thats a big negative.
You hit ti right on the nail. The deck heigth on the b16 is smaller, if you wantd to run this set up so it looks like a b16 but is actualy a 1.8 ltr then you would ahve to Deck it to make the 1.8 stroker, Im assuming you mean using 89mm crank and 137 mm rod or basically b18 guts.
If you try it you piston and head will have contact and make babys
I think the cheapest route to go is just a the ls block.
And about combos with LS blocks and Vtec head. They are hundreds of set ups and possibilities. Basically your typical Ls-Vtec great potential if built right