The LS-VTEC.com kit is a simple design made of quality parts. It is cheaper than other kits and is not prone to leakage. We use OEM quality headgaskets, made in USA teflon stainless braided oil feed lines and the best fittings. We ship quickly and make our customer's needs a priority.
Acura’s 1.8 liter B series engines came with two basic designs. The dual overhead camshaft 16 valve non-Vtec engine found in the 1990 to 1993 Integra RS, LS and GS is called the B18A1, while the B18B1 is found in the 1994-2001 Integra RS and LS. Both are referred to as the “LS” engine. Integra GSRs came with the dual overhead cam Vtec cylinder head engines with dual cam lobes which allow for longer valve overlap and higher lift at high RPMs. At low RPMs the milder cam profiles allow for good low end torque, better emissions, and a better idle. Oil pressure feeds pins which lock rocker arms to a position which allows this change between cam profiles. It’s a brilliant engineering solution for what used to be a compromise on cam design for high performance engines. The 1.6 liter B16 engines found in 1994-1997 Honda Del Sol, and in the1999-2000 Civic Si and the Integra GSR and Type R also have these Vtec cylinder heads. It’s easier, simpler and cheaper to add one of these Vtec cylinder heads to your “LS” engine to gain almost 30 horsepower than to replace your entire engine with a GSR. You can also add a B16 or B18 GSR cylinder head to the B20 engines found in the Honda CRV and create a B20-VTEC.
The Honda B16 and Acura B18 GSR engines with Vtec have oil feed passages in the block to actuate Vtec. LS blocks do not have this feed and need to provide oil pressure from another source. Our LS-VTEC kit accomplishes this with the proper fittings, oil feed lines, dowel pins, and cylinder head gasket so you can mount the cylinder head on the block. Head bolt patterns for the LS and Vtec engines are the same allowing the swap. Instructions for this part of the installation can be found on the site.
You need an LS or B20 engine block to start with and then a B16, Type R, or B18 GSR Vtec cylinder head. (We often have freshly rebuilt cylinder heads, please e-mail us for availability) You’ll need our LS-VTEC kit to feed oil to the new head and to provide modified dowel pins and a new head gasket. Also needed: a Vtec engine computer, (e-mail us for availability) additional wires to power the Vtec solenoid, the Vtec oil pressure switch, and a knock sensor. If using a modified ECU which doesn’t look for the knock sensor, this can be eliminated. If using a B18C GSR cylinder head with the stock intake manifold, a wire is also needed for the intake manifold bypass solenoid which controls the butterflies for the variable length runners. Look at our ECU adapter harness pages and Vtec subharness pages for wiring. Correct length Vtec cylinder head bolts are also a requirement. LS bolts can’t be used because two of them are too long, and the other eight are too short. We suggest using the supplied ARP head studs in our “complete” LS-VTEC kits. Finally, if using a B16 or Type R head, you’ll need an upper radiator hose. If you’re using a GSR head, you can re-use the LS upper hose.
For more reliable cylinder head sealing, upgrading to the ARP head studs in our complete kits will give you more peace of mind and will better prepare your engine for future forced induction or nitrous oxide installations. Upgrading to a new water pump from the ’94 to ’01 Integra GSR or Type R is a good idea, too, as it spins a little more slowly (it has 3 less teeth on its pulley) and is less likely to create coolant cavitation at high rpms. We stock these water pumps, the correct shorter timing belt, and new tensioners, too. Often, used cylinder heads don’t come with ignition distributors, and if they do, their condition isn’t known. To be sure, order one of our brand new distributors, complete with new cap and rotor. If a used distributor IS being fitted, a new cap and rotor is a good idea as well as new plug wires and spark plugs. A new valve cover gasket set and cam seals are always important, inexpensive, parts to replace, while everything is apart. New gaskets for the intake and exhaust manifolds should be used, too, if these parts have been removed. An intake manifold from Skunk2 or Edelbrock will add power in different rev ranges depending on the manifold you choose, and we stock these as well.