I have a B16A swap with the S21 transmission in my 93 DX right now. I was wondering if anyone knew what it's top cruising speed is around. The reason I ask is because when I get to about 60 mph, the engine sounds like its running at a really high rpm in 5th gear (I don't have a tach in the car because it's a sedan and i have yet to buy a dash with one in it). I know that the B16 has a low speed transmission but is it really that low? i appreciate any help

 

Yeah its low..but high RPMs are what a B16A wants thrown at it. As long as everything is in check mechanically, etc it'll be fine. I used to worry about my B18B1 after I did the swap in April of 2008 and used a GSR tranny. 80mph in 5th gear is 3900-4000RPMs and while thats pretty much screaming for an LS its not so much for a B16A. My LS has screamed down the interstates for a year and 7 months now and no problems so enjoy your car

BTW my guess is your sitting around 4000RPMs at 60mph in 5th gear but I am no expert so someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

check out this trans calculator
http://www.zealautowerks.com/transcalc.php

you can enter your wheel size and have it autofill your gear ratios. when you graph the results you can move your cursor over the speed and gear and it will tell you the RPM.

 

Hey man thanks for posting that....I had never seen that calculator before.

 

yes he his correct...around/about 4000 rpms when at 60mph with the b16 trans. b16 trans has short gear ratios. I have the b16 eng. and trans. I like the short ratios for city riding. Im not on the HWY to much.

 

im not too sure about that 60 mph, it is less than 4k for me. Its right around 3.5 I know 50mph is right at 3k usually when i am on the highway i will cruise at 80 @ about 4.5k and I get around 35mpg on the highway. Don't worry about it op it took me a while to get used to that too. I know some people will put in a slightly larger gear for this reason but it isn't really necessary.

 

yea im a little off..to be exact..i live near alot of 4 lane hwys and long stright roads where the speed limit is 55 and i do around 65 on these roads. but i know my 5th gear at 65 is BARELY under 4g. so yea 60 would be around mid to hi
3's

 

It took me some getting used to as well with my LS. You can run an LS 5th gear in the GSR/B16A Transmissions to lower your RPMs while cruising the HWY in 5th but I heard it really wasn't that much difference so I haven't messed with doing it. And I just checked that Transmission calculator and it seems at 80mph in 5th on an LS tranny it turns roughly 3600..I turn 3900 at 80 in 5th so I don't think in this case the 300 RPMs really matters that much.

 

at 7k your doing 125.

 

thanks a ton guys. im sure i'll still have to get used to it being loud but that puts me at ease knowing that the engine isn't gonna blow up if i drive it at 60 and it sounds like it. im also assuming the headers i have on it would also increase that engine noise

 

i drive my car on the freeway most of the time,i take it out of town and its always at like 4.5 to 5k and the motor runs perfect,i mean Honda made it like that,you think they would make a car just to have it blow up for driving it on the freeway?lol.

 

haha yeah i know that sounded dumb and it didn't make sense to me at all that honda would make an engine like that but it never hurts to check, you know?

 

Firestone made tires that blow up on the freeway.






Firestone isn't Honda though.

 

Yeah 60 mph you should be around 4k rpm

 

im at 4.2k at 75 and 60 is around 3.5k

 

4.5k rpm at 80 mph...............if your car was at 4k rpm and only going 60 you know much gas you would waste??????stop guessing...ask people who actually has one.......me...b16 full swap in my rhd eg

 

On a b20b s80 jdm itr 4.7 lsd 4400 @ 80mph thats my car

 

hehe, at 8000rpm you topping out at 140mph, thats with the b16 or itr tranny, with the gsr trans, at 8000rpm you top out at 160mph, I took my civic to 158mph before.

 

Man i always thought the same but i guess not! Thanks for pointing that out! Now i dont have to worry much!