Yes, you can definately put a bigger engine in that 97 civic. As a matter of fact, you civic is probably screaming for a H-22. If you listen carefully you'll hear it begging for more horsepower, and the beauty of the H-22 (the prelude motor from '97) is that it will fit right in there under your hood with very little modification (with the exception of a new wiring harness). You will have the fastest civic in town, so remember that any increase in horsepower should be made only with an equal increase in stopping power. Therefore, look into beefing up your brakes by adding beefy disks all around.