# honda SOHC motor in b12



## jjkamikaze (Jan 2, 2006)

a local guy just swaped a honda civic sohc motor (d16 something i think  ) into an 87 sentra. it fit perfectly and went together without a hitch. only took him 5 days from beginning of swap to driving. he used sentra axles with the civic in joint mated to it(amazing that you can swap them like that). he used crx motor mounts and crx clutch cable that hooked up to the clutch pedel without mods. im getting all the details from him and am going to get you guys some pics if i have time


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## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

Uh....hold it a sec: Doesn't the Civic, unlike the Sentra, have its engine on the left instead of the right? THIS...oughtta be interesting. :showpics:


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## BeyondBiscuits2 (Jan 18, 2006)

Why would you defile a Sentra by putting a Honda engine in it? Nissan makes much better engines available for a B11-B12 than Honda ever could.


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## mikewiebe1987 (Nov 3, 2005)

BeyondBiscuits2 said:


> Why would you defile a Sentra by putting a Honda engine in it? Nissan makes much better engines available for a B11-B12 than Honda ever could.



i dont have anything to say so i thought id just repost the truest of the true


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

Whats next, swapping a Metro 3 banger into a Altima


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## jjkamikaze (Jan 2, 2006)

sorry the link for the ic is dead now ill try to get more. i knew you guys wouldnt like the idea of that h-motor being put in a sentra. but i figured you guys would apprecciat that the guy just tried it out of boredom and i fit. its nearly a direct swap. i personaly thank that its amazing. the best motor that fits directly in our cars is a ca18de in my opinion and i have been looking for one for over a year. you can get honda motors all day long. and if that d16 fits that means a dohc series motor will probably fit too. and if that fits a new k series will fit. 200 na hp sounds pretty sweet to me.


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## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

SuperSentra4203 said:


> Whats next, swapping a Metro 3 banger into a Altima


Actually, I was considering a Briggs & Stratton 3.5 in an old Maxima I got here...Where on the dash do I put the pull-start?


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## jjkamikaze (Jan 2, 2006)

here is the original engine in the sentra.








here is the new
http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/6559/hondamotor0iv.jpg
you can see that he just welded some crx mounts to the sentra frame.i dont thank the dash is working a stuff. but it is all wired up and running. im going to take some measurments and see if i can fit a bigger honda motor than this guy and turbo it :banhump:


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## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

** Hangs head for a moment of silence.... **


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

Im gonna frickin cry, that's horrible


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## DSMPOWERED (Sep 20, 2005)

IIRC, isn't there almost no difference in HP or torque between a GA16i and a non-vtec D-series honda engine?


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

DSMPOWERED said:


> IIRC, isn't there almost no difference in HP or torque between a GA16i and a non-vtec D-series honda engine?


Yeah there is, the powerbands are very different. Nissan engines tend to produce more torque at a lower RPM and continues higher into the powerband than Honduh engines.


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## SuperStock (Dec 31, 2003)

this topic= :thumbdwn: 

if u want a honda so much, get one. simple solution


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

SuperStock said:


> this topic= :thumbdwn:
> 
> if u want a honda so much, get one. simple solution



Better idea, save some cash and get a go-kart  Cheaper and they drive the same


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## jjkamikaze (Jan 2, 2006)

i wasnt saying it was a good motor or anything just thought it was interesting that someone took a blown sentra and made it run agian using a junk honda motor they had laying around and spent $0.00. i guess not everyone appreciats inginuity  . im a die-hard nissan fan i have had 8 differant nissans and have had a few of them built up and spanking any hondas. i have never owned a honda. i have owned a toyota a porsche and an opel. but being loyal to only one car and saying anything else in the world is junk is kinda like being a racist. just my 2 cents.


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## macakin (Nov 6, 2003)

wtf!!! that looks smaller than the e16. Well good luck


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## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

I think if I was in a fix I would certainly do that kind of swap. Hell those engines are probably more tunable than a GA16i. But the thought of it makes me angry but if I didnt have any money then I would consider it.


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## SuperStock (Dec 31, 2003)

honda isnt junk. it seems nearly any car, well put-together, can be world class these days.

But this is a nissan forum. not many would consider a swap to a honda motor innovative.
i hope few people on here r only loyal to one brand. 

i personally like chevrolet, ford and VAG(volkswagen audi group). ive owned a few older vw's and my nissan has always been on the back burner until i realized it had potential.


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## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

I kinda get upset when I see people puttin Chevys in old ford roadsters or coupes...whatever you call those things. Ill say that those honda engines will last a shit load longer than a GA16i....


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## SuperStock (Dec 31, 2003)

**********



SuperStock said:


> if u want a honda so much, get one.


