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dang.. took us about 4 hours but we finally got it done... dont trust what everyone else says u need.. u dont need the ECU from an EX to convert over.. heres what u will need if you want to avoid getting an ECU from an EX and reflashing ur key

EX vtec head with solenoid
ex head gasket
and a vafc2

basically if you never have done a head swap before i highly suggest u take it to a shop to do it. we ran into i hiccup after completion cause i had some air bubbles in the coolant but we took care of that in about 10 minutes.. make sure u disconnect the battery before doing the the vafc install


and heres a picture of the cover taken off



so here is what the dx head looks like when its off




heres a picture of the ex head.. notice the hanging blue wire.. thats the vtec wire and solenoid...



heres the vafc2 controller.. this is the only way to bypass getting an ECU from an EX and getting your key reflashed




now heres the trick to wiring your ecu.. solder everything and no crimping.. i got a gas powered one so i dont have to worry about running extension cords


(EDITED 8/21/04)
now while wiring the vafc2...

first tape off or cap the blue VTM wire cause u will not be using that... also tape off or cap the purple VTEC wire cause u will not be using that either (the DX/LX does not come with a VTEC solenoid signal from the ECU).... also tape the orange wire cause there is no VTC cam signal.. and for other people that are also running the VAFC2 on there EX's we do have a TDC wire on our cars... it would be on pin 26 on the first harness to the left... then follow the installation instructions according to the vafc2 manual using diagram H7-a and dont worry about the other DIY mentioned in another topic thats says to buy a diode.. dont need it... now all u gotta do is finish up ur head install.. as soon as thats done.. remember that blue wire hanging from the EX head.. well cut off the clip

and hard wire it (see the light green wire) from the engine bay into the car next to the ECU... then solder that wire to the pink wire from the vafc... almost there


clean up all ur wires and finish up anything under the hood... fill back ur oil.... add more antifreeze..and now ur car looks pretty much the same when u first started..

haha with the exception of the vtec solenoid and wire.. PLEASE NOTE that if u have had a DX intake then the place where it mounts has to be moved cause that bracket where it used to mount is now replaced with the vtec solenoid..

do the start up proceedures according to what the manual says for the vafc before starting the car... now as for me when i was done.. it took a few minutes before the car actually started... once it finally ran it idled pretty bad and fluctuated... then after a good 2 or 3 minutes the car ran perfectly fine.. my friend says the ecu is just adjusting to the new things we put on there... drove it around for an hour and set my vafc to kick the vtec from

Lo-->Hi at 4700
Hi-->Lo at 4000

just basic settings to get me started but its not even tuned yet and can feel the car pulling alot more when the vtec kicks in



hope this helps

 
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interesting

 
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Holy Mackerel!! Does this really work? Please update after a few days and let us know of any issues or probs encountered, etc. What do others think of this truly amazing aftermarket engineering? Is the convertion worth the cost if done by a shop? A used EX head shouldn't cost that much and it could be ported at same time. Hmmmm.

 
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imo, i dont think its worth it. But then again, it may be. Its original and its performance so i like it. Good job though

 
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well.. just got home from work..after we finished working on the car i had to get ready for work.. so drove to work.. now i am home and so far no problems.. works great..i got my used head complete for $200.. plus i was going to buy a SAFC but then i decided to just go ahead and buy the VAFC2 and go ahead with the swap.. gasket costed me $35 and labor was free of course cuz me and my friends did it.. just bought them dinner and some beers

 
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Good stuff X

 
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It would deffinitly be beneficial if you could keep a daily log for the next couple of weeks letting us know how this went. I'm not honda literate yet, but does the vtec solenoid get it's oil from ports in the head, or is there an oil line/return line, you have to run to the solenoid?

Thanks.

 
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Props man, smart way to get around a reflash and ecu. How much does Honda charge for a reflash, anyways?

 
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Acura charged me 180 bucks to reflash my ecu, i think it was booked as 2 hours of labor.

good job btw, it was a good idea to use the VAFC

 
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How does the vtec solenoid get oid?

 
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Mad props. What other mods do you have?

