I’m thinking about getting into a mild N/A build on my b18a, thinking about BC stage 2’s or crower 404’s, matching valvetrain, AEM cam gears, pr3 b16 pistons a b16 transmission, and then finally a good tuning session. I have a block with 420,xxx km’s (around 250 mi i think lol) their all original and the car has been taken care of very well and never abused. The block works wonderfully and does not smoke at all, I am wondering if this block will be usable in my build. I have read some about the blocks cracking because of the age and stuff like that just want to know if i can even use the block. I would really like to use this block and not have to find a new one, plus spend the money for install and all that. If i replace the bearings and pistons/rings/pins will it be fine, or will i need a hone? Not looking for people to tell me to search, i have and havent been able to get a straight answer. Just want a couple good replies saying if i should or shouldnt and suggestions for me. I do not have an very large amount of money to spend on the block so is my whole build idea even fesable. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
it should work. just have the machine shop check it out and see what the wear is on the cylinder walls. worst case you end up going with a slightly over bore piston. if all else fails, ive got a fresh b18b block at 84mm fresh out of the machine shop ill part with cheap.
Blocks don’t crack from getting old, they crack from severe overheating. Take the block to a machine shop and they can check it for cracks, and if it’s all good(which it most likely will be) you can have it bored. Have them check the cylinders first for taper, and piston to cylinder wall clearance. Try to get away with as little bore as possible (81.25mm if you want to run OEM pistons). Get the pistons before they do the bore work so the machine shop can use them to get the correct piston to cylinder wall clearance. Piston to cylinder wall clearance is one of the most important clearances in engine building.