i got a b18a1 motor and tranny for a 1992 acura integra. i actully got a whole car for sell for 700.oo need the money to move. the car runs perfect body little dings............got 185,543 miles got new raditor water pump distriubter cap and rotor new timmin chain belt aftermarket headers .......everything it needs is a muffler and a heater core ............ message me at pricejose@yahoo.com for more info....
My Honda Swap
- Thread starter KyleKidd
- Start date
- Replies 52
- Views 7K
We may earn a small commission from affiliate links and paid advertisements. Terms
austin20110
Active Member
If you're looking for quick acceleration, you're looking in exactly the right spot.
A GSR is an EXCELLENT platform for both all motor and forced induction. It has the most turbo-friendly OEM cams in it, and has a compression ratio perfectly suited for forced induction.
The most common engine you will see is going to be the B18C1. If you can find one of these at a yard, snag it.
My recommendations:
For 180-200 whp - Stay all motor
200 whp + - Forced induction is the more logical way to do this.
If you're going to stay all motor, ditch that GSR tranny and pick up a B16 or ITR (Integra Type R) tranny. The shorter gear ratios will improve acceleration like you would not believe. After that, do a nice intake, header, exhaust, tune, and see where that puts you. After that you can start looking into camshafts, raising the compression ratio, headwork, etc.
If youre going the forced induction route, my suggestion is to buy a pre-made turbo kit and then just chip your ecu and tune from there. You will easily see 300 whp on that stock GSR. There are tuners that can set it up reliably.
Hope this helps, good luck man.
That's a pretty decent explanation. As for the "C" though, I've never heard anybody refer to it as "class". As I understand it, that letter represents the model of the engine within the particular engine family (so it's a B18C as opposed to a B18A or B). It doesn't really have anything to do with the trim level of the chassis it's installed in. And as for the digit following the model designation, it's purpose is to differentiate slightly different versions of a particular motor model (so like you stated, a 1 for GS-R, a 5 for Type R, etc.).
So yeah, I'd lay it out like this:
First digit = Engine family
2nd/3rd digit = Displacement
4th digit = Engine model within family
5th digit = Version within model designation
I actually wrote an article on this for another site: Honda Engine Codes Explained - HondaShowOff.com Forums
The only B18C engines you will find in a US junkyard are the B18C1 (GS-R) and B18C5 (Type R). I very much doubt that you will be able to find a Type R that hasn't already been pilfered, so you'll probably be finding B18C1 GS-R engines mostly...
D16SiHatch
Active Member
Hell i highly doubt you're even going to find a c1. the junkyards i've been to if you dont just happen to be there on the exact day a decent engine like that comes in, its gone within hours. and all the times i've went, i've never seen a gsr engine from any model year teg. i would consider yourself lucky if you can find a decent newer ls engine that hasnt already been partially torn apart.
MisterMister
USDM whore
For a turbo build, I say go with a B18B (http://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/sc2000search.cgi?what=page&item=30007) and keep it stock until you can afford that turbo kit. Once you have the turbo ready to install, then start the build process. Start by adding a thicker then stock head gasket to lower the CR a bit (cheap and easy way to add a little more peace of mind when running boost on a DD). You would also be good to go by mating it to a stock B18B 5spd transmission as well, given that these are geared well for boosted applications. Then follow up with the mainstays of a turbo build such as large diameter exhaust piping, free flowing intake elements boost controllers, inter-cooler, etc. I say do these things AFTER you are ready for the turbo, because parts such as large diameter exhausts aren't exactly ideal for non turbo engines.
There are a few reasons why I say this;
A) Availability. The Integra LS engine (e.g. the B18B) is a very common engine and is rather cheap as far as B series engines and transmissions go.
