swap or no?

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ld1drift

New Member
I have been looking around and was thinking about doing a b16a swap. First thing I wanted to do was buy the head build that then complete the swap. Having read a bit it seems I can put the head onto the b18a I already have in the vehicle. I'm kinda new to this stuff and am thinking I would get more power for less money if I just swapped the head on the 1.8. anyone have any ideas on this?
 
You would need to rebuild the bottom end of that B18A1 with the correct bearings and ARP rod/head bolts, shot peen the rods (at least) and put P30 pistons in or one of the many alternatives.

Or you can throw a VTEC head on it and see how long it lasts but I wouldn't suggest that

Also (along with a COMPLETE head) you need the intake/throttle body of a VTEC and buy a LS/VTEC kit. Not sure about the fuel rail/injectors but I would just get the whole top end of a VTEC motor.

If you have a B18A now....its OBD0 and you would need to run a chipped OBD1 ECU for that set up (with a tune) plus a jumper harness to connect it to your car. Plus you would need to run VTEC lines to ECU

If its an Integra....I would not suggest a B16A swap (b/c of weight issues) but it can be done.

So as you can see.....there's a lot to a LS/VTEC and its not for the new guy IMO unless you feel comfortable building motors or have $$$
 
its a learning project for me plan on spending money over time. any suggestions on where I can find what I need to rebuild the bottom end. High miles so its a good idea anyway.
 
or just pick up another 1.8 at the junkyard to build while I drive probably a better idea
 
If time is a problem, a block to re-build is best. You also need to source out a machinist who is knowledgeable on Honda re-builds to hone the block and shot peen the rods. I also suggest the crank is micro polished for balance.

Nippon pistons make a nice P30 piston on Ebay pretty cheap. ARP bolts can also be found online. I suggest OEM bearings (also online) Be on the look out for a chip programmer who can meet you ECU needs. The trans you have will work but a cable B16 will be a little more high performance

A complete VTEC head will run you $400-600 Craigslist
 
LS/VTEC is a waste. Unless you spend big money to do it right and complete but in that case, you might as well just get a GSR swap for the reliability.

The smart thing to do is get a low mile B18B and pair it with a B16 or GSR trans. With a turbo, some turbo app cams, cam gears, and a tune you get some actual power and you still have room to expand. Who cares about VTEC when you have boost?

With LS/VTEC you'll have problems and never get the car running / idling right. You'll never find a good tuner that can / will work on a frankenstein Honda. Just a lot of fools pretending to know how to tune. You end up what amounts to a GSR with more top end and higher compression. With a bottom end that doesn't like revs. Where do you go from there? Tear it down again and build N/A?
 
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