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My gf has a pretty nice '99 EX, 5-speed, engine code D16y8 I believe, at least thats what the sticky thread said I'll verify tomorow when its light out. We are looking to do a build on it and the goal is around 250wp. What is going to be the easiest way to accomplish this? I realize a swap is in order, which code? And that is fine with me as I'd like to build the motor while on a stand so it can be inspected and prep'd correctly. I'm not looking to do a backyard weekend build, but want to do it right.

Any and all correct and accurate information is appreciated.

 
Rep Power: 284

To achieve 250whp you have three good options:

1. An aggressive turbo on the d16y8.
2. A built N/A H22.
3. A built N/A K-series.

You could swap to a b-series, then turbo, but you would spend quite a bit more and achieve higher whp.

 
Rep Power: 178

Sounds like fun. Wondering about how bad the torque steer will be with 250hp to only the front wheels. Something like a Mini Cooper JCW has loads of torque steer, and that's barely 200hp. Perhaps the turbo has something to do with it? Anyone have any real experience with that much power to a Civic?

 
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Thanks for the info, just a few more questions.

1. what kind of power would an aggresive turbo yield? Would that be the limits on the motor as far as power upgrades go or would I be able to do more to it for more power? How long would a stock d16y8 last with an aggresive turbo?
2& 3. Any specific year or code I want to look for? I assume custom engine mounts need to be obtained/fabricated? Tranny marrying issues? Is it easier to upgrade one of these motors?

As a side note I have a MK IV VW Jetta Wagon TDi I was going to build, but the cost to do that is lit 3 or 4 times the amount to build her civic without nearly the power gains. So were going to build the civic as the fun car and keep the TDI as the great mileage vehicle lol.

 
Rep Power: 211

250 is a bit of a stretch on a N/A B but is entirely possible. Realistically, horsepower is just a unit derived from torque. What you really want is to get a flat a torque curve as possible. This will give you fantastic throttle response and acceleration in all RPM ranges. Your best swap candidate for an all-motor B series is the C1 off the GSR. These motors are literally everywhere and can be found very inexpensively on either B20vtec or craigslist.

Just know that most of the money is going to be spent in the machine shop. For example, just getting a street port done on your head is usually $250. Want a valve job? Another $300. It adds up quickly... so you really need to talk with reputable machine shops with what your goals are for the car and to establish what you NEED to save you some serious $. Know that going boost (if you want a reliable setup) will also require some machine shop work, which on top of the cost of the kit (and with the added technicalities) often make a turbo kit not worth it.

Though you don't HAVE to get a C1. You could go with an LS/VTEC build, or whatever the heck you want.. really. Here are some N/A builds (with dyno sheets!) that can get you started on some ideas. Most of these builds can be done very inexpensively and reliably.

http://dynos.evans-tuning.com/catego...arch_type/and/

If you're still adamant on going boost, this website gives you a handy "horsepower chart" that will tell you what you need for a certain power gain.

http://articles.evans-tuning.com/category/horsepower/

 
Rep Power: 284

Give a better idea what you or your girl, roughly wants to spend.

Between the cost of the engine build and swap, without labour, a n/a k-series build could hit $10k. Even a d16y8 with 250whp would easily cost $5000-6000 done with a stock engine. Regardless of the make or year, building engines is an expensive pass time.

 
Rep Power: 211

Couldn't agree more... the best way to keep the budget down is scour craigslist or other civic forums for guys who are parting out their cars or are just selling extra parts. The cool thing about civics is parts are EVERYWHERE. The deals are out there just got to be patient. You can put together a solid B-series N/A build with only $2500 invested tops (still a lot of money), majority of that being machine shop work.

 
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get a itr mota .. 200hp and call it a day, or throw on some bolt ons!

 
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GSR motor with some mods can produce some good figures.

Intake manifold, good Header, Stage 2 cams and valve train and you'll get some good numbers.