 
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it get oil from the return line in the ports.. theres no additonal line to wire or anything like that..

 
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my mods so far:
aem DX cold air intake
obx EX headers
obx full cat back exhaust
VAFC II


*Will be installed next week:
aem cam gear
aem pulley kit
bored TB

 
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props on all the works man. it may only add 5-10 whp, but i gotta give you credit for doin all that yourself.

 
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yea good job man

 
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For the money, prob around 550 including the vafc2, he prob has the best gain in hp per dollar for an na civic. I dont think an intake and vafc2 can produce the same gains... Make fun of the mod if you will, saying it's not worth it... but he has even more tuning capability now. Welcome to the world of VTEC my friend. You should feel it with boost haha

 
Rep Power: 297

dang.. its already 4 in the morning..haha.. well was out at the shop today and connected a a/f guage to the car.. come to find out as soon as the vtec kicks in the engine is not getting enough gas and running very lean... been fooling around with it for a while but as of now my settings are set at +10 @ 4800rpm and starts going down to + 6 @ 6000rpm and then +2 @ 6400rom (only on wide vtc).. this is temporary till i can get it to the dyno..check this out.. me and my friends went out for a drive.. one drives a 2002ex coupe SOHC(who also has a i/h/e and vafc2) and another that drives a 92 hatch DOHC(vafc also) we went for a drive and i wanted to test drive the 2002ex whos was dyno tuned... i dont know but my vtec kicked in harder than his.. way harder.. and we both have the vtec engagement set at the same... then i drove my friends 92hatch... his kicked in harder than mine.. but my vtec was more closer to how the dohc kicked in than the 2002ex... gotta do some research on this... i am stumped on it but gonna do more tests tomorrow

 
Rep Power: 297

pretty good on how the cost... heres how much it cost me

head-200
gasket-35
vafc2-200
installation-priceless(lol.. did it myself)

spent about $435 or so.. give or take.. just gotta pick up an 02 simulator (about $20) tomorrow cuz i have no cat so it throwing the code "cat converter is inefficent"

 
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damn.. to sticky a thread costs 3500points.. shesh

 
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i have a 2003 dx/lx 1.7l engine. do you know where i can get the civic vtec head by any chance? if i dont use the afc thing i have to set my comp to diff settings? can i use te same comp?and do i have to change anything else? teh head gasket i know of.


thanks

obx racing header....ne1 know where i can buy it 03 dx/lx?

 
Rep Power: 297

dang went down to the tracks today to get some time slips but got rained in today...oh well.. to answer ur question... i got mines from a friend who works at honda.. they took it off a car with only 1500 miles on it... but u can probably check ur local junkyards to find one.. just make sure u get the valve, springs, and cam shaft with it..u will also need a head gasket...but if u decide not to use the vafc2 (gotta be vafc2 cuz u need it to turn on the vtec) then u will then have to get the ECU from an EX.. then bring the car down to honda... have them install and reflash the ecu and keys so u can start the car... then have them (or u can do it urself) wire the VTM and VTEC wires cause the wireharness on the DX/LX does not have those wires running...

 
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what area are you located at? i got rained out too haha

 
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alright sounds good. My car is a lease so im not sure if that will void my warranty..... if they install it for me and its all genuine honda parts you think my warranty will still be voided?

 
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i live in las vegas.. went down there and there was a police car telling everyone to turn around

well... not to sure on that one.. but if the honda dealership does it all and uses genuine honda parts for everything.. i dont see why not.. call honda and talk to the service guys to find out for sure..

 
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good job! posted ur honda-tech article in another thread in the tech section!

 
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anyone got an extra EX head lying around somewhere?

 
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nice job, hope no problems come up

 
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so far so good.. checked oil and coolant.. there fine.. also pulled the cover to check inside and also pulled the vtec solenoid to check that too.... all is in working order.. still gotta get it to the dyno though...

(p.s.- anyone wanna donate 2500 points )

 
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Very nice DYI. I have been looing for info on how to do this.

 
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Props for doing this yourself man! Reminds me of my 2nd gen Integra days when you could do an LS/Vtec swap.. Great DIY though!