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64 year old Newbie here, looking to install ccw rotation honda 4 into a jetboat. It will be a handbuilt belt drive, i do have plenty of experience with this part.
I wish to use a 1500 or 1600 cc inline 4, something plentiful locally. I only need 90- 100 hp, and can arrange drive ratio to suit the engine (within limits)
I wish to have the engine old style, carb and distributor, but would like a newer engine, approx 98-99? I have hand build intake manifolds for a number of computer controlled engines, mainly GM ecotecs.
Five questions:
Are all 1.5 and 1.6 hondas aluminum block?
What years and models turn ccw from the front?
Which engines have vvt or vtec., and can i defeat that easily?
Is there a published weight for a 1600 civic ex engine?
Can i bolt up an older distributor that runs without the ecm?
Thanks in advance, Roger

 
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Welcome. I'll take a stab at this....
No
The engines turn the same direction as the drive axles going forward.
Basically any Honda engine that was sitting on the left side (drivers side in N.A.) will turn CCW.

Civics in N.A. from 2006 and newer all rotate CW and sit on the right.
Most ---but not all--- prior years Civics have the engine sit on the drivers (left). K series engines sit on the right, and hybrids sit on the right.
There have been many different versions of VTEC, you need to know which engine you are looking at to figure out which version of VTEC it would have.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VTEC


You can find the engine code stamped on a square pad on the block near the bellhousing, then look it up in wikipedia to see what it should have been equipped with.

Google images:







So on this second pic the engine is a D16Z6, I would google D16Z6 and pick the wikipedia link from the list and read more about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_D_engine#D16Z6

There are other wiki pages for other engine series, B engines, K engines, J, R, F, H, etc.
Research whatever you find.


Depending on the type of VTEC (some were designed to increase power via multiple cam lobe profiles, other versions were designed increase economy) you may wish to disable it, you may want to keep it enabled, wired to operate whenever possible, or it could be wired to a standalone controller or toggle switch to operate when you want it to.


I don't know. If you can build an intake I'd bet you can make a distributor that will work.
If you can find one that fits and has centrifugal (and/or vacuum advance if you want), and works ----yes you can, as far as I know. I can't tell you if a much older Honda mechanical advance distributor would be a bolt in deal though.


HTH

 
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Hi Ezone
Thanks for that info so far, better than i have found on my own, Links helpful.
I am not far enough along in the process... I need help to choose an engine, then work with that. But if i choose incorrectly based on availability or price, mistakes WILL be made.
The only things I know about hondas are that they are smooth as glass, pretty bulletproof and turn the correct direction for the job at hand. Your info on direction very helpful.

If someone has info on alum. Block and engine weights, that would be helpful.
The switch info on VVT interesting, i have no experience with how it is operated.
I note that newer engines (98/00) still have a distributor-
Making a centrifical/vac advance fit in there is just a machining job, at least there is a hole in the engine for it.
I am hoping that the cam still has a direct relationship to the crank, as running a mechanical distributor on a cam that is varying just makes my head hurt..... Roger

 
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Cam is direct driven by timing belt, not variable, so distributor drive is not be an issue.

I don't know that any of those older blocks are aluminum, I thought they were all iron...
Cylinder head Is aluminium

 
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Damn phone

 
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Ok. I am attempting to learn years of knowledge in an afternoon. Bad plan. I will start over, at the most important part:
What honda inline 4 engines have aluminum blocks?
Roger

 
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Far as I know, all civics are iron block. Same for K, J series engines?

Aluminum are the more exotic ones?

 
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The R engine has aluminum block; 06 and newer 1.8L Civic. But no distributor hole in the head. Acura has a 2L version, IDK if it's all aluminum though.

I googled 'honda engine weight' and came up with:

http://www.superstreetonline.com/how-to/transmission-drivetrain/1306-honda-engine-drivetrain-weights/



Also hit some more engine lists
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Honda_engines

 
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oh, yeah, sorry, i meant the older ones. (the R is pretty obvious on the pictures on the web on the cracked block that it's aluminum, but i was thinking on engines with the distributor)

 
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Thanks again ezone.
I googled both of those lists a few days ago, too bad the dont separate the drive from the engine. Mine will be turning a jet pump, made as light as possible, ie: 4 lb water jacketed alum. exhaust header, featherlight mounts etc. I kind of have a 200 lb limit on the RUNNING engine.
Every time I see a picture of a block it is aluminum and I did an install 20 years ago, 1350 honda, i know it was aluminum. I just cant find a list of what is alum and what is not. I guess a trip to the wrecker with a magnet in hand is one method... Roger

 
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Motorcycle engine?

 
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I like to troll ^^^ that guy

But have you considered an accord engine? The F23 was used in 1998-2002 accord. It is an all aluminum 4 cylinder that rotates counter clockwise. It has a distributor and most have vtec. Disabling vtec would just be a simple matter of not connecting a wire to the solenoid. They make around 145 hp. They are dirt cheap and very plentiful engines. The have much better torque than the 1.6 civic engines, I don't know if that would be a good thing or not. They are one of the best engines honda ever made in terms of durability.

Of course I am sure it weighs more than a civic engine, but I can't find the weight specs on it.

 
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^lol

 
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Thanks for that Mcn.
Now i know where to start at least. The only real requirements are alum engine, ccw rotation and 100 hp. Be nice if that could be produced at or below 4500 rpm.
I am off to go accord hunting....