Smaller, faster, newer, or Older, bigger, harder?

[Kofkof_00]

I'm looking for suggestions.

Option a: new b3, mild cam, headers, and mild clutch.

Option b: Used b6 (Dohc? Sohc?) headers, mid clutch.

I want it streetable, with moderately good gas milage. I do want a little more hp to back up the roar of my exhaust. I don't want to change trannies as I've just gotten new shafts. (ew this sounds wrong)

I'm leery of the b6 as there's lot of info out there and i'm confused.

With a b6 swap, you need a custom engine mount on the left side. right? For both the sohc AND the dohc? I've read a few posts saying it was a direct bolt in... :? If I go b6, do I keep the ecu from the b3? What about the throttle body? Do I ose the crossmember?

I'm all confused.

[packrat427]

I would go with option ..C
The BP , it uses the Festiva harness .

[Safety Guy]

B6 SOHC is direct bolt-in: no special mount needed. With my '94 engine, I had to splice one wire, and undo the harness cover from the right headlight to the left side to get the VAF wire and plug to reach the new airbox location.

Pre-'90 B6 engines are a little different.

Karl

[25Horseplay]

If you go with a 88-89 B6 it is a direct replacement, can even run on the B3 ECU. Looks like a stock engine too.

[Damkid]

If you go with a 88-89 B6 it is a direct replacement, can even run on the B3 ECU. Looks like a stock engine too.

when i had my B6 first installed, i still had the B3 ECU installed and it idled at around 3K RPM, and once i installed the B6 ECU it idled where it's supposed to

[monkeyracing]

B6 bolts in, no special skills required. Well, maybe one. with the 87-89 you need to splice the B6 injector plugs onto the Festiva injector harness. That's about an hours worth of work if you're taking the time to do it right.

Everything else, from engine mounts to sensors is plug n' play. The extra 20 or so hp is definitely worth it.

Jim

[skeeters_keeper]

Yea... go w/ a B6 from an 87-89. everything is plug and play, best to use the B6 injectors and ECU, but all the other wiring is the same. You'll get more power just from the swap than you would w/ the modded B3, and then you can still do the mod's to the B6 if you want.


also if its just a sticky HLA in your B3 you can fix that in <1/2 hr.

[Maxtiva]

I would go with option ..C
The BP , it uses the Festiva harness .

X2 If you follow the BP swap guide from Matt it is not complicated and you can keep the festiva tranny (and your new shaft LOL). I am not a car mechanic and this was quite easy and I was alone to do all the swap.

[Kofkof_00]

Ok ok ok. so the bp would be out of a 323? Or an escort gt? & I get to keep th b3 wiring harness? This is sounding easier now.

I think I would need the clutch, the headers, does th bp mean lose the crosmember?

[25Horseplay]

does th bp mean lose the crosmember?

No, you keep the stock Festiva trans, axles, and crossmember.

[Kofkof_00]

I just re-read matt's page. I think I'm going to go b6. Depends what I can find at the jy, I guess. If I go b6 dohc, is that still a custom bracket?

[25Horseplay]

B6 DOHC needs special mounts (available at FMS for this swap). It also requires rewiring the engine with the harness for the DOHC.

[festivaWES]

Go ahead and do the B6-E...you know you want to. Then you can do a cam regrind/aspire rocker arm swap, exhaust header from FMS, full exhaust, and custom cai. Get an extra tranny, make a spool, and slap a 50 shot on it. That my friend is a stock acura type R killer.

[skeeters_keeper]

...aspire rocker arm swap...

i don't think the aspire rocker arms are any different than the festiva ones, are they?

I still think you should just fix the sticky lifter, assuming thats what it is. If you can't take the VC off and fix a sticky lifter, perhaps you should hold off on doing an engine swap anyway?




here you can see the two sets of rocker arms on a FI B3, just remove the 5 bolts holding the offending arm on (you'll have to remove them in stages, naturally), pull the sticky lifter out and either replace or clean and re-oil it.


to find out which one is clicking you should be able to use a screwdriver as a stethoscope with the engine running to listen to them.

[festivaWES]

aspire rockers tip design is alittle different plus they don't have a bunch of tension springs to keep the rockers on the valves, they have spacers...so therefore there easier to install.