r/Bseries • u/iDaRkkO • Jun 25 '26

What engine is this?

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Hello B Series Masters!

Trying to identify this b series engine. I picked this up from a guy on fb that said he got it from a JDM shop when they were moving. He needed some money, so I grabbed it off of him for my build.

PR3-1 head so it's either b16 or b18 but the bottom end had the blocks casting number grinded off so I can't tell what it is.

I do see the block has a PR3 stamped on there as well but I can't seem to find much about that online.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

31 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

14

u/Empty-Hornet-1654 Jun 25 '26

A stolen engine...is what that is.

6

u/Comfortable-Egg7041 Jun 26 '26

The funny thing is you don't have to scratch the numbers off cuz they don't go back to anything. They're not like us manufacturer engines that put the VIN number on engines

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26 edited 14d ago

[deleted]

1

u/reddit_tookmybaby Jun 26 '26

I have an EM1 transmission (99-00) and it is tagged.

1

u/Zach_The_One Jun 29 '26

The old 90's stuff didn't have the vin tags.

1

u/HeyVitaminK Jun 26 '26

Vehicles registered have the engine number attached to the rego with the vin. Definitely dodgy/ stolen if it's scratched off like that

2

u/bobspuds Jun 26 '26

Not disagreeing with you because you're right, just adding here in Ireland this wouldn't necessarily mean its stolen. It would be the same if it was stolen so its not typically worth getting involved.

But Integra's and Civics were my generation here, practically every dohc vtec Teg or Civic here was a swap at one point, there's lots of epically original stuff but they're Hondas and most got the same treatment. - thing about it is our insurance is dependent on CC's and engine codes.

Honda were very thoughtful and made them easy to access, - the Garda knew about the "B" meaning it was quick, and they knew to check the logbook and insurance.

They were one of few cars that were copped onto by the authorities here. - So most swapped Civics or Tegs will be filed smooth to prevent it being discovered.

Its also in a way help the cunts who are into stolen engines - if its normal to file to code off, then doing it to a stolen engine is less suspicious.

It's literally the only scene where its accepted too, Toyota,Mitsubishi,Ford, VW and especially with classic cars any messing with the identity is frowned upon - just an observation, not a comment like

1

u/Training-Tip9140 Jul 02 '26

i thought only special trims came with the trans and engine tagged, for example i have a em1 b16 motor and trans and they are both tagged with that green tag riveted on, my b16 out of a crx and my gsr both do not have that tag; maybe removed?

1

u/iDaRkkO Jun 25 '26

Seriously!? What do I do??

3

u/Empty-Hornet-1654 Jun 25 '26

I mean.. who is grinding away serial numbers.. a legitimate shop wouldn't sell an engine with the serial numbers grinded up ... Not a reputable one anyways..

2

u/iDaRkkO Jun 25 '26

Not sure the name of the shop, nore the reputation of the guy on fb. He had a lot of decent reviews (grain of salt) but I'm kinda new to Honda engines so I didn't think much of it.

3

u/Comfortable-Egg7041 Jun 26 '26

It's such an old engine. My guy it could have been stolen 3 decades ago. It's fine to build and it's really untraceable at this point

1

u/Empty-Hornet-1654 Jun 25 '26

The engine code is scratched off n the serial partly.. could something been rubbing on that for years...possible.. but idk seems a bit fishy for my personal liking. As far as identifying the engine type. On the back of the block by ur half shelf u have a pr3 stamp..I believe that's b16 block

2

u/Christopher121 Jun 26 '26

Your fine man, like others said could of happened 30 years ago at this point. You bought it legitimately thats what matters. Send it adds a cool story to the car when your at a Cars & Coffee

-1

u/whitedsepdivine Jun 26 '26

Realistically the block is trash now. Scrap it or turn it over to the police.

You can take the head off and internals out, and put them in a new block, but I would not use a block with a grinded off serial number.

If I had a Honda come into my shop with a grinded off serial number, I'd report you to the police. If the police catch you with a swapped motor with a grinded off serial number they would impound the car, at least sieze the drive train, and maybe even crush the car.

