Hello I recently came across a b18b1 engine and I have it torn down to the block looking to put it all back together. Looking for advice on parts and upgrades. Slamming it into my CRX.

The issue with the motor originally was it was dumping oil out the turbo exhaust outlet. There was tons of oil covering the engine and harness and everything.

Here is what I know about the engine.
b18b1 block all stock
B18 head with Brian crower stage 2 upgrade
cams, springs, retainers, valves and guides
Moroso oil pan tapped with bung
skunk2 pro series intake
skunk2 70mm throttle body
tial f38 38mm waste gate with a 15lb spring
tail q 50mm blow off valve
old 70mm SPA turbo ( how can I test it it’s good? )
Meutek cast iron manifold
AEM fuel setup
walbro 255 fuel pump
RC 1000cc injectors
running hondata s300 v3

Was told it hit 325 whp at last tuner.

Tested compression on cylinders. 3 and 4 read 150 and 1 and 2 read 90 on a wet test. I figure it was just the piston rings. As I pulled block apart and saw that cylinder 1 and 2 are covered heavily in oil. Cylinder walls look good and everything else looks great.

Looking to get same power if not more from the build.
Questions:
Should I upgrade rods and pistons?

Best piston rings and bearings replacement for oem pistons?
( pistons 1-3 were marked with a 3 stamp and piston 4 was marked with a 2 )

How do I verify the turbo is okay?

Anything I should change about the setup?

If cylinder walls look okay should I still hone them out?

Thanks for reading and responses. I am new to b series and turbo set up. I have all the parts to put this back together and got it pretty cheap so just looking for some clarification before I go ahead.
Doing my best to research and learn just figured I’d post my whole setup and see what you guys recommend.

 

Should I upgrade rods and pistons?
- If you want over 325hp it's a good idea (even 300hp is kind of playing with fire). Cheapest would probably be eagle or scat rods with vitara pistons, people make up to 450ish hp with those but the pistons would be the weak point

Best piston rings and bearings replacement for oem pistons?
( pistons 1-3 were marked with a 3 stamp and piston 4 was marked with a 2 )
- Hastings rings are what I'd use and oem bearings. You can look up how to figure out what oem bearing colors you need (the different colors are different sizes), but if you're not using oem rods that's less relevant. I used oem bearings with my aftermarket rods but that's just because I wanted to get all of the clearances as similar as possible. I'm sure you'd be fine with some king or acl bearings

How do I verify the turbo is okay?
- How's the shaft play, in & out and side to side? Are any of the fins super chipped or messed up? I'm not sure about that specific turbo but I've used a rebuild kit in the past. If you go that route make sure you label the turbine and compressor wheel before you take it apart, as those parts are balanced and should be put back together with the same orientation it originally had

Anything I should change about the setup?
- If you don't have a boost controller I'd add a 4 port. Is there a specific power goal you had in mind? With different pistons & rods I imagine you'd be good for 4-500hp

If cylinder walls look okay should I still hone them out?
- I would

Hope this helps

 

thank you so much for the response.

hmm I maybe upgrade then how about eagle rods with wiseco pistons? I’ve heard good reviews about them. Money isn’t too much of a worry since I got the whole car super cheap.

I was told to go with ACL standard bearings if I swap to aftermarket rods. Some suggested race bearings
but said clearance was sketchy.

will double check the turbo when I’m home, never diagnosed one before let alone toyed with one. Will watch some videos and do my research and her back to you. I emailed the company and they stated the turbo is 10+ years old so they have no info on it. This car was sitting for a long time I think.

power goal id say is 400 range i was told this engine did 325 so if I can push it to 400 that would be great even if I hit 350 I’m okay with that.
I actually have a two port boost controller I forgot to mention. I spent the last two days documenting all the wiring as it was a mess and all soaked in oil.

 

Wiseco pistons are a great option, that's what I have in my build & I'm shooting for 700hp

Race bearings increase your clearances so you'd run a heavier oil, think 20w50 instead of 10w30 with stock clearances. There's nothing really sketchy about it as long as you still measure everything during assembly and are using the proper oil

For a power goal in the 400hp range I think you're in good shape assuming you get eagle rods & wiseco pistons - your block & head would be good for more like 600hp, with the eagle rods being the weak link at that level.

Is it a manual boost controller or is it a 3 port mac boost solenoid that's wired into the Hondata? You'll want to use a 3 or 4 port mac boost solenoid, as those allow you to run higher boost than your spring pressure in the higher gears. You may need a smaller wastegate spring too, 15 pounds could be too much in 1st & 2nd gear

Do you have arp head studs? Those are a must

 

Gotcha great info on the bearings and a thicker oil.
What are you running for 700hp goal? Got a thread?

