Crankshaft issue = new engine H23A or H22A

[ders5]

Hi guys. I’m a new Prelude convert. Love my car even though I’ve only had it for 6 months.

Car: 1992 Honda Prelude Si with a stock H23A engine.

Problem: The other day the belt to the power steering came off and upon replacing it, the harmonic pulley fell out (if that’s the right part).

Background: The crankshaft had some dodgy repairs done to it before I bought it and is the root of the problem. My merchanic has fixed the pulley once but says that it will happen again and again.

dwn_boi had the same problem in the thread http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1493295#post1493295 and his mechanic was able to fix it. My current mechanic has said that he can’t.

Options:
1. find a mechanic who can fix it. (Any leads on a Prelude mechanic in Adelaide that could help, would be greatly appreciated.)
2. buy a second hand H23A engine that’s already done 160,000 km. It’s the only one I can find in Adelaide.
3. put an import H22A engine (with much lower ks) in.
Option 2 and 3 are roughly the same price.

Conflicting Opinions
The wrecker that wants to sell me the H22A says that it’s really straight forward to put the engine in and that there’s no major difference to the H23A. Another guy told me that you need to do a full conversion to put the H22A in. Another guy told me that the two engines were not interchangeable. The RAA advice line and my mechanic both warned about putting the import H22A in as parts would be hard to source.

Has anyone else put a H22A in and do you have any trouble getting parts or any other problems?

What should I do?

[Joee]

dwn_boi had the same problem in the thread http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1493295#post1493295 and his mechanic was able to fix it. My current mechanic has said that he can’t.
What should I do?


Firstly sorry to hear bout the engine...
Secondly......Dwn_Boi Is a chick....
On prelude australia i started a mechanics thread in PANSW and requested all states do the same, i just had a flip through and couldnt find anything..... You could try joining and posting in the PASA sub section......... IMO if your budget permits it, go with the h22a. :D

[dwn_boi]

Firstly sorry to hear bout the engine...
Secondly......Dwn_Boi Is a chick....
On prelude australia i started a mechanics thread in PANSW and requested all states do the same, i just had a flip through and couldnt find anything..... You could try joining and posting in the PASA sub section......... IMO if your budget permits it, go with the h22a. :D

i agree with putting in the h22a, much nicer engine he he but i dont agree with joining PA lol the people there are crappy also i'm banned there for life haha!

you could always just get your engine rebuilt get some new forged pistons and rods and a new crank, that way it shouldnt cost as much and your car wont be out for as long! there was a 97 lude like mine at hanny's workshop got its engine rebuilt for 3k, parts and labour!

and yes i am a girl lol


also im pretty sure you can fit a h22a straight in, hey if some guy can turn a 4th gen lude from fwd to rwd lol anythings possible!

[Eclipsor]

The h22 won't be a straight swap. But it will be pretty close. Do a bit of searching for what is required. I'm more familiar with the process for accords, but it should be even easier. Don't take any notice of the people saying parts will be a pain. That is just a kneejerk reaction to it being an imported engine.
You may have a bit of a pain getting parts from honda because some dealers will only really deal with a VIN. But most parts will be exactly the same as the local h22a.

[aaronng]

Why don't you source a local H22A instead?

[ders5]

Don't take any notice of the people saying parts will be a pain. That is just a kneejerk reaction to it being an imported engine.
You may have a bit of a pain getting parts from honda because some dealers will only really deal with a VIN. But most parts will be exactly the same as the local h22a.

Thanks Eclipsor. I was wondering about that. Seems like there's just as many Preludes with h22a engines as the Aus h23a.

[ders5]

Secondly......Dwn_Boi Is a chick....


Woooops :zip: Sorry Dwn_Boi. I thought you were the guy in the middle of your previous avatar.

[dwn_boi]

Woooops :zip: Sorry Dwn_Boi. I thought you were the guy in the middle of your previous avatar.

lmfao your alright, (im the chick on the right haha)

but yaa i rekon before you start ripping your engine out and slamming a new one in, have a good look into just rebuilding the motor, it will be easier, cheaper and you can get cool new shiny parts and forged pistons and make it stronger than the last!!

if you are keen to be running a h22a i rekon it would be cool but a headache to do though!

my previous celica (1990) blew her motor so they wacked in a motor from the camry! same motor tho everything fit nice and snug :D

[ders5]

but yaa i rekon before you start ripping your engine out and slamming a new one in, have a good look into just rebuilding the motor, it will be easier, cheaper and you can get cool new shiny parts and forged pistons and make it stronger than the last!!

