Tech Support April 2009 - Civic D16 Motor

A: Those cars tend to have a problem with the window regulators. There's a small plastic portion on them that tend to break. Take yours apart and if you see that it's broken, then it's time to replace them. We'd suggest replacing the regulator over trying to repair it. As for the domelight problem, the usual suspect on most cars is the switch in the doorjamb. Make sure it is not grimy and stuck. Clean out the dirt and make sure the contacts are making a connection.

Q: I own a `96 Civic with a D16Y7 non-VTEC and it's naturally-aspirated. I want to get big horsepower gains without a turbo. Maybe in the future, but I want to run NA for now. What are the steps I should take on building my HP without swapping my D16. Any help would be appreciated.
Emilio Luna
Via the Internet

A: To get a lot of NA power out of your D16Y7 you would have to do quite a bit of work. It won't cost you much but it will require some wrenching. You could put a D16Y8 VTEC head on your block with some work. It's a worthwhile upgrade since you're staying NA, and a rather cheap upgrade too. Another cheap but worthwhile upgrade, is installing pistons from an `88-89 Integra D16A1 engine. Stock pistons are much cheaper than aftermarket forged ones. These pistons and that head would yield an insane 12.6:1 compression. If you don't do the head swap, it would still yield a very high 11:1 ratio, nearly the same as a type-R motor.

Q: I have a stock `95 Trans Am Fire-bird convertible with an auto trans. Speedo says 160. It is strong. But what would I have to do to make it good for drifting? Stronger rearend? More horse- power?
Michael Rippie
Goldfield, NV

A Speedo says 160?? That's crazy, what's the odometer say? To make it a good drifter you would need to learn how to drift... then buy a 240SX.