I can’t even imagine 600hp right now that’s insane but I know I’ll want more when I get this all together.

I will have to look at the boost controller I know it’s a solenoid it may be 3 port actually just one is plugged? I just did a ton of research on the controller today so I gotta go look at it. Was also just thinking about that spring too was gonna say that’s a lot of boost for 1st and 2nd since 15 is my minimum correct?
I will have to probably get a 10lb and make sure I have a 3 port solenoid controller as well.

yepp arp studs as well

 

Yup, at the moment it's two threads underneath this one in the forced induction sub-forum. A lot of the image links in my build thread are broken but the last page has images that all work: https://honda-tech.com/forums/forced...3329397/page5/

One of the ports should have a sintered air vent or muffler on it, so only two of the ports have lines going to them on a 3 port. Correct, the minimum boost you'll be able to make is whatever your wastegate spring pressure is.

Sounds like you're in good shape

 

appreciate the help very much! I’ll take a look at your threads just shortly here when I’m home from work.

have a way better understanding and plan now for my car so thank you!

 

Sure thing, happy to help!

 

I agree with most of what ohisofly posted. Do forged pistons and rods - Wiseco/Eagle is a good choice for your goals.

What fuel are you planning to run? If E85, you may want to run a bigger pump and bigger injectors. Those RC's are notorious for very poor idle, but you can make them work. If you have the budget, consider upgrading to some Bosch-style EV14 injectors.

10 years is old for a turbo. Especially after hearing about oil dumping out of the turbine housing, I would just plan to replace it.

Have the block and head checked for flatness and mill as needed. If you're doing forged pistons, don't buy them until the machine shop inspects the block - you may need to bore up 0.5mm. If you do need to bore, you'll have to buy the pistons and then send them to the machine shop that has your block, so that the block can be cut to fit the pistons exactly.

Regarding oil pressure and bearing clearances - you'll just have to play around with viscosities to find one you like. Climate plays a role too. 20W-50 was too high of a viscosity for my liking. I'm running 10W-30 year round now.

 

Eagle rods and Wiseco pistons are a good choice. If you already have the block apart, you might as well go forged, not the cheaper alternative. As DaX put it, have a machine shop check the bore, then get pistons, then get the machine shop to bore/hone the block to match the pistons.
With ACL standard bearings, you would be going with something that is close, but might not be accurate. Try to get the bearings that are within specification, whether they are Honda or ACL.
The turbo will either need a rebuild, or you will need a new one.
Power in the 400 range- you will be hard pressed to achieve 400 hp on 93 octane. That's around the limit. You could achieve 325 on 93 octane though.
I've used manual boost controllers before and they were good. Electronic ones have more versatility, but they are more tricky as far as wiring and tuning.

 

Are you saying I should switch to e85 with newer injectors? I’m not opposed to that if so. Also should I stay at 1000cc? What pump would you suggest as well.

I checked the turbo it had no play in it just lots of oil obviously.

Sounds good I will be looking for a machine shop then I was already doing little research into that. I’m in north east Ohio region if you know any reputable ones and tuners as well.

Will continue my research especially with viscosity now. Thank you for the response I appreciate it!

 

Got it definitely contacting a machine shop now.

I will price up a new turbo and maybe buy one, I also have a k24 I would like to turbo down the road.

I asked previous reply if I should switch to e85 and a bigger fuel pump. Would that increase my power threshold? I have the wiring figured out but tuning wise I still have to find a shop around me. Have one in mind there’s another but they are not the best with communication.
thanks as well for the reply!

 

It's easier to make more power with E85, as you can run more timing. To run E85 takes a larger volume of fuel though. If you do decide to go E85, I would recommend either a DeatschWerks DW400 pump or a Walbro 450 pump - be sure to buy from a reputable source so you get a genuine pump. Just make sure the pump is listed as being compatible with ethanol fuels. If you increase your pump size, I highly recommend running larger gauge wire and a relay to power your fuel pump. If you're looking for a plug-and-play solution, Burton Racing has a nice setup. Your stock hard lines are fine.

Regardless of whether you go E85 or stay on pump gas, I would personally change to Bosch/EV14 injectors. I ran RC (Lucas-style) injectors like you have back in 2004 and they worked, but it would not idle on it's own until fully warmed up, and even then, idle was rough. The EV14 injectors are much more modern and have a much better spray pattern. Regarding size, I maxed out my 1000cc injectors on E85 at 401 whp, but I'm D-series. You can probably make more than I did with your B-series, but you'll be relatively close. If you're buying new, I'd personally look for something in the 1300cc range, based on your goals. You could jump all the way up to 2200cc injectors and have plenty of head-room, but I haven't personally tried them so I can't comment on streetability or idle quality. Speaking of that, I'm not sure I caught what your intention is with the car...street, track, or a mix of both?

