Exhaust Notes

Auto-To-Manual Laundry List
I have a '98 Integra LS. I love this car and have put tons of money into it. The only thing really holding me back is that this car is an automatic. I am starting my research on doing an auto-to-manual swap and am having trouble finding a specific list of all the parts I need. I was wondering if you could supply me with this list and let me know anything else important that could help or hurt this conversion. By the way, awesome magazine. As far as I'm concerned it's the best mag money can buy.
-Thanks, John Early III via the Internet

Besides the manual transmission, you're going to need an ECU sourced from a manual transmission Integra RS or LS-either that or have the means to modify yours, which isn't terribly difficult. To avoid unnecessary wiring, be sure to pick up a '98-'01 model. The most important thing you'll need, besides the transmission, is a conversion mount kit. Hasport has got you covered here with its adapter mount, part number: DCAMH, which is worth its weight in gold since it'll save you from cutting and welding. You'll also need a rear engine bracket and intermediate shaft, also from a manual transmission Integra. In terms of hydraulics, get yourself a manual transmission pedal assembly, clutch master cylinder and reservoir, slave cylinder and, if you really want to do it right, all of the OEM brackets and hard lines. Plan on picking up a shift linkage too-you can get this from any '94-'01 manual transmission Integra. You'll need the entire assembly from the shifter itself to the washer, pin, bushing, and hardware that connect it to the transmission. Of course, a manual transmission gauge cluster and shift boot will give the appearance that nothing's ever been tampered with, but that's just us being picky.

Nitro civic?
I recently purchased a '91 Honda Civic DX 1.5-liter, four-door sedan. I was wondering, if I wanted to upgrade the motor and transmission with the least amount of customizing, and tune it up (either turbo or nitro), what motor combo would you recommend? Thanks for your time.

First of all, we're pretty sure you mean nitrous oxide, not nitro. Top Fuel Funny Cars, which make more than 7,000 hp and change head gaskets more often than you change underwear, run on nitro methane. A few drops of that in your Civic's gas tank and you'll blow that 1.5 liter to smithereens. But you wanted to know about upgrades. Well, you can fiddle with your non-VTEC single-cam all you want but a SOHC VTEC or twin-cam engine swap will make for the least amount of customizing. We've got nothing against SOHC, non-VTEC Honda engines, but the time, money, and effort you'll spend making that D-series comparable power-wise to, say, a bone-stock B16A, simply won't be worth it. EF B-series swaps are tried-and-true-they have a wealth of aftermarket support and you can even get one to pass a California smog test. You can't say that about a heavily modified D15.

B-Series Breaking Point
I heard that the B18C rods can only handle 50 more horsepower. Is that true? I've seen a lot of stock Honda engines with the Vortech supercharger running 270 hp at 7 psi. Is that reliable or does it need some building?
-Thanks, Peter / Ontario, Canada

In short, this is false. You may recall last month's issue where we tested a nearly stock B16A's limits, which, in all practicality, is quite similar to a B18C. With proper tuning, we were able to coax over 507 hp out of it at 24 psi and that's with stock cylinder walls and, oh yes, stock connecting rods. The key is proper tuning. Although we wouldn't recommend daily driving with 500 hp and a stock bottom end, a Vortech supercharged B-series is not entirely out of the question. Just make sure you address details like fuel delivery and ignition timing. This is where blowups most often occur.