Original Honda誌 Japanese Car Enthusiasts Magazine

 2025-04-08 11:30:00

The 1980s can definitely be considered a period of great leap forward for Honda engines—no quotation marks needed! Especially from the mid-80s onward, Honda carried out a comprehensive overhaul of the existing Ex series engines and began restructuring engine displacements into separate "series." The ZC was released in October 1984, followed by the A series (as mentioned in the previous article) in June 1985, and on the same day, the B series was also introduced; in October 1985, the V6 C series came out; the D series in October 1986; the three-cylinder E series in February 1988; on September 13, 1989, the inline-4 F series and inline-5 G series were both launched; and in September 1991, the over-two-liter version of the B series, the H series, was released. With this sequence—ABCDEFGH—you can get a rough yet structured overview of Honda engine development history.

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🧠 First of all, it’s important to understand that the design philosophy of the B-series engines shares the same lineage as the ZC DOHC, especially the B18A, B18B, B20A, and B21A which debuted on June 4, 1985, and are classified as the “Type-A early version” series. 🚗 The B20A was released and installed in the second-generation Prelude. Compared to the single-cam-configured A20A, it was considered a high-end product—after all, DOHC offers much more flexibility and potential than SOHC. Starting with B20A, the series evolved to B20A9, and in 1990, the B21A was added. However, the engine blocks of B20A and B21A are different from the later B-series engines, so they can be regarded as a completely separate group. Within the over-2-liter category, the one that truly continues the legacy of the VTEC era B-series is the B20B series, whose structure is similar and connected to the B16A lineage.

🔍 The B20A engine was the powerplant used in the Prelude, released in June 1985. Its design philosophy differs from the later B16A series, as its structural concept originated from the ZC engine—so the two are “of the same origin but different species.”

🔥 The B16A engine, equipped with the DOHC VTEC system and most familiar to Honda fans, belongs to the “later stage” of the B-series and was released on April 19, 1989. The B16A, featuring a variable valve lift and timing control system, is its flagship. Besides that, various derivatives such as B16B, B17A, and B18C were developed in response to future development and regional sales differences. The larger displacement branch evolved from this “later type” B16A is the B20B. The first version of the B-series engine was the high-performance B16A, most famously known as the world’s first engine to feature a variable valve timing and electronic lift control system—VTEC. The first cars to be equipped with it were the Integra XSI (DA6), followed by the CRX SiR (EF8) and Civic SiR (EF9). The first-gen B16A had a displacement of 1,595cc, a bore of 81mm, and a stroke of 77.4mm, with a compression ratio of 10.2:1. Peak horsepower was 162hp at 7600rpm, and maximum torque was 15.5kg·m at 7000rpm. VTEC activation point was at 5500rpm. But to comment responsibly: though the first-gen B16A was famous, it wasn’t very pleasant to drive. Its power band was too narrow, and the surge of acceleration occurred within a few hundred RPMs—“appearing and disappearing in a flash.” Frequent shifting was needed, making city driving quite exhausting.

🚦 By September 1991, the B16A was updated along with the model change of the Civic (EG6). The mechanical hardware parameters remained unchanged, but the horsepower was increased to 170hp at 7800rpm, and torque reached 16kg·m at 7300rpm. The second-generation B16A was used in more models than the first generation—not only did the unchanged DA6/8 adopt it, but also the redesigned Civic EG6, CR-X (EG2), and later the Civic SiR (EK4), all used this engine. With the release of the B16A, phrases like “kai TEC,” “bao TEC,” and “da TEC” became catchphrases among high-performance car enthusiasts. 💬 🔥 In 1997, based on the second-generation B16A, a higher-performance B16B engine was developed and used in the Civic Type-R (EK9). The bore and stroke were the same as the B16A, but the connecting rod was extended to 142.42mm (from 134mm in B16A), resulting in a taller cylinder block—from 203.9mm to 212mm. Compression ratio was increased to 10.8:1. VTEC kicked in at 6100rpm. Peak power: 185hp @8200rpm; torque: 160Nm @7500rpm. 🚀

📦 In addition to B16A/B16B, the B16 series also includes B16A1, B16A2, B16A3, B16A5, B16A6—mainly for export models. All versions pack strong performance.

⚙️ The working principle of DOHC VTEC is quite simple: a pin locks the large cam lobe at a specific RPM, switching rocker arm profiles and increasing valve lift, allowing more intake air and better exhaust flow. 🧠

🏁 The B16A made history as the first naturally aspirated engine to achieve 100 hp/L—a major engineering milestone.

🟥 The B17A1 appeared in 1992 on the U.S. Integra GS-R (DB2). 1678cc, bore: 81mm, stroke: 81.4mm, VTEC at 5750rpm, 160hp, redline 8000rpm. It had a balanced stroke ratio but was short-lived due to the introduction of the B18 1.8L.

🔧 B18C launched in 1995 in Integra SiR. It produced 180hp—again hitting 100hp/L.
Earlier B18A (1986) was derived from B20A but not VTEC-equipped.

🔁 In 1992, B18B/C arrived with 81mm bore and 89mm stroke = 1834cc. Many versions (A2, B1-B4) came with ~140hp & no VTEC. Only B18C introduced DOHC VTEC.

🏆 The star: B18C Type R—first released Aug 1995 (DC2/DB8 Integra). It featured a unique build with most internals different from normal B18s.
• 197hp, 180Nm → increased to 200hp, 186Nm in 1998
• VTEC engagement: 5800–6000rpm

🌍 Type R had global variants:

🇯🇵 JDM: B18C
🇺🇸 USDM: B18C5 (195hp)
🇪🇺 Europe: B18C6 (190hp)
🇦🇺 Australia: B18C7 (189hp)
💡 Don’t be surprised that modern Type R cars are 4 or 5-door. The original DB8 Integra Type R already had 4 doors.

👀 Non-JDM Type R Integras had the iconic quad round headlights, unlike the JDM version.

🎨 Only Type R used the red sandblasted valve cover, but inside—there’s far more than just paint. The internals were heavily revised.

🧩 Then came B20B, a new branch derived from B16A/B18C. It differed significantly from the earlier B20A.
Specs:
• Bore: 84mm
• Stroke: 89mm
• Displacement: 1973cc
• No VTEC
• Applications: CR-V (RD1), StepWGN, S-MX
• Output: 126–140hp
In 1999, B20Z2 came with 150hp, 190Nm.

🔧 Tuners often used B18C heads on B20B blocks for “Frankenstein” builds—high torque + VTEC = 💥

📢 A key feature of B20B was its extended intake manifold—perfect for big cars like the CR-V.

🚙 The first-gen CR-V launched in 1995. Although popular, it was overshadowed by Toyota’s RAV4 in some markets.

🔚 Conclusion:
The B-series covered the “golden displacement” range—1.6L to just under 2.0L.
• <1.6L → “low-end” D-series
• >2.0L → split into H-series (high) & F-series (low/mid)

🧠 A simple way to remember:

Pre-April 1989 → large displacement, no VTEC
Post-April 1989 → VTEC, high-performance 1.6L/1.8L
As for B20B + B18C/B16A hybrid builds—that’s a story for another day. 😉