Some minor corrections: When I'm talking about the mpg, those are only applicable to the 8th gen civics with the R18, not the motor itself or other vehicles with the R18 in them. Not all emissions ratings are strictly for the R18, but rather for the vehicles that it's in. Also, as The Wolf logic mentioned in his comment, there is a precedent that proves these engines are capable of making upwards of 200 whp, so disregard my assumptions as far as how much power the engine could take in the opinion section. However, it should be mention that just because an engine can make decent power, that doesn't mean it'll be the cheapest or most efficient/reliable option.
Excuse me sir, check out our channel. More videos on the boosted r18 soon but it actually LOVES boost. Trust me it’s the new d series. Also something no one wanted to touch but when done right it’s awesome. I bought an eBay kit for the car and it’s performing absolutely well. The kit was only $700 I had to buy a few things but really check it out and re-consider your view on the r18. They’re fully capable of power because they’re Honda’s. We all know by now that Honda motors are pretty much bullet proof. Please do check it out!!
I've had mine for over a year and a half, got it with 106,000 it's up to 147,000 now. BEST car I've ever had! I've had 3 Hondas and they just don't compare to how much I love my 8th gen
This motor is bulletproof. My 2010 Civic has almost 400,000 miles on it. And I just drove it from Orlando Florida to North Georgia a few days ago. She's a beast!. Super fun to drive too. With proper maintenance these things can run forever. It's been the most reliable car I've ever had in my life so far.
2011 civic sedan EX... Just around 215,000km on mine... The motor run like a new... Even happen 2-3 time that i try start it when he alrealdy running because he so smooth and silent that you don't notice that he actually running!!! Zero oil consumption or leak... For most of is life he pull 5 passengers and frequently pulling a trailer... Even the body is in very good shape... No rust at all!!! Very good and reliable car!!! A guy i know have more the 350,000km on the same model and still run like a new!!! 🙂
The R18 is just a modernized b18 with a low rpm activated I-Vtec Setting for maximum fuel economy It’s not a performance engine like the K20 but more like a reliable Economy engine that performs well throughout the RPM band. With a compression ratio of 10.5:1, And a redline starting at 7000rpms its a friendly engine that still manages to put a smile on your face.
In the 8th generation European Civic, the R18 will do the 0-100 km/h sprint in around 8.9 seconds, making the car one of the faster cars in the 140 horsepower-class, with most of the competitors from European, Japanese and Korean brands being slower. The only faster cars with this size and engine performance are the first generation MQB-based models of the VW group (VW Golf 7, Audi A3, Seat Leon III, and so on).
I have an 08 Coupe EX also with a 5 speed. Ive been a mechanic for well over a decade now. This info in this video is completely 100% accurate. This engine has some nice sounding features, driving it connected to the manual you can roast both front tires and gives a great redline 2nd gear chip! But is it a speed demon, or one with potential for it. NO. Throw a spectre reusable air filter and that's the only cost effective driveability gain you'll get. So that begs the obvious question. Well it seems the video host beat me to that, a well rounded, incredibly reliable, durable, go forever, gas sipper that if you throw a hitch on the back of that civic you can tow 4000lbs of enclosed uhaul trailer from Chicago to Naples, FL...at an average 5700rpm...in 4th gear...for 24 hours straight...done both ways. It is practically indestructible even under not ideal or even WTF are you thinking circumstances! I just broke 160K last week and all cylinders have even and...are at factory compression. This powertrain doesn't disappoint!!! Just please don't waste money modding it! Want more power, he said it best get an SI! Plain and simple, great video!
Although this engine is supposed to be fuel efficient, I know that there are many people who say that their civic r18 does not yield more than 7km per liter despite doing the proper maintenance. Do you have any tips for restoring fuel economy in a 2007 civic?
To sum it up, the "fuel efficient" iVTEC can time itself and only run 12 valves rather than 16 valves at low rpm to save fuel. This engine can pull pretty hard for what it is.
So this is not the VTEC engine this is not the VTEC version of that Honda mine is I thought this was the same thing I don't see the little piece in the corner of the engine though so
@@agnidas5816 yep. I have an 07 ex coupe 5 speed with the r18. Not meaning to thinking i gave it enough gas turned out to be too much and my tires chirped lol. I didnt expect that out of this car
I had a dual overhead cam 1.8 L 125 hp 125 lb ft torque in prizm 02 this is a sohc with more 140 and 128 lb ft torque... Honda killed it and Motor Trend Car of the Year and North American Car of the Year if you can find them for a good price buy it
I just purchased an '09 Civic LX coupe w/72k miles a few days ago (mint condition) for $7k and love it! Bought it mainly for commuting to and from work bc of the reliability and excellent gas mileage, not so much performance. My other car is a modified '14 STI. Was bored today and decided to learn more about the honda. As long as people keep up with the maintenance and stay on top with all that involves fluid changes, these cars should last at least, 400k miles. To buy a car like this nowadays from $5k to $7k with low mileage is a bargain! There's people out there who modify the heck out of Honda cars and they still hold up. Honda did well in making their engines.
The R18 is a good motor. I was going to turbo my R18 9th gen Civic but after finding out I'd be spending close to 20k just to get everything right (Swapping out the CVT, brakes, turbo kit, building the motor itself out) it just wouldn't be worth it. However, throwing a nice exhaust system, tires wheels and set of coilovers on there does make an R18 Civic a hell of a lot more fun to drive.
That's what I've heard. It's a pretty great motor for what it is, Honda always makes some pretty solid stuff. But yeah, putting a bunch of money into a turbo and other work isn't really worth it when there are other cars that can make more efficient power. Thanks for the watch! :)
20k at the dealership maybe, my friend went to a performance shop dropped in heads, cams, valves, springs, retainers, main bearing, rod bearings, pistons/rings/rods ebay turbo all for about 10k labor included, oh and the hondata / dyno tune was another 2k in parts and maintenance, whole job 12k solid total on an AUTO!!. FYI these transmission only cost about 100$!!! and dealer installs for about 300 USD so go crazy with them . IMO this is better cheap engine/trans/ easy to find. Once you spend the money the r18 is the best bang for your buck, anything you break is so cheap to fix
@@echolost8075 Fuck, 12k is still a bit much. I could get away with just adding a bigger turbo on the 10th gen si for cheaper than that. I'll eventually come back to the R18 at some point. I love the 9th gen and the R18 too much because of how well built they are to NOT turbo one eventually.
@@artisanwolf2068 Its not at all, a good si cost about 7k-8k stock with 10-20k miles cuz thats the only si i would buy. Also no turbo kit is about 4-5k off so 8k to beat a si??? you crazy? Dont get lost in the SI hype. If you have shop near you do the r18 all motor thats about 250-300hp NA!!! for 8k? idk about you "honda" guys cuz thats a bulletproof r18 that walks anything Yes you can get a new si for about the same price but why?? you will still spend about 2-3k to beat the r18 modded and trust me modded k20s are expensive!!
Considering millions of machines are running around wi to this engine, I’m glad someone got around to making this video so thank you. Also, it’s MPG is not too far off to the civic hybrid and it’s 1.5L while having the simplicity of port injection and being a ULEV II
Best economy inline-4 motor. Revs smoothly and with haste all the way to redline, super reliable, and will make 240-250 HP reliably boosted. Surprised NA/NB Miata folks haven't picked this up considering how abundant they are.
Ha yeah that would be sick. I'm not sure if they'd be interested, they've already got like 6 shows, I'm not sure how I'd pitch it either, but I'll be posting more videos like this after I finish the semester :)
I had an 07 Civic with an R18. I loved it and enjoyed driving it with it's just sporty enough output combined with excellent fuel mileage. It died just after 200K due to a cracked block which is endemic of the R18.
Where you driving it hard? No hate I drive mine a little hard with no mods. I’m just asking because I’m just about to hit 200k. Just about 600 miles to go. I’d love to just keep it but I have another vehicle and could sell the Honda.
I still have my twenty06 coupe stick , and it still gets 53.333 on the highway. And 42 in the city. 140hp. Gliding everywhere. I call it skating. Cause I'm always in neutral skating all over the roads.
Been driving it for a while and its a fun economy engine.6 speed gearbox feels good. Ive got an E36 with 140 hp from 1.9l and it feels comparatively slow in the lower rev range, but that might be due to the aggressive electric throttle tuneon the r18. Good economy and it does accelerate comfortably in 2nd and 3rd gear when over taking. Ive seen countless videos of the engine being turboed and it does between 200-300 hp without much effort or upgrades. Upgrade which might provide 15 HP if the crank is swpped from the r20, but this is no performance engine. Although it has the same dimentions as B18, the head is quite bad. integrated exhaust manifold, smal ports and valves, make it impossible for the R18 to achieve high airflow and power. Comfortable city engine and a decent highway cruiser.
Hey thanks for this video. Good stuff, owned my R18 for 4.5k miles so far.. and I love it. Ive driven a turboed eclipse, an altima, and a lancer ralliart. And while those were fast, this is fun and economical. Throw some coilovers, bigger/wider tires, short throw shift, and so.e cosmettic stuff and its plenty fun to get to and from work. Put premium in for better response. Do not rev past 6.5k for solidarity.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed. It's a very fun engine for what it is. I love the feeling I get from those 8th gen civics. They've just got a certain character to them. Like I mentioned in some of my other videos, there are days where I'd rather be driving this than the WRX. I plan on getting it coilovers at some point but probably not much of anything else. I want to save up for a different project car. Maybe a turbo eclipse haha.
