Which B-series Engine Is The Best To Swap?

Which engine is the best to swap? Take price, affordability (at the baseline), and ease of swapping

  • B16A SiR II

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • B16A2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • B16A3

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • B18B

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • B1

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    43

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gupta_p

Senior Member
I noticed there was a poll option, soo .. heh, I'll try it. Sorry, if I didn't include some b-series option that I didn't know about .. I'm not sure if I can edit and include it after the onset of the poll. Anyhow, I'm just wondering what's the best option.

By the way .. consider the fact that this should be based on a budget that is relatively small. Really, I don't want to put a number on this, but just try to imagine you are going to spend the LEAST amount of money on the BEST engine you can get. If that means you can buy a B18C5 and the money you put into that would be better than the same amount of money put into a B18B, then so be it . vote for the B18C5. Just try to take cost into account (the example I just gave should give you a nice starting point)

Ease of swapability is important too .. all that obd1 and obd2 modification stuff doesn't seem like it's the easiest/most fun thing to do. Anyhow, you can judge this however you'd like.

Availability is sort of important too. It's not the most important option by any means, but it's relatively important .. to a small degree. Interpret this how you'd like.


I didn't find many polls .. but I thought that this type of thing would be some some vague benefit? I think? At the least, I'm very interested in seeing what you all th ink. (If i've missed an option .. please tell me .. I'd like to se if I can edit this post and include it.)
 
For the money, You can't go wrong with an LS swap, B18B1. Name me an engine that for 1400 dollars for an entire swap and pulls 140 horses and 127 lbs. of torque. This thing is REALLY easy to swap. Just use the Integra's mounts and get one out of a 94-95 integra for a OBD1 engine. Anything Vtec in this price range either is crap or doesn't have enough torque to pull the car along. Since you stipulated a small affordable budget, B18B1 all the way.
 
C'mon now .. if you chose the B18C5 swap, how the heck can you justify that's it's a more .. money effecient .. way of making a 5th gen civic faster?! :blink: Give a reason, lol.
 
I wouldn't rely to heavily on this communities opinions as the soul means of your decision. The best way to find the best most cost efficient engine is to grab the damn phone and call around a lot. You might find a wrecked GSR that some redneck has no idea what's in there and sell you that "damn jap" car for under a grand. Who knows whats a deal anyway? A great deal is the ones that aren't advertised. The B18C5 is a killer engine because with a minimum of modification you have a SOLID N/A built engine already. If your idea of a great deal is a prebuilt solid engine with VTEC than the GSR is the way to go. If you are truly budget conscience, than you should seriously evaluate what your real goals are? Are you intending on making a great fun to drive daily driver that you need to rely on? or a strip racer? The B18B1 is a great engine that is cheap to put in initially and with great boost potential. The B18C5 is 3 times as expensive but you get VTEC and the short geared GSR tranny. I'm telling you with the most curtiousy and respect as I can...Get off your ass and make your intentions known. IF you want a great daily driver or if your intention is to build a weekend project car for the track only that will make a big difference. Make a plan, Weight some costs and benefits and then come back to this forum with a less general question. Just kind of listen to your question "What is the best engine...?" If you would have narrowed it down to "What is the most boost friendly setup for a autocross setup? or "Between these engines with this budget what would be the most powerful setup with a reliability to match for a daily driver?" Ask for specifics because we can help you a lot more. I kind of speak for everyone when I say we love to help everyone that come to this forum and is curtious and respectful. I am not saying these things to be mean or anything, I just want to make you think about what your true intentions are and to do some research on your own to find specific topics you need assistance with. There isn't a dumb question, but if you ask one thats been asked at nosiom than you can expect a like answer. Think about it man.
 
Well, I'm trying to be as broad as humanly possible. I'm looking for a relatively cheap swap that'll give me as much push as I can. If the best hp and torque per dollar is coming from a B18C5, then it's a smart plan to save up, and get that... but if that's not the case, and a better deal can be garnered from getting a b18b engine, then all the better .. and saving up for that will be the goal.

Ultimately, everything I ask .. and see .. will be the facts I use in determining which engine to go for. But yah, I'll concede, it's vague .. but it's vague in that planned fashion ;) (Oxymoronic? hehe.)
 
this compleatly depends on what you plan to use the car for and wether or not you want to go turbo or not .... any answers we give without that basic info will be worthless... your vauge question is fucking up the quality of the answers we can provide


best engine FOR WHAT???
 
I put in for the B18C1,you mentioned best power for the ease,availibility,and cost and that one best fits the three prerequisites.
 
this compleatly depends on what you plan to use the car for and wether or not you want to go turbo or not .... any answers we give without that basic info will be worthless... your vauge question is fucking up the quality of the answers we can provide


I'm asking what the best swap is .. and the question is actually a pretty good one .. if u think about it.

Here's what my question boils down to .. if you have a limited budget, which swap will give you the greatest amount of power per dollar.

If you want to get some $5,000 swap .. and get like 200hp/200 torque (this is entirely hypothetical) ... is that the best deal for a baseline swap? If there is a $2,000 swap ... where u get 140hp/140torque (hypotethcial again), is the money better used for that engine?

Per dollar .. where is the best swap coming in?


How does this involve a turbo? This is a simple question about what swap will come with the best overall power per dollar ratio.
 
ok heres your answers

basic swap a little more power for daily driving = B16A
good street racer w/ option to boost or build NA = B18C1
good street racer, great for road course strictly NA = B18C5 , B18C/R
inexpensive base to build a sick turbo setup with = B18B
street racing / drag racing domination w/ boost potential = H22A
great NA road course / autoX / enduro = B16B

different swaps are good for different things
 
Best swap for the money, along your criteria.

2 choices:

1. B16a3 out of a 93-95 sol vtec. Same OBD, easy swap
$2000 est.

2. B18b from a 94-95 integra ls. Same OBD, easy swap
$ 1500 est. easily modified

The B16a3 has more horse less torque, cost more

The B18b has more torque, costs less, and you will potential to build for more horses if you feel the need.
 
problem with the a3, you'll never find it.

here i will narrow your list down

B16A SiR I OBD 0, a wiring nightmare and will be more costly then its later brothers (b16aSIRII or a2)
thumbsdown.gif


B16A SiR II OBDI or OBDII, little wiring, nothing big, great engine but no trq, great engine for price. Get the OBDI

B16A2 OBDII, basicly same engine as all the other b16's but USD obd2 and a little modifaction is needed to make it work in your car. Over all i say avoid it but if you come across a good deal on one pick it up.

B16A3 OBDI, almost the same as the SiRii but a tad less compression, but you'll never find this engine, it is extremly rare, just get the SiRII.

B18B OBDI or II. Lots of trq, cheap, great and easy platform to go turbo

B18C1 OBDI or II. Good engine, can go turbo or NA. adds the trq of the b18b and the hp or the b16. again, try to find obdI

B18C5 OBDII only. It is the best NA honda makes that will go into the civic. If you plan on autoXing, it is the way to go (if you have the money)

B18c5 is great for autoXing but not the best for straight lining. If i was into drag, i would go LS and turbo it. If i just wanted a fast little car for around town, i would go b16a or b18b. See there are so many varibles so to say what is the best engine for me with no real good answer to your question. If you were to say, "i have about 4 grand to spend on an engine and I want to autoX." or "I want to go turbo and i am looking at spending about 6k total" you would get alot more answers.
 
I'm leaning towards the b18b. i just want some go in town, and mebbe the potential to get some go on the track. good info though, very good info.
 
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