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## Crazy-Mart (Jul 14, 2002)

it could have been much more fun if he putted a b16a2 into the sentra .. 170hp on the crank in a 900kg car with LSD... that would have been cool 

They did a nice work, almost look like it belongs there  :thumbup: just imagine a b18c5 into this thing :fluffy:


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## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

Was that stock engine an E16S? I think the Honda engine was probably an upgrade.


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## bob89sentra (Sep 15, 2005)

SuperSentra4203 said:


> Better idea, save some cash and get a go-kart  Cheaper and they drive the same


Hey don't make fun of Go karts! My Go kart is much better than a HOnda. I can out accelerate my Sentra GA16i, in my Go kart and it handles nice too.


If they wanted to go cheap they should have put a GA15 in instead of the HOnda engine + the GA15 would bolt right in with out ruining a perfectaly good B12.


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## mikewiebe1987 (Nov 3, 2005)

weld??mounts??frame?? ouchhh, not worth it hondas may be more common, cheaper, but that really doesn't warrant fcking with a honda day and night to keep it maintained enough to where its actually worth it to have a cheaper motor in there, but hey if thats your thing, repairing more than experiencing, by all means shove some micky mouse shit under your hood


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## BeyondBiscuits2 (Jan 18, 2006)

I have nothing against Honda engines as a whole... there are some really good ones out there (B16A, B16B, H22A, H22B, etc.). But, if he was using a D-series Honda engine, they are pretty much junk. I am a mechanic and have worked on Hondas just about everyday of my life, and to be honest, Nissan is just better, period. It is not easier to tune a Honda engine, and they will not last as long, even if you import one straight from the factory. The reasons they won't last: terrible stock clutch, too large of displacement for cylinder walls, no internal balancing, and stupid ricers who rev them up to 10-grand. If you want a reliable, every-day driving engine, go Honda. If you want an engine that can take everything to give it, and hold its own on the track, go Nissan. But let us think about it, put a D-series engine (roughly $400-$600 for a core engine) in a Sentra when you could get a GA16DE (roughly $300-$500 for a core engine) or a CA18DE (around $450 for a core engine)? Both the GA16DE and CA18DE fit without problems in a B11-B12, and both produce much more horsepower... and won't break down on you when you try and show up the ricer who is revving next to you at a light. But, that is just my opinion.


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

Known fact Honda stock rods are not nearly as strong as Nissan stock rods. Thats is one reason so many ricers grenade their engine. One over rev too many and BOOM!!! Bye Bye engine. Not to mention Nissan has stronger pressure cast pistons, whereas Honda does not.


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## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

I have an F22A1 in my Accord and its a pretty solid beast. It can take 1000 more RPMs past the redline. I know a guy that has beat the shit out of his accord for 280k miles and that damn thing still runs and barely smokes. My sister beat the effin shit out my GA16i and the chain skipped a link...TWICE...and was close to throwing a rod. I gotta say I cant beleive it lasted 52k miles under her abuse though. I can probably say that the GA16i's have a good bottom end but the heads just aint all that wonderful. My mom drove it for 202k miles and virtually was dying at 201k...chain skipped a link. You would think chains were maintenence free but not this one. Ill also have admit that the GA16i is a torque monster. It would beat my Honda off the line anyday but the Hondas top end would finally catch up. I can barely keep my Sentra on the road taking off when it is wet from slipping so much.


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## Nismo87R (Mar 25, 2003)

wow well if the engine really works in the sentra you guys can just get the doch zc 1.6 130hp and turbo for about $500 that wouldent be bad but what did he do about the harness?


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## jjkamikaze (Jan 2, 2006)

just to clarify. this was the only motor he had available and made it work. of course this is not the best choice if your going through the trouble of swapping a motor. i have however seen some badass single-cam turbo hondas. you could make a very quick sentra with very little money. nissan turbo kits are uber expensive but honda turbo kits can be had for next to nothing. i beleive eventhough he has it running the wiring still needs some work. im going to try to get every bit of info i can from this guy. i think it will be interesting to some, even though most here cant stand the idea.


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

Why do I seem to be the only B12 owner that has never had timing chain issues???? I have had 2 B12's, both '90 models, run the absolute shit outta them, and never once experience a problems. Not to mention, both of these were severly neglected since day one. Now I know I take good care of my cars, nothing is too expensive for them, but I have had to downshift to keep from eating the rear end of a B14 on the highway, hit over 9000rpm (thats all my tach read up to) and it never made on bad noise!!! Apparently I should consider myself lucky. :thumbup: I never once shifted them into second gear unless I was about 4500rpm!!! I never even shifted into any gear at less than 3000rpm, but never had a problem.


