Is it better to keep A20 to get a B16 or up?

[BKKloppenborg]

Is it better to keep A20A1 to get a B16 or up? I have been looking on this form and have used the search button and I'm still not sure if i should do an engine swap. I heard that the newer engines are harder to turbo and cost a lot of money, while the A20’s are easier to turbo and they a lot cheaper. Would it be worth it to put a new engine in the Accord or would it be too much money and effort and really not worth it?
I’ve looked in the engine swap section, how much is a b16 swap?
How much is a built A20 going to cost?
How do they compare?
Sean Said for 5-6 G he would hook my A20 up with approximately 200HP or a little more.
How about a motor swap using the B16 or B18 or B20 are they too expensive and not worth it? Thanks, Brian

Original text
Is it better to keep A20 to get a B16 or up? I have been looking on this form by the search button and am not sure to swap the engine. I heard that the newer engines are hard to put a turbo in and is alot of money. While the A20s are easier to put in and is alot less. Is it worth it to put a new engine in the Honda or is it to much and not worth it? What would the 2 prices be for each? Sean Said for 5-6 G he can hook my A20 up with about 200HP or a little more. How about a B16 or up is it to expensive and not worth it? Thanks, Brian

[Justin86]

Well how about what do you want out of your 3G?????
I said keep the A20 cause you can make go just as fast for less money.

[BKKloppenborg]

Well how about what do you want out of your 3G?????
I said keep the A20 cause you can make go just as fast for less money.

Thats what i want to do is keep my A20 engine, but i live in CA and the mods i want to do wont pass CA Smog test. Damn test, so do i wait until i move in another 5 years or just put a bigger engine in it so i get the more power then just wait until i move to put mods in?

[Oyvind Ryeng]

Is it that hard to pass the smog test? Can't you buy a catalystic converter and run a super-lean mixture?

[Justin86]

Well you can pass the smog with a turbo at low boost but you will have trouble passing visual. You could do some basic mods for now and just save up until you move. Where you planing on moving to?

[Nuffice]

B16, cause it's beautiful.

[Hash_man_Se_i]

B16, cause it's beautiful.

worst advice i've ever heard. That engine is made to move civic's, and it doesnt do that too well.

I would say go B20, or B18c5 if you have the money.

[SteveDX89]

worst advice i've ever heard. That engine is made to move civic's, and it doesnt do that too well.

I would say go B20, or B18c5 if you have the money.

Confused on where that info came from. 3g weighs the same as 99-00 Civic Si. Probably a little less after the B16 is in. B16 in that and JDM B16 has same power. Reading OSS's posts I think 15's on a stock motor is pretty good to me.

[Oyvind Ryeng]

How much is the B18C5 over there? $2000 including transmission, ECU, alternator, complete down to the last bolt?

[cubert]

i said do a swap....do something different...very different

[Hash_man_Se_i]

Confused on where that info came from. 3g weighs the same as 99-00 Civic Si. Probably a little less after the B16 is in. B16 in that and JDM B16 has same power. Reading OSS's posts I think 15's on a stock motor is pretty good to me.

Oh, I was under the impression that our cars were heavier than civic's and no civic would run 15 on the stock engine. If thats true, than maybe it is a good idea... its a cheap engine, and that sounds like pretty good numbers to me. Go for it if you love to rev away.

[A20A1]

So you said you know what you want, yet now you don't know what you want?

Personally I would build a second A20... olny swap the motors when you have to pass inspection then the rest of the time roll with the trubo.

[Nuffice]

worst advice i've ever heard. That engine is made to move civic's, and it doesnt do that too well.

I would say go B20, or B18c5 if you have the money.

What's Faster?

A stock A20a3 < Accord w/ a Stock B16a

You need turbo to reach 180-200whp on an A20.. B16a can do that N/A. If your going to say something negative, atleast say something worthwhile. The whole B16 having no torque thing gets old really quick..

[SteveDX89]

How much is the B18C5 over there? $2000 including transmission, ECU, alternator, complete down to the last bolt?

We all wish it were that cheap. It's probably $5000-$6000.

[A20A1]

B16 has torque... it comes from the 16v head, and equally good flow on the intake and exhaust end... It would take some money to get the A20's head worked on to flow good, but it's not impossible. The rest of the Intake and exhaust upgrades are pretty easy to take care of.
N/A the B16 has more tunability
FI I think both motors have their good and bad points.
I'd stick with the A20 to go FI though.

For me it's all A20.

[Hash_man_Se_i]

You need turbo to reach 180-200whp on an A20.. B16a can do that N/A. If your going to say something negative, atleast say something worthwhile. The whole B16 having no torque thing gets old really quick..

Your the one who said buy the b16 because it looks pretty... why don't u say something worthwhile.

I personally would rather have a C5 though, rather than a b16. Higher displacement, more power. While you may be able to run 15's on a stock b16, which i dont beleive, you could run 13's on an almost stock c5.

Personally I am considering turboing my A20 down the road, for the fact that it could be done for less money than a B series engine that would have that much power. However I plan to get a manifold and all the piping done locally, I will not be buying seans kit.

