r18a in the fit?
Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 26
From: Valdosta, GA
Figured there was no reason to start a new thread.
Hmmm... I am really surprised at the lack of information (or interest) about this swap.
I mean, i dont know how much bigger the r18a1 is than the L15, or how much more it weighs, but it seems a good bit smaller than the K20. This seems like it possibly could be a good swap for those of us that would like to keep our A/C and handling ... (perhaps street legal, too?)
I know its not extremely powerful, but it seems to put decent (underrated) power to the wheels, gets GREAT gas mileage, is quite inexpensive (for Honda) and would be sure to add alot of fun to the Fit!
Anybody got a connection with Hasport (or another company) to hint about some motor mounts/swap kit being made?
Hmmm... I am really surprised at the lack of information (or interest) about this swap.
I mean, i dont know how much bigger the r18a1 is than the L15, or how much more it weighs, but it seems a good bit smaller than the K20. This seems like it possibly could be a good swap for those of us that would like to keep our A/C and handling ... (perhaps street legal, too?)
I know its not extremely powerful, but it seems to put decent (underrated) power to the wheels, gets GREAT gas mileage, is quite inexpensive (for Honda) and would be sure to add alot of fun to the Fit!
Anybody got a connection with Hasport (or another company) to hint about some motor mounts/swap kit being made?
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 428
From: Livermore, CA
I was looking for info on the weights of the 2 engines, but not finding data on either one. I found that the r18a was lighter than the d17, but not how much, or even what the d17 weighs. If I could get a higher horsepower motor without killing, or maybe even improving my gas milage, I'm all for it.
Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 26
From: Valdosta, GA
Wow... didnt realize the d17 weight was so hard to find either... I'll keep looking. Id really like to find out the weight of the r18 with or without components. (AT LEAST the d17)
Im sure SOMEONE has weighed their engine in the Civic community.
Anyone own/know someone at a junkyard who could throw one on the scales?
Im sure SOMEONE has weighed their engine in the Civic community.
Anyone own/know someone at a junkyard who could throw one on the scales?
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 428
From: Livermore, CA
I just watched a honda video on the r18a, and it was said to be 5 kg's (about 12 Lbs.) lighter than a 1.7 liter engine (I assume the D17 is what they were comparing it to, but that is an assumption on my part.) I did find out that the D17 is 55 Lbs lighter than a K series motor, and 75 Lbs lighter than a B series motor.
Edit; I jsut found out the D17 weighs about 235 Lbs. That would put the K20 at about 290 Lbs, and the B18 at 310 Lbs. The R18a may weigh about 223 Lbs, assuming that honda was using it as the 1.7 liter motor in the r18 promotional video. We still don't know what the L15 weighs so we don't know how much weight we'd gain.
Edit; I jsut found out the D17 weighs about 235 Lbs. That would put the K20 at about 290 Lbs, and the B18 at 310 Lbs. The R18a may weigh about 223 Lbs, assuming that honda was using it as the 1.7 liter motor in the r18 promotional video. We still don't know what the L15 weighs so we don't know how much weight we'd gain.
Last edited by EXWRX; Oct 4, 2007 at 11:41 AM. Reason: found more info
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 428
From: Livermore, CA
In a thread about the L15 design philosophy, it stated that the L15 was apporximately 10% lighter than the D17. If that is exactly right, the L15 woudl weigh about 211.5 Lbs. So for about 10-15 additional pounds, we could get an additional 31 ponies. Sounds like a good tradeoff to me. It would still run on regular fuel, and not throw off the handling as much as the K20.
Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,398
From: CT
Well don't plan on modifying it much, it's impossible to put true aftermarket headers on the car, and any turbo kit would need to be almost 100% custom. After 2 years on the market there are almost no performance mods for the R18 except cat-back exhausts.
i heard something similar when i was browsing Temple of vtec.... they were saying how the R18 or even the R20 might be a better swap for the Fit instead of the K series.... and the price comparo is so much cheaper to get the R18 ( for around 1200$ or even less )out the Civic then the K20, Power to weight ratio is good and not loosing as much handling compare to the K20... ( correct me if im wrong)
You can get an intake for them though, and I think you can get pulleys as well might be able to get some more HP with an air fuel controller, like the Apexi NEO.
Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 26
From: Valdosta, GA
Well don't plan on modifying it much, it's impossible to put true aftermarket headers on the car, and any turbo kit would need to be almost 100% custom. After 2 years on the market there are almost no performance mods for the R18 except cat-back exhausts.
But I dont think i would bother with this swap if I was planning on turboing anyways (id build the L15). It would be mainly for those people who would be ok with a high 14 sec or low 15 sec daily driver... that gets kickass gas mileage....... on regular fuel............. and still has Honda reliability............
But Good info everyone! I hope this is pretty accurate... if I had a shop, enough money and a car to get me around while it was down, id LOVE to try the swap! ;-)
but, alas, i am broke...
Last edited by richard_rsp; Oct 9, 2007 at 08:52 AM.
New Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10
From: St. Charles, IL
I am currently a Honda Civic owner who's actually looking to get a Fit and I think this would be a great idea. I mean, the Fit has a curb weight of 2551 lbs and the Civic Coupe weighs 2769. Pop that 1.8 L into a smaller car and a 140 hp wouldnt feel too bad. It's already pretty zippy in my Civic right now.
I thought about this also..... I changed my mind after noticing the exhaust manifold and intake manifold are reversed from ours.
Exhaust mani facing radiator and intake mani up by the fire wall.
A lot more work if you ask me.
Exhaust mani facing radiator and intake mani up by the fire wall.
A lot more work if you ask me.
I'm bumping this thread the hell up.
the original though was, "hmm, the torque curve of the new l15 would be great if it was in the lighter gd3".
then i started to think about the integrated exhaust manifold that the new l15 has, and how its ala r18.
so i ran searches and low and behold, an actual thread with some positive outlooks on the swap.
here are the things some folks have been knocking:
1. no aftermarket support.
well, this is arguable, just check out 8thgencivic. at anyrate, thats not my point.
what if one was swapping it in and left it at that? maybe just do an intake and catback? i'm looking for a quicker daily driver, not to do a huge n/a build or to even turbo the thing.
2. price, just do a k20.
even IF the prices are the same on the engines and tranny's, wouldn't the balance be important to some folks? it is to me! the l15 doesn't weigh that much less than the r18, so the offset in handling would be pretty much unoticable.
and as far as I'm concerned, if you don't have a manual,(like me) than the ability to swap in a k20a is out of the question.
and i really would like to know if its been factually determined that the r18 is just as expensive as the k20. there is something that doesn't seem right about that. and isn't the five speed a/t in the fit the same or at least a variation of the 5 speed a/t in the civic?
personally, i think that the swap would be great. same results, if not more, than an a/t kwsc, better reliablity than the tr1 turbo, and better gas mileage than both.
thoughts?
the original though was, "hmm, the torque curve of the new l15 would be great if it was in the lighter gd3".
then i started to think about the integrated exhaust manifold that the new l15 has, and how its ala r18.
so i ran searches and low and behold, an actual thread with some positive outlooks on the swap.
here are the things some folks have been knocking:
1. no aftermarket support.
well, this is arguable, just check out 8thgencivic. at anyrate, thats not my point.
what if one was swapping it in and left it at that? maybe just do an intake and catback? i'm looking for a quicker daily driver, not to do a huge n/a build or to even turbo the thing.
2. price, just do a k20.
even IF the prices are the same on the engines and tranny's, wouldn't the balance be important to some folks? it is to me! the l15 doesn't weigh that much less than the r18, so the offset in handling would be pretty much unoticable.
and as far as I'm concerned, if you don't have a manual,(like me) than the ability to swap in a k20a is out of the question.
and i really would like to know if its been factually determined that the r18 is just as expensive as the k20. there is something that doesn't seem right about that. and isn't the five speed a/t in the fit the same or at least a variation of the 5 speed a/t in the civic?
personally, i think that the swap would be great. same results, if not more, than an a/t kwsc, better reliablity than the tr1 turbo, and better gas mileage than both.
thoughts?
yeah there are aftermarket support for the motor in the civic not the fit. you would still need a conversion harness and the 1.8 from the Civic might fit better, but no one has developed a mount kit either
Last edited by redrumm; Oct 26, 2008 at 01:37 PM.
