i've been playing with the idea of building an ls/vtec. i've been working a little on a friend of mine. b18 bottom, b16 head, ITR cams, skunk2 intake manifold with RC 330's. it definately gets the job done. is this pretty much the norm for this type of set up? what should i expect, some ups or downs would be nice. i haven't made up my mind what i want to do engine wise yet so any direction would be nice. thanks.

nonvtec.com....and your asking about going vtec?

ya man nonvtec.com.. wrong place but i will tell you this.

lsvtec the ls block cannot handle the high revs of vtec. you need to go to g2ic.com even tho its for generation 2 integras. there is enough info on lsvtec that you would be up for days reading..

arp 8mm ls rod bolts should be first on your list of things to get for the build.. there is also alot more to building a lsvtec then your set up. for example you need to have some work done for oil passages. and a few other things i cannot think of.

pick 2 and do your build

cheap
fast
reliable

im not sayin im gonna convert, just trying to expand my horizons. no disrespect. ls all motor would probally be cheaper anyway. i'm not trying to build a monster. i want it to be bullet proof and make reliable power and torque. aside from this place the only other good info i have is from a bunch of vtec junkies.

boost it. a very mild 6 or 7 psi.

and what ever you do get it tuned GOOD!!

ls na is going to cost alot for little power compared to boosting. all motor isnt for every one.

i cannot stress how important a good tune is. factor in the price of tuning by the best tuner. in your area or the next closet area. im going to have to drive 2 and a half hours to 3 hours for my tune, and the only price i have heard is 650. but wont know for sure till i call them

Again no disrespect for non-VTEC, but just the cost of cams and valvetrain to make all-motor power is as much as buying a VTEC head which (depending on which one you get) will make the same or more power in stock form.

Making power costs money, and doing it reliably costs even more. I'm not saying go VTEC, as there are impressive all-motor LS's, and even more impressive turbo'd ones. But when properly built/tuned you're not necessarily saving lots of money going that route, but it's definitely the less travelled route so you can avoid the "me too" syndrome.

First, let me say that I hope we aren't mindless haters like a lot on Honda-Tech here. It's helpful to understand both sides of the coin, and the LS/VTEC is a large part of the current LS story, the engine we worship here.
The LS and B20 have longer strokes than any of the VTEC B series engines. This bumps up the torque, especially compared to the B16. As was mentioned, the Non-Vtec engines are not stock built for such high rpms. Although you can use any B series Vtec head, many people use the B16 to help keep the compression down for turbo in "Frankenstein" engines. It has been called the "Poor man's Type-R". At one time it was a real rarity, drawing a lot of attention. Now it is easy and they are a dime a dozen, with the K series the new hot VTEC swap. IMHO the primary reason for the LS/VTEC for me would be to avoid the rough idle normally found in LS engines seriously built for high end power with big cams. Plenty of folks on this site would advise building a Non-Vtec LS, me included. I.E. it's hard to know why you're a Republican if you don't know what a Democrat is or vice/versa...Doesn't hurt to learn about the options..

Bottom line is: whatever you put under the hood, build it right, enjoy it, and just love your Honda! Everyone has their own reasons & goals when deciding what to build, and while everyone seems to seek approval from online buddies on their direction, nobody really needs to justify what they do with their own car & money. There's a niche for everyone to fit in, even if they create it themselves.

Agreed. As aforementioned about honda advice only available from vtec junkies ..we're nonvtec junkies at your service!


WHY I DONT LIKE VTEC->no toque. Go drive a B16, GS-R, Civic Si...It might be actually faster than your or my LS, but it has no torque therefore feels slow as piss. I've driven a Supercharged built-ass 13 second GS-R,and driven a mid 14 second gutted EG B16 hatch,H22A Prelude Type S.....Granted,they are fast as hell. Its not really fun to me. Torque is what pushes you back in your seat. Torque is how you keep up with traffic without revving the hell out of your motor..Plus I really don't like the lag effect or feel. On the all-motor vtec cars I've ridden in, there is NO power whatsoever until you "crack vtec"..

thanks a lot guys. i like to think i know enough about both engine types, you see after oh 10 years of following this sport, i've finally bought my first honda. yea yea. and now i finally get to do what i wanted to do for so long. but now i'm here i feel my hands are tied. i definately would never hate on either type because they are both great. i know how they work kinda sorta know how to make 'em work better. but up till now i've never really got to get my hands dirty, per-se. i just love the support you all give. mad props. you see even if i know the answer i'm the type to still ask the question just to see if i get a different answer than what i've heard before. but like everything else i do... i just want to do it right, the first time. sorry so long a post.

For a flipside perspective I would like to offer you my opinion. If anything, having VTEC now gives me incentive to Not tach it all the way out every time I leave a traffic light. I really have quite a bit of torque off the line, not as much as a bigger motor or supercharger - but still respectable. When my secondaries open it's a loud "he must be racin'" sort of feeling. Since I can still hold my own easily in traffic with the tamer idle cam, I tend to keep the RPMs down and just relax most of the time.

With my previous H23 and the old D motors I am all the time running the hell out them and cant stop. Thats fun too but I wasnt really going any faster. I'll bet a well done LS/VTEC would feel alot like my H22: with a respectable amount of power and decent torque its really a joy to drive. I didn't know if I would like having the VTEC motor, but it makes me smile every time I drive it.

I am not on either side. I almost went LS/VTEC before I got my first taste of JRSC boost. Now I would not trade it for the world. However, there is nothing wrong with an LS/VTEC setup as long as it is done right. Many a Honda guy has tried to cheese his/her LS/VTEC setup and been rewarded with a smoked engine. It is not a bad thing to have VTEC.

I 'cheesed' mine, but have not smoked the engine yet. That prolly cuz it never sees anything higher than stock LS redline...

If you go cheap on an LSVTEC it will bite you in the ass 10 fold. However, you can go cheap you just dont get all the benefits from doing so. Like me.

How can you go "Ls/vtec?? Just buy buying a vtec head and not change the block?

Thats what LSVTEC is. You swap out the LS head for a B16/GSR head and add an oil line here, an oil plug there, use an LS headgasket, GSR timing belt... and bada bing you got LSVTEC.

/oversimplification.