is there a difference between the block of a vtec vs a non vtec? I thought vtec was all in the cams and head

 

True, but for VTEC to kick in, the oil needs to travel through a hole in the block up to the head, the non-vtec block has no hole so you must run an oil line on the outside.

 

oh ok, thanks! One more noob quesiton: why use a non vtec b18 with a vtec head? Are the oil lines in the b18 vtec incompatible with the oil lines in a b16 head (or other vtec heads)?

 

Because there aretwo 1.8 litre engines, the GSR and the LS. The LS is much cheaper then the GSR but its non-vtec. So they take the LS and make it VTEC by adding the lines and VTEC head. The oil lines are something you have to put on the block, they dont come stock. If you want you can put a B18C1, B18C5 head on an ls block, but again you need oil lines. The B16 head is a good one because it bumps up compression in the block and it flows very well.

 

The reason people like to makeLS-VTEC engines is because of the great torque curve...its actually better than a stock GSR. but to get this torque curve, theLS-VTEC has a very long stroke compared to its bore. This exact thing that makes it a fantastic N/A engine makes it a fairly mediocre boost engine. There are worse engines out there for it of course...but I would think twice before boosting an LS-VTEC.

If you're fully building it, then I'd say go with the H22 simply because when its built it can be a beast. If you aren't going to build it then get a GSR. The thing about the H22 is it is basically maxed out power wise unless you start tearing apart and replacing the bottom end. The GSR can handle almost double its power before you even touch the internals. Plus, the GSR has a fantastic bore/stroke ratio for boost, and it responds better to boost and other modifications. The only downside is they're about 2.6k for the engine and transmission, and thats without mounts, axles, or installation. You can have the lot with an H22 for that price.

 

Its even scetchy putting in after market pistons into an H22, I wouldnt ever.