D15z1 thought

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I've seen some of the D15Z1 engines on ebay. I just bought a 95 VX Hatch, rolling chasis only. I was looking to drop in a D15Z1, but they are hard to find and junk yards are trying to gouge people. A D16Z6 full swap ($750) is cheaper if you know the right people.

Anyway, I also bought a 94 CX hatch (wrecked / running) that has a D15B V-Tech JDM swap. Now I can build my car. The D15B has 130hp. No I'm not sure if it has a Lean burn mode. But the articles I read about it seem to imply that it does. http://asia.vtec.net/article/d15b/
So now we get performance and economy. Also make note the the US VX has a 3.52 final drive. It might be possible to just mate your D15B to a VX tranny. I've seen D15B full swaps (engine, trans, ECU, axels) for $600.

I hope to have my car running by EO Dec 07. Of course I could drive the wrecked one.


Some other thoughts are maybe to use an Apexi piggy back controller to lean things out. It would be cool to have an economy mode, then switch to full power by pressing a button.

[GasSavers_BIBI]

A d15b (I'm assuming its the JDM engine Vtec SOCH with 130hp) as no lean burn mode, its as a Vtec technologies, but not the E-Vtec. The difference, the first one for the performance (the variable timing valve is happening at high rpm) but the other is for fuel efficiency (the E-Vtec only works below 2500rpm or so...). Ryland, a member on this forum, as said this few times, the VX tranny wont be a good fit to a soch vtec (d15b jdm, d16z6, d16y8) because the power curve isnt the same as a VX and wont be as good. Also, a simple DX engine with a CX/VX tranny would do a good option too.

A d15b or a d16z6 will be kind of fuel effiency (if you drive for, because if you hit the gas, bye bye mpg) but not as much as a Dx engine with a CX/VX tranny or even a d15z1, but here you have to make a choice, power of FE.

[GasSavers_TomO]

The d15z1 is a totally different engine than the JDM D15b. The jdm OBD1 d15B is more closely related to the usdm d16z6. There is no lean burn, no 5 wire O2, and a totally different cam profile of the OBD1 JDM D15B.

You can get yourself a JDM OBD2 D15B (the one with two VTEC solenoids), that one is more related to our d15Z1 than not. It runs in economy mode (12 valves swirl type), then 16 valve (tumble type) then runs on a higher VTEC lobe for the third operating condition. The problem with doing that swap is rarity of that particular motor along with the fact that the ECU for it is hard to come by as well. Also switching your car over to an OBD2 system is more hassle than a lot of people are willing to go through.

Your idea about wiring in an apexi controller are feasible, and a possible route to go with the OBD1 D15B.

[Matt Timion]

once again, there are three JDM d15b engines.

There is one that is the EXACT same as the d15z1

There is one that is a normal Vtec engine like the d16z6

and there is one that is the is three-stage vtec engine, offering the best of both worlds.

If it's 130hp, it's the d16z6 equivalent and therefore will not have lean burn, a 5 wire o2, or any of the cool FE stuff... then again, odds are you will still get above 40mpg with conservative driving.

[GasSavers_BIBI]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

once again, there are three JDM d15b engines.

There is one that is the EXACT same as the d15z1

There is one that is a normal Vtec engine like the d16z6

and there is one that is the is three-stage vtec engine, offering the best of both worlds.

If it's 130hp, it's the d16z6 equivalent and therefore will not have lean burn, a 5 wire o2, or any of the cool FE stuff... then again, odds are you will still get above 40mpg with conservative driving.

Still 40mpg, for the performance you can get from that 130hp in a 920kg car, and for the price, soch vtec are cheap compare to a b18b b16a or whatever B-series honda is selling, and B-series isnt FE (30mpg). A turbo d15b beats a b16a easy, and the b16 still had coast more.

All of this to point out that d-series vtec engine are cheap, fuel efficiency and have good performances, so a good compromise.

Still I drive a VX, because performance is for race car. I would like to just put suspenssion kit and it would be a hell of a go kart, because a VX can still do some 120mph or so, that is LOT more than I will ever arrived in a curve (a real curve, no long highway curve).

I always told myself that a 300hp car at 85mph isnt going faster than me in my 92 hp civic vx at 85mph. Even a 55hp 3 cylinder geo metro can do 85mph, and STILL be as fast as me, yep yep!

[maxxgraphix]

I'll know what version this D15B is tommorow. I'm buying the whole car. It runs, but it's wrecked bad. The VX body I have isn't that great either. I thought the core support was the only damage, but after dismantling it, seems the frame might be out of align also.

How far back could I clip the car and weld in a new frame? I've heard of shops cutting cars in half and piecing them back together. The other car was pole wrapped a little. The front looks good. I could slice off the front and weld it to the other. Whatever works!

Hey I'd happy with 40mpg! My best right now is 14mpg and I'm driving 400-500 miles per week with 2001 F250 7.3TD. Take that out of your budget.