[k-roy]

B16, cause it's beautiful.

Too bad it gets shit for torque.
I wonder what a built up one resleeved to 2.0 litres would be like, hmm....

[Oyvind Ryeng]

Turbocharging the A20 vs. installing a B16 (witch has exactly the same torque as my A20A4) - there is not much to think about. If you are rich, get the B16/B18/LS-Vtec. If you are handy - make a turbokit for the A20. The A20 with a turbo is a torque monster, unlike the (eurospec) B16A2 witch packs a fearsome 166 newtonmetres stock.

EDIT: An A20 with correct size turbo should make boost at approx. 2500 RPM and pull hard all the way towards 6500 RPM.

[Nuffice]

Too bad it gets shit for torque.
I wonder what a built up one resleeved to 2.0 litres would be like, hmm....

You can bore to 85mm = 1.8L and then replace the B16 crank with a 1.7 crank = 1.9. I would worry about boring past 84 or 85mm. Most Honda's get shyt for Torque.

[BKKloppenborg]

Well you can pass the smog with a turbo at low boost but you will have trouble passing visual. You could do some basic mods for now and just save up until you move. Where you planing on moving to?

Probaly in AZ or WA but thats another 4-5 years, i can't wait that lon to mod my car. ): O well maybye i will get a bigger engine since i want more HP and just save up and wait until i move to mod it out.

[diegoaccord]

B16A.

At 200 NA HP, the B16A is flexing a little bit.

At 200 NA HP, the A20A is as catlike as an S2000's motor.

Remember the weaker the motor is stock, the more radical of a finished product you'll have. A good example is the Protoge' in the SCCA. It uses the NA 130 HP as a base. They are allowed to modify the motor to more than twice that, the most in the class. In doing so, they turned the motor to an 8000+ R/MIN unreliable RACE ONLY motor. Those who start with the more powerful cars like RXS-S, or 325i have engines that still resemble their factory counterparts, and still have room to grow, unlike the Mazda, which is now as high strung as an S2000.

B16A.

[Justin86]

Probaly in AZ or WA but thats another 4-5 years, i can't wait that lon to mod my car. ): O well maybye i will get a bigger engine since i want more HP and just save up and wait until i move to mod it out.

So how old are you and are you plaining on moving for a better job or what? Swaping a B16 or a B20 would be a quick way to get more power. The B20 is about 1K and the B16 is about 3K but both are the best swaps for the money if you want to.
We can give you much better advise if we knew your plans for the car other wise everyone will just throw out every idea possible. Do you want turbo, NA, a daily driver, or a weekend racer for the streets. All of the possibilities can use different engines and set-ups. Go into detail what you want the car to do.

[BKKloppenborg]

So how old are you and are you plaining on moving for a better job or what? Swaping a B16 or a B20 would be a quick way to get more power. The B20 is about 1K and the B16 is about 3K but both are the best swaps for the money if you want to.
We can give you much better advise if we knew your plans for the car other wise everyone will just throw out every idea possible. Do you want turbo, NA, a daily driver, or a weekend racer for the streets. All of the possibilities can use different engines and set-ups. Go into detail what you want the car to do.

I am 17 almost 18, and i just want a fast and fun car to drive maybye street racing once in a while. I might just swap the engine i have a friend that can hook me up with a good engine and knows how to put it in. So thats what i will probaly will do.

[smufguy]

you fellas need to do some research once in a while. Posting a thread is easy and it just makes u feel dumb when a senior members bashes you. When i read the thread, i was like WTF??? This is the third thread i have read today over engine block swaps or which block is superior. Spend time and read the faq and engine swap section and look at seans post and dig up old posts from Justin's and also the ones that relates to your needs from the search results.

hp and toque are just mere numbers and different motors make them at different rpms and you need to decide what motor you want based on which rpm do u want the power to be in and the one you use the most. God alone knows how many times i have repeated it in countless threads, but it makes no sense to people cause all they wanna see is a 200hp motor not caring where it makes the power. You also have to know, stress and longitivity of the motors depend on how its used and how it revs example, a motor made by the same factory and one revs at 8000 and the other at 6000, of course the second one will last longer cause it puts less strain and stress on the block and the driveline and everything attached. Choose the block depending on its advantages, disadvantages, weaknesses and also the support for aftermarket and their prices. You are not sponsored by anyone are you? so i believe you care for the money you spend, so spend your money wisely cause no one is gonna give your money back, and let alone get stuck with something u are extremely dissatisfied.

My suggestion is, read read read and read a lot. Thats what you need to do first hand. Go thru the engine swap, performance and tech sections not to mention the Faq and how-to sections. Look thru them based on what your need is. This forum has been going on for more than 3 years (with a lot of info years i mean) and the moderators took a lot of info from Automotive forums and added it here so u dont miss anything. So yeah, its all here, utilize it.

[NXRacer]

If you turbo your a20, you'll spend less money in the long run and have more power. hmmm what a decision!

Plus, you wont have a motor that every other mother f-er has. Unless thats what you want. Sure its a common motor in an uncommonly built car, but still. If you're hellbent on a b series motor, go CRVtec.