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## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

In 2002 I bought an '89 Sentra with the GA15i for $50. The gal needed college book cash and it leaked real bad from the engine (A quart every ten miles????), but I bought it. Yep, it leaked a quart every ten miles, all right! The culprit was a cracked timing cover, so I went to the Pull-A-Part. Every car had either a missing timing cover or it was cracked as well...except one. It was perfect. Seems that if the engine is overrevved, any form of slack will whiplash and crack that cover. Long short, I replaced the cover, replaced the worn tranny with another one ($50), bought new front pads to replace the oil-soaked ones, cleaned it stem-to-stern and made a $600 profit.

The GA-series engine's weak spot seems to be the timing cover; Otherwise, it's a rock-solid engine. I loved the gobs of torque it put out! But I keep getting E-series stuff dumped on me...enough now to build 4 engines. Must be a sign...


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## bob89sentra (Sep 15, 2005)

recycled_toddler said:


> In 2002 I bought an '89 Sentra with the GA15i for $50. The gal needed college book cash and it leaked real bad from the engine (A quart every ten miles????), but I bought it. Yep, it leaked a quart every ten miles, all right! The culprit was a cracked timing cover, so I went to the Pull-A-Part. Every car had either a missing timing cover or it was cracked as well...except one. It was perfect. Seems that if the engine is overrevved, any form of slack will whiplash and crack that cover. Long short, I replaced the cover, replaced the worn tranny with another one ($50), bought new front pads to replace the oil-soaked ones, cleaned it stem-to-stern and made a $600 profit.
> 
> The GA-series engine's weak spot seems to be the timing cover; Otherwise, it's a rock-solid engine. I loved the gobs of torque it put out! But I keep getting E-series stuff dumped on me...enough now to build 4 engines. Must be a sign...


I do agree on the week spot for theese GA engines. I have had more trouble with my timing chain and cover than with all my other experiance with other cars. I think if someone could find a way to make a timing chain tensioner that is more reliable theese engines would be rock solid. I had to change out a timing chain/ tensioner/ guides on my sister's saturn, and I think they use the right type of tensioner. It has a ratchet mechinism that onlt allows it to move about .025", so the oil pressure doesn't always have to be present for the chain to be almost tight. On our sentra's if the oil pressure is low at idle the chain can rattle, and cause big problems.
Even after all this I still think the GA16i is a very nice and reliable engine.


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## LimeyRich (Aug 19, 2005)

bob89sentra said:


> I do agree on the week spot for theese GA engines. I have had more trouble with my timing chain and cover than with all my other experiance with other cars. I think if someone could find a way to make a timing chain tensioner that is more reliable theese engines would be rock solid. I had to change out a timing chain/ tensioner/ guides on my sister's saturn, and I think they use the right type of tensioner. It has a ratchet mechinism that onlt allows it to move about .025", so the oil pressure doesn't always have to be present for the chain to be almost tight. On our sentra's if the oil pressure is low at idle the chain can rattle, and cause big problems.
> Even after all this I still think the GA16i is a very nice and reliable engine.


Yup, also one of the few ways to kill an L24-28


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## LimeyRich (Aug 19, 2005)

jjkamikaze said:


> i wasnt saying it was a good motor or anything just thought it was interesting that someone took a blown sentra and made it run agian using a junk honda motor they had laying around and spent $0.00. i guess not everyone appreciats inginuity  . im a die-hard nissan fan i have had 8 differant nissans and have had a few of them built up and spanking any hondas. i have never owned a honda. i have owned a toyota a porsche and an opel. but being loyal to only one car and saying anything else in the world is junk is kinda like being a racist. just my 2 cents.


I must admit to putting a warmed L24 & 5 spd in a 1968 TR250 with my welder. 
This guys Honda/sentra/stien swap seems kinda pointless though. In fact "sigh"


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## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

Yes the timing chains are a big weakness...especially the tensioners. I have been through one timing cover and im working on my next one haha. I have to replace this thing more than I do the timing belt on my honda....try 90k between belt changes. I WISH I COULD GET 30k BETWEEN CHAIN CHANGES!!!


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

Sounds like you have been either getting cheap parts, or there is a problem elsewhere.


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## sentrastud (May 3, 2002)

Actually I have to say Im impressed. From a purely custom fabrication and engineering standpoint, that took considerable ingenuity to make the Honda engine mount and work with a Nissan car. 

It doesnt make much sense to me why someone would go through such incredible effort, but none the less its pretty interesting. It would make a pretty good project if you had a motor and a spare car and just wanted to play around with them.

Hate Hondas or not, that probably wasnt easy to do at all. Especially the wiring nightmare!

-Nick


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