Fast fwd a few months, i rev to redline when im doing pulls, ive gotten much better at driving my car. Based off what i had read back then, with r18s cracking blocks - 6.5k seemed like a stress free cut-off point for - yep you said it, longevity.
LET ME SAY THIS...... I've been building Honda since the early 2000s...... I have built b-series d-series h-series j series and k-series.... BUT WHAT SHOCKED ME ABOUT THE R18 WAS...... My mom bought a 2012 Honda Civic EX-L sedan with the r18 Z1 she used to own a 99 Civic SI with a b16 in it and use the street race back in the day when I was a kid before I was old enough to get my license and followed suit with building Hondas myself.... I put on her 2012 Civic EXL I decided to do a short ram intake BUT UNLIKE EVERYBODY ELSE WHO DOES IT AND JUST LEAVES IT AS A HOT AIR INTAKE......... She didn't want to run a full cold air intake that goes down in the bumper for fear of sucking up water because it rains a lot here so I built her a short ram intake with the heat shield and then did a custom air duct that goes down to the front bumper where the fog light would sit and I also wrapped the intake tube itself in Gold reflective heat tape!!! it dropped her intake air temperatures on a hot summer day down from 140 degrees down to 70° and by doing that it's seriously made the car happy I COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW LOUD the VTec crossover was..... IT'S INSANE (((for a sohc r18))) It did not do that with the stock air box it did not do that with just the short ram intake by itself but after adding the heat shield and the air duct and then wrapping the gold reflective heat tape around the intake tube Those colder temperatures met that car so much happier when you punch it and now she has the benefit of a short ram intake so she doesn't have to worry about sucking up water like a true cold air intake BUT STILL GETS THE BENEFIT OF COLD AIR Yes it's not a performance car compared to any of my Hondas I've built over the years but she loves it I have made it to a complete SI replica with the grill front and rear bumpers the SI spoiler Wheels etc and now I have even done a header and down pipe and a full Cat-Back exhaust And just for the hell of it I took one of my Honda's and put it on her car and went and had it Dyno tuned It may not be fast but damn the car is so much more fun than it was stock and she is happy with it for when she still wants to try to race somebody once in a blue moon on a red light or just have fun on some back roads even in her fifties I myself have a 95 Civic Coupe that used to have a fully built d16 Z6 NA all motor high compression build that was pushing almost 200 hp at the wheels which was almost unheard of out of an all motor d-series but I wanted to be different Now it has a k24 block K20 head built all motor with full bolt ons now it's a bare Bones track car And my very very rare edition 2004 Honda Accord V6 6-speed manual coupe with the very rare hfp Honda factory performance package only 1 of 500 ever made with full bolt on the J series pushing 320HP at the wheels perfect daily driver
It's great to hear from someone with some experience working with Hondas. It really is great for what it is. It really isn't all that dissimilar from the D series except it does have considerably more grunt. It's stout, reliable, simple, affordable, and economical, but still very fun and capable. Nice to hear you mention the Accord platform and the J series as well. Co-host of CPEF Nick has a Acura TL 6-speed with the J series and that thing is a hoot. We love everything Honda puts out.
have you tried premium in the r18? i live in texas so heat is a problem. it suprised me that the owners manual actually stated that if you use premium fuel, you will notice a performance increase. its not massive but cruising takes less throttle, better low end power so it doesnt bog with ac quite as hard and it seems to keep pulling all the way to 6500rpm. i initially did it because in the 110f days, i would hear the motor ping on take off (manual trans).
Nothing fake about that VTEC. Doesn't matter whether it's adjusting lift and timing for performance or economy, it's still doing it using the same technology. I think people just inferred VTEC to be completely synonymous with high performance, but that's just plain wrong.
I just bought a 2011 Civic EX coupe with 188,8xx miles. I love it so far. I have some sportier Hondas, so i dont want to modify this. The exhaust has a leak, though, so maybe I'll put something solid on there. Great video, im subscribing.
Thanks for the sub man. They're pretty phenomenal as far as value for money goes. Probably a good call to forgo modifications, although I always guiltily enjoyed the exhaust note when my muffler fell off (even though I knew I was THAT Honda guy with a broken exhaust), a good exhaust could be worthwhile. Hopefully it serves you well for many more miles!
Thanks, this is the same version of i-VTEC that was on my old Honda Element. Sure, it's not the performance version, but you can definitely feel a little bit of a power bump when i-VTEC switches from 12 valve to 16 valve mode. And if you know when the change over is, you can increase your fuel economy by keeping the RPM's below that changeover point. And I totally agree, if you want the performance version of i-VTEC, just buy a vehicle with it built in. You'll get a MUCH more reliable vehicle and it'll be a fun drive. I finally got my hands on a K24 Acura TSX this year and it's a blast.
I've seen power up to 300+ but it does not seem practical. For mine, it's just a beater with a manual transmission. If I got another 8th gen, I'd modify the suspension and wheels to better handle backroads. It's actually a fun car on smaller roads since the steering is so response even though it has a very light feel.
I agree with you entirely. I think if you're gonna put work into these cars you really shouldn't focus on the engine, there are better platforms for making power, but it's definitely a fun beater/daily with decent potential.
@ValefarBF @carpartsandexhaustfarts4397 was considering full bolt-ons for my ‘08 LX (turbo was out of the question bc I want this daily to last as long as possible) but after watching this video and others I’m leaning towards prioritizing suspension and wheels. Did you end up finding a combination you liked? Coilovers/ wheels/ control arms, etc- any recs I should look into?
@@jaimesoncortez I went the suspension route as well. I did Truhart sport shocks, tein s tech springs, progress technology 22mm rear sway bar, Truhart rear camber kit and I got a 14 piece lower control arm kit from “A premium” includes tie rods etc. got an alignment the other day and everything is within specs. It drives amazing! I’m in college with no job didn’t care about power just wanted my car to be more fun and fun it is
@@yohaneseats8984 aye that sounds like a fun set of upgrades! Thanks for sharing your set-up. I just graduated and applying to jobs right now, so definitely in a similar position. I’ll keep this in mind
I got my sisters 2006 civic ex and just recently started doing research on the engine. So far I put a new muffler on it. This car isn’t “fast” but it can feel pretty sporty. I think I may put some coil overs on it just to make it take turns better and stiffer suspension since the one on it is pretty soft, along with reducing body roll. That and combined with a high flow cat, aftermarket intake, and exhaust kit, this car would feel pretty amazing. Haven’t had any problems with the engine yet and it’s at about 200k miles. Very good and fun car.
I beg to differ with you. Many people have gotten 300 plus hp out of the r-18 with no engine problems at all. Very strong engine. Let’s look at power to weight ratio. A K-24 swap will add 170 pounds to the front of your civic and the si sedan is about 150 pounds heavier than the civic coupe r-18. Yes 180 hp is possible with a cam , intake, exhaust and a re-flash ecu. Add some carbon parts like hood and excess steel removal and you have a very lite civic with 180 hp or boosted with 275hp. The manual ex coupe 06-11 is only 1/2 second slower than the 06-11 Si sedan in 0-60. Not worth it for the cost difference and you can find r-18 parts and motors really cheap.
decreasing weight is the number one way to go in something like this. Its cheaper. If you want to make a fun cheap sleeper decrease as much weight as possible
Buddy i think i just might make the half mil i have never had an engine light and i also have a head unit monitoring the car while driving so keep my fingers crossed and lets get it R18 10 years old still runming mint 5 speed do no auto
@@JAMTOAM Daaaaang, yeah go for it. I have faith in the R18, I bet you can hit it! Yeah the five speed is like any manual Honda has ever made, amazing. It makes the car so much more fun! I hope you reach your goal!
They actually respond pretty well to exhaust, intake, and head porting. Is it a DOHC fire breather? No but a 160-180 HP and mid 30’s-40 MPG with damn near un killable reliability is a damn good combo. Mind you this isn’t an SI but there are R18’s everywhere for 200$ still. I can’t even buy B20’s or D16’s for that anymore.
I think the VTEC on this might be similar to that used on the CB400SF and VFR800 bikes? They're both pretty nifty. I actually have a FN1 Civic with this engine and have real difficulty in justifying changing to another car - I'm either going to lose fuel economy or performance with basically any upgrade. It shows that this engine is a real sweet spot in terms of delivering real world performance and low running costs.
It might not be fast but the manual Coupe r18 is fun to drive. If you actually put your foot down or stay above 3000 RPM it's not slow. Threw you a sub because I enjoy the sarcasm and I own a r18. My opinion of the intake and fake VTEC is good fuel economy when you want to but when you put your foot into it you can actually have some pretty decent acceleration especially when you drive a manual and you can choose the RPM that you stay at
This is still sold here in the philippines as a base model 10th gen, i own one. Nobody thinks this is a performance motor by any stretch, most sane people use it as a runabout car good for the expressways. Although i still see ricers here and there dressing it up as a type r which is hilarious. All show no go.