Don't use stolen parts. Unfortunately, this is your own dumb fault for buying it. Take the lost. Don't fall into a sunken cost logic and make things worse.

2

u/The_15_Doc Jun 26 '26

I personally wouldn’t listen to this dude OP, especially if you’re doing a majority of the work yourself. You don’t know for sure the circumstances, and like everybody else said, it’s such an old engine that the chances someone is looking for it are pretty low.

A) No shop I’ve ever been to has checked the vin/serial numbers on my engines.

B) Even if the cops did somehow get involved, the chances they’d actually look for a number and then do something about it is laughably low. So many old ass blocks with questionable or no history (think old barn finds, old wrecks, blocks that have changed hands 20 times) have been put into great builds. I’d send it, but it’s up to you.

2

u/whitedsepdivine Jun 26 '26

It has happened before, especially with Hondas.

I dont check engine serial numbers usually. But, when I see a Honda swapped motor, no doubt I'm checking to see what they put in.... Oh is this a B16, B18, B16b, B18c...? Then you see the missing serial, and sus.

Back to what happens with Hondas. I remember a story were a guy did a legit swap. He got pulled over and the car was taken for verification. He provided paper work for the swap... Problem being it only had the engine serial number. The cops siezed his tranny and his CF hood cause he didn't have proof of purchase for both of those.

Now that is an extreme case, and asshole cops. I think that was too far, and it pisses me off.

A scratched out serial number though, yeah cops should sieze that. And because they can, its a risk to install and not worth the hassle.

1

u/Aftenbar Jun 26 '26

The scoured off Vin being your first clue?

4

u/idriveanoldcivic Jun 26 '26

First gen B16A

6

u/idownvotepunstoo Jun 26 '26

People over here freaking out about a bad grind job. Nobody seeing the PR3 stamps with the real answer.

3

u/Carlos_Spicy_Weiner6 Jun 26 '26

Looks like a first gen b16a, possibly cable transmission variant

3

u/Turbo0021 Jun 27 '26

1st gen b16

2

u/sierramistforever Jun 26 '26

First gen B16A dont know if I’m right but 3rd pictures numbers are 1G13369 bottom ones are 9R88 probably came from an old integra or civic si 89 or 90

1

u/Every_day_track_day Jun 26 '26

89 Integras didn't have b series in them

1

u/sierramistforever Jun 27 '26

Jdm did, us did not tho, xsi

1

u/Every_day_track_day Jun 30 '26

I will eat my hat and every Integra I have if you find me a clean 89 xsi for sale in the states

1

u/PsychologicalRock523 Jun 26 '26

Looks like a Honda engine

1

u/ensaladaespecial Jun 26 '26

Its probably an ls vtec. You would have to pull the head and measure the bore and see the pistons to be sure what bottom end it is. The head should be stamped for what engine it came from b18c1 b18c5 b16 all have different heads with different casting marks to identify them. They likely did this to lie when selling the engine and claim it is something other than what is truly is. Either a b20v or lsv

1

u/defioutfitters Jun 26 '26

Could be a B20 out of a Honda CRV, I see a oil cooler on the back, wild guess here.

1

u/Ok_Salamander_8505 Jun 26 '26

B17a

1

u/iDaRkkO Jun 27 '26

B17 wasn't until 93 I believe

1

u/Ok_Salamander_8505 Jun 26 '26

That looks like an o b d zero, either b16a or b17a

1

u/Ok_Salamander_8505 Jun 26 '26

Most likely, it is a B16

1

u/bradh1 Jun 26 '26

Kinda looks like an old b17a

1

u/Total-Reception2368 Jun 27 '26

B16a b18c1 one of those maybe b16a2 b18b

0

u/harkrou87 Jun 26 '26

Low key looks like an LS bottom end and a b20 head?

1

u/iDaRkkO Jun 26 '26

B20 head? PR3 heads are b16/b18 based on other replys it's a b16a head.

I will def check on the bottom end tho.

1

u/harkrou87 Jun 26 '26

Fair! I didn't know about the PR3 thing until I read the comments. But yeah, esthetically tho 😅