Whole engine swap or head swap??

90tegblackwidow · #1 10-11-2003, 10:39 PM

I have a 90 tegra LS with a B18 A1, I wanted to know what you guys think would be a good engine swap. O r would it be better to just change the head? Thanks

94tegRS · #2 10-11-2003, 11:28 PM

well, I would say cheapest though would be head swap. you could get the 1200 dollar b16 swap, use the head, ecu, harness, etc... everything you need for LSVTEC is right there(besides the new oil supply line/T that run about 100 bucks) and then you could even put in the tranny and have a nice all motor tranny. and If i were you id spend the extra $300 for a LSD if thats an option.

if you could find a B17a swap for a decent price you could go that route. If you buy a B18C1 swap then you have a hydro tranny you cant use(unless you add even more moeny for the hydro tranny/cable car conversion) but if the extra power/torque over the B17 is worth it then go this route, plus youll have a newer engine with probably lower mileage.

but for the price of a GSR swap(LSD) and cable/hydro conv. (3600) you could get the B16 swap(LSD) for 1500 and then with the extra 2100 bucks you saved you could get some nice 10.5:1 forged pistons, all new bearings/gaskets, hondata s200, CAI, 4-1 headers, exhaust and then probably smoke a plain GSR swapped teg.

tran_nsx · #3 10-12-2003, 11:57 AM

the frankenstein swap is very potent, the problem is they can be very unstable and u have to get a professional who knows what they are doing.

93weed_eater · #4 10-12-2003, 02:46 PM

yeah if youre going to go LS/VTEC it is almost a must to go ahead and rebuild the bottom end for it to last a good bit. another option if you just want to do the top end is get the head off of a 94 up LS and bolt it on there. it'll be newer. the cams a a lil more lift and it'll add a lil. you can get those heads for around $100 last time i checked. even better if you can do it yourself. also you could take that head to a good shop and put the port and polish on it and maybe do a valve job. then it'll do pretty good.

94tegRS · #5 10-12-2003, 04:28 PM

the onlt thing you would probably have to have a pro do for the lstec swap is the drilling of the dowel pins, unless you have a drill press and are good with it. but they even sell dowel pins that are dual sized so you dont have to drill at all. ill post a link once i rememebr where I saw them. anyways the only other things you gota do is heat and remove a plug from the bakc of the head(SIMPLE), from the oil pressure sensor T into it and run a oil line to where you just removed the plug(SIMPLE), tap the old oil supply hole and plug it(SIMPLE), and enlarg a couple holes in the headgasket for the larger dowels(SIMPLE). there are a couple sensors to worry about to but it would be hard to mess up doing this swap.

93weed_eater · #6 10-12-2003, 10:21 PM

anytime ive heard the ls/vtec called unreliable the bottom wasn't rebuilt. anytime ive heard good things about it the bottom end was redone. just my

94tegRS · #7 10-12-2003, 11:58 PM

yeah, I justsaid that though because so many people who dont realy know what is involved in the swap and have heard its unreliable, think they now know about it and tell everyone that it has to be done just right or it wont last long at all, and theres really practically nothing to it but running some oil lines and modifying the head gasket, but now you dont even need to drill for the larger dowels, so I doubt you even have to modify the headgasket. and the drilling the dowel holes is the only thing i see that can be messed up by anybody with a little bit of common sense, I dont know too may people who cant use a tap, or dont know how to use teflon and screw togtehr fitings, and if they dont, first time their shown how to they got it.

I was actually planning on a CRVTEC for the teg im gonna buy as soon as my bike sells, so I got headers, intake, block, pistons, and now it turns out that the teg i will get if its still available when the bike sells already has a B20 in it and its boosted, so nothing i have will be of use anymore. good thing I know a kid who just got a teg, might be able to sell him some stuff. lol

90tegblackwidow · #8 10-14-2003, 01:09 AM

thans for the replies everybody, I think I'm going to slap a vtec head on my engine and rebuild the bottom like alot of you guys said.

94tegRS · #9 10-14-2003, 02:16 AM

in my eyes, pricewise its the only way to go, for the price of putting in a used B18C1 in yuor car, youll have a rebuilt high performance frank and blow away GSR's.

90tegblackwidow · #10 10-14-2003, 10:36 PM

what would be the best head to put on my B18 A1???

94tegRS · #11 10-15-2003, 02:04 AM

B16B, at least on crvtec.com that was thier first pick.

but then it defeats the cheap performance aspect so Id say B16, its better than GSR, B18C1 head and you have to use the GSR intake manifold which has more surface area which means worse flow, and with the b16 head, if you ever found a cheap ITR intake manifold then it would bolt on, the gsr your stuck with gsr unless you get an aftermarket made for the GSR.

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