Well not entirely true, In India, where we have no access to serious performance Honda engines, the tuners have put their heart and soul to build a motor that was basically written by the west. There are R18 powered FD Civic's running upwards of 400+WHP, so its basically a question of making most of what you have and thats what the Indian tuners have done justice to. For ppl trolling on the R18 and writing it off, you need to watch the below video czcams.com/video/CrlrlIrTJps/video.html
In my 2015, it makes 147hp. I can't complain...it's my first Honda I've owned, and it's been the most solid reliable engine in any car I've owned in my life. I'll trade that for power any day.
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts yes but it's a nice thing to highlight :) Honda does performance engines just as well as engines you can count on. Most manufacturers can't say that I think you'd agree
And the lower block was known for cracking. I bought mine almost 2 years from a single owner who had the lower block replaced under warranty. The car is at 250k now and still drives beautifully. I use it as a work car and drive 100+ miles a day. I'm looking to break atleast 500k miles.
Only a very small percentage of 06 to 08 R18 had the engine crack issue, and it was from a specific manufacturer plant. The issue was fixed in the 09 to 11s for the 8th gen.
honestly love my honda got an 09 dx manual and its r18 is unbreakable with proper care especially if you keep the car stock. and like you said its a blast of a car if you don't look at the speedo
Whoa, the power really only occurs at only 4k and above, I'm not a fan of revving the engine to move it along, plus the noise. How reliable is the engine when you have to rev it to these levels over time?
I had a 05 1.7 VTEC and it was a good car it would move out till 4th gear. This thing I have to actually press the pedal to get my 06 to move. And the engine may be reliable but everything else is not worth the shit. Something is always breaking
Nice enough engine, I have an FN1 Civic. It isn't fast and even if it sounds "ok" it seems to take an age to rev round to the red. But it uses a timing chain and it seems the only thing that needs doing are valve adjustments and spark plugs every now and again. Maybe the water pumps need replacing eventually I guess? As an all round engine it's excellent and gets everything right.
I’ve just done the water pump, tensioner, aux belt, rad, thermostat and sensors on my FN1. @95k miles. Might have been preemptive. But replaced with quality parts (OE or premium). The tensioner was squealing a little, and the water pump was weeping. So maybe it wasn’t quite due, but better to just get it done. If you ever decide to do it, I hope you have small hands. Access is tight on that side of the engine.
i think of the car like a train. it doesn't accelerate fast but it has a top speed of 130 mph. it's strength is in fuel economy and reliability. someone who buys this wants low feul cost and low maintenance costs. that's what it does.
Exactly, and this engine excels in this department while also maintaining the characteristics of any good Honda engine. I hope the video conveyed that well.
i had a 2008 civic sedan manual with this engine and then i got a 2012 coupe in white with also this engine...and it's great for what it was but now i drive a 2020 civic sport manual and the K20C2 is such an upgrade over those it's unbeliveable how far honda has come with their economy entry level civic engines.
I have a 06 lx with the r18, a fun little motor with minor mods. Did cold air intake, header, cat delete, catback and a good tune. It doesn’t make any kind of crazy power but it definitely is an enjoyable ride. With the tune my rev limit is 7800 sounds good bouncing off lol
looks like im late to the party here... Only critical info i have to add here is that the block is technically rated for 300HP if we can trust the guys in the honda forums. Defenitely not worth it to modify unless you really love this car for some reason. Also something people should know before buying one of these is that the R18s had a recall for micro cracks in the lower block that leaks oil slowly.I think it was caused by a casting defect. My 07 civic LX 5 speed is currently leaking through the vtech solenoid gasket but not the block. got the new gasket ready to go in soon : ]
Part of the wonder of CZcams is it's never too late to contribute to a topic. Thanks for stopping by. I wish I had known about the block recall before making this video, but I've heard about it at length subsequently. These motors are pretty hard to beat in a number of departments, but that's definitely a consideration for prospective buyers. The Honda forums talk a lot of talk. As I see it, Honda overengineers basically everything they make, so it doesn't surprise me that some ambitious people with too much time and money on their hands have pushed these motors pretty far. But just because Honda enables us to push the envelop doesn't mean its a good idea. My R18 has some leaking issues along the valve cover gasket, that might be something I fix this summer, but I have bigger fish to fry with the Civic atm. I hope all goes well with your Honda. Thank you for taking the time to view and comment!
Dude the valve covers are still pretty cheap online I'm thinking I need to replace the gasket on mine as well. Glad to hear yours is still running❤@@carpartsandexhaustfarts
@@aalecalexander117 They're real troopers! If my EJ20 went through half the shit my R18 does I think it would fragment into a thousand small pieces lol Glad to hear parts are still affordable. I need to get a fuel leak issue taken care of first and do some major suspension work, rallycross has not been kind to it, but after that it'll be the next thing lol. I hope all your leaking issues stay far away after the fix!
I've got a 2009 Civic coupe. Weird little space ship looking thing. It's got one of these. It's fast enough to handle the motorway. The low end torque has gotten me out of trouble a few times (Dodging idiots). Of course this means it's just powerful enough to do stupid things, but it's like Honda sat down and said "Lets make the perfect engine for a daily" and nailed it. It's a manual and currently thinks it's averaging 39.4 MPG.
The design is so mid 2000s, particularly the coupe, I love it. I'm always impressed by how easy it is to spin the tires in some conditions, it feels solidly torquey for a 1.8L. It really is an incredibly well-rounded engine with its outstanding fuel economy, competent power, and fun personality. The more economy cars from this time period I drive the more I appreciate what Honda was able to do with this powerplant. It's also shockingly durable and dependable. My 8th gen is at over well 260,000 miles now and still starts up and runs right every time. Recently I've been RXing it after my sibling recked it and even sitting after sitting in the high RPM all day it still chugs along just fine. czcams.com/video/SA_iYz2ClO4/video.html czcams.com/video/rtLgt1f0QZk/video.html
Hi i have this engine it makes a grinding noise on cold startup people have told me its the vct Actuator. I am pretty sure this engine does not have one its only on the double overhead cam engines found in the si models. I am leaning towards the starter motor any thoughts in the comments would be apricated.
6:10 Oh how wrong you are! *my r18 turbo puts out 416hp. Fresh imported jdm r18 skunk2 stage 2 cam. Motec turbo downpipe skunk2 racing turbo back exhaust. Running 10psi on Series 76 precision turbocharger. Dual disc 5 speed trans. On a 2008 r18 civic that was manual swapped full fuel system rebuild running E-85. The engine has 46k miles and I've been running this setup now for about 3 months. Have had no major issues. Had some piping come undone but nothing major.
That's very impressive. Thank you for the correction, it seems like there's some conflicting information out there on how tune-able these engines are. I think it demands a little more looking into but the fact that people like you have been able to make ridiculous numbers like that is very surprising.
@@spencertaylorcrowe Bro you didnt get a response in half a day and you're chasing? Some of us have a real life, not just making lies on the internet all day. First off, you won't be using a ''76 series precision'' on an R18. You'd literally have spool at 6kRPM at the earliest, secondly. You WONT make 416hp at 10 psi on an R18 with this turbo, thirdly - you mentioned nothing regarding what was done to the block to support the imaginary horsepower number you claim, as a stock R18 won't handle that sort of power. Show us pictures of a ''76 series precision'' mounted to your R18, also show a dyno sheet of your R18 making this power.
I’m surely dropping between 5K-10K just to keep mine all motor. Really an Exhaust-Intake are all this thing has needs tuning in the long run it will throw codes on and off. A Camshaft-Fuel components and maybe Upgrading the cooling system no focus on power really unless it’s possible with Torque being the focus rather than HP however I am pushing for 200hp. That is where the spending becomes useless but you get the idea
Pulling 200hp is impressive. Anecdotes like your seem to support the idea that the R18 has a relatively strong performance baseline but a low practical ceiling for what it is.
the 8th gen r18 Civics actually redline at 7000 RPM with a fuel cutoff of 7100 rpm while the 9th gen R18 Civics redline at 6850 RPM with a fuel cutoff of 7000 RPM & Eco VTEC really only works on the automatic transmissions it works on the manual transmissions as well but isn't as effective as the automatic
R18Z1 works the same way. I thought VTEC would work the same way as it works in any Honda but it's for saving fuel only and is engaged 1000-3500 rpm. I'd prefer K20 engine but R18 is still not bad for someone who doesn't need performance and needs to save gas.
R18 is great for what it is. I'm always pleasantly surprised by its performance. It's far for gutless as far as economy powerplants go. The K20 might be my favorite 4-cylinder I've ever sat behind. I drove an 8th gen Si once and it was an incredibly fun experience. They're two different engines for two different use cases but they both fill their niches quite well. Honda's great at making the right product for the job.
@@christianloper9483 I plan on it. It's been hard getting much of anything out right now with school and whatnot, but I do hope to make more videos like this.
I'm confused about the description about the VTEC in the r18 you described. My understanding is the two outside lobes on the cam are symmetrical, and the middle is the deeper lobe. That is traditional intake VTEC. I could feel and hear it engage just above 5k rpm. Am I misunderstanding? This motor was not the e VTEC.