I've been quoted about $2k for the H22A installed with a 3 month warranty. Where as the guy I spoke to about rebuilding the engine said it was going to cost more than the car was worth.

If the H22A is a better engine then it would seem like that's the best way to go. That is if it's really as straight forward as the mechanic says it will be.

[Drew]

Are we talking about the DOHC H23A from Japan or the H23A# SOHC version everyone else got like the one in your car?

Probably the H22A would be a better choice anyway

From memory it is a pretty simply conversion to do

[ders5]

I don't know. Didn't realize that there were two types of H23A.

I know that it is coming out of another Honda Prelude here so I don't think it's the import. That is unless the previous owner put an import in.

[Eclipsor]

Aren't all h23a's dohc? There's a vtec and non-vtec version.

[HachiKilla]

Aren't all h23a's dohc? There's a vtec and non-vtec version.

no such thing as a "h23a1 vtec".. the h23a1 is a dohc non-vtec prelude engine, that was only released in the US in 4th gen-SI/SE preludes(92-96)..
I think F22A1 is a single overhead cam.. H23A1's are DOHC..

I think the "H23A vtec" your refering to came in the 2000+ accord sir-t wagons. after converting, (from japanese system to american) it equates to about 7ft-lbs more torque. It also has approx 197hp (after converting ps to hp)

I think you can pick up an engine like that for around $3000 USD

[ZeForce]

I've been quoted about $2k for the H22A installed with a 3 month warranty. Where as the guy I spoke to about rebuilding the engine said it was going to cost more than the car was worth.

If the H22A is a better engine then it would seem like that's the best way to go. That is if it's really as straight forward as the mechanic says it will be.

The H22a is a much better engine and it is a pretty straight forward swap. Which wreckers have you tried in Adelaide?


EDIT: You will also have to run a few extra wires, very straight forward, as well as get a H22a ecu or get your stock ecu chipped with a H22a map

[Lukather]

Definately go with the H22A dude you won't regret it. Remember that people put these engines into civic's and crx's often, so putting it into the close-as-can-be prelude shouldn't be a huge hassle.

Some parts maybe be different and you may have to source them, but if you're willing enough and do the research before hand you'll be fine. As always ZeForce is right on the money :-)

Good luck with whatever you choose to do either way

[fusionprelude]

im doin h23 to h22 right now ul need engine gearbox ecu looms drive shafts brakes at minimum

[ZeForce]

im doin h23 to h22 right now ul need engine gearbox ecu looms drive shafts brakes at minimum

You should be able to use the same wiring loom for H22a, just add a few wires for VTEC etc. I dont see the need to swap driveshafts or gearbox? The H23a gearbox should bolt straight up to the H22a

[fusionprelude]

yeah you can do that but the loom is easier 2 put in and the ratio for the h22 gear box is better

[ZeForce]

yeah you can do that but the loom is easier 2 put in and the ratio for the h22 gear box is better

Fair point... though the gears ratios arent that different

H22a Gear Ratios
Final Gear 4.226
1st Gear Ratio 3.307
2nd Gear Ratio 1.950
3rd Gear Ratio 1.360
4th Gear Ratio 1.071
5th Gear Ratio 0.870

H23a Gear Ratios
Final Gear 4.266
1st Gear Ratio 3.307
2nd Gear Ratio 1.857
3rd Gear Ratio 1.320
4th Gear Ratio 1.034
5th Gear Ratio 0.812

[fusionprelude]

for ppl that are not mechanics or auto eletricians its better to change harnesses

[boosted_andy]

theres also extra wiring that needs to be done for the f22a/h23a > H22A swap.

better off getting the swap somewhere where they know what they are dealing with

[fusionprelude]

i found my problem my 2nd cylinders conrod through the front of the block

[CB7_OWNER]

Whoever told you that the h23a and h22a aren't interchangeable is a goof. whoever told u you have to do full coversion is a goof too...

the genreation of prelude you have had i fink was 3 diff types of engines that came standard in it. F22A( low end prelude), the H23a( the Prelude SI), and the H22a( Vti-R).......All of the engines i listed are interchangeable.

Dropping in an H22a into a prelude is just like dropping a stock engine back into your car.....definately go for option 3..if you have yet to decide , though you may need a couple of extra thing to get the vtec working on your car, like ecu, and vtec solenoids etc i fink.