# 89 Civic engine swap - Help!

**URL:** <https://forums.speedlife.net/t/89-civic-engine-swap-help/188456>\
**Category:** PittSpeed Automotive\
**Created:** [March 7, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/89-civic-engine-swap-help/188456 "2007-03-07T18:04:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scorean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@scorean](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/scorean)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/89-civic-engine-swap-help/188456/1 "2007-03-07T18:04:36Z")

</div>

I swapped out the block/head on a 89 civic recently (PITA!). Anyway, I’ve got it all together and now it won’t turn over. Nothing. When I turn the key, I can hear the ignition switch doing it’s thing; under the hood, there is some switching noise coming from the passenger firewall area (souinds like a relay doing it’s thing…), but nothing else. The lights are on strong and all the interior electrical components come on like they should, but the starter is not getting the juice it needs. I even replaced the battery with a known good one just to verify that it wasn’t the problem. Everything seems hooked up and attached correctly… Does anyone have any ideas?

By the way, the car isn’t anything special… 89/auto. Though the engine and head came out of the next gen car, everything else is the same.

Sam

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ZEX350Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/87869e/32.png) [@ZEX350Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ZEX350Z)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/89-civic-engine-swap-help/188456/2 "2007-03-07T20:17:36Z")

</div>

I am willing to bet that you don’t have the tranny ground strap on. There is a ground to connect from the tranny/bellhousing area to the chassis. You will see all your lights, here your starter solenoid click, fans will work, but it WON’T crank. Hook that ground up and you will be golden.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rickoner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a587f6/32.png) [@rickoner](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/rickoner)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2007, 7:38am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/89-civic-engine-swap-help/188456/3 "2007-03-08T07:38:56Z")

</div>

if your still running OBDO make sure your using your old injectors and distributer. this won’t help with it not cranking but when it does it won’t fire and the different injectors could fry the ecu.

also check the thermostat ground. the ecu is grounded though here aswell

did you do a dpfi to a mpfi swap?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RickSI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@RickSI](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RickSI)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2007, 9:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/89-civic-engine-swap-help/188456/4 "2007-03-08T09:17:29Z")

</div>

Or the thermostat housing ground and the VC ground.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![grnteg98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@grnteg98](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/grnteg98)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/89-civic-engine-swap-help/188456/5 "2007-03-08T15:15:37Z")

</div>

main relay? can you hear the fuel pump prime?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stinkbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@stinkbox](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/stinkbox)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/89-civic-engine-swap-help/188456/6 "2007-03-10T15:44:56Z")

</div>

i also bet its the computer ground that bolts to the thermostate housing. check all the grounds.