Head/motor problems

[splk_37]

So i have a 1990 accord EX and it has a bad head.. i bought a 1992 accord EX that is running fine but the body is in bad shape to use as parts. i have had two people come look at it one guy said the 92's head would work on my 90 the other guy told me i had to change the whole motor. anyone on here know who is right? i do know that my 1990's is a F22A4 & the 1992's is a F22A6

[dj_ender]

Yes, you can use that head....but your going to need the ECU from the 92 and you're are going to have to wire up the IAB system. Don't worry, it's only 2 wires and there's a how to on here somewhere. And you need to use the 92's intake manifold as well, and the black box that's bolted to the bottom of it. Would be helpful to take the connector for the box from the wiring harness.

[deevergote]

The heads themselves are identical. The 92 has a better camshaft and intake manifold. Paired with the ECU from the 92, you'll see a power increase of 10hp or so over your old engine.

[splk_37]

So it can be swapped out without having to change the ECU and intake and other stuff?

[dj_ender]

You COULD, but why not add everything to make it run correctly? The ECU is as simple as unplugging the old one and plugging the new one in. And you are already going to have the head off, why not use the appropriate manifold?

[deevergote]

If you want it to run correctly with the intake manifold and ECU you have now, you'll want to use the camshaft from your current engine.

I'd use the parts from the 92, as they're made to work together, and you'll get a bit more power. You'll essentially be turning your F22A4 into an F22A6. Those are the 3 most important parts.

[Stoner51]

I did it. Anybody can. Search and read up on it. Took me about 5 hours total.

steve

[splk_37]

Thanks for the information..LOL, I have drove it for 12 years with out the extra power so i think i can live without it. I just want it to run like it always has. mechanics around here aren't the greatest & i am not at all mechanically inclined. i just wanna make sure he knows what he is talking about

[Sordz]

It would probably be faster to just swap the motors, that way you dont have to take the crank pully off and take apart the head. Not to mention having to replace the head gasket and other things. Unless you were going to replace the water pump and timing belt anyway then the time difference might not matter much.

[STOCKa6]

I have to ask how many miles are on each, it may end up being best to take the lower end off the 92 if its younger. Also if you do not take the 92 ECU, I would not be surprised to see a loss in power, since the computer in your car is calibrated for the standard camshaft, not the a6 high profile camshaft. This would be amplified if you used the a6 manifold and not the ECU, the smaller low speed runner would not perform well with the ECU, and not being able to open the larger runners at high RPM's would essentially choke the engine at high speeds. Even if you don't lose noticeable power, economy would definitely suffer if the engine is not controlled properly.

[deevergote]

Thanks for the information..LOL, I have drove it for 12 years with out the extra power so i think i can live without it. I just want it to run like it always has. mechanics around here aren't the greatest & i am not at all mechanically inclined. i just wanna make sure he knows what he is talking about

It will be MORE work to swap all your F22A4 parts over to the F22A6 head...


But regardless, you've gotten your information. You know what you want to do. I'll stop beating a dead horse and offering help that you didn't ask for. Good luck.

[kapone]

Thanks for the information..LOL, I have drove it for 12 years with out the extra power so i think i can live without it. I just want it to run like it always has. mechanics around here aren't the greatest & i am not at all mechanically inclined. i just wanna make sure he knows what he is talking about

by around here ...

did you mean Tampa or Kentucky ?

[Mrs12gage]

It would probably be faster to just swap the motors, that way you dont have to take the crank pully off and take apart the head. Not to mention having to replace the head gasket and other things. Unless you were going to replace the water pump and timing belt anyway then the time difference might not matter much.

This.

Seems more logical to swap especially if the motor is really that good.

Internal stuff can be a pain, if you do go the head only route, Plastic baggies and a permanent marker is a godsend lol

Whatever you decide, mechanically inclined or not, Now is as good a time as any to learn. Im 22 years old and 4 years ago when i married 12gage i didn't know jack about cars, now, I have got my fair share of motor and tranny swaps under my belt and can completely disassemble and reinstall the entire suspension on a Honda. (you guys might find that trivial, but im proud as hell) My specialty is radiators, fastest time so far is 25 min flat.

Point is, If I can do it, you sure as hell can

And you'll save lots and lots of money for the rest of your life.

edit: I forgot! Download the HELMs manual for our accord, If you can read you can do it.
I'm sure its somewhere on the internet if i find it ill post the download link.

[splk_37]

by around here ...

did you mean Tampa or Kentucky ?

I was talking about KY... But have had some bad work done in cheval florida as well

[splk_37]

This.

Seems more logical to swap especially if the motor is really that good.

Internal stuff can be a pain, if you do go the head only route, Plastic baggies and a permanent marker is a godsend lol

Whatever you decide, mechanically inclined or not, Now is as good a time as any to learn. Im 22 years old and 4 years ago when i married 12gage i didn't know jack about cars, now, I have got my fair share of motor and tranny swaps under my belt and can completely disassemble and reinstall the entire suspension on a Honda. (you guys might find that trivial, but im proud as hell) My specialty is radiators, fastest time so far is 25 min flat.

Point is, If I can do it, you sure as hell can

And you'll save lots and lots of money for the rest of your life.

edit: I forgot! Download the HELMs manual for our accord, If you can read you can do it.
I'm sure its somewhere on the internet if i find it ill post the download link.

Do you know if it will swap right out or will i have to do something else.. asking because the 1992 has ABS and the 90 don't and the 1990 has sports on the trans and the 92 don't. will that mess with anything when i have the motor swapped? Sorry i am asking so much