Why is Honda so snotty with their crate engines?

Kinja'd!!! "dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
10/17/2020 at 16:48 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!1 Kinja'd!!! 23

Honda actually does sell crate engines, but they will only sell them to racing teams. You have to be part of their racing line club. They have a crate engine for the second-gen Fit, but even that is restricted to their club (their lineup consists of the 2nd-gen Fit engine , the current CTR engine, the 9th gen Civic Si engine, and an IMSA-spec version of that 9th Si motor).

Why do they do this? What is wrong with selling their crate engines to the public? Several other companies have no trouble doing so. GM has a robust crate engine catalog, but Ford and Chrysler also sell their crate engines to anybody.

It would also be cool if Honda sold a B16 crate engine and the high-rev K20 from the 8th gen Si


DISCUSSION (23)


Kinja'd!!! SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > dogisbadob
10/17/2020 at 17:19

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Counter-Point-- Those Ecotec engines from the GM crate engine catalog are quite solid.


Kinja'd!!! Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > dogisbadob
10/17/2020 at 17:42

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Bunch of truckers were getting jacked in 2000-2001.

Kinja'd!!!


Kinja'd!!! Jb boin > dogisbadob
10/17/2020 at 17:51

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Probably because they don’t have a big production for those and having to deal with customer service is not ideal with custom parts and random customers .


Kinja'd!!! If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Jb boin
10/17/2020 at 18:22

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If they sold racing engines to the public they’d be completely inundated with warranty claims from 20-something dudes who downshifted into first on the freeway t rying to show off to a V6 Mustang.


Kinja'd!!! sn4cktimes > dogisbadob
10/17/2020 at 18:24

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It’s very likely that they’re not emissions certified so they can’t be sold for street use.


Kinja'd!!! Jb boin > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
10/17/2020 at 18:30

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Or “how do i mount it” :)

And if i recall correctly, crates engines are supposedly only “legal” for car before the smog regulation which is not a huge issue for American V8s that are still similar but i don’t think that Honda s were transverse at the time.


Kinja'd!!! If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Jb boin
10/17/2020 at 18:33

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“how do I put this in my 1992 c ivic”


Kinja'd!!! dogisbadob > sn4cktimes
10/17/2020 at 18:33

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same as GM’s crate engines, though. GM includes such a disclaimer with their crate engines.


Kinja'd!!! dogisbadob > Jb boin
10/17/2020 at 18:42

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Hondas were transverse at the time.


Kinja'd!!! dogisbadob > Jb boin
10/17/2020 at 18:42

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Dealers, Jegs, Summit, Amazon , etc.


Kinja'd!!! dogisbadob > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
10/17/2020 at 18:43

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sigh

I guess they ’ll just have to do a *real* LS swap :p


Kinja'd!!! SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
10/17/2020 at 19:15

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He who controls the DVD players controls this nation’s future...


Kinja'd!!! interstate366, now In The Industry > dogisbadob
10/17/2020 at 20:11

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They did the same thing with the HPD supercharger kit for the CR-Z. That’s why they didn’t sell.


Kinja'd!!! S65 > dogisbadob
10/17/2020 at 20:51

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I it was even legal, I wonder if it’d even be worth the effort. I love Honda but I’m not sure they’d even want to be bothered with all the warranty claims of people wanting new engines trying to eBay turbo an automatic Accord or Civic

Even now like every month someone asks how to turbo their Accord or something on the cheap on the forums lol


Kinja'd!!! Urambo Tauro > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
10/17/2020 at 20:57

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Aw man, this always seems to happen right before Race Wars !


Kinja'd!!! 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > dogisbadob
10/17/2020 at 22:44

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I would love to swap in some hot Honda motor into my TSX wagon. There is a supercharger kit for $4k that is bolt on and adds some HP. I see the JDM motors for sale on ebay, they are low miles. 


Kinja'd!!! duurtlang > Jb boin
10/18/2020 at 11:39

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What if the crate engine has an equal or better emissions class than the stock engine of the car?


Kinja'd!!! brianbrannon > dogisbadob
10/18/2020 at 12:13

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You can just buy the head and block and assemble yourself 


Kinja'd!!! Jb boin > duurtlang
10/18/2020 at 15:05

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T he market of old Hondas that coul d “legally” fit them is probably close to zero and there are already plenty of cheap junkyard (semi-)performance Honda engines in the US that could reach 500hp with only only bolt-ons .


Kinja'd!!! duurtlang > Jb boin
10/18/2020 at 15:21

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I find the idea of a crate engine interesting though. As long as it adheres to modern emissions and comes with ECU and wiring harnass.

I’m mostly interested in an electric crate motor that will fit FWD. The manufacturer can offer a number of optional adapter plates that would fit to common transmissions. It would make it relatively easy to build your own electric car. I’d be interested to turn my old mk2 Golf into an electric car.


Kinja'd!!! Jb boin > duurtlang
10/18/2020 at 15:45

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The electric retrofit has actually been allowed in France a few months ago while it never has been the case for ICE.

Some companies that are on the market (it’s all new so they are not necessarily already selling products) : https://retrofuture-ev.com/en/cars/

https://www.phoenixmobility.co/en/

https://transition-one.eu/our-vehicles/

https://www.ian-motion.com

And others listed in the Retrofitters association website (but not all already have products listed in their website ) : https://association-aire.org/nos-adherents/


Kinja'd!!! gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Jb boin
10/18/2020 at 22:20

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Depends on the state and if emissions goes by a certain year or age of the vehicle, or if there are any emissions requirement at all.


Kinja'd!!! gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > duurtlang
10/18/2020 at 22:30

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Depends on the state, if there is emissions, and if so how are they written. Some as along as they pass an OBD test are good, others require to test the tailpipe.

I know someone who was trying to register a kit car from a former fox body mustang to a 65 cobra. He got into the grey area where it was too old for an obd test of the kit car and in order to do it needed to scrap a car and title for a 60s era v8. S o he found a piece of swiss cheese with a title. Paid 4 50 for the title and $ 50 worth of scrap metal.