 

Sounds good the cars stripped so shouldn’t be hard to do any wiring and I already have to fix the whole harness lots of wiring work coming my way sounds like haha. Definitely will look into bigger fuel pump and new injectors then.

I was hoping for a mix of both, I’d love to track it but original intention was to just blown past people on the highway. Either way ultimate goal is to just beat my 2018 sti, which I know will be easy now. Just came upon this motor and car cheap so I figured I’d have some fun before I cut out the motor mount for my k24 build which I’m still lots of money away from completing haha.

again thank you for the replies and info I really appreciate it.

 

I guess my days on realhomemadeturbo made me forget about machine shops yea that's a good idea. I'd just jump to 2000cc or 2200cc injectors to prevent having to buy them twice if you decide you want more power later on. Shout out to Dax for mentioning buying your fuel pump from a reliable source - part of my job involves automotive anti-counterfeit and you wouldn't believe how much of it is out there. Make sure you get your spark plugs from somewhere like advance auto parts or the like, I have a handful of counterfeit NGK plugs at work from eBay.

 

You could probably make 400hp with your current fuel set up of 1000cc RC injectors and a Walbro 255l/hr fuel pump, however not on 93 octane pump gas, but on 104 octane or 116 octane race gas. Or you could convert to E85 if you want, which would require a bigger fuel pump and injectors since Ethanol needs a larger volume of fuel than gasoline. Either will work. It just depends how close you are to a fuel source. If you live near a track, then usually 116 octane is available. Or if you live near an Ethanol fuel station then it is convenient. Which ever is more readily available will work!

 

If you look for my build on here it may help you out a little as my goal originally was 300-350. I’ve made 400 on 93 and then like 360ish on 91 at 5500 more ft in elevation. I have been beating the **** out of mine as well. In a nut shell

pistons, rods, walbro 255 wired to battery, ID1050x injectors. GT2871r.

if you find my thread it will be more in-depth but I feel myself seems to be working thus far

 

thanks for the clarification I know I have some e85 pumps close to me. Gonna have to continue my research!

thanks I will take a look and see what I can find!

actually I know your build Justin I’m in the CRX community forums on Facebook and always see that beauty

 

It is possible to make the goal of 400 on 93 octane, but I see it as high risk. I wouldn't try it myself, although it is obtainable.

 

So for right now I’m planning on transition to E85
list included
walbro 450 fuel pump
https://jhpusa.com/products/walbro-u...tank-fuel-pump

May just buy 2000cc injectors
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/d...yABEgK0nPD_BwE

plug and play flex fuel kit
https://www.burton-racing.com/produc...17766780567617

81.5mm piston and rods (9.5:1)
https://www.hptautosport.com/product...SABEgJ0AfD_BwE

Should I stay at about 9.5:1 compression ration?
im leaning on trying the old 70mm turbo and praying it works. Hopefully be on e85. check cylinder wall readings and all are under 81.5 so I’m good to over bore it.

Any suggestions on different sites / items ?
appreciate all input and help.

was also looking into shipping it to humble performance for CSS / bore / hone / tank / and deck
plus assembly. I’m unsure if I have the right tools to assemble to bottom end.

 

And replace it with a company that is going to have parts availability and universal styled Turbine housing. So, try not to get the fancy turbine V-bands and such. Stick to a T31 4-bolt style to keep options open. You can do Garrett, Turbonetics, Borg-Warner, etc. No more SPA turbos due to lack of availability of repair parts and import laws that are starting to come into affect.

 

Lots of good info here already that I wouldn't smack any hands over. I'd like to add main/rod bearing info though; Clevite 77 standard size. Closest to stock clearances you can get with these right here! I have run them in every build so far and they have not let me down from <300whp to >350whp. You won't have to worry about running the heavy oil for loose clearance, or worry about trashing them out early, for that matter. Lots of debate back and forth over tighter vs looser clearances and through it all, tighter tolerances have been the trend with pro stock builders. You can get away with 10W30 year round (unless you live in like, Canada or Alaska), or spend the majority of your year <30°F. Lol!

 

thank you for the info! Definitely gonna go with a reputable brand over an eBay turbo or something.

Good info on the bearings as thats something I was gonna research and ask around about. I will look into those ones for sure. 10w30 it is! I am in Ohio so it does get cold since I’m in the snow belt but this car should hopefully not be out in the snow hahaha