B) Turbo. The B18B has a lower CR (compression ratio) than any other B series engine (basically the B16A or B18C variations, & the B17 as well). Lower CRs are what you are after if you want to run boost on a daily basis, especially at a higher PSI. This will allow you to run more boost while keeping it within safe cylinder pressures (read: you won’t grenade the engine as easily). This is something important for anyone of your knowledge level trying to run a boosted Honda motor (with stock internals).
C) Cost. Again, this engine and transmission will, on the average, cost you less than the B16A or B18C motors and transmissions.
D) Ease of install. As with the other motors listed in this thread, this is a basic drop in swap.
What’s more, this motor will give you very good drivability in the meantime while waiting to get that turbo bought and installed. The B18B puts out more torque then your Civic was ever meant to see, making it a very well suited engine for daily driving. Not only will it be a good deal faster then what the car had with it's stock engine, it will "feel" quite a bit faster due to the added low end torque (rofl @ torque and an NA b series).
Now, with all that said I have to digress a bit.
You wouldn’t believe (or maybe you would) how many kids I’ve heard who say they are "going" to turbo their car "at some point". You may fully believe that you will, as I am sure all the others have, but more often the not this is something which falls through with a vengeance. You MUST be aware of this. Turboing a car opens up a whole other can of worms. It will require a lot more maintenance as well as creating a shit ton of other potential issues/problems which you would never see on a non turbo car. This is compounded by the fact that these cars/engines were never meant to be boosted. So, even if you can afford the initial cost of purchasing and installing a turbo on your car, you might not be up to the task (both money and skill wise) of maintaining the car after its on. ESPECIALY if this is going to be your daily driver. You can expect the car to be out of commission for days at a time as you fix various problems that will probably come up as time goes on. And this is giving you the benefit of the doubt that you will get it 100% properly installed as well as getting quality (read: expensive) components.
This doesn’t even delve into the fact that kids with little to no experience piloting higher hp cars get into a LOT of trouble (and I don’t just mean tickets) with these types of vehicles. You will have major issues such as torque steer, understeer, loss of drive wheel traction, as well as highly shortened reaction times when driving these types of cars (and not even driving at the limit either). Furthermore, to HELP counteract SOME of these issues, more money must be spent on things such as brake, suspension, and tire upgrades. Those mods alone are going to run you more then the cost of the motor swap or the turbo kit, if done properly.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that there is a much higher total cost to one of these cars then what you might think. It’s going to end up costing you a lot more in the end then the basic cost of the new engine/transmission & turbo kit. That’s 100% fact. Aside from money, there is a lot higher chance that you are going to either wreck your car and/or injure/kill yourself or someone else without proper driving experience and skill, no matter what mods you do to the vehicle.
My point is this. Listen carefully to what I just said and think about it really hard. You might be better off by going for an NA (naturally aspirated, AKA "all motor") build. You can get more than enough WHP to put a smile on your face by going this route, and it will allow you to build your skill and experience. It will also (on average) be a much more reliable and cost efficient method of modifying a car for daily driving duty. It’s a much simpler set up, meaning there are less things that can go wrong, and when they do go wrong it’s easier to diagnose and fix (not to mention cheaper for the most part). Lets also not forget that this will also be much more fuel efficient, because let’s face it, gas is only getting more expensive and you are going to need to start using PREMIUM gas. Plus I'm not even touching the whole smog legality issue!
For an all motor set up, I would suggest going with a B16A or B18C long block and mating it to a B16A transmission. You can have the head milled a little bit to up the CR as well as adding an aftermarket 2 layer head gasket to further bump the CR up. Combine this with basic bolt ons (intake/header/exhaust), add some cams & cam gears, then add a P28 ECU which has then been tuned and chipped on a dyno by a qualified tuner.
All of this will net you more than enough horse power to get you into trouble, and it will be a pretty straight forward yet very fun project. To top it off, you can keep adding things to further increase performance like a modified intake manifold, larger throttle body, phelonic spacers, etc, etc, etc.
Done right, after all is said and done, you can expect to see near, at or perhaps even over 200WHP. That’s more than enough go to get you into the 13s, which makes you faster than the majority of cars on the road today.
