Automatic
to Manual Conversion and a side of B16A (with
plenty pepper)
Article
by Richard Estrado
Photography by Richard Estrado
When I purchased my EG4 Civic hatchback in 1998, I loved everything
about it, the body interior and engine were all in excellent
condition. However, there was one thing that I would not have
chosen: the automatic transmission. The original engine
was a JDM D15B SOHC VTEC, rated at a respectable 130
p.s. especially for a 1500 cc!
So
I started my research on the net to find out my options with
respect to getting the car converted to manual transmission.
In my search, I discovered Eric's B16A site and the Hybrid
site among others. So I began to think, why go through the
trouble of changing the transmission on the 1500, might as
well go for it an put in a DOHC 1600cc VTEC and gain 40 hp
in the process! I considered a B18C but those engines are
rare and expensive in Trinidad. In any case the JDM second
generation B16A puts out the same horsepower, with a bit less
torque. From what I had learned on the Internet I knew the
engine would fit fine. Also because my car originally came
with a VTEC engine, I knew that the wiring would not be very
difficult.
I
read as much as I could find on swaps, and tried to plan the
operation to the best of my ability. Let me point out, that
there is no substitute for good information, so if you are
planning any sort of hybrid, read as much as you can BEFORE
you start; web sites, FAQs, articles, magazines, whatever.
I chose to have a local shop with considerable Honda experience
do the work and I was able to locate the engine from a local
importer.
MY
MISTAKE
I
knew that it would be best to purchase the engine and accessories
as a package, and that's just what I did. But I focussed on
the big items, Engine, Y21 LSD trany, ECU, Complete engine
wire harness, axles, and in so doing, I did not even realize
that the engine did not have the mounts! (No AC unit either!)
Now although In my country we have quite a brisk trake in
JDM parts, some things are almost impossible to get, like
mounts!
The
solution? Alter the original D15B mounts to fit. That mistake
made a project that would have taken a little less than two
weeks, last five weeks. You could imagine how my wife loved
me for this!
STARTING
UP
The
mounts took a really long time to complete, plus as you would
expect, my car wasn't the only one in the shop! Anyway, it
turns out that the rear (center) engine mount could be used
on the B16A. I was able to get a front transmission mount,
leaving three mounts to be custom adjusted. By the way the
lower front engine mount / ac bracket on the B series motor
is totally different to the D series mounts so I fabricated
an adapter flange to accept my old AC unit. (No way did I
have intentions of buying an AC) .
After the mounts were adjusted and the engine was in the proper
place, the axle hardware was mounted in a jiffy, and necessary
fluids and hoses were connected. All the electricals plugged
right in, including the new computer. The only difference
was the D series motor had the MAP sensor fixed on the Throttle
Body, so a remote unit was added for the new engine. The engine
fired up, no problems. By the way, you guys should hear what
the beast sounds like with only the tri-y headers! Since the
headers were longer than the original, I had to adjust the
length of the exhaust pipe so that it could bolt to the headers
DETAILS
Electrical
Now
the Automatic Specific facts. Remove the Automatic Gear
Lever and toss it! There is a plastic slider underneath which
is connected to the car's harness. This
slider should be set to the PARK position and locked there
by some means. The guys at the shop put a big blob of silicone
sealant over mine. This is necessary if you plan to take your
key out of the ignition after you drive!! Also on the plastic
slider, there are two wires soldered near the center of the
device (yel, blk/grn). When these wires are shorted they activate
the reverse lights and chime. (At least my car has a reverse
chime). My advice is to find the reverse sensor on the
transmission, trace them to the connection junction on the
right side of the engine bay, then run a pair of wires from
the reverse sensor leads to the plastic slider. Voila! Your
reverse lights will work fine.
B3 |
-grn/blu |
B4 |
-grn/blk |
B7 |
-grn |
B13 |
-grn/orn |
B17 |
-grn/blk |
B19 |
-yel |
I
had to add a knock sensor wire and an O2 sensor wire as detailed
on the Hybrid Site. However, I still got a code 23 after driving
the car for a few minutes. Then it occurred to me, that the
computer still thought the car was automatic. Now, I really
tried to find the Transmission Control Module but for the
life of me I couldn't. Maybe you have to remove the dash of
something extreme. Anyway, with the help of a B16A2 wiring
diagram from my friend Christian in Austria, I was able to
identify the ECU leads that were no longer needed. Just cut
the leads and tape'em up! The first four are the TCM leads;
the other two go to AT sensors for which I don't have the
German translation :-)
Mechanical
Of
course when you remove the automatic gear shifter, there will
be a gaping hole under there. I found that my car did not
have any mounting holes for the shift linkage. This is good
in a way, as you get to choose where the shifter will lie.
I used a CRX shifter in my application and just bolted it
on through the sheet metal in the floor arch. Depending on
the linkage you use, and the plastic moldings that you choose
to put over the shifter, some adjustment of the linkage length
may be necessary.
You will see a picture of the pedal box from a CRX on the
left. If you are really observant you will notice that this
pedal box is made for a cable clutch system. The verdict:
scrap the idea of changing the pedal box. The guys cut off
the clutch pedal, and welded on a hinge so it could be used
to actuate the plunger on the clutch master cylinder. We used
a soft line to connect the slave cylinder (on the trany) to
the hard line, which connects to the clutch master cylinder.
Very simple. In the interior picture you can see the large
(AT) brake pedal next to the clutch.
THE
RESULT
The
car works beautifully and is a joy to drive. Every feature
and sensor is operational. Since I kept the original AT housing
around the shifter I did not loose one of my favorite features
of the car; the fold in cup holder! The shifter boot is custom
made from Italian leather. I also got the white faced gauges
with the deal!
I would really advise against swapping in the other direction
though since all the car's wiring behind the firewall would
have to be changed in order to get a fully functional (all
features working) automatic.
Richard
sends Special Thanks to
- Christina
- Tolas
Tuning Shop
San Juan
Trinidad.
- Jason,
ace mechanic
Also
check out our Glossary of Terms
or refer to De Forum for interactive
help from people in the know.
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