B16a or B18b1?

[AlexM]

Ok, so yeah this question has probably been asked a million times, but I couldn't find any good comparisons. I'm looking into a complete swap for my hatch, and will eventually be going turbo. I've read good about both motors and how they respond to boost. I'm leaning towards B16a because of better tranny, vtec, and that high end power. But a couple questions:

1. Is one substantially stronger than the other, as far as accepting boost?
2. which is your choice?
3. most reliable at 250whp?

 

[Autoworks]

Ok, so yeah this question has probably been asked a million times, but I couldn't find any good comparisons. I'm looking into a complete swap for my hatch, and will eventually be going turbo. I've read good about both motors and how they respond to boost. I'm leaning towards B16a because of better tranny, vtec, and that high end power. But a couple questions:

1. Is one substantially stronger than the other, as far as accepting boost?
2. which is your choice?
3. most reliable at 250whp?

I'd pic a B18A/B18B over the B16 for a turbo setup anyday of the week. The LS responds greatto turbos andwill make grreat torque, so...

1,LS
2.LS
3. depends on the tune.

As for the tranny, just swap them.

 

[AlexM]

I'd pic a B18A/B18B over the B16 for a turbo setup anyday of the week. The LS responds greatto turbos andwill make grreat torque, so...

1,LS
2.LS
3. depends on the tune.

As for the tranny, just swap them.

Okie, note taken. Anyone else?

 

[EFcivic89]

Go with the ls thats what i'm building for turbo to swap into my hatch.

 

[AlexM]

Go with the ls thats what i'm building for turbo to swap into my hatch.

Building eh? I priced something out, but even with a old b18a1 block/head I was looking at 5g to build it, plus tuning and tranny! What's your build consisting of? I'd be interested.

 

[madhopz88]

Ls, b16 tranny. got more torque with the Ls

 

[EFcivic89]

My plans are ls motor with a b16 tranny. Internals are b16 pistions, port polished head, crower stage 2 turbo cams, crower dual springs and titanium retainers, crower stage 2 cam gears, and turbo and spray not sure what turbo yet.

 

[stolle]

b18 lower compression ratio better for boost more displacement, i have seen 285whp out of a stock b18 driven daily. on the other hand everyone i know that has turboed a b16 has had nothing but problems (higher compression ratio harder to tune), be it bad luck bad tune whatever, just doesnt turn out so well...

 

[AlexM]

b18 lower compression ratio better for boost more displacement, i have seen 285whp out of a stock b18 driven daily. on the other hand everyone i know that has turboed a b16 has had nothing but problems (higher compression ratio harder to tune), be it bad luck bad tune whatever, just doesnt turn out so well...

Very helpful advice. Thank you for that

My plans are ls motor with a b16 tranny. Internals are b16 pistions, port polished head, crower stage 2 turbo cams, crower dual springs and titanium retainers, crower stage 2 cam gears, and turbo and spray not sure what turbo yet.

Aww man, just slap a Vtec head on it why don't you? PnP, valve train and all that, it's pointless on a ls head. I looked into it, even with a PnP, the flow isn't as good as a vtec head, plus you could PnP the vtec head. I just think for the money you're investing you might as well throw a b16 head on there.

 

[nurevEKcivic00]

i might have a turbo ls vtec forsale, 0 miles on it fully built if ur interested

 

[AlexM]

i might have a turbo ls vtec forsale, 0 miles on it fully built if ur interested

PM'd!!!!!

