B18c4 into Sol touble?

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Paulo

Junior Member
Hi guys, I'm new on here......don't have too much experience but here goes.....

Thinking of swapping a B18c4 into my 93 DelSol, which already has d16z6 in it. I think the B18c4 isn't used in any USDM car, is this true?

AFAIK, b18c4 is OBD2, is it recommended to swap for OBD1 (or go Hondata or similar)?
Will I have any problems with driveshafts or ground clearances (already dropped 2")?
I realise I will need different mounts, but any extra possible pitfalls, problems, tips or recommendations would be appreciated!

The b18c4 seems like the favoured engine for the Japanese tuners!
Apparently, Tatsuru Ichishima states that this is his favourite B series engine. And the B18C5 comes a reasonable second best. :)
 
just get the b18c1, alot easyier to find and will be cheaper. If you are going to upgrade the valve train there is not point. (the b18c4 is a Type R engine like the c5 right) Also to save you money, go with type R pistons, install them and you will have a type R engine for alittle less. Also to save you a big headache, go with obd 1.
 
i don't believe a b18c4 exists, in japan engines don't have numbers...its just b16a, b18c, b18b, etc.

read this, i think the type r motor is certainly worth getting.

i think spending 5000-5500 for a complete jdm type r motor is definitely worth it.

here is what you get with the jdm type r

type r throttle body
type r intake manifold
type r cams and valvetrain
head is port and polished, has better flow
type r pistons
11lb flywheel (badass)
type r 4-1 exhaust manifold (badass)
type r transmission with lsd and 4.785 final drive (badass)
8400redline, fuel cut at 8900rpm (badass)
200hp, oem quality.

basically, with the type r swap you get everything someone with a gsr swap wants. and, if you have the money, why not spend it on a motor/transmission, ecu that is already assembled by honda, which means oem quality.

my opinion, if you can afford the jdm type r swap, buy it, and if you have to spend slightly more on a usdm swap, buy it.
 
in Europe the Civic VTi from 97 on had the B18C4 in it
 
the B18C4 is a jdm motor, and yes, it is favored by the tuners. i think i read somewhere that mr. spoon himself (dont remember his real name) was saying the B18C4 is the best 4 cyl vtec motor, i think it was in honda tuner? or something like that. but yes, they do exisit, if you already have one, sweet, if not, good luck and happy hunting :)
 
Originally posted by B16@Oct 9 2002, 08:14 PM
the B18C4 is a jdm motor, and yes, it is favored by the tuners. i think i read somewhere that mr. spoon himself (dont remember his real name) was saying the B18C4 is the best 4 cyl vtec motor, i think it was in honda tuner? or something like that.

You are correct I remember reading that one! Not all JDM motors are just plain B18 or B16. They do have B18C1,s 2,s 3,s 4,s and 5,s!
 
Well, the reason I'm thinking b18c4 is because I live in Scotland......it's easier to get a 4 here than a 1 as it's in the Civic Vti saloon (equivalent JDM SiR).

Tatsuru Ichishima , the guy I mentioned in the first post, is the Spoon tech guy.

I remember reading, I think in the FAQ section, that OBD2 to OBD1 is not always recommended

So what I would be getting is a 170 hp euro-spec engine with OBD2.....NO CHANCE of getting a b16b over here unless you sell a couple of organs first!
I was wondering if there are any problems in the swap which may crop up....hopefully if I go ahead with it, I would consider Type R pistons, cams and a few other bits n bobs.....but I'm unsure if the initial swap is worth the hassle......
 
my car is OBD2, my motor is OBD2, but its running off an OBD1 computer, it can be done, and should not be that difficult. are there any smog laws pertaining to OBD versions in scotland? (ie: can you put an OBD2 motor in an OBD1 car, and run everything OBD1? here in California, all smog equipment must match the motor.) or is that not a concern?.... i wish i had a b16b :)
 
No laws about engine equipment in sunny Scotland, as far as I'm aware! ;)
I can more or less do what I like as long as it's declared under my car insurance....and I need more power!
So is this the way to go?
There are no real problems apart from the mounts and the wiring harness to change?
Should I get an OBD1 from an older car or just go for a Hondata or similar?
 
Originally posted by Paulo@Oct 10 2002, 06:52 PM
So is this the way to go?

There are no real problems apart from the mounts and the wiring harness to change?
Should I get an OBD1 from an older car or just go for a Hondata or similar?

go with what you like, and what you want. it doesnt sound to shabby. And if the b18c4 is OBD2 you get a harness to make it go to OBD1 they sell them. And hondata only runs on OBD0 or OBD1 ecu's it doesnt sell applications for OBD2 ecu's.
http://www.hondata.com/ecus.html

"Should I get an OBD1 from an older car or just go for a Hondata or similar?" and i dont know what your trying to communicate here.

If you plan on using Hondata then yes you are going to have to use a OBD1 ecu.

side note: if im wrong on any of this... plz say so. :unsure:
 
Originally posted by Paulo@Oct 10 2002, 09:52 PM
No laws about engine equipment in sunny Scotland, as far as I'm aware! ;)
I can more or less do what I like as long as it's declared under my car insurance....and I need more power!
So is this the way to go?
There are no real problems apart from the mounts and the wiring harness to change?
Should I get an OBD1 from an older car or just go for a Hondata or similar?

I am using an OBDII b18c in my 94 ex. Since it was JDM and the harness was cut to crap, I ended up useing the d16 harness and modifying it. As long as you have an OBDI p72 ecu, you will be fine. For engine mounts you can use the ones from your d16, except the drivers, lower mount, which you will need to get from a Del Sol VTEC (there may be other cars in Europe that use the same bracket also, but I know that is what is needed in the US to keep A/C).
 
Should I get an OBD1 from an older car or just go for a Hondata or similar?
Doesn't sound quite right now that I read it back, doh! :D

I was really just wondering if Hondata did anything for OBD2, which after reading up, nobody really does, right?
Seems like this is the way to go, so I'm just looking for the right engine, as there are a few available.......and I should be almost the first to do this in Scotland, as there aren't many Sols running about here at all! B)
 
Hey Paulo... Does the block stamp actually say "B18C4"? Because from what I've read, seen, heard, and everything else in between is that the USDM Type R motor was labeled B18C5 and the JDM Type R was labeled B18C with no number at the end. I believe there is like a little serial number below the B18C that you would probably have to call Honda about to find out whether it is a B18C2,3,or 4. And b16, I've seen that interview with Mr. Spoon... Although I couldn't understand a word he was saying, the translation came afterwards saying that the C4 is the most balanced production VTEC motor there is....

Paulo if you've got that B18C4, then roll with it..
 
Yeah, I'm sure it's a b18c4.....it's not a type-R engine(3 or 5, couldn't afford one of those!), not out an Integra, it's from the UK Civic Vti 4-door saloon 96-99.
Is there a JDM equivalent of this? Not sure. The closest you'll get to a Vti is a JDM SiR.
Looks like it should be quite a simple swap, and you don't get too many higher compliments than Spoon Sports talking it up! :)
 
What you should do is write down that string of characters below the block stamp and call Honda or somebody who's got the resources and tell them the string of characters. They maybe able to tell you exactly what you've got. You could be sitting on a TypeR... :D
 
I wish!! Nope, the engine is coming out of a Civic Vti...But I can still dream!:)
Hopefully I'll be able to push some extra power out of it to embarrass the Type-R boys! :p
 
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