Please HELP! - Replace, Rebuild or Sell?

ASSISTANCE Hybrids & Advanced Aftermarket Engine Performance
1

This is my big debate right now… My 1990 GS Integra is getting close to the 200,000km mark, and I am debating on replacing the engine with a new 3rd gen TypeR, Rebuilding the engine with a higher compression, or just sell the car and get one of the new Civic SI’s or SIR’s???

  1. Now as far as i know, replacing the engine is very labour intensive, and I know very little about cars, so i’m going to assume that it’s gonna cost me a pretty penny in labour n’ all.
  2. I can just rebuild the engine with a higher compression, and add on extras to it. BTW does anyone know if i could just slap in some newer high compression pistons, and just run the engine as is, or do i have to do other mods to it? or…
  3. I can just sell the car, that i like so much, and the way it handles (my little go-kart) and knuckle under for one of the new civic SI’s or SIR’s.

Any thoughts, or suggestions would be a HUGE help.
Thanks,
Dan

2

If you’ve got the money replace it with a integra type-r engine(B18C5). Just for a rough estimate, I imagine you can get one swapped in for $5000 US. Sometimes a shop will let you give them your old engine as payment so that will help too. The B18C5 put out around 170hp at the wheels. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you can’t get those numbers out of your engine (B18A), but you will have to upgrade a lot of things and you’ll be without your car for a while. Also, compare the two engines; highly modified B18A verses a stock B18C5. Think about it. The B18C5 will have lots of room for improvement and with it being a VTEC engine, you won’t have a rough idle and you will have better gas milage. Not to mention the engine is about 8 or 9 years newer. It’s up to you though man.

3

I don’t know whether or not Whitey said this or not but if you have enough money to buy a new civic sir then you definately have enough to buy the B18c5 engine swap. I would go for the swap if i was in your shoes.

4

if you can afford an itr swap then do it. its just it’ll be very expensive, especially if you have to have all the labor done for you.

if you want to mod your current engine you pretty much need a full overhaul and rebuild. For the price of a rebuild and build up (addition of power adding mods) you could afford to get yourself a b18c1 engine. Which will be a little more reliable, and has a LOT more potential (if you’re going N/A).