have had a smooth running B16 CRX since july. thinking about doing a B20 bottom end. i am not too keen on frankenstein motors, but, the price does make it appealing. looking for answers on questions like:

how does it handle compared to a B16? ( my guess is very similar.)

is there much of a torque increase, and is it practical on the street ( can you keep the tires on the ground?)

thanks.

 

Im currently running a B20B4 USDM block with a 2000 GSR head and interials. handles better than b16 due to tons of bottom end TQ. no traction in 1st or 2nd. expect to chirp 3rd and 4th. enough TQ to pull mildly hard in 5th with only WOT. no need to down 2 gears anymore just step on it. motor is producing around 160/145. with no bolt-ons other than a spoon air filter and 2.25" exhaust and a skunk2 intake manifold. These motors are deadly on any track. the down fall is they must be build. my compression is 9.0:1 or so. But all in all im very happy with it and would not go back from a b20. Having said that. knowing what i do now. i should have built an LSvtec. cheaper and similar gains. good luck.

 

To do list...

1 Throw in pistons and cams
2 put down over 200 whp with tuning

 

This is a very good question. Something that I would have liked to have known before I did mine.

I like it a lot. It gets a lot of respect some of the local guys especially cause it is in a CRX. I let a couple of them drive it and they were very impressed with the torque. It has really good power just about everywhere, and feels like it pulls all the way to 8500rpm. Mine has been modded though so it has a little more umpf (sp?) than just a basic setup bolted together. I dont kinda cringe everytime I think about the money I have invested in it though.

Honestly, for the money I have invested in the hopefully 170-180whp crvtec, I could have probably had a built bottomend b20 nonvtec with FFGeoff's turbo kit and I wold say the sky's the limit on that setup. I have actually contemplated selling the whole "vtec" part of my setup and going turbo, but I dont feel like tearing it apart...yet.

However, if my car ever feels slow, I have a magic button that reassures my faith.

 

what are the bore/stroke numbers? is anyone running prepped stock rods? i am considering shot peened rods, possible Endyn rollerwave pistons, and balancing the whole lot of it. if you put down 160/145 with 9 to 1 compression, then i would expect serious power from 11.8-12 to 1. thanks for the responses, keep em coming.

 

so this will work for the cr-vtec swap
gs-r head
b20 block
gs-r pistons and rods?

 

I have a friend with a built b20 motor. He has a b20 block with a b16 head with header, intake, exhaust and runs a 13.6 in the quarter. I'd say the motor is pretty good especially in the torque end. Has a lot of torque. But he is now building a LSvtech motor which does have similar gains as the b20.

 

You can't use gsr rods or pistons in an lsvtec or crvtec. Well u can use the pistons in an lsvtec. But you can't use the rods. The bore on the b20 are 84mm the ls is 81 and the crank are 89mm. but u have to use the ls or b20 rods in the swap.

 

Mine has 10.5:1 JE slugs with Eagle rods and 1g b16 head with '01 ITR components.

 

mine will have 85mm pistons (12.5:1 which i bought yesturday) eagle rods, z10 girdle, thinner headgasket. b16 head

 

I like the idea of building a B20 or a LS Vtec up but over here in the UK theres no one doing that kinda work & I dont have the money to give a blank cheque to a race motor builder n say here make that work. So I'm looking into doing a DIY build I've lernt loads from the posts on here & a few webs site but whilst I'm savin I want to work out what the best "bank for my buck is" as B20's are sold in the UK LS or B18c1 (which is my other option) arnt so if I need stock parts it mean shippin etc for JDM parts. But then I'm not too sure about the sleeves on a B20 spendin that kinda money worrys me with the stock sleeves but a resleeved block here would cost silly money.

BillB

 

For the same cost it would cost for you to get one sleeved I'm sure you could order a Dart/Payn block and them some...

 

so what will i need besides gs-r head and the b20 block i know i will need axles and tranny and ecu and mounts but what else to get the swap going

 

I liked my b20 vtec. I dynoed it & it put out 174whp. If I could do it again, I will do a ls-vtec instead.

 

Most ppl who have B20's say if they did it again they'd go LS/Vtec could any of u plz say why?

BillB

 

probably because its cheaper, and has similar gains.

 

This has been the debation for ages. I am building a B20vtec for a friend right now and his main reason for doing NA rather than my suggested boost is the California grief. If he gets rolled, pop the hood and it looks somewhat normal. Its easy to hide high compression pistons, its hard to hide a turbo setup. He wants a quicker, reliable car. B20vtec is alot of work, but it is a nice NA setup that has promising results. HE chose 12:1 endyn rollerwaves and eagle rods, golden eagle sleeves and some basic ITR components for the head. Also, I finally talked him into getting the hondata.

 

For the street it has way to much tq down low. There is absolutly no traction in 1st and 2nd gear. I figured with Azenis it would help, but it dosent. It gets old after a while to be super careful not to burn your tires. I just wish slicks were leagal on the street.

 

i feel you!!!! my car has 0 traction threw the first few gears nad in the rain its a hand full, and im running turbo LS.... and as for alot my crew members and friends that run ls/vtec's love them! my friend hit really low 13's in his ls/vtec crx and its pretty stock! they are great bang for the buck.

 

as for ls/vtec's, a friend of mine is running one with B16 pistons in a balanced ls bottom end, with a ported B16 head, and CTR cams. it pulls really hard, and very smoothly. still no tuning or timeslips yet, but is quick on the street. he has taken down a lot of cars with it.

aren't the gsr and ls cranks different stroke length? i saw on a website that they are the same stroke, 89mm? why do people say to run a GSR crank in an ls vtec if they are the same length?

to those with ls turbo's- what size turbo do you use? have you ever tried to road race with it? i think an interesting setup would be a B18 with a little T3 turbo.