I perhaps didn't do the best job of describing it. The IVTEC in the R18 operates off of the same basic principle as other VTEC system wherein two separate cam profiles can be selected. In old style traditional VTEC (and IVTEC in the K20), this switch in cam profiles to a more aggressive cam is triggered by reaching a certain RPM, usually around 5k. However, this is not how the R18 works. IVTEC in R18 is Intelligent VTEC, which is not determined by RPM alone, instead a number of values are weighed by the ECU and used to inform when the cam profile should be switched from a "normal" state (better for power and torque delivery) to a "economy" state (providing better cruising characteristics and fuel economy). Under normal driving, this switch is made around 3.5k. So unlike in other Honda platforms, you have more power and torque down low and your cam profile becomes more mellow once you get into the higher RPM (unless you keep on throttle or the ECU determines the standard cam is still needed, in which case the cam profile will not change). This makes the R18 feel more like a 2.0 liter down low when getting up to speed and more like a 1.5 when cruising on the highway, offering the best of both worlds. The kick you experienced around 5k (which is also something I've experienced with my R18 as well) is most likely the variable intake manifold, which opens valves in the intake runners at different RPM to change the path of air into the intake, allowing the engine to more efficiently generate power at differing speeds. There's one geometry for low down power and torque, and another geometry that is triggered around 5k which provides better high end power for highway passing. TLDR; The R18 has "Intelligent" VTEC that does not kick in at 5k, rather it is dependent on whatever the ECU decides is best. Instead of switching from a "normal" to a "performance" cam like in other systems, the R18 IVTEC switches from a low speed "normal" cam to a high speed "economy" cam for better highway mpg. The bump in power around 5k is due to the variable intake manifold. Here's some extra reading: asia.vtec.net/Engines/RiVTEC/index.html asia.vtec.net/Engines/R18A/index.html www.8thcivic.com/threads/r18-variable-length-intake-manifold-and-how-to-properly-throttle-control-accelerate.220507/
Hey, so great video, i have a follow up question: I own other cars, but it seems im starting to appear at the track scene, waaaay more often i thought i would. So the bimmer has to stay a daily driver, i cannot afford to track it that often, and power is not my crave. I want to train on endurance and discipline... I have the sedan r18 (5spd). If i do breaks, suspension and lsd, can i track it reliably? I don't actually require much more power. later i may boost it, 200hp is enough for me if the car stripped for weight and has handling... or the si comes with suspension that already fit heavy long track days? (sorry, but never owned Japanese, so looking for insight). I am an engineer and work on machinery on the daily and have replaced head gaskets and suspensions many times when i was young. I have never done full engine rebuilds, but i'm guessing as long as i have the guide in front of me and all the tools (which i do), i can do everything myself down the line. Or is it worth swapping for si? except engine/suspension, what other differences are there? is body more rigid on the si? control arms? Appreciate the feed back.
For a 1.8L 4 banger, this thing is incredibly impressive. Its not a performance engine, but it definitely feels like one in some cases Plus the engine is fucking unbreakable. You can do whatever the hell you want to these things and theres a good chance it’l still hold up against it.
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts I got an 8th gen civic with one and, aside from a slight half-second delay between pressing the pedal and the car actually responding, it handles very similarly to a sports car. Plus, ive managed to pull a 0-60 in under 8 seconds in it (despite the general consensus for some reason being that it cant do it faster than 9-10)
"performance similar to a 2.0" sounds great and all but 60 less hp than said 2.0. That being said still love these little engines for what they do, mine still runs strong. Appreciate the video mate.
It's just Honda trying to hype it up. I wouldn't really describe it as being on par with their 2.0s but it's definitely solid for what it is. Thank you! I'm glad you stopped by and enjoyed it!
this is so sad, my jaw dropped when i upgraded the air intake, it sounds so good but there is next to no after market for this and turboing it feels like a money trap...
Unfortunately it hasn't really been adopted by the aftermarket community yet, but plenty of people are trying their best with it. It is a tremendously good motor all-in-all.
My dad's car have this engine as well, it's been 11 years already.. Still running smooth with a transmission leak that is.. Had to fill it everytime.. Other than that, still good. It's a Civic FD though, I'm from Asia... It's over 200K kilometers now.
I've owned one for 4 years. Expect about 37mpg general use. 42 mpg is possible cruising at 70mph in 6th. You have to stay at 70 mph to achieve that though. 85 mph Crusing expect about 34 mpg.
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts It was only a few series of them, it was production flaw that was made in north american plant, they were recalled and there was no issues of that in europe, all the engines that were made in eu and japan had no such problem.
Kade Raqq bought my first ever civic 3 months ago an 08 Lx, one owner from small dealer, 3 weeks later had to replace the engine my self because of a cracked block
I have a video on my second CZcams channel that talks about all the performance mods you can do to the Honda R18 engine I also have a ECU tune that disables the i-VTEC on the Honda R18
I have a 07 civic lx and it's good but always leaked engine oil onto the clutch can only feel it when it's bone cracking cold it will cause the clutch to chatter when it's engaging
Some minor corrections: When I'm talking about the mpg, those are only applicable to the 8th gen civics with the R18, not the motor itself or other vehicles with the R18 in them. Not all emissions ratings are strictly for the R18, but rather for the vehicles that it's in. Also, as The Wolf logic mentioned in his comment, there is a precedent that proves these engines are capable of making upwards of 200 whp, so disregard my assumptions as far as how much power the engine could take in the opinion section. However, it should be mention that just because an engine can make decent power, that doesn't mean it'll be the cheapest or most efficient/reliable option.
Excuse me sir, check out our channel. More videos on the boosted r18 soon but it actually LOVES boost. Trust me it’s the new d series. Also something no one wanted to touch but when done right it’s awesome. I bought an eBay kit for the car and it’s performing absolutely well. The kit was only $700 I had to buy a few things but really check it out and re-consider your view on the r18. They’re fully capable of power because they’re Honda’s. We all know by now that Honda motors are pretty much bullet proof. Please do check it out!!
@@mobsquad4879 Will do! Thanks for the information! I'll make sure to check out your channel!
@@mobsquad4879 thank you this video made me feel like shit for owning an r18 and putting more than 5k into it.
Sometimes when I am lonely I will shave one leg so it feels like I’m sleeping with a woman 👩🏼
@@mattycheeze4131 Sounds like winning to me
r18 motor is one of the BEST engines honda has ever made. extremely reliable workhorse!
Definitely
And the B series? Witch is better?
@@armandoaraujo8549 B series better
I've had mine for over a year and a half, got it with 106,000 it's up to 147,000 now. BEST car I've ever had! I've had 3 Hondas and they just don't compare to how much I love my 8th gen
This motor is bulletproof. My 2010 Civic has almost 400,000 miles on it. And I just drove it from Orlando Florida to North Georgia a few days ago. She's a beast!. Super fun to drive too. With proper maintenance these things can run forever. It's been the most reliable car I've ever had in my life so far.
Oh my lord 400,000?? That's absurd but I don't doubt it in the slightest. My experience with this motor has also been nothing short of excellent.
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts I have pictures to prove it!
I'm hitting 300,000 on mine and runs better than when it got it. Well with proper tune ups and maintenance, it still pulls your neck back!
Mine also has 400k on it!!
2011 civic sedan EX... Just around 215,000km on mine... The motor run like a new... Even happen 2-3 time that i try start it when he alrealdy running because he so smooth and silent that you don't notice that he actually running!!! Zero oil consumption or leak... For most of is life he pull 5 passengers and frequently pulling a trailer... Even the body is in very good shape... No rust at all!!! Very good and reliable car!!! A guy i know have more the 350,000km on the same model and still run like a new!!! 🙂
The R18 is just a modernized b18 with a low rpm activated I-Vtec Setting for maximum fuel economy It’s not a performance engine like the K20 but more like a reliable Economy engine that performs well throughout the RPM band. With a compression ratio of 10.5:1, And a redline starting at 7000rpms its a friendly engine that still manages to put a smile on your face.
@@mohammedislam5181 You don't hear vtec, you hear intake manifold opening at that RPM.
A Canon high-performance filter muffler delete and holy hondata... R18 sleeper
In high RPMs and extra set of camshaft Runners open up and increase power output so in a sense it does the same thing VTech does but it is not VTEC
@@mohammedislam5181 yes
In the 8th generation European Civic, the R18 will do the 0-100 km/h sprint in around 8.9 seconds, making the car one of the faster cars in the 140 horsepower-class, with most of the competitors from European, Japanese and Korean brands being slower. The only faster cars with this size and engine performance are the first generation MQB-based models of the VW group (VW Golf 7, Audi A3, Seat Leon III, and so on).
I have an 08 Coupe EX also with a 5 speed. Ive been a mechanic for well over a decade now. This info in this video is completely 100% accurate. This engine has some nice sounding features, driving it connected to the manual you can roast both front tires and gives a great redline 2nd gear chip! But is it a speed demon, or one with potential for it. NO. Throw a spectre reusable air filter and that's the only cost effective driveability gain you'll get. So that begs the obvious question. Well it seems the video host beat me to that, a well rounded, incredibly reliable, durable, go forever, gas sipper that if you throw a hitch on the back of that civic you can tow 4000lbs of enclosed uhaul trailer from Chicago to Naples, FL...at an average 5700rpm...in 4th gear...for 24 hours straight...done both ways. It is practically indestructible even under not ideal or even WTF are you thinking circumstances! I just broke 160K last week and all cylinders have even and...are at factory compression. This powertrain doesn't disappoint!!! Just please don't waste money modding it! Want more power, he said it best get an SI! Plain and simple, great video!
Roast tires? you are as stupid as biden.
