Rebuilding b23e

Chowster

rebuilding my b23e for street use and track days with the potential to turbo down the line. what bearings do you guys recommend and piston rings?

Major Ledfoot

The bearing part numbers for the B23 bearing sets are as follows:

big end bearings

271063-0 = STD

271064-8 = 0.25mm US

271065-5 = 0.50mm US

main bearings

271214-9 = STD

271215-6 = 0.25mm US

271216-4 = 0.50mm US

The factory bearings are made by SKF, which means they are pretty good.

Insofar as rings go, it depends which version of B23 you have.

Does your engine still have a red sticker on the timing cover with 3 numbers on it? What are those numbers?

Those numbers point to the engine's part number, Different versions of B23 use different pistons and therefore different ring sets.

Chowster

unfortunately that sticker fell off long before i received the engine, is there any defining was to figure out what rings i would need?

jamesinc

I've always used Glyco bearings, or that aussie brand with the blue and silver boxes (Alu...something?)

VP Autoparts sell a supposed performance bearing: https://vp-autoparts.com/en/artiklar/main-bearing-kit-trimetal-b18-b23-std.html

I don't really know what makes them special, heat dissipation properties maybe?

What year B23 is it? I think most of them had twin 2mm compression rings, some had 2+1.75 but I think only early ones (best way is to pull the pistons and measure to verify, all the same)

For high performance use, the part to upgrade is the oil pump, the de facto choice is a Melling M181.