Of course, unless you plan on having a lot of money to throw at this whole shebang, you are going to need to make a decision as to which way you want to go BEFORE you start the project. Are you 100% SURE you want to go turbo, or do you think an NA build might be more your speed for now? This must be decided before even thinking of which motor to buy.
Take it from someone who has 10+ years of life and 13+ years of car building experience on you... that, my friend, is the most important decision that you are facing at the moment.
There are a few reasons why I say this;
A) Availability. The Integra LS engine (e.g. the B18B) is a very common engine and is rather cheap as far as B series engines and transmissions go.
B) Turbo. The B18B has a lower CR (compression ratio) than any other B series engine (basically the B16A or B18C variations, & the B17 as well). Lower CRs are what you are after if you want to run boost on a daily basis, especially at a higher PSI. This will allow you to run more boost while keeping it within safe cylinder pressures (read: you won’t grenade the engine as easily). This is something important for anyone of your knowledge level trying to run a boosted Honda motor (with stock internals).
C) Cost. Again, this engine and transmission will, on the average, cost you less than the B16A or B18C motors and transmissions.
D) Ease of install. As with the other motors listed in this thread, this is a basic drop in swap.
What’s more, this motor will give you very good drivability in the meantime while waiting to get that turbo bought and installed. The B18B puts out more torque then your Civic was ever meant to see, making it a very well suited engine for daily driving. Not only will it be a good deal faster then what the car had with it's stock engine, it will "feel" quite a bit faster due to the added low end torque (rofl @ torque and an NA b series).
Now, with all that said I have to digress a bit.
You wouldn’t believe (or maybe you would) how many kids I’ve heard who say they are "going" to turbo their car "at some point". You may fully believe that you will, as I am sure all the others have, but more often the not this is something which falls through with a vengeance. You MUST be aware of this. Turboing a car opens up a whole other can of worms. It will require a lot more maintenance as well as creating a shit ton of other potential issues/problems which you would never see on a non turbo car. This is compounded by the fact that these cars/engines were never meant to be boosted. So, even if you can afford the initial cost of purchasing and installing a turbo on your car, you might not be up to the task (both money and skill wise) of maintaining the car after its on. ESPECIALY if this is going to be your daily driver. You can expect the car to be out of commission for days at a time as you fix various problems that will probably come up as time goes on. And this is giving you the benefit of the doubt that you will get it 100% properly installed as well as getting quality (read: expensive) components.
This doesn’t even delve into the fact that kids with little to no experience piloting higher hp cars get into a LOT of trouble (and I don’t just mean tickets) with these types of vehicles. You will have major issues such as torque steer, understeer, loss of drive wheel traction, as well as highly shortened reaction times when driving these types of cars (and not even driving at the limit either). Furthermore, to HELP counteract SOME of these issues, more money must be spent on things such as brake, suspension, and tire upgrades. Those mods alone are going to run you more then the cost of the motor swap or the turbo kit, if done properly.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that there is a much higher total cost to one of these cars then what you might think. It’s going to end up costing you a lot more in the end then the basic cost of the new engine/transmission & turbo kit. That’s 100% fact. Aside from money, there is a lot higher chance that you are going to either wreck your car and/or injure/kill yourself or someone else without proper driving experience and skill, no matter what mods you do to the vehicle.
My point is this. Listen carefully to what I just said and think about it really hard. You might be better off by going for an NA (naturally aspirated, AKA "all motor") build. You can get more than enough WHP to put a smile on your face by going this route, and it will allow you to build your skill and experience. It will also (on average) be a much more reliable and cost efficient method of modifying a car for daily driving duty. It’s a much simpler set up, meaning there are less things that can go wrong, and when they do go wrong it’s easier to diagnose and fix (not to mention cheaper for the most part). Lets also not forget that this will also be much more fuel efficient, because let’s face it, gas is only getting more expensive and you are going to need to start using PREMIUM gas. Plus I'm not even touching the whole smog legality issue!
