b20 turbo swap

[djnutinurface]

this is my first post. im planning on getting a civic hatchback, most likely the ek model and im planning on swapping a b20 block with a b18b1 head with a turbo. today i had a conversation with my friend and he told me that the problem with the b20 swap was that when you put a turbo, the motor only lasts you 2 years. then you start having mechnical problems. is this true? do you guys have any experience with this situation? any inputs would be appreciated. this car will be driven daily. thanks again.

[sparq]

Your friend is an idiot

A turbo doesnt have to effect a motors reliability at all if done properly. I know guys running 1-1.5 bars of boost DAILY and they have less problems then my damn N/A motor! Its just all about the setup and tuning. And giving it things she needs...

I dont care what ANYONE thinks, ANY turbo vehicle you absolutely NEED an oil cooler. Oil cools the turbo and keeps it lubricated, without it you are looking at premature turbo failure. And new turbos going for $550 a pop or more depending on your turbo you would be foolish not to spend less then $50 for an oil cooler setup. Not to mention all the other benefits from a lower temperature in the oil.

TUNE TUNE TUNE... dont just buy misc. parts and throw them on and expect everything to be AOK... sure it might work for 1,000 miles... or 5,000 miles - but how much longer after that? Unless you absolutely 100% know what you are doing I would definately suggest a big name kit, and do EVERYTHING they suggest. Dont run the motor over 8psi on stock internals and your motor will stay happy, and you stay boosted.

[mellowboy]

Originally posted by sparq
Your friend is an idiot

A turbo doesnt have to effect a motors reliability at all if done properly. I know guys running 1-1.5 bars of boost DAILY and they have less problems then my damn N/A motor! Its just all about the setup and tuning. And giving it things she needs...

I dont care what ANYONE thinks, ANY turbo vehicle you absolutely NEED an oil cooler. Oil cools the turbo and keeps it lubricated, without it you are looking at premature turbo failure. And new turbos going for $550 a pop or more depending on your turbo you would be foolish not to spend less then $50 for an oil cooler setup. Not to mention all the other benefits from a lower temperature in the oil.

TUNE TUNE TUNE... dont just buy misc. parts and throw them on and expect everything to be AOK... sure it might work for 1,000 miles... or 5,000 miles - but how much longer after that? Unless you absolutely 100% know what you are doing I would definately suggest a big name kit, and do EVERYTHING they suggest. Dont run the motor over 8psi on stock internals and your motor will stay happy, and you stay boosted.

Wow good shit man. I agree!

[crx-b20]

heres some info on the b20b or b20z engines regarding adding a turbo and or vtec head. this is otherwise referred to as a frankenstein engine.

Of the two B20 engines the B20Z has more compression at 10.2:1 over the B20B's lower 8.8:1. This is because the B20Z has a flatter top piston when compared with the to the B20B's deeper dish. The lower compression B20B is more desirable for a bolt on supercharger or turbocharger kit because of this. If you wanted to run high compression with a B20B/Z there are no factory pistons that can do this, but any number of quality custom forged piston makers, such as JE, Aires or Wiseco can make a piston for the B20B/Z. This piston should be made with a dome volume to give about compression ratios from 11:1 for the street to 13:1 for race gas. With 11:1 pistons and a VTEC head mildly worked over, it can be possible to have a very impressive engine for very little money.
The procedure to swap a VTEC head on the B20B is the same as the LS swap with the exception of using the B20 head gasket. A naturally aspirated, mild B20B can easily get more than 200 hp on pump gas with more than 150 lb.-ft. of stump pulling torque.
As a warning, when the VTEC head is installed, there's not a whole lot of piston-to-valve clearance as VTEC heads have larger 33mm intake valves vs. the B20 engine's 31mm valves. If you are dyno tuning, contact will occur between the piston and valves if the cam is advanced much more than 4 degrees, so be careful. In fact this is so close it's not advisable to advance the intake cam at all.
If running larger lift and duration aftermarket cams in your B20/VTEC Frank, or if the head has been modified for higher compression by milling, the piston's valve pockets should be modified and the valve-to-piston clearance confirmed before the head is final assembled to the block. Carefully grinding the piston's valve reliefs with a die grinder with carbide burrs and polishing the result with cartridge rolls can obtain additional clearance. A minimum clearance of 0.045-inch on the intake valves and 0.055-inch on the exhaust valves is advisable.

knowing all that should help you, enjoy.