would i be better off as far as reliability with a ls vtec or a gsr swap. my previous ls vtec broke a rod with 60000 miles on it i was wondering if that was just a fluke or if it was common. but the engine was built and had 12:1 compression. just needing some opinions.

 

i think you answered your own question.ls vtec is stout when done right.but the stock bottom end of a b18b just isnt up for the rpms of a vtec head.

 

Either one can be just as reliable as the other. whats your budget and goals.

 

That is true. GSR is reliable because its a stock factory Honda engine. In order to make a LS/V reliable here is a link step by step.
https://honda-tech.com/forums/all-motor-naturally-aspirated-44/how-build-%22reliable%22-lsvtec-b20vtec-1676914/

 

Very true, it also depends on the quality of the parts, who built it, and how it's driven. The rod snapping in your previous motor could've been cheap parts, poor maintenance, or aggressive driving.

 

all those are good suggestions but i built the ls/v according to the link on building a reliable ls vtec. my bottom end had darton sleeves with stock bore, an eagle 34lbs crank, eagle h-beam rods with acl bearings and it was all held together with arp bolts and hardware. i know all of this is true because i built the motor myself. thats why i was kind of scared to build another one because we all know that quality parts aren't cheap. Although i did drive it hard, everything was maintained like it was supposed to be. i changed the oil every 2500 miles and only used synthetic royal purple and lucas lubricants. Thats why i thought it could've been a fluke or maybe just a defective rod.

 

yaeh sounds like a fluke thing but i say poormans itr

 

its take the gsr based on it being stock and quality built and never touched. as with the ls/vtec your putting something together that wasn't neccessarly ment to work together, even though we know it does

 

actualllyyyyy ls v is reliable it does not have to be bbuilt slap a gsr head or b16 head on it set your rev limiter at 7 grand and youll be fine

 

I had a civic with a B18c1 swap and it was awesome. You can get a reliable motor as long as it is installed right and not over worked. In other words have a pro install ur $hit so its done right. LS if I’m not mistaken can produce more power then GSR but with LS ur mixing and matching parts so don’t expect it to be flawless.

 

well with 12:1 compression did you think it was going to last forever. A LS-vtec will make more power then a GSR

 

well, it also depends on how it was built on the bottom end. crank and rods and what not. but reliability = gsr. especially if it's your dd.

 

simply just go with a gsr...reliable...that motor is meant to have a vtec head..LS was not made to have one..but when built correctly it could be reliable. will cost alot of money though. u cant be cheap when building a LS vtec