For an all motor set up, I would suggest going with a B16A or B18C long block and mating it to a B16A transmission. You can have the head milled a little bit to up the CR as well as adding an aftermarket 2 layer head gasket to further bump the CR up. Combine this with basic bolt ons (intake/header/exhaust), add some cams & cam gears, then add a P28 ECU which has then been tuned and chipped on a dyno by a qualified tuner.
All of this will net you more than enough horse power to get you into trouble, and it will be a pretty straight forward yet very fun project. To top it off, you can keep adding things to further increase performance like a modified intake manifold, larger throttle body, phelonic spacers, etc, etc, etc.
Done right, after all is said and done, you can expect to see near, at or perhaps even over 200WHP. That’s more than enough go to get you into the 13s, which makes you faster than the majority of cars on the road today.
Of course, unless you plan on having a lot of money to throw at this whole shebang, you are going to need to make a decision as to which way you want to go BEFORE you start the project. Are you 100% SURE you want to go turbo, or do you think an NA build might be more your speed for now? This must be decided before even thinking of which motor to buy.
Take it from someone who has 10+ years of life and 13+ years of car building experience on you... that, my friend, is the most important decision that you are facing at the moment.
Last edited:
D16SiHatch
Active Member
great googley moogley! ^^^
MisterMister
USDM whore
Just trying to help. LOL, what is it with all these kids driving Del Sols making threads recently?
Last edited:
frodotoolbox
92 civic si d15b
i only made mine cuz when im done its going to be a beast... but it will probly take a long time
Best way to learn is to fuck up a couple times. If he likes the kit its his car. None of our business... i hate kits... also hate his car...
JK lol! But you gotta let up on the kit everyone. KEEP IT ON TOPIC Y0!
P.S. Dude even tho breakin shit is the best way to learn. Read alot, ask alot and drink alot! Youll know everything you need soon enough...
DAMN!! That kit is ugly! ROFL
God Bless My Drunk Ass!
Last edited:
PRtuning
Complete Noob.
Best way to learn is to fuck up a couple times. If he likes the kit its his car. None of our business... i hate kits... also hate his car...
But you gotta let up on the kit everyone. KEEP IT ON TOPIC Y0!
P.S. Dude even tho breakin shit is the best way to learn. Read alot, ask alot and drink alot! Youll know everything you need soon enough...!
Haha, what kind of information is that to give him? "Breaking shit is the best way to learn". I'd say reading, searching, lurking, and reading more is the best way to learn. I agree about keeping it on topic though, it's not your car people so who cares if you like it or not. All we can do is point him in the right direction.. it's up to him to listen.
dangmedcalf
New Member
Don't do what I did and swap an h22 into the car and find out the engine has been sprayed and your losing compression in cylinder 1 and some dick sold you a shit axle and booked town.... anyway..
My suggestion is to make this a project car, and have a reliable car that you know wont fail on you, because mine has caused me such a headache, do your research, get a list of parts, then come back and ask if u need anything else, honda-tech.com is a good website to get info from as well, just browse their articles and learn what you can. Find an tuner shop locally and ask one of the mechanics there a few things, from my experience there’s always at least 1 Honda guy ^^. But go ahead and ask, ask, ask, it never hurts and embarrassment from asking a question isn’t as bad as from blowing up your motor
My suggestion is to make this a project car, and have a reliable car that you know wont fail on you, because mine has caused me such a headache, do your research, get a list of parts, then come back and ask if u need anything else, honda-tech.com is a good website to get info from as well, just browse their articles and learn what you can. Find an tuner shop locally and ask one of the mechanics there a few things, from my experience there’s always at least 1 Honda guy ^^. But go ahead and ask, ask, ask, it never hurts and embarrassment from asking a question isn’t as bad as from blowing up your motor