@@deibama i lost brain cells reading his comment lmao
i live in naples fl and drive a 2008 civic coupe ex 5spd with 112k miles lol
Although this engine is supposed to be fuel efficient, I know that there are many people who say that their civic r18 does not yield more than 7km per liter despite doing the proper maintenance. Do you have any tips for restoring fuel economy in a 2007 civic?
@@davidsrg1 That's about 16.5 miles per US gallon.
To sum it up, the "fuel efficient" iVTEC can time itself and only run 12 valves rather than 16 valves at low rpm to save fuel. This engine can pull pretty hard for what it is.
So this is not the VTEC engine this is not the VTEC version of that Honda mine is I thought this was the same thing I don't see the little piece in the corner of the engine though so
I agree I can peel out with the e brake on lol but seriously I can do I don't see how this engine is anemic
It doesn’t run 12 valves
@@markg2228 its there. at the back left
THE R18 PULLS MORE THAN U MIGHT THINK QUITE A SPORTY ENGINE FOR ITS SIZE
Can easily spin tires without dropping it from neutral also.
@@agnidas5816 yep. I have an 07 ex coupe 5 speed with the r18. Not meaning to thinking i gave it enough gas turned out to be too much and my tires chirped lol. I didnt expect that out of this car
I had a dual overhead cam 1.8 L 125 hp 125 lb ft torque in prizm 02 this is a sohc with more 140 and 128 lb ft torque... Honda killed it and Motor Trend Car of the Year and North American Car of the Year if you can find them for a good price buy it
I just purchased an '09 Civic LX coupe w/72k miles a few days ago (mint condition) for $7k and love it! Bought it mainly for commuting to and from work bc of the reliability and excellent gas mileage, not so much performance. My other car is a modified '14 STI. Was bored today and decided to learn more about the honda. As long as people keep up with the maintenance and stay on top with all that involves fluid changes, these cars should last at least, 400k miles. To buy a car like this nowadays from $5k to $7k with low mileage is a bargain! There's people out there who modify the heck out of Honda cars and they still hold up. Honda did well in making their engines.
The R18 is a good motor. I was going to turbo my R18 9th gen Civic but after finding out I'd be spending close to 20k just to get everything right (Swapping out the CVT, brakes, turbo kit, building the motor itself out) it just wouldn't be worth it. However, throwing a nice exhaust system, tires wheels and set of coilovers on there does make an R18 Civic a hell of a lot more fun to drive.
That's what I've heard. It's a pretty great motor for what it is, Honda always makes some pretty solid stuff. But yeah, putting a bunch of money into a turbo and other work isn't really worth it when there are other cars that can make more efficient power. Thanks for the watch! :)
20k at the dealership maybe, my friend went to a performance shop dropped in heads, cams, valves, springs, retainers, main bearing, rod bearings, pistons/rings/rods ebay turbo all for about 10k labor included, oh and the hondata / dyno tune was another 2k in parts and maintenance, whole job 12k solid total on an AUTO!!. FYI these transmission only cost about 100$!!! and dealer installs for about 300 USD so go crazy with them . IMO this is better cheap engine/trans/ easy to find.
Once you spend the money the r18 is the best bang for your buck, anything you break is so cheap to fix
@@echolost8075 Fuck, 12k is still a bit much. I could get away with just adding a bigger turbo on the 10th gen si for cheaper than that. I'll eventually come back to the R18 at some point. I love the 9th gen and the R18 too much because of how well built they are to NOT turbo one eventually.
@@artisanwolf2068 Its not at all, a good si cost about 7k-8k stock with 10-20k miles cuz thats the only si i would buy. Also no turbo kit is about 4-5k off so 8k to beat a si??? you crazy? Dont get lost in the SI hype. If you have shop near you do the r18 all motor thats about 250-300hp NA!!! for 8k? idk about you "honda" guys cuz thats a bulletproof r18 that walks anything
Yes you can get a new si for about the same price but why?? you will still spend about 2-3k to beat the r18 modded and trust me modded k20s are expensive!!
@@echolost8075 12k for full built and labor it’s actually not bad where do you know a shop that does This? If you know , thanks
Considering millions of machines are running around wi to this engine, I’m glad someone got around to making this video so thank you. Also, it’s MPG is not too far off to the civic hybrid and it’s 1.5L while having the simplicity of port injection and being a ULEV II
Best economy inline-4 motor. Revs smoothly and with haste all the way to redline, super reliable, and will make 240-250 HP reliably boosted. Surprised NA/NB Miata folks haven't picked this up considering how abundant they are.
Mine has 400,000 miles still works never rebuild so r18 best engine
You should pitch/submit this to Donut, maybe they would like to have a series like this
Ha yeah that would be sick. I'm not sure if they'd be interested, they've already got like 6 shows, I'm not sure how I'd pitch it either, but I'll be posting more videos like this after I finish the semester :)
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts They've been adding more and more shows, they're always looking to expand. Wouldn't hurt to give it a shot sometime though.
@@aXentOG True, maybe when I have more clout haha
“A motor that desperately wants to die” 😂😂😂😂
I have a 2013 civic exl non si and this engine still zips around like a bee! It’s pretty quick
I had an 07 Civic with an R18. I loved it and enjoyed driving it with it's just sporty enough output combined with excellent fuel mileage. It died just after 200K due to a cracked block which is endemic of the R18.
Where you driving it hard? No hate I drive mine a little hard with no mods. I’m just asking because I’m just about to hit 200k. Just about 600 miles to go. I’d love to just keep it but I have another vehicle and could sell the Honda.
Mine is an 07.
I understand that it was fixed for the 2009 model.
I still have my twenty06 coupe stick , and it still gets 53.333 on the highway. And 42 in the city. 140hp. Gliding everywhere. I call it skating. Cause I'm always in neutral skating all over the roads.
Been driving it for a while and its a fun economy engine.6 speed gearbox feels good. Ive got an E36 with 140 hp from 1.9l and it feels comparatively slow in the lower rev range, but that might be due to the aggressive electric throttle tuneon the r18. Good economy and it does accelerate comfortably in 2nd and 3rd gear when over taking. Ive seen countless videos of the engine being turboed and it does between 200-300 hp without much effort or upgrades. Upgrade which might provide 15 HP if the crank is swpped from the r20, but this is no performance engine. Although it has the same dimentions as B18, the head is quite bad. integrated exhaust manifold, smal ports and valves, make it impossible for the R18 to achieve high airflow and power. Comfortable city engine and a decent highway cruiser.
Hey thanks for this video. Good stuff, owned my R18 for 4.5k miles so far.. and I love it. Ive driven a turboed eclipse, an altima, and a lancer ralliart. And while those were fast, this is fun and economical. Throw some coilovers, bigger/wider tires, short throw shift, and so.e cosmettic stuff and its plenty fun to get to and from work. Put premium in for better response. Do not rev past 6.5k for solidarity.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed. It's a very fun engine for what it is. I love the feeling I get from those 8th gen civics. They've just got a certain character to them. Like I mentioned in some of my other videos, there are days where I'd rather be driving this than the WRX. I plan on getting it coilovers at some point but probably not much of anything else. I want to save up for a different project car. Maybe a turbo eclipse haha.
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts i didnt know wth i had, or was i was doing when i owned my 95 eclipse gs-t. And i had money to blow back then lol.
@@jondoe2099 That's unfortunate. Hopefully I'll get to the point where I can afford one. The dream would be to get a STI at some point.
Why don't past rev 6.5k? To prolong the life of the engine?
Fast fwd a few months, i rev to redline when im doing pulls, ive gotten much better at driving my car. Based off what i had read back then, with r18s cracking blocks - 6.5k seemed like a stress free cut-off point for - yep you said it, longevity.
2013 civic here with R18. About to turn over 400k and still drive it 1100 miles a week!
Incredible, what a machine!
I have a 2016 HR-V with a virtually identical engine. Glad to know these are bulletproof.
At the very least the engineers know how to make a bulletproof engine
Moo powah baby, thank you for the james from donut refrence 👌🏼
Glad you enjoyed it :)
The conclusion killed me 😂
Haha thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
This engine is also used in the HR-V, it having the R18Z9 variant
This car is alright 0-60 wise (around 8.5). It’s not meant to be a quick sport car. It is pretty zippy though.
The stock Civic 8th generation hit 60 in 8 Seconds stock.. The coupes 7.7 the si coupe low 6s
8.5 seconds is faster than most cars on the European continent.
There is an r18 making over 500 Wheel hp & it runs 11s in the 1/4. It tuned by Vit. Hard to miss it if you search R18 civic on CZcams
LET ME SAY THIS...... I've been building Honda since the early 2000s...... I have built b-series d-series h-series j series and k-series.... BUT WHAT SHOCKED ME ABOUT THE R18 WAS......
My mom bought a 2012 Honda Civic EX-L sedan with the r18 Z1 she used to own a 99 Civic SI with a b16 in it and use the street race back in the day when I was a kid before I was old enough to get my license and followed suit with building Hondas myself....