 

[RedLine42]

VTEC ftw

 

[jdmhead]

boo for vtec... ls/gsr tranny and 18lbs of boost... woo hoo

 

[Drackonn]

LS trannies are great for boosted daily driving and street fun, no reason to spend the money on a gsr/b16 tranny if your going to daily it

 

[mike@synapse]

Aww man, just slap a Vtec head on it why don't you? PnP, valve train and all that, it's pointless on a ls head. I looked into it, even with a PnP, the flow isn't as good as a vtec head, plus you could PnP the vtec head. I just think for the money you're investing you might as well throw a b16 head on there.

i wonder what his reasons for not getting a vtec head are? to the guy that said 285whp ls motor, every vtec motor we tune leaves in the ballpark of 300whp, many in the 325whp range as well, yet to see a failure. ive seen a sludge gsr motor last 25k+ abusive miles without issues at 300whp, would have gone further too but the owner decided to throw pistons/rods in it. weve tuned dozens of 300whp b16's so lets not blame the motors here. when it comes down to it the b16 and ls bottom ends, can take just about the same amount of tq. unfortunately the ls doesn't hold tq as high in the rpm range as the b16 so it cant make the same power safely.

the b16 would be the weapon of choice here. Would be easy to pick up an LS/GSR block and build it on the side, you will already have all the VTEC parts needed.

 

[zach246]

b16 has no displacement, and like everyone says if you turbo it it will be a lot harder to tune. i mean, think about it, i have a 1.6 liter engine that comes stock in my 92 si. u want as much displacement as you can get

but i have a gsr and i want a b16 tranny, always have, but my gsr tranny has lsd so im not gonna get rid of it, plus, if you turbo your car and use a b16 tranny--- baaaaadd idea. gsr tranny for turbo

 

[AlexM]

LS trannies are great for boosted daily driving and street fun, no reason to spend the money on a gsr/b16 tranny if your going to daily it

Thanks for that. I've heard the B16 is pretty short gears, good for launching, but not too well at higher speeds. So for DD to pick up from highway pulls I think you're right, the ls would be better becuase of the longer gears. How similair would it be to a DA gs Integra? My friend has one, I'll just drive that and see what I think.

i wonder what his reasons for not getting a vtec head are? to the guy that said 285whp ls motor, every vtec motor we tune leaves in the ballpark of 300whp, many in the 325whp range as well, yet to see a failure. ive seen a sludge gsr motor last 25k+ abusive miles without issues at 300whp, would have gone further too but the owner decided to throw pistons/rods in it. weve tuned dozens of 300whp b16's so lets not blame the motors here. when it comes down to it the b16 and ls bottom ends, can take just about the same amount of tq. unfortunately the ls doesn't hold tq as high in the rpm range as the b16 so it cant make the same power safely.

the b16 would be the weapon of choice here. Would be easy to pick up an LS/GSR block and build it on the side, you will already have all the VTEC parts needed.

I like the idea of having a vtec head so I could build a block on the side, but then again, the whole displacement thing. 1.8>1.6. By the way, you make it sounds like the setup won't last too long? Probably just reading it wrong, but I'm hoping this thing to go many many kms.

b16 has no displacement, and like everyone says if you turbo it it will be a lot harder to tune. i mean, think about it, i have a 1.6 liter engine that comes stock in my 92 si. u want as much displacement as you can get

but i have a gsr and i want a b16 tranny, always have, but my gsr tranny has lsd so im not gonna get rid of it, plus, if you turbo your car and use a b16 tranny--- baaaaadd idea. gsr tranny for turbo

Haven't heard much good about boosted motors with gsr trans. But yeah, thanks for bringing up the displacement thing. I mean who wouldn't want a 1.8L over a 1.6L.

Thanks everyone again for chirpin' in, I've taken into account everyones opinions, and I think I'm leaning towards a complete Ls swap, and then turbo it. Now, do I get a longblock, but my own axles and ecu(which are included in full swap) and then get shift linkage (not included in full swap) and then find an older ls tranny for like 300 bucks? Longblock=750, complete swap=1850

 

[toneekay]

you can always bore out the block of a b16 from 1.6l to 1.8l ;D

 

[AlexM]

you can always bore out the block of a b16 from 1.6l to 1.8l ;D

Chaaaaaaaa chiiiiiiiing

 

[umair]

1. from what i have read the b16s like boost a lot better than b18s.
2. b16
3. it depends on the tune.

who cares if the b16 i smaller he is not trying to make 500-600 hp, he can make the power he wants with a b16. he just wants a good street car and i think the b16 is the better choice.