b16b vs b18c-r


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jamesb16a2

ex-drifter
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Mar 8, 2013
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hi guys looking at doing an engine and box swap in aug and undiced abou which engine is better im already want to stay with the b16b as i hear from the general consensus the b16b engine is a lot stronger and has less faults . however b18c-r is easier to modify and obviously more bhp and lots more torque.. thoughts ?
 
How is the B16B stronger? Genuine question, not trying to be an arse haha. They share the same blocks, just different internals.
 
also forgot to mention its focussed on mega grip been in the big bhp scene so bhp doesnt really bother me handelling and drivability is what im aiming for i.e. bombing into a corner apply gas and wheels spin and i slide nicley into a ditch with a b18-r.
 
Only you can really answer that yourself... really depends what you are looking for and what your willing to spend if you want the best bang for your buck go for the 1800. Although they do tend to be smokier than 1600s for some reason. Id much prefer a built 1600 i personally couldnt thing of anything better than being the underdog in a wee 1600 keeping with those who drop 1800s in there cars.
 
word on the street {haha} is that b16b pistons are higher compression so are a lot stronger as are the crank, beams ect ect block is the same as b16a2 and b18 just differnt stroke on each is how it was explained to me
R1PPU said:
How is the B16B stronger? Genuine question, not trying to be an arse haha. They share the same blocks, just different internals.
Click to expand...
 
B16a block is shorter than the b16b and b18c block. As far as i know the b16b is a destroked b18c with higher compression pistons and the cams are different too
 
personally id go with the B18c and go with a nice close ratio gearset and good balanced clutch

all budget dependent really
 
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jamesb16a2 said:
word on the street {haha} is that b16b pistons are higher compression so are a lot stronger as are the crank, beams ect ect block is the same as b16a2 and b18 just differnt stroke on each is how it was explained to me
Click to expand...

Its the B16B and B18C that are the same blocks man.
 
b16b 4.7 fd with ek9 4th 5th gears some breather mods and a decent mappable ecu and you wont be far off a b18c. people dont realise that the best mod you can do to a b16b is a decent gearbox setup
 
just dont like the crossover of b1c8c-r as much as b16b . b18c sound really metallic whearas my b16a2 and my mates b16b properly scream
 
R1PPU said:
How is the B16B stronger? Genuine question, not trying to be an arse haha. They share the same blocks, just different internals.
Click to expand...

B16B is stronger because it's a shorter stroke engine with a much, much better rod stroke ratio. The stroke means it can rev higher while being less stressed than a B18C. The R/S ratio puts less force into the cylinder walls, which knackers piston rings and causes the B18s to smoke.

vti2010 said:
b16b 4.7 fd with ek9 4th 5th gears some breather mods and a decent mappable ecu and you wont be far off a b18c. people dont realise that the best mod you can do to a b16b is a decent gearbox setup
Click to expand...

It's all illusion. Power is what talks and gearing cannot conjure up power out of nowhere.
 
Kozy said:
B16B is stronger because it's a shorter stroke engine with a much, much better rod stroke ratio. The stroke means it can rev higher while being less stressed than a B18C. The R/S ratio puts less force into the cylinder walls, which knackers piston rings and causes the B18s to smoke.
Click to expand...

Perfect, exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks mate :nice:

EDIT: Is there an optimum rod/stroke ratio? Or is it just that the shorter the stroke, the better it'll be?
 
Not really. Longer is generally better, it creates less of an angle between crank and rod which puts less force on the cylinder walls, which is a good thing. Less friction, less wear on the rings etc. Some people in the industry think that it affects engine breathing. I don't have enough knowledge and/or experience to comment on that though. If I had to take a guess, I'd say the effects were minimal personally.

Short stroke is good as it keeps piston speeds down for any given RPM and it is piston speeds which usually dictate how fast you can spin an engine. B18Cs have similar piston speeds to F1 engines, they don't really like going much faster. You can rev the **** out of a B16B and make more power than a B18C can though.
 
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Here you go, I knocked this up for quick reference.

For naturally aspirated engines, I don't care who you are, unless you're a top flight motorsport engine builder, you're not breaking 215psi BMEP. That translates as about 88lbft/litre. Anyone claiming they make more from an old tuned up Honda is either a bullshitter, has been bullshitted by an optimistic dyno.

Likewise, piston speeds. Even F1 engines are knocking around 25m/s. You can go higher, but not many do if the engine has to last a long time.

From that, you get an impossible maximum power figure. Impossible because you'll not be making the peak torque figure and the maximum RPM figure, so forget ever achieving this number, it's just a means for comparison.

Plug in the numbers for the B16B (77.4mm stroke, 1595cc) and B18C (87.2mm stroke, 1795cc).
 

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Obviously, out of the box, the B18C is the better engine.

They can both be built up to the same level though, just with different delivery.
 
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