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hey, im doing an ex head swap on my 04 vp. and i had a few questions, i am planning on getting an aem ems, so i dont want to deal with the vafc2. i would rather just do a legit swap using the ex electricals, but that is the problem, what do i need?

 
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are you going to turbo? if not, why deal with ems? if you dont want to use a vafc2, you need the engine harness from an ex and the ex ecu. pretty straight forward.

 
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pretty expensive too, but whatever floats your boat.

 
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just depends where u get it form. i mean a vtec head can be as cheap as 100 and getting a used vafc2 maybe 150...not that bad for 10 HP considering all the other mods that get u 2-3hp

 
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Price out the ecu and engine harness, thats the number I was talking about.

 
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I am planning on going turbo in the next couple of months. so i dont want to deal with the vafc2 and then the ems. if i was going na then id just use the vafc2. so all i need is the ex ecu and wiring harness? i dont need the solenoid or anything?

 
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the solenoid is on the head. hopefully youre not ignorant enough to try to install the head without it if it isnt there. ex ecu and engine harness shouldnt be that exspensive. the ecu should be no more than 125 shipped and ive sold ex engine harnesses for around 40-50 shipped.

 
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your going to have a hard time finding a vafc2 new unless its off of ebay because they are discontinued. i ordered the new vtec controller from apexi which is called the neo. still controls vtec,air, fuel etc. got mine for 500 but im sure you could get it cheaper

 
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I have an EX MT ECU if you need one...let me know

 
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how much for the ecu? i will need one soon too

 
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ive got the head, gasket, ecu and solenoid right now. do i need the engine harness?

 
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why not just get the EMS and just hard wire the vtec from the ecu to the vtec solenoid instead of getting the whole ex harness.. cheaper IMO

 
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cheaper to get ems than a $50 engine harness? all you need is the engine harness from an ex and the ecu. youre lookin at a max of 200 bills. if you have the ex ecu, all you need now is the ex ENGINE harness only. i had one for an auto but i gave it away.

 
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I think xproductionz meant its much cheaper to hardwire the vafc to the solenoid/ecu for the head swap, and then if he really wants to play with the engine, get the EMS down the road- not making it a necessity for the head swap.

 
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i would do that, but i dont have the money right now. i would have to wait another couple of months to save up for the ems. should i just do that, because i cant find an engine harness for any less than $150. and i can get a vafc2 for $150, should i just forget the harness and ecu and temporarily use the vafc2 until i turbo my car and get the ems.

 
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https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...e-forsale.html

 
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ight guys so let me get this straight I own an 02' LX and want to do a EX head swap, so what i'm getting to is, what is everything i am going to need to get this project underway. Obviously im going to need the EX Head, Solenoid and this is where I need help. do I need the VFAC? EX ECU? Engine Harness? I'm in the dark here guys give me some advice...

 
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ive been trying to do the same thing as you. i originally wanted to do a complete ex swap (i.e. head, solenoid, harness and ecu.) but i did all the pricing and found it would be cheaper to buy the head, solenoid, and vafc2. everything should cost around $500 if you do that, or at least thats what i spent on everything. if you use the ex head, solenoid, harness and ecu, your looking at a few extra hundred dollars, plus whatever it is to get the key/ecu reflashed. however, if the ecu/harness path is much more reliable because its stock first of all, and you dont have to worry about the vafc2 being badly programmed. hope this helps

 
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To do an EX head swap you just need the head with the solenoid and a new head gasket.

You don't need the harness and ecu. If you change the ecu you have to enter the inmobilizer code with a scanner... And for the harness you just add around two wires, one for the VTEC and the other for the VTEC oil pressure.

Is easier to install a VAFC than swap an EX ECU and harness.

But maybe you don't have the money for the VAFC, so sell the EX ECU.

If you want you can activate the solenoid with an RPM switch or just an ON/OFF switch. My civic LX/VTEC is activated with an ON/OFF switch that is on the shifter.

 
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absolutely do not activate vtec with an rpm switch or any other type of switch. you need added fuel for vtec and an rpm switch isnt going to give you it. you will lean out and blow your motor. do it right. either run vtec with the lx ecu and a vafc2 and get it dyno tuned, or use the ex exu and harness and get it reflashed for your key. end of story. why do people drag this out when theres 45 answers in this thread and tons more all over the forum? this is where the mods need to come in and start locking threads.

 
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You only nedd:
-EX head with solenoid
-new head gasket
-ON/OFF switch
-relay (you can connect it directly to the battery, but must don't)
-wires (around 5-10 feet)

If you will swap the heads yourself you will need:
-basic mechanic tools (ratchets, sockets, wrenches, etc.)
-long "flat" (standard) screwdriver
-silicon (gasket maker grey)

P.S.
*The D17 is the easiest head swap for all the hondas, even easier than a d16.
*If your car have an EGR you should block the EGR passages with epoxy to avoid the exhaust gases to enter the intake manifold.

 
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You will not blown the ecu. The engine in your civic don't have that much power... Dreaming too much, so far...

Always is better to use some kind of tunning, but if you don't have the money do the head swap, enjoy the VTEC until you get anything to tune it.

 
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the EX have 12hp more than the LX/DX. Much of that power is beacause of more compression ratio and less friction on the valve train (the ex head have rollers instead of "pads").

The VTEC type on the D17 is for economy not for power. Just a little bit of more air will enter into the cylinder beacause a head swap.

P.S.
The ex ecu don't rise the compression ratio significatly, the EX pistons (PLR) do that.

 
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you just made absolutely no sense at all. i didnt say anything about blowing an ecu. i said if you dont add fuel you will lean out and blow the motor. you guys spend too mich time on h-t and read too many ricer mags. do it right or you will regret it down the road when youre puttin a new motor in your car. activating vtec with no additional fuel will result in a blown motor eventually. trust me. we have a dyno at our shop and i have an lx with a d17a2 still running on the lx ecu with a vafc2. before i added fuel, i was wicked lean. look at all the turbo guys that lean out and blow motors because they run a basemap for so long and never get tuned. theyre adding more air and not enough fuel. same thing with vtec, just a smaller scale. youre taking in more air while in vtec and if you dont have something to add fuel, lean=boom. now know what the **** youre talkin about and how to speak proper grammar before you try to call me out again.

 
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dude, youre ignorant. the ecu doesnt have an effect on compression ratios. theres only a .4:1 different in compression between the lx and ex.

 
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Hey guys thanx for the advice it really helped shed some lite on the topic and thats was the best answer i've received from anyone and i've been resarching it for almost 2weeks now

 
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Just got my EX head back from the local head shop I had them rebuild it and double-check everything to make sure it doesn't blow up on me hehe. I'll hopefully have it installed by the end of the month with my Vafc II woot! I finally get Vtec!

 
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i think your the ignorant one. if you read the post he said that the EX PISTONS are higher comp then the dx/lx pistons. he said nothing about the ecu changing the comp. how the f*ck can the ecu change comp?

 
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lol at thread!

I want an on off switch for my vtec...

It currently comes on all by it self

 
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id leave it on all the time! lol