A no-nonsense guide to Honda engine and drivetrain weights

The Internet will tell you that 100 extra horsepower by means of a 100-pound weight penalty is an acceptable trade-off. The Internet will tell you that it isn’t. The Internet will also tell you how to remove your own appendix. The power-to-weight struggle is a relentless one. Since the dawn of engine swap history, would-be transplanters debated the value of more horsepower at the expense of added weight. But do you really know how Honda’s four-cylinder lineup actually stacks up against one another? Do you care?

For those answers and more, we met up with HaSport’s front man Brian Gillespie, who happens to know a little something when it comes to Honda engine swapping and who did a funny thing, abstaining from Internet speculating and instead weighing as many engines as he could. You can thank him later.

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D series: 309 pounds

The unofficial baseline for all Honda engines, 1.5L and 1.6L single-cam D-series engines all weigh about the same, despite whether or not they feature VTEC, or cable-style, or hydraulic- style gearboxes.

B series non-VTEC: 395 pounds

For the most part, all B-series non-VTEC engines weigh the same, too. Although newer, OBD-I B18B1 engines feature updated and more comprehensive emissions components as well as hydraulic-style transmissions; the additional weight from those bits is negligible and is measured by the ounce.

B series VTEC: 405 pounds

The obvious differences between Honda’s two 1.8L VTEC engines—the GS-R’s B18C1 and the Type R’s B18C5—are their cylinder heads and intake manifolds, both of which tip the scales in roughly the same manner. The Japanese-spec B16B, because of its 1.8L-like deck height and Type R top end, also weighs about the same. Although smaller in displacement, Honda’s B16A family weighs about 5 pounds less than its 1.8L VTEC counterparts, mostly due to a shorter deck height. Like non-VTEC B-series engines, all B-series VTEC transmissions weigh approximately the same.

2.0L K series: 405 pounds

K-series engines weigh in a bit more sporadically, depending on whether or not they feature counterbalance shafts, like the ’06–’11 Civic Si’s K20Z3, which carries an additional 9 pounds of baggage. The lightest of the 2.0L K- series bunch is the ’02–’05 Civic Si’s K20A3 engine.

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2.4L K series: 413 pounds

Honda’s 2.4L K-series engines vary a bit from one another. For example, the TSX’s K24A2 that features VTEC on both camshafts weighs in at the top, followed by 2.4L Accord engines and finally the CR-V’s K24Z1.

H series VTEC: 485 pounds

Honda’s heaviest four-cylinder engine isn’t its most powerful, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a worthwhile swap.

J series: 550 pounds

Different intake manifold configurations result in small variances in weight, but most 3.2L J-series engines measure relatively the same. Larger 3.5L and 3.7L engines feature longer-stroke, heavier crankshafts, and larger-diameter sleeves, which results in roughly 25 pounds of additional weight.

Fine print from our lawyers: All weights include engine, transmission, intake and exhaust manifolds, axles, and major accessories. All weights are approximate. All weights include manual transmissions only.