B16A Reference
January 1, 2004
honda
This page contains reference information for Honda B series engines. Honda introduced the first B series VTEC engine in the Japan Domestic Market (JDM) in the form of the B16A in 1989. The mass-produced normally aspirated engine managed to break 100hp/liter - 160 horsepower from 1.6 litres of displacement. The B16A has since been a benchmark for all 1.6 litre engines and has been continued in production since 1989 and is still used today in the high performance line up of Honda’s.
UPDATE: For more information see the Wikipedia article on Honda B Series engines.
B16A Variants
The progressive development of the B16A can be classified into four distinct generations:
B16A G1 (First Generation) : The original motor introduced in the JDM 1989 Civic/CRX (EF body) and the JDM 1989 Integra (DA body)
B16A G2 (Second Generation) : From the JDM 1992-1995 Civic (EG body)
B16A G3 (Third Generation) : From the JDM 1996+ Civic (EK body)
B16B : From the JDM 1997+ Civic Type-R
Of course there are also a number of 1800cc B series variants based on the B16A:
B18C : From the JDM 1992 Integra onwards
B18C 96 spec.R : From the JDM 1996-1998 Integra Type
B18C 98 spec.R : From the JDM 98+ Integra Type
JDM B Series Engine Statistics
Below is a table containing the engine statistics for the different B16A variants of the JDM Honda B series engines.
| B16A G1 | B16A G2 | B16A G3 | B16B | B18C 96 spec.R | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Water-cooled 4 stroke | Same | Same | Same | Same |
| Cylinder Arrangement | Inline 4 cylinder, transverse | Same | Same | Same | Same |
| Block Height 1 | 263mm | Same | Same | 270mm | 270mm |
| Bore x Stroke | 81.0mm x 77.4mm | Same | Same | Same | 81.0mm x 87.2mm |
| Displacement | 1595cc | Same | Same | Same | 1797cc |
| Compression Ratio | 10.2 : 1 | 10.4 : 1 | 10.4 : 1 | 10.8 : 1 | 11.1 : 1 |
| Valve Train | 4 valves per cylinder, belt driven DOHC VTEC | Same | Same | Same | Same |
| Peak Power | 160ps @ 7600rpm | 170ps @ 7800rpm | 170ps @ 7800rpm | 185ps @ 8200rpm | 200ps @ 8000rpm |
| Peak Torque | 15.5kgm @ 7000rpm | 16.0kgm @ 7300rpm | 16.0kgm @ 7300rpm | 16.3kgm @ 7500rpm | 18.5kgm @ 7500rpm |
| Specific Output | 100ps/l | 106.3ps/l | 106.3ps/l | 115.6ps/l | 111.1ps/l |
| Valve Size (Intake/Exhaust) | 33.0/28.0mm | Same | Same | Same | Same |
| Intake Opening (BTDC) | 10 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 15 |
| Intake Closing (ABDC) | 40 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Intake Duration | 230 | 240 | 240 | 243 | 240 |
| Exhaust Opening (BBDC) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 45 | 45 |
| Exhaust Closing (ATDC) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
| Exhaust Duration | 227 | 227 | 227 | 235 | 235 |
| Overlap | 17 | 22 | 22 | 28 | 25 |
| Intake Valve Lift | 10.6mm | 10.7mm | 10.7mm | 11.5mm | 11.5mm |
| Exhaust Valve Lift | 9.4mm | 9.4mm | 9.4mm | 10.5mm | 10.5mm |
| Valve Springs (Intake/Exhaust) | Dual/Single | Dual/Single | Dual/Single | Dual/Dual | Dual/Dual |
USA B Series Engine Statistics
Of course, there are also some variants of the mighty B16A within the US market as well. The USA B16A variants can be differentiated from their JDM counterparts by the engine code stamped on the block. All USA B16A engines have a number stamped after the equivalent JDM engine code to identify the generation of the B16A engine. For example, B16A1 would be a first generation USA B16A engine and B16A2 would be a second generation USA B16A engine.
Below is a table containing the engine statistics for the different USA versions of the B16A variants of the Honda B series engines.
| USA B17A | USA B18C | USA B18C spec.R | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Water-cooled 4 stroke | Same | Same |
| Cylinder Arrangement | Inline 4 cylinder, transverse | Same | Same |
| Block Height 1 | 263mm (10.354") | 270mm (10.630") | Same |
| Bore x Stroke | 81.0 x 81.4mm (3.19 x 3.20in) | 81.0 x 87.2mm (3.19 x 3.43in) | Same |
| Displacement | 1678cc (102.4 cid) | 1797cc (109.6 cid) | Same |
| Compression Ratio | 9.7 : 1 | 10.0 : 1 | 10.6 : 1 |
| Valve Train | 4 valves per cylinder, belt driven, DOHC VTEC | Same | Same |
| Peak Power | 160hp @ 7600rpm | 170hp @ 7600rpm | 195hp @ 8000rpm |
| Peak Torque | 117lbs-ft @ 7000rpm | 128lbs-ft @ 6200rpm | 130lbs-ft @ 7500rpm |
| Specific Output | 94.1hp/l | 94.4hp/l | 108.3hp/l |
| Valve Size (Intake/Exhaust) | 33.0/28.0mm | Same | Same |
| Intake Opening (BTDC) | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| Intake Closing (ABDC) | 40 | 40 | 45 |
| Intake Duration | 230 | 230 | 240 |
| Exhaust Opening (BBDC) | 40 | 40 | 45 |
| Exhaust Closing (ATDC) | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| Exhaust Duration | 227 | 227 | 235 |
| Overlap | 17 | 17 | 25 |
| Intake Valve Lift | 10.6mm (0.417") | 10.6mm (0.417") | 11.5mm (0.453") |
| Exhaust Valve Lift | 9.4mm (0.370") | 9.4mm (0.370") | 10.5mm (0.413") |
| Valve Springs (Intake/Exhaust) | Dual/Single | Dual/Single | Dual/Dual |
All cam timing figures are from the high rpm lobe. All figures are from Honda, which are based on 1mm lift at the valve.
It seems that the above engines don’t all have the same rocker arm ratio, which means that the same cam will have a different lift at the valve depending on which rocker arm is used.