I put on her 2012 Civic EXL I decided to do a short ram intake BUT UNLIKE EVERYBODY ELSE WHO DOES IT AND JUST LEAVES IT AS A HOT AIR INTAKE......... She didn't want to run a full cold air intake that goes down in the bumper for fear of sucking up water because it rains a lot here
so I built her a short ram intake with the heat shield and then did a custom air duct that goes down to the front bumper where the fog light would sit and I also wrapped the intake tube itself in Gold reflective heat tape!!!
it dropped her intake air temperatures on a hot summer day down from 140 degrees down to 70° and by doing that it's seriously made the car happy
I COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW LOUD the VTec crossover was..... IT'S INSANE (((for a sohc r18)))
It did not do that with the stock air box it did not do that with just the short ram intake by itself but after adding the heat shield and the air duct and then wrapping the gold reflective heat tape around the intake tube
Those colder temperatures met that car so much happier when you punch it and now she has the benefit of a short ram intake so she doesn't have to worry about sucking up water like a true cold air intake BUT STILL GETS THE BENEFIT OF COLD AIR
Yes it's not a performance car compared to any of my Hondas I've built over the years but she loves it I have made it to a complete SI replica with the grill front and rear bumpers the SI spoiler Wheels etc and now I have even done a header and down pipe and a full Cat-Back exhaust
And just for the hell of it I took one of my Honda's and put it on her car and went and had it Dyno tuned
It may not be fast but damn the car is so much more fun than it was stock and she is happy with it for when she still wants to try to race somebody once in a blue moon on a red light or just have fun on some back roads even in her fifties
I myself have a 95 Civic Coupe that used to have a fully built d16 Z6 NA all motor high compression build that was pushing almost 200 hp at the wheels which was almost unheard of out of an all motor d-series but I wanted to be different
Now it has a k24 block K20 head built all motor with full bolt ons now it's a bare Bones track car
And my very very rare edition 2004 Honda Accord V6 6-speed manual coupe with the very rare hfp Honda factory performance package only 1 of 500 ever made with full bolt on the J series pushing 320HP at the wheels perfect daily driver
It's great to hear from someone with some experience working with Hondas. It really is great for what it is. It really isn't all that dissimilar from the D series except it does have considerably more grunt. It's stout, reliable, simple, affordable, and economical, but still very fun and capable.
Nice to hear you mention the Accord platform and the J series as well. Co-host of CPEF Nick has a Acura TL 6-speed with the J series and that thing is a hoot. We love everything Honda puts out.
have you tried premium in the r18? i live in texas so heat is a problem. it suprised me that the owners manual actually stated that if you use premium fuel, you will notice a performance increase.
its not massive but cruising takes less throttle, better low end power so it doesnt bog with ac quite as hard and it seems to keep pulling all the way to 6500rpm.
i initially did it because in the 110f days, i would hear the motor ping on take off (manual trans).
Nothing fake about that VTEC. Doesn't matter whether it's adjusting lift and timing for performance or economy, it's still doing it using the same technology. I think people just inferred VTEC to be completely synonymous with high performance, but that's just plain wrong.
I just bought a 2011 Civic EX coupe with 188,8xx miles.
I love it so far. I have some sportier Hondas, so i dont want to modify this. The exhaust has a leak, though, so maybe I'll put something solid on there.
Great video, im subscribing.
Thanks for the sub man. They're pretty phenomenal as far as value for money goes. Probably a good call to forgo modifications, although I always guiltily enjoyed the exhaust note when my muffler fell off (even though I knew I was THAT Honda guy with a broken exhaust), a good exhaust could be worthwhile. Hopefully it serves you well for many more miles!
You need a valve cover gasket. It’s leaking oil all over the top of the engine. It’s a real easy fix.
Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks, this is the same version of i-VTEC that was on my old Honda Element. Sure, it's not the performance version, but you can definitely feel a little bit of a power bump when i-VTEC switches from 12 valve to 16 valve mode. And if you know when the change over is, you can increase your fuel economy by keeping the RPM's below that changeover point. And I totally agree, if you want the performance version of i-VTEC, just buy a vehicle with it built in. You'll get a MUCH more reliable vehicle and it'll be a fun drive. I finally got my hands on a K24 Acura TSX this year and it's a blast.
I've seen power up to 300+ but it does not seem practical. For mine, it's just a beater with a manual transmission. If I got another 8th gen, I'd modify the suspension and wheels to better handle backroads. It's actually a fun car on smaller roads since the steering is so response even though it has a very light feel.
I agree with you entirely. I think if you're gonna put work into these cars you really shouldn't focus on the engine, there are better platforms for making power, but it's definitely a fun beater/daily with decent potential.
@ValefarBF @carpartsandexhaustfarts4397 was considering full bolt-ons for my ‘08 LX (turbo was out of the question bc I want this daily to last as long as possible) but after watching this video and others I’m leaning towards prioritizing suspension and wheels. Did you end up finding a combination you liked? Coilovers/ wheels/ control arms, etc- any recs I should look into?
@@jaimesoncortez I went the suspension route as well. I did Truhart sport shocks, tein s tech springs, progress technology 22mm rear sway bar, Truhart rear camber kit and I got a 14 piece lower control arm kit from “A premium” includes tie rods etc. got an alignment the other day and everything is within specs. It drives amazing! I’m in college with no job didn’t care about power just wanted my car to be more fun and fun it is
@@yohaneseats8984 aye that sounds like a fun set of upgrades! Thanks for sharing your set-up. I just graduated and applying to jobs right now, so definitely in a similar position. I’ll keep this in mind
This engine is wildly modified in Thailand 🇹🇭 they’ve built plenty of 400-500whp from this engine tho
I got my sisters 2006 civic ex and just recently started doing research on the engine. So far I put a new muffler on it. This car isn’t “fast” but it can feel pretty sporty. I think I may put some coil overs on it just to make it take turns better and stiffer suspension since the one on it is pretty soft, along with reducing body roll. That and combined with a high flow cat, aftermarket intake, and exhaust kit, this car would feel pretty amazing. Haven’t had any problems with the engine yet and it’s at about 200k miles. Very good and fun car.
I beg to differ with you. Many people have gotten 300 plus hp out of the r-18 with no engine problems at all. Very strong engine. Let’s look at power to weight ratio. A K-24 swap will add 170 pounds to the front of your civic and the si sedan is about 150 pounds heavier than the civic coupe r-18. Yes 180 hp is possible with a cam , intake, exhaust and a re-flash ecu. Add some carbon parts like hood and excess steel removal and you have a very lite civic with 180 hp or boosted with 275hp. The manual ex coupe 06-11 is only 1/2 second slower than the 06-11 Si sedan in 0-60. Not worth it for the cost difference and you can find r-18 parts and motors really cheap.
decreasing weight is the number one way to go in something like this. Its cheaper. If you want to make a fun cheap sleeper decrease as much weight as possible
Idk anything about cars but I found this video entertaining
Thank you very much, all that matters is that you enjoyed it!
I have an r18 with +300k and buddy she pulls for a 1.8L air intake and muffler
That's awesome! Yeah they are decently peppy.
Buddy i think i just might make the half mil i have never had an engine light and i also have a head unit monitoring the car while driving so keep my fingers crossed and lets get it R18 10 years old still runming mint 5 speed do no auto
@@JAMTOAM Daaaaang, yeah go for it. I have faith in the R18, I bet you can hit it! Yeah the five speed is like any manual Honda has ever made, amazing. It makes the car so much more fun! I hope you reach your goal!
🙏🏾💯
@@JAMTOAM just got a r18 5speed with 120, 08, time to start climbing to my half a million
They actually respond pretty well to exhaust, intake, and head porting. Is it a DOHC fire breather? No but a 160-180 HP and mid 30’s-40 MPG with damn near un killable reliability is a damn good combo. Mind you this isn’t an SI but there are R18’s everywhere for 200$ still. I can’t even buy B20’s or D16’s for that anymore.
This is where the R18 really shines, it definitely deserves more recognition from the Honda community.
I think the VTEC on this might be similar to that used on the CB400SF and VFR800 bikes? They're both pretty nifty. I actually have a FN1 Civic with this engine and have real difficulty in justifying changing to another car - I'm either going to lose fuel economy or performance with basically any upgrade. It shows that this engine is a real sweet spot in terms of delivering real world performance and low running costs.
I like my 06 civic, especially as my first car.
The R18 is just a simple and very reliable motor. Thats it. But they last forever if maintained. Getting 32/42 mpg with a stick shift.
It might not be fast but the manual Coupe r18 is fun to drive. If you actually put your foot down or stay above 3000 RPM it's not slow. Threw you a sub because I enjoy the sarcasm and I own a r18. My opinion of the intake and fake VTEC is good fuel economy when you want to but when you put your foot into it you can actually have some pretty decent acceleration especially when you drive a manual and you can choose the RPM that you stay at
yeah, thats variable intake manifold power
This is sold in Indian Civics even today... 😣
And most ppl think this VTEC is K series iVTEC 😅😂
This is still sold here in the philippines as a base model 10th gen, i own one. Nobody thinks this is a performance motor by any stretch, most sane people use it as a runabout car good for the expressways. Although i still see ricers here and there dressing it up as a type r which is hilarious. All show no go.
Well not entirely true, In India, where we have no access to serious performance Honda engines, the tuners have put their heart and soul to build a motor that was basically written by the west. There are R18 powered FD Civic's running upwards of 400+WHP, so its basically a question of making most of what you have and thats what the Indian tuners have done justice to. For ppl trolling on the R18 and writing it off, you need to watch the below video
czcams.com/video/CrlrlIrTJps/video.html
@@fdude555 Nothing wrong with ricers honestly lol. These cars look amazing done up. R18 or not.
In my 2015, it makes 147hp. I can't complain...it's my first Honda I've owned, and it's been the most solid reliable engine in any car I've owned in my life.
