my sons 89 civic dx engine broke. so the question is what engine swaps are available for this car. he would like a vtec. thats fine with me but i need to know if it will fit. so i need to know what years and sizes will fit this car. never done one of these not like my big block ford. we already have new k&n type air filter and a cold air intake looking to do some other mild mods also so the right engine would be a big help.  

best engine to throw in there would be a B18B engine its a purfect fit and it fits snug best car to get one out of is the 1997 Acura integra or you can go to
http://www.jdmtigerjapanese.com
insted of having fun at the junk yard also you can throw the B18C engine in there its the V tech verson of the B18B youll haf to also get the Wiering harness and ECU if you want things to work....insterments are  good to so you know what your really redlining at to... hope this helps alittle  

You would have a lot easier time swapping to a SOHC VTEC d16z6 if VTEC is a must or my personal recommendation: a DOHC non-VTEC ZC engine, which will make a little more power than the Z6. I swapped a ZC into my 90 CRX DX and it was fairly simple and you can still utilize the stock trans instead of having to buy a b series.  You do need a civic/CRX Si ecu though and a new clutch is always a good idea.  A 97 b18 is going to present a few headaches for some one who isn't used to fuel injected fours.  First the firewall/fenderwell needs "adjusted" to clear the alternator not to mention the wiring that will need to be changed and the motor mounts, axles and ecu that will need to be purchased. But remember with any of these swaps in the obd0 DX models you will need to go to an MPFI set up in favor of the DPFI you have now.  This involves an intake manifold and switching a few pins in the distributor plug and possibly the ecu. I can't remember completely, it's been a while.   but There are a couple good write-ups on the web (try honda-tech.com). Hopefully I helped you out.