LS/VTEC Head Questions

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mack1753

New Member
Hi, I have the opportunity to buy a 99' GSR head with a good Port and Polish job with stock GSR internals for 600$. My ultimate goal is to make a LS/VTEC turbo motor for a daily driver. (Say maybe around the 250-300 HP range). I was also thinking of buying a new cast B16 head with a valve job and put all new internals in it but this would cost in upwards of almost 2000$ so i have the opportunity to save about 1400$ here. How would those GSR internals hold up at say around 8.5k? I dont want to buy the GSR head and find out that i need to buy a bunch of new internals so i wont throw a spring at 8k or something like that. Thanks for your input.

BTW, the PnP job was a "PORTFLOW PORT & POLISH 6 angle port job" on the GSR head and there is no PnP on the bare head.
 
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The GS-R red-lines at 8,100 RPMs stock, so I'd probably replace the valve train with something after-market if you plan to consistently spin the motor that high. My question though, is are you planning on using cams that will allow you to make power that high? If not, then what's the point?
 
The GS-R red-lines at 8,100 RPMs stock, so I'd probably replace the valve train with something after-market if you plan to consistently spin the motor that high. My question though, is are you planning on using cams that will allow you to make power that high? If not, then what's the point?

If he boosts it, the gsr cams will work out just fine. I know this from experience.
 
I'll never understand why people feel the need to rev to 8500RPMs...

To put down the power longer. Depending on the valvetrain and camshafts, you can make power even higher. my NA lsvtec made power all the way up to 9k and my turbo hatch made endless power, it was quite nice though the shift light pill was for 9,000 rpm, which is how high I spun it at the track and sometimes the street, due to horrible traction.
 
I was thinking of replacing the valve train possibly, I do remember hearing somewhere that the GSR cams work well for a boosted ls/VTEC setup so there wouldn't need to be a need to go out and buy skunk2 cams or anything like that or am i way off on this one? But i've decided to go with the GSR head due to the rebuilt state it's in and with the good PnP.
 
If he boosts it, the gsr cams will work out just fine. I know this from experience.

Will the GS-R cams continue to make power past the red-line? Is that what you used on yours?
 
If you are not in a big hurry to get this engine together. You should pick up a brand new head from Endyn. They will have there new aftermarket heads for sale here pretty soon. They will be less then $900 and out perform any factory Honda B series head in terms of performance.
 
Yes. 2001 gsr cams, and made power to 8900 rpm.

Nice. So with an upgraded valve train GS-R cams can actually be used as an alternative to after-market for making power past red-line? Good stuff to know...
 
Nice. So with an upgraded valve train GS-R cams can actually be used as an alternative to after-market for making power past red-line? Good stuff to know...

With my semi built ls/vtec I put down 187hp and 147ftlbs with gsr cams, never took it past 8k because its fast as shit no need to.
 
Okay so i bought the GSR head now i gotta build my bottom end, besides the basic rebuilding, should I go with B16 pistons and have the rods shot pend?? I don't want to buy forged internals if i dont have to, i dont think i would boost over 15 pounds, probably more around the 10-12 range.
 
B16 pistons are best for high compression. Aren't you going turbo? You could get supercharged and use them but for a turbo HP with low comp pistons.
 
B16 pistons are best for high compression. Aren't you going turbo? You could get supercharged and use them but for a turbo HP with low comp pistons.

I wouldn't reccomend supercharging a high compression engine either. Forced induction is forced induction, whether it be exhaust or belt driven.
 
So what kind of "budget to midrange" pistons would you reccomend for low compression that would also be compadible with Egale rods in the B18a block?
 
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