I'll trade that for power any day.
Also the R20 crankshaft is compatible with the R18 so if anyone is looking to do a stroker kit you can
Would've been nicer to mention how these engines last forever
I that expectation sort of comes with the Honda badge.
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts yes but it's a nice thing to highlight :) Honda does performance engines just as well as engines you can count on. Most manufacturers can't say that I think you'd agree
Mine blew up at 160K on the dot… but I’m pretty sure the previous owner didn’t take very good care of it.
Agreed seeing a lot of posts with 160K to 250K + miles and still going strong
They last forever...until the engine block cracks, Google that. They fixed that for '09-'11.
And the lower block was known for cracking. I bought mine almost 2 years from a single owner who had the lower block replaced under warranty. The car is at 250k now and still drives beautifully. I use it as a work car and drive 100+ miles a day. I'm looking to break atleast 500k miles.
You are speaking of the 2006-2009 R18s only
How is she today?
Only a very small percentage of 06 to 08 R18 had the engine crack issue, and it was from a specific manufacturer plant. The issue was fixed in the 09 to 11s for the 8th gen.
i don't mind my R18 take me everywhere and of course makes me save money 💰
honestly love my honda got an 09 dx manual and its r18 is unbreakable with proper care especially if you keep the car stock. and like you said its a blast of a car if you don't look at the speedo
do you think a ecu reflash is not good for my r20 engine ? if all other things are stock
@@dinoarnaut9438 I wouldn’t recommend if you don’t have any other mods if you plan on any bolt ons I’d do it after installation
Whoa, the power really only occurs at only 4k and above, I'm not a fan of revving the engine to move it along, plus the noise. How reliable is the engine when you have to rev it to these levels over time?
I had a 05 1.7 VTEC and it was a good car it would move out till 4th gear. This thing I have to actually press the pedal to get my 06 to move. And the engine may be reliable but everything else is not worth the shit. Something is always breaking
I LOVE your conclusion.
Thanks man :)
Great video. Thanks.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment.
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts anytime! Keep up the good work!
@@NeverGiveUpYo Thank you!
Nice enough engine, I have an FN1 Civic. It isn't fast and even if it sounds "ok" it seems to take an age to rev round to the red. But it uses a timing chain and it seems the only thing that needs doing are valve adjustments and spark plugs every now and again. Maybe the water pumps need replacing eventually I guess? As an all round engine it's excellent and gets everything right.
It also has bad belt tensioner problems
In what way?
@@Negativvv it will go out and make noise
I’ve just done the water pump, tensioner, aux belt, rad, thermostat and sensors on my FN1. @95k miles. Might have been preemptive. But replaced with quality parts (OE or premium). The tensioner was squealing a little, and the water pump was weeping. So maybe it wasn’t quite due, but better to just get it done.
If you ever decide to do it, I hope you have small hands. Access is tight on that side of the engine.
@@raiderrichard7291 Belt tenioner? I thought it had a timing chain? Or are you referring to the serpentine belt?
i think of the car like a train. it doesn't accelerate fast but it has a top speed of 130 mph. it's strength is in fuel economy and reliability. someone who buys this wants low feul cost and low maintenance costs. that's what it does.
Exactly, and this engine excels in this department while also maintaining the characteristics of any good Honda engine. I hope the video conveyed that well.
Top speed is 126 without a tune.
@@HondaAholic still very good considering u can buy one new for like 17k
I’m pretty sure it’s limited to 125 mph. It can probably go higher without limiter.
@@FD-rh6tr Governed at 126mph, tested myself.
i had a 2008 civic sedan manual with this engine and then i got a 2012 coupe in white with also this engine...and it's great for what it was
but now i drive a 2020 civic sport manual and the K20C2 is such an upgrade over those it's unbeliveable how far honda has come with their economy entry level civic engines.
That's awesome! Yeah, Honda just keeps innovating.
I have a 06 lx with the r18, a fun little motor with minor mods. Did cold air intake, header, cat delete, catback and a good tune. It doesn’t make any kind of crazy power but it definitely is an enjoyable ride. With the tune my rev limit is 7800 sounds good bouncing off lol
That sounds awesome. Glad you're bringing out its true potential.
How many extra horsepower would all those mods add?
@@WhiteSlift Not alot. Maybe 10-20 I’ve since then sold and got an SI
looks like im late to the party here...
Only critical info i have to add here is that the block is technically rated for 300HP if we can trust the guys in the honda forums. Defenitely not worth it to modify unless you really love this car for some reason.
Also something people should know before buying one of these is that the R18s had a recall for micro cracks in the lower block that leaks oil slowly.I think it was caused by a casting defect.
My 07 civic LX 5 speed is currently leaking through the vtech solenoid gasket but not the block. got the new gasket ready to go in soon : ]
Part of the wonder of CZcams is it's never too late to contribute to a topic. Thanks for stopping by. I wish I had known about the block recall before making this video, but I've heard about it at length subsequently. These motors are pretty hard to beat in a number of departments, but that's definitely a consideration for prospective buyers.
The Honda forums talk a lot of talk. As I see it, Honda overengineers basically everything they make, so it doesn't surprise me that some ambitious people with too much time and money on their hands have pushed these motors pretty far. But just because Honda enables us to push the envelop doesn't mean its a good idea.
My R18 has some leaking issues along the valve cover gasket, that might be something I fix this summer, but I have bigger fish to fry with the Civic atm.
I hope all goes well with your Honda. Thank you for taking the time to view and comment!
Dude the valve covers are still pretty cheap online I'm thinking I need to replace the gasket on mine as well. Glad to hear yours is still running❤@@carpartsandexhaustfarts
@@aalecalexander117 They're real troopers! If my EJ20 went through half the shit my R18 does I think it would fragment into a thousand small pieces lol
Glad to hear parts are still affordable. I need to get a fuel leak issue taken care of first and do some major suspension work, rallycross has not been kind to it, but after that it'll be the next thing lol.
I hope all your leaking issues stay far away after the fix!
I've got a 2009 Civic coupe. Weird little space ship looking thing. It's got one of these. It's fast enough to handle the motorway. The low end torque has gotten me out of trouble a few times (Dodging idiots). Of course this means it's just powerful enough to do stupid things, but it's like Honda sat down and said "Lets make the perfect engine for a daily" and nailed it. It's a manual and currently thinks it's averaging 39.4 MPG.
The design is so mid 2000s, particularly the coupe, I love it. I'm always impressed by how easy it is to spin the tires in some conditions, it feels solidly torquey for a 1.8L. It really is an incredibly well-rounded engine with its outstanding fuel economy, competent power, and fun personality. The more economy cars from this time period I drive the more I appreciate what Honda was able to do with this powerplant.
It's also shockingly durable and dependable. My 8th gen is at over well 260,000 miles now and still starts up and runs right every time. Recently I've been RXing it after my sibling recked it and even sitting after sitting in the high RPM all day it still chugs along just fine.
czcams.com/video/SA_iYz2ClO4/video.html
czcams.com/video/rtLgt1f0QZk/video.html
The conclusion was so good.
The real question is. Turbo worthy?
Nice content man.. can you do a vid comparing k20 and r18
It's coming soon! (In one form of another)
Hi i have this engine it makes a grinding noise on cold startup people have told me its the vct Actuator. I am pretty sure this engine does not have one its only on the double overhead cam engines found in the si models. I am leaning towards the starter motor any thoughts in the comments would be apricated.
6:10 Oh how wrong you are! *my r18 turbo puts out 416hp. Fresh imported jdm r18 skunk2 stage 2 cam. Motec turbo downpipe skunk2 racing turbo back exhaust. Running 10psi on Series 76 precision turbocharger. Dual disc 5 speed trans. On a 2008 r18 civic that was manual swapped full fuel system rebuild running E-85. The engine has 46k miles and I've been running this setup now for about 3 months. Have had no major issues. Had some piping come undone but nothing major.
That's very impressive. Thank you for the correction, it seems like there's some conflicting information out there on how tune-able these engines are. I think it demands a little more looking into but the fact that people like you have been able to make ridiculous numbers like that is very surprising.
Literally 50 issues with your comment, stop spewing bullshit lies.
@@checkyourself164 explain then sir. The car is now running a k20 btw
@@checkyourself164 dude are you gonna reply or not?
@@spencertaylorcrowe Bro you didnt get a response in half a day and you're chasing? Some of us have a real life, not just making lies on the internet all day. First off, you won't be using a ''76 series precision'' on an R18. You'd literally have spool at 6kRPM at the earliest, secondly. You WONT make 416hp at 10 psi on an R18 with this turbo, thirdly - you mentioned nothing regarding what was done to the block to support the imaginary horsepower number you claim, as a stock R18 won't handle that sort of power. Show us pictures of a ''76 series precision'' mounted to your R18, also show a dyno sheet of your R18 making this power.
Do this these have timing chain?
I believe it does. The vast majority of newer Honda motors have timing chains.
Just bought an fa1, she drives very nice
Dwells they really are. I’m satisfied with it
I’m surely dropping between 5K-10K just to keep mine all motor. Really an Exhaust-Intake are all this thing has needs tuning in the long run it will throw codes on and off.
