Regearing my Honda (1994 Del Sol VTEC)

[theunchosen]

The 02 fix will get him just with conservative driving(slow accel and light DWB/DWL, with very little engine on coasting and very little route optimization) will get him to around 30-35 the trans will net him about 3-5 mpg depending where he spends his time. Between O2(if thats the problem, it sounds likely if its not that its a rusted out section of exhaust) and trans he will net a total improvement of 10 mpg, which is about right.

I went from 25-35 by replacing exhaust piping with non-falling apart assembly, getting much lighter wheels and tires(14s) and driving conservatively. My wheels are lighter I'm pretty sure as his look stock and mine are after market alloys, but that trans swap will make a huge difference. It ought to be more fun to drive too. The Del Sol overpowers its 1st and 2nd and is just about right for 3rd just a scratch short and then its terribly short in 4rth and 5th.

With a trans taller all the way through you own't have to shift so quickly if you want to go fast(it really does hurt you, I've had it supercharged and I had to start in second or it was stutter step 1st-2nd).

[Shortie771]

Originally Posted by MadisonMPG

24 plus said O2 malfunction= 38+5ish for trans = 43
19mpg improvement.

Really you think it will do that much to replace the o2 sensor and do a trans swap? Well i hope so, but i dont see how you got the 38... Im thinking that may be a typo because my combined highway/city FE should be about 28. so if thats a typo the real math would be (24 +o2 = 28 +5 for trans = 33). So was that a typo?

[Shortie771]

Originally Posted by theunchosen

The 02 fix will get him just with conservative driving(slow accel and light DWB/DWL, with very little engine on coasting and very little route optimization) will get him to around 30-35 the trans will net him about 3-5 mpg depending where he spends his time. Between O2(if thats the problem, it sounds likely if its not that its a rusted out section of exhaust) and trans he will net a total improvement of 10 mpg, which is about right.

I went from 25-35 by replacing exhaust piping with non-falling apart assembly, getting much lighter wheels and tires(14s) and driving conservatively. My wheels are lighter I'm pretty sure as his look stock and mine are after market alloys, but that trans swap will make a huge difference. It ought to be more fun to drive too. The Del Sol overpowers its 1st and 2nd and is just about right for 3rd just a scratch short and then its terribly short in 4rth and 5th.

With a trans taller all the way through you own't have to shift so quickly if you want to go fast(it really does hurt you, I've had it supercharged and I had to start in second or it was stutter step 1st-2nd).

Ok when i was outside earlier i peeked my head under the car and didnt see any rust, so im pretty sure its my o2 sensor causing the problem. Yes my wheels are stock 14s. I do think a trans swap will definitly make it easier to drive, i hate that right now with my short gears going from a full stop then turning out into traffic i have to shift to 2nd while im turning or it would crank up those rpm's higher than i would like. So yeah i see the benefits of an all around taller trans. Oh on a side note i looked under my hood today (im not even sure why) and im glad i did. My car is a salvage title it had a front passanger side crash and was repaired and re-sold. I noticed some numbers on the engine they said D16Z6 which i remember is a Honda Del Sol Si engine while the VTEC has a B16A3 but my valve cover says VTEC on it so im thinking i got ripped off and ended up with a Del Sol Si engine with a VTEC valve cover...

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by Shortie771

I realize i should be getting better than 24mpg and i used to get somewhere in the 30's (i got 38mpg when i took a trip to florida in november)

That is the post where I got 38 from.


You wouldn't happen to be in Decatur AL?

[theunchosen]

I was going to mention that the VTEC 94s are rare. They crop up more often in the 95, 96 and 97 models but not so much in the 94.

What most likely happened was the engine was toast and they found a donor and dropped it in from a civic. The VTEC actually gets worse mileage than the SOHC model(mine). Don't feel cheated, its more like lucky.

This actually happens alot, because I see people come in with non-stock junk parts all the time from where someone else owned it first and did a crap repair job of ramming something in.

Also you want to yank all that cloth fabric material in the trunk out. Your trunk seals will leak if they don't now and there is no way to avoid it. Its the flat trunk design water pools around it and seaps in overnight or if you are driving when you turn or something it pushes it over the top. Also its not airtight or really even close so in the winter if it frosts it can frost on the trunk lid and then drip down. If there is nothing there for it to stick to it dries up otherwise it smells moldy. Also its extra weight that consumes trunk space.

[Shortie771]

Yeah i figured thats what had happened and at first i was kinda annoyed by it but its ok cause the Si engine gets better gas milage than the VTEC anyway so its ok. Oh thanks for the heads up on the trunk fabric but right now mine is doing great, no leaks yet but if i ever smell something moldy now ill know where to check and fix it. Hey has your targa top ever leaked i realize thats a common problem and my passanger side drips a little in heavy rain, have any ideas on how to fix that?

BTW MadisonMPG, no im in Decatur TX

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by Shortie771

BTW MadisonMPG, no im in Decatur TX

Ah I see.

[theunchosen]

Yeah the top leaks. They all do it. Its on the passenger side always as well.

The problem is the seals wear out from the targa top being slid on and off and closing the doors with the top on presses on the seals.

You just need new ones. Unfortunately Honda knows its the only one that wears out and charges I think about 60 bucks for them.

[Shortie771]

Ah that sucks. Hey well hey about the transmission, since found out the other day that i actually have a Honda Del Sol Si engine (the D16Z6) would the Integra LS tranny still work for me or not?

[theunchosen]

I think it still works. The teg engine bay layout is the exact same and some of the parts are duplicates rebadged. I'm not sure about the shift linkage though. I suspect. . . I suspect you own't be able to use it. I feel like its going to be very unlikely that all the tolerances were close enough that the linkage will plug and play.

The upshot is its almost plug and play with the whole transmission otherwise. I assume you have access to very stable supports for your car(not the spindle crank jacks for tire changing). If thats the case you can pop her up and take a look at see what the linkage looks like hooked to your transmission and then look at the LS.

You might need the LS's linkage. . . Checking the Honda forums it looks like you might be able to get away with the VTEC linkage. . .which you might and or might not have depending if they swapped the trans out or if thats stock.

P.S. on the inside panel of the driverside is the VIN. You can look up the vin codes and it will tell you what the chassis is. You can also look up the one on the engine to be sure what it is. The trans is not as convenient.