had hydraulic clutches. this is a kit that allows you to put a hydraulic trans into a cable style car; Hasport D/B/H/K-series Hydro Transmission Lever Assembly 88-91 Honda Civic/CRX - JDM Honda Parts USA - JHPUSA. it depends on how much wrench and junk yard time you want to put into it.

the d-series engines are great way to go because with very little variation all the mounting holes on blocks and trans are the same. i took a TBI obd0 1991 civic hatch, put a obd 1 ecu in it to run a mid 90's MPFI obd 1 vtec engine with an ebay aluminum flywheel and an ebay header, and a 1998 intake manifold. mix and match is the name of the game.

[02ws6]

What would one be willing to pay for a '90hf with a D15Z1/HF trans with a new front end and new red paint job?

I've come across some good deals lately and am gonna rebuild a car much like the one in my build thread.. This car will not have rear interior but will look good on the outside.. I don't have to hunt the parts down since they've all kinda fell in my lap and this build should go ALOT quicker than the last one..

[scivicblu83]

hard to say on the price. 2000 + or - depending on the mileage on the engine and transmission, since you could build a crx from a shell with a jdm engine and trans for not much more.the d15z1 engine employs vtec (variable valve timing) and lean burn, both of which need a specific ecu and wiring that the hf didn't have originally which could be added to make the extra features functional. any one have some better info?

[02ws6]

Originally Posted by scivicblu83

hard to say on the price. 2000 + or - depending on the mileage on the engine and transmission, since you could build a crx from a shell with a jdm engine and trans for not much more.the d15z1 engine employs vtec (variable valve timing) and lean burn, both of which need a specific ecu and wiring that the hf didn't have originally which could be added to make the extra features functional. any one have some better info?

Ill probably have double that in my swap Im doing now.. Granted, that everything is new (0miles) and the car will be great when on the road.. In my area people try to sell stock Si's with rust and a blown headgasket for $2500.

I was really curious what this car sold for since it would be the only real comparison..

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ral-21498.html


Sorry to send the thread off track but I spent almost 1.5years to find a decent D15Z1 and hf trans in my area-ish along with all the other necessities to make my first decent car.. Now I have ALL the parts for the second one and I don't plan to keep it...

[02ws6]

Just so I can contribute...

Originally Posted by some_other_dave

All I know is that every CRX originally came from the factory with a cable-operated clutch. I don't know if that was also true for the other Civic-based cars.

-soD

This is correct. All D-series transmissions went to a hydraulic slave cylinder clutch in 1992-2000.

Originally Posted by some_other_dave

You can DIY on the harnesses and such, or there are several retailers that can help. For more $$, of course. I think the guys at Rywire : can get you a wiring harness, but it does come at a cost.

The HF transmission (be sure it's an HF one, the 88-91 CRX/Civic transmissions are tough to tell apart from the outside!) and the CRX chassis are built to go together. The trans should bolt up to any D-series engine as far as I know. I'm not sure if the mounts on the Y5 are the same as the ones on the A6/etc. If so, then you're golden.

The drive axles in the HF, and the hubs and brakes, are different from the other CRXes. They're lighter-duty and lighter-weight. I think the regular axles will plug into the HF trans, but I am not certain. If they do, then use whatever axles go with the chassis (and therefore hubs and brakes) of the car you get.

The guys at CRX Community Forum • Index page have a lot of knowledge of these cars. You could do worse than looking around there for a while.

-soD

Since most all D-series engines are the same you will need the engine mounts to fit the chassis. The CRX chassis code is "ED" but the 88-91 civic "EF" will also work. The 92-95 civic is referred to as an "EG" and the 96-2000 is "EK". The engine mounts will be different and will not work. The biggest trick to making the mounts work is to make sure and get the hard metal mount that bolts directly to the block on the timing belt side. You'll also wind up trimming the timing belt cover to make it work.. No biggie..

The major differences in the HF is the lighter hubs which do use smaller axles. The transmission side of the axle is the same on all D-series transmissions but again you need axles to fit the chassis.

I thought I might run into an issue with using the D15Z1 flywheel and a CRX Si clutch. But honda did it again and turns out all the disc diameters are 210mm..

Minus the wiring, there is nothing really needed to be customized for this swap.. Its a basic plug and play kind of deal. Now ask me why I've taken almost 2 years on mine and Im not quite sure I could answer you.. lol.. Finding all these parts and the car is gonna be quite the task.. From my own experience, try not to buy an empty shell.. You'll pretty much get nickle and dimed to get all the parts required. In NC. If youre gonna look for a decent looking car expect to pay about $2500 range.. As long as the quarter panels are dent and rust free you'll be set.

Also take note of the differences in year models... Some of it may or may not be important to you..

CRX Community Forum • View topic - 88-91 USDM Crx Differences


Pay attention to the weights and the mounting of the seatbelts...
The 88 CRX is kind of a black sheep in many areas..

I personally wanted a 90-91 Si because of the sunroof and 4wheel disc brakes and the interior looks better than the 88-89 IMO..


Good luck hunting! If I put my 3rd CRX together in time maybe I can sell it to ya! lol...

And to add... Just because Im trying to sell one.. lol.. You CAN put a 92-2000 hydraulic clutch transmission in a CRX... But the cost of doing this is very ineffective IMO.. There are companies out there that make the hardware to do this though....

http://hasport.com/store/index.php/m...-ef/efdhc.html

[BBrown7888]

I wouldn't feel right spending more then $3,500 on car thats over 20 years old. I have the time, patience and mechanical skills to buy one with a blown motor and replace everything myself for around $3,000. And not to say the paint job isn't important but I'll be doing body modifications so when I'm done it will have to be painted anyway.

[some_other_dave]

Originally Posted by 02ws6

I thought I might run into an issue with using the D15Z1 flywheel and a CRX Si clutch. But honda did it again and turns out all the disc diameters are 210mm..

There are differences. At least some of the 88s had a different spline count on the input shaft of the transmission. So the clutch disk has to match that. I have heard rumors of some sort of diameter difference between the 88-89 and the 90-91 cars, but I haven't actually done research into it. I was only interested in my 1990 at the time.

-soD

[arcosine]

Make sure you get the 49 state version CRX HF and not the California one.