A Camshaft-Fuel components and maybe Upgrading the cooling system no focus on power really unless it’s possible with Torque being the focus rather than HP however I am pushing for 200hp. That is where the spending becomes useless but you get the idea
Pulling 200hp is impressive. Anecdotes like your seem to support the idea that the R18 has a relatively strong performance baseline but a low practical ceiling for what it is.
0-100 kmph around 8 seconds for such a segment car is never slow simple or boring
thanks I subscribed
what a conclusion :)
I love this video thanks for making it. It’s very informative
the 8th gen r18 Civics actually redline at 7000 RPM with a fuel cutoff of 7100 rpm while the 9th gen R18 Civics redline at 6850 RPM with a fuel cutoff of 7000 RPM & Eco VTEC really only works on the automatic transmissions it works on the manual transmissions as well but isn't as effective as the automatic
280k miles on 2012 r18z1. 0w20 and wix filters only. No problems whatsoever
They just keep going, good for you!
R18Z1 works the same way. I thought VTEC would work the same way as it works in any Honda but it's for saving fuel only and is engaged 1000-3500 rpm. I'd prefer K20 engine but R18 is still not bad for someone who doesn't need performance and needs to save gas.
R18 is great for what it is. I'm always pleasantly surprised by its performance. It's far for gutless as far as economy powerplants go. The K20 might be my favorite 4-cylinder I've ever sat behind. I drove an 8th gen Si once and it was an incredibly fun experience. They're two different engines for two different use cases but they both fill their niches quite well. Honda's great at making the right product for the job.
This was really good
I have been entertained and educated.
Glad you got a lot out of it :)
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts Oh I forgot. I hope you do more engine-focused videos in the future, so I'll be following you.
@@christianloper9483 I plan on it. It's been hard getting much of anything out right now with school and whatnot, but I do hope to make more videos like this.
Actually some really good info. Nice video
Thank you!
Is it possible to disable the type of vtec used in the r18 ? Or to change it to a k20 type Vtec ?
I'm confused about the description about the VTEC in the r18 you described. My understanding is the two outside lobes on the cam are symmetrical, and the middle is the deeper lobe. That is traditional intake VTEC. I could feel and hear it engage just above 5k rpm. Am I misunderstanding? This motor was not the e VTEC.
I perhaps didn't do the best job of describing it. The IVTEC in the R18 operates off of the same basic principle as other VTEC system wherein two separate cam profiles can be selected. In old style traditional VTEC (and IVTEC in the K20), this switch in cam profiles to a more aggressive cam is triggered by reaching a certain RPM, usually around 5k. However, this is not how the R18 works. IVTEC in R18 is Intelligent VTEC, which is not determined by RPM alone, instead a number of values are weighed by the ECU and used to inform when the cam profile should be switched from a "normal" state (better for power and torque delivery) to a "economy" state (providing better cruising characteristics and fuel economy). Under normal driving, this switch is made around 3.5k. So unlike in other Honda platforms, you have more power and torque down low and your cam profile becomes more mellow once you get into the higher RPM (unless you keep on throttle or the ECU determines the standard cam is still needed, in which case the cam profile will not change). This makes the R18 feel more like a 2.0 liter down low when getting up to speed and more like a 1.5 when cruising on the highway, offering the best of both worlds.
The kick you experienced around 5k (which is also something I've experienced with my R18 as well) is most likely the variable intake manifold, which opens valves in the intake runners at different RPM to change the path of air into the intake, allowing the engine to more efficiently generate power at differing speeds. There's one geometry for low down power and torque, and another geometry that is triggered around 5k which provides better high end power for highway passing.
TLDR; The R18 has "Intelligent" VTEC that does not kick in at 5k, rather it is dependent on whatever the ECU decides is best. Instead of switching from a "normal" to a "performance" cam like in other systems, the R18 IVTEC switches from a low speed "normal" cam to a high speed "economy" cam for better highway mpg. The bump in power around 5k is due to the variable intake manifold.
Here's some extra reading:
asia.vtec.net/Engines/RiVTEC/index.html
asia.vtec.net/Engines/R18A/index.html
www.8thcivic.com/threads/r18-variable-length-intake-manifold-and-how-to-properly-throttle-control-accelerate.220507/
You did a good job, I misunderstood and now understand.
Whats the difference with between R18 & R18A1?
The R18A1 is the disctintion given to the North American and Asian spec R18 engines. R18 is just the overarching nomenclature.
Hey, so great video, i have a follow up question: I own other cars, but it seems im starting to appear at the track scene, waaaay more often i thought i would. So the bimmer has to stay a daily driver, i cannot afford to track it that often, and power is not my crave. I want to train on endurance and discipline... I have the sedan r18 (5spd). If i do breaks, suspension and lsd, can i track it reliably? I don't actually require much more power. later i may boost it, 200hp is enough for me if the car stripped for weight and has handling... or the si comes with suspension that already fit heavy long track days? (sorry, but never owned Japanese, so looking for insight). I am an engineer and work on machinery on the daily and have replaced head gaskets and suspensions many times when i was young. I have never done full engine rebuilds, but i'm guessing as long as i have the guide in front of me and all the tools (which i do), i can do everything myself down the line. Or is it worth swapping for si? except engine/suspension, what other differences are there? is body more rigid on the si? control arms? Appreciate the feed back.
I have a Civic with an R18 i use for work I can concur that it is.... An engine
It sure is!
You have a serious oil leak from your rocker cover gasket. You want to treat your battery terminals for corrosion as well.
R 18 is an underrated engine...own one to know
Well I like mine. 196,000 miles in my 2009 Civic with no engine problems. Good little people mover.
Economy Vtech just kicked off yo.
And it kicks HARD
For a 1.8L 4 banger, this thing is incredibly impressive. Its not a performance engine, but it definitely feels like one in some cases
Plus the engine is fucking unbreakable. You can do whatever the hell you want to these things and theres a good chance it’l still hold up against it.
It really is shockingly good for what it is. One of the best motors in this segment in a long time.
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts I got an 8th gen civic with one and, aside from a slight half-second delay between pressing the pedal and the car actually responding, it handles very similarly to a sports car. Plus, ive managed to pull a 0-60 in under 8 seconds in it (despite the general consensus for some reason being that it cant do it faster than 9-10)
"performance similar to a 2.0" sounds great and all but 60 less hp than said 2.0. That being said still love these little engines for what they do, mine still runs strong. Appreciate the video mate.
It's just Honda trying to hype it up. I wouldn't really describe it as being on par with their 2.0s but it's definitely solid for what it is. Thank you! I'm glad you stopped by and enjoyed it!
Yes, but something like a golf 2.0 from that generation has a bit higher power, but Basically the same 0-100. On manuals
Tengo un Honda Civic EX 2006 con motor R18A1 quisiera saber si realmente este motor tiene i-vtec? Por que cuando lo manejo no se escucha en nada
El motor R18A1's VTEC no es muy fuerte o perceptible cuando conductir comparado con otras Hondas. Lo sieto por mis español, yo espero que esto ayude.
not all k20 and k24 are so great. Some of the them had problems with wearing out camshafts.
If built properly they can make 300bhp reliably & over 200 Torque
Anyone know's If the piston rings are the same in r20 with k20?
this is so sad, my jaw dropped when i upgraded the air intake, it sounds so good but there is next to no after market for this and turboing it feels like a money trap...
Unfortunately it hasn't really been adopted by the aftermarket community yet, but plenty of people are trying their best with it. It is a tremendously good motor all-in-all.
I have an r18 and it’s had a cracked block stock for 5+ years … they were known for weak blocks in a few spots and thousands were replaced
only in US version the crack problems
@@diecaprisonne643 My 2006 was built in Canada.
Am I safe?
My dad's car have this engine as well, it's been 11 years already.. Still running smooth with a transmission leak that is.. Had to fill it everytime.. Other than that, still good. It's a Civic FD though, I'm from Asia... It's over 200K kilometers now.
I've owned one for 4 years. Expect about 37mpg general use. 42 mpg is possible cruising at 70mph in 6th.
You have to stay at 70 mph to achieve that though. 85 mph Crusing expect about 34 mpg.
Sadly alot of R18 blocks have that cracking issue where the bottom block cracks and leaks coolant
I haven't heard much about this but it is a shame.
The blocks that cracked were recalled and replaced so there isn’t that many floating around now
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts It was only a few series of them, it was production flaw that was made in north american plant, they were recalled and there was no issues of that in europe, all the engines that were made in eu and japan had no such problem.
Kade Raqq bought my first ever civic 3 months ago an 08 Lx, one owner from small dealer, 3 weeks later had to replace the engine my self because of a cracked block
Dustin Brown Previous owner wanted to get rid of it ASAP before the block cracks.
I have a video on my second CZcams channel that talks about all the performance mods you can do to the Honda R18 engine I also have a ECU tune that disables the i-VTEC on the Honda R18
I have a 07 civic lx and it's good but always leaked engine oil onto the clutch can only feel it when it's bone cracking cold it will cause the clutch to chatter when it's engaging
225k on my 06 LX Coupe.. Bulletproof
Nice video! Greetings from Italy !
In our market we have the R18A2 i guess it's more or less the same engine 🤔?
Greetings! It most likely is, maybe with a few tweaks for EU emissions standards. Thanks for stopping by and I'm very glad you enjoyed!
@@carpartsandexhaustfarts from France 👍
We can convert here to ethanol. With a small remap this engine is really good.
@@nikko1984 That's awesome!