D15, D16, D17 and Mini-Me swaps
User avatar
By jmsplitfyre
#94356 So I've scratched my idea of doing a mini-me swap since I really don't like vtec that much (no offense), and now my buddy gave me his Dohc ZC engine that's just lying around his garage. I just wanna know what I need to complete the swap. If anyone can give me a list or a website that I could read about, it would be greatly appreciated.

Btw, I got a 95 Eg hatch Dx. If ever that helps.

Thanks!
JM :thumb:
User avatar
By Classiccarsrule85
#94385 well first off i gotta tell you this is what i wanted to do but i went with turboing a Z6 motor that i am currently working on slowly....since my dohc zc was obd0

That leads me to my first question is it obd0 or obd1 to figure that out dose it just have a dist or is there another device(crank position sensor) on the exhaust cam? That set up would be obd-0 now i tried fidleing around with making one obd1 and let me tell you just go out and get the obd1 distributor.

You wont need to change the mount unless its a obd0 then you will have to just switch it with the one on your motor.....

You should of coarse do a whole tune up before it gets put in new timing belt, plugs etc...and depending on the climate and the amount of time it spent sitting id change the oil pan gasket and valve cover gasket and possibly any of the rubber seals.

You should be able to just chip your ecu to run the p29 map since finding one of those ecus is more costly than a p28 or p30

you should be able to also just use your wiring harness though you may need to extend some things and stuff liek that but all n all should be a straight forward deal since it is a technical D series motor......

Also the flywheel id change to the one you have on your D15 since ive heard of people using the regular d series clutches only to find out that it dose not bolt up to the zc flywheel....
User avatar
By jmsplitfyre
#94417 Thanks!

I've had a post on d-series as well and they say that if the Zc is obd1 then I'm lucky, and I do hope it is obd1. *prays* I'm gonna check out the engine later when I get off work.

And about the gaskets and other stuff, I'm gonna change them for sure because me and my buddy are gonna rebuild the whole thing since it has one fried piston ring. :?

This is what the guy from d-series said:

"uumm, what is that site again, oh yea thezcr.com, in short you probably are going to need to find out what OBD the engine is to begin with.

if obd0 you are going to need dizzy, driver side mount of your old block, and put a map sensor some where, 4-wire o2 from old engine

if obd1 drop and go for the most part

oh and also you should change the map on the ecu for best out of the motor."

Wish me luck guys! :roll:
User avatar
By Classiccarsrule85
#94465 Well heres to ya i know how horribly expensive it is to convert a obd0 zc to obd1 since really you only have 2 motors to choose completely from the obd0 dohc zc and the obd1 dohc zc....

P.s. I was just searching d-series.org and came across this post and was looking at it saying" didnt i post to this wheres my post" then i realized you also posted on here.....well anyways i did post awhile back on there asking for a whole parts list of stuff that you could use in place of the zc stuff since around here all you got is usdm stuff unless your lucky so if you search there you should find it alot of good stuff on that forum...

n the zcr idk just didnt like it enough to actually stay on the site i much rather civic-eg and d-series for my dose of honda knowledge.....
By Macster
#94543 the last generation of the zc was obd1 and im thinkin urs is cuz ur intake mani does not look anyhting like my buddies obd0 zc but yea never know i think there was 4 generations of the zc.
User avatar
By jmsplitfyre
#94545 I hope you're right.. 'Coz my buddy too can't remember where this Zc came from. :lol:
By Macster
#94723 yeah cant tell tho since it didn come with a dizzy.
User avatar
By jmsplitfyre
#94726 One guy from d-series said it's an obd0 converted to obd1.. He gave me stuff to do so I can get it runnin', so pretty much I'll be searching for parts..

Here's what he said:

you just need the OBD1 DOHC ZC distributor which is a TD43U and only came on the DOHC ZC - you can buy a new one from tiger japanese:

http://www.tigerjapanese.com/index.p...mart&Itemid=26

or from Rywire:

http://rywire.com/store/distributor-...74b68f0d9d9e75

or from distributor king:

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/dis...%20Distributor

you will need to use OBD1 injectors from your old DX engine or use the OBD0 ZC injectors and add a resistor box

you will need to rewire the cooling fan switch - the OBD0 ZC has the cooling fan switch on the back of the block where the OBD1 engines have the switch on the thermostat housing - they have different connectors

you use the stock DX MAP sensor which should be on the firewall

if you are using the DX PO6 ECU, you need to use the 4-wire O2 sensor from your old engine - the PO6 ECU will work but it would be best if you chipped it to run the ZC P29 ECU fuel and ignition maps or find a P29 ECU - with the P29 ECU you would need a 1-wire O2 sensor

you will need to swap the driver's side engine mount from your old DX engine onto the ZC engine

use the DX engine harness and everything will plug right in

looks like you also need a throttle body - the only ones that fit the ZC intake manifold are from the 88-91 CRX Si D16A6, 89-91 Civic Si D16A6, 90-91 Civic EX or the 88-89 Integra D16A1
User avatar
By Classiccarsrule85
#94752 dont get anything from tigerjap.... I have only heard nothing but bad stuff about them. if anything dist kind or definately rywire....

And i do also beleive it is a obd0 somewhat converted to obd1 since the cap on the end there is from a integra ls motor (P30)....One definate way to check what motor it truely is go remove the valve cover and look for any numers on the cam pm7 p29 etc etc this will defiantely tell you what at least the cams are and if anything what the motor originally was....
User avatar
By jmsplitfyre
#94828 I'm heading there today so I'll prolly try to take off the valve cover. :thumb:
User avatar
By Death_Blooms
#94876 Did this on another car of a friend.

Use your OBD-1 injectors
Map sensor (not hard, 1 vac hose and lengthen the wires if needed)
Your DX harness
Re-wire distributor or conversion plug via rywire(maybe xenocron?)
Driver's side mount off your d15
Clutch/flywheel( ZC was a first gen integra motor... cable clutch)


Only real draw back to the ZC, IMHO, is the intake manifold. There's a comany that makes a adapter to bolt a regular d-series manifold to the DOHC ZC as it has it's own bolt pattern
User avatar
By jmsplitfyre
#94903 Thanks for the replies guys!

So Death_Blooms (Mudvayne fan?),

By obd1 injectors you mean my old d15 injectors, I assume?
Map sensor, check.
DX harness, check.
Re-wire dizzy, which one? 'Coz this engine didn't come with a dizzy, what I took in the pic is what he gave to me, lol!
Driver side mount, check.
Clutch/Flywheel, use my d15 clutch you mean?

And for the intake manifold, I think I don't need to worry about it 'coz I have one already.

Any more information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much!
User avatar
By Death_Blooms
#95048
jmsplitfyre wrote:Thanks for the replies guys!

So Death_Blooms (Mudvayne fan?), Avid fan, goin to my 5th MV show on the 23rd in Cleveland

By obd1 injectors you mean my old d15 injectors, I assume?
Map sensor, check.
DX harness, check.
Re-wire dizzy, which one? 'Coz this engine didn't come with a dizzy, what I took in the pic is what he gave to me, lol!
Driver side mount, check.
Clutch/Flywheel, use my d15 clutch you mean?

And for the intake manifold, I think I don't need to worry about it 'coz I have one already.

Any more information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much!


Yup, use the d15 injectors

Source up a distributor to fit the motor and wire it accordingly

Yup, use your d15 clutch and flywheel.

I just mentioned the intake manifold thing in case you were thinking about upgrading to an aftermarket intake mani in the future