Engine swap time, but which one??

[theSOB]

The stock LSD is good, for sure. I'd still stick to the H22, though. The fact that the other two don't have a corresponding OBD1 ECU is a big factor. To me at least.

So that would mean the other two would never run 100% correct without a full tune and therefore not making 200hp

[deevergote]

Correct. And even a great dyno tune won't be as perfect as a factory tune (though the P13's tuning is quite possibly one of Honda's worst tunes... or perhaps they just tuned it to run rich to prevent damage, knowing people will abuse the H22 by running it hard and using low-grade fuel.)

[Bacon]

I am about to complete my Blue Top H23A swap the first weekend of March and don't regret it one bit. I would have gone with the H22A but for an extra $40 I got the blue top.

[deevergote]

And what ECU are you going to use?

I don't think the extra .1L is really worth the added headaches involved with using an OBD2 engine that was never available in the US. The H23A is kinda cool, and definitely more uncommon than just about any other engine (there was a time when it was so rare and expensive that NOBODY on here had one.) Still, I'd rather have an engine that I can plug a bone-stock ECU into, and run down to Autozone to replace any part on it with complete confidence that it will work.

[Bacon]

I will be using a PO6 that I have already chipped.

I don't mind using a chipped ECU since I will be dyno-tuning it anyways and would have eventually chipped it to begin with. It's all in what you really want to do and what route you want to go. As for replacement parts, everything I replaced with my "build" was purchased at my local Honda dealership.

[deevergote]

When you can be sure parts are compatible with things you can get in the US, then that's good... it just takes more effort to know what you can and can't use.

And true, if you plan on doing major mods, a tune will be necessary anyway, as a stock ECU won't be tuned properly for a modified engine anyway.


Still, I like the fact that you can bolt in a bone-stock H22A, plug in a bone-stock P13, and as long as your wiring was done correctly, it will run exactly as it did in the Prelude it came from.

[Bacon]

Yeah, one of the only few things on my block that aren't from an H22 is the manual tensioner conversion. Everything else like gaskets and things like that are straight from an H22.

OP, I paid $120 to chip my ECU so rest assured that if you go that route it's not all that expensive. That price was also with a basemap.

[deevergote]

Basemaps are touchy, though... they really should only be used to get an engine running so it can be properly tuned. That's more important for a turbo motor, but it's still important for a bone stock swap.

Chipping kits are cheap... $20, if you can solder. The tools necessary to properly tune an ECU aren't cheap, and anyone that has those tools may charge a fair amount for tuning (and if you don't know the first thing about tuning, you won't even know their true skill level!)

I'm just playing devil's advocate here. The more you modify, the more potential problems you introduce. Keep it simple. A 200hp reliable driver is much more fun than a 300hp jackstand queen.

[Bacon]

Well spoken truth. As soon as my swap is done, I am going for a dyno tune. I only want to drive on that basemap just long enough to drive to my tuner.

[noahrexion]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the swap. Hope you provide plenty o' pics.

For this reason (not being able to run stock ECU), I have always been super curious what an F20B or H23A would put down with their stock ECU's. I have yet to come across a stock dyno chart in an OBD2 vehicle.

[Bacon]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the swap. Hope you provide plenty o' pics.

For this reason (not being able to run stock ECU), I have always been super curious what an F20B or H23A would put down with their stock ECU's. I have yet to come across a stock dyno chart in an OBD2 vehicle.

I will be posting plenty of pics when I create a new MRT on here. The only mods that will be done with mine are a Hytech rep header, Magnaflow hi flow cat, 2.5" eBay exhaust, SRI. ECU is a chipped PO6 on Crome. As for the factory power of the H23A, it's somewhere in the ball park of 200-220 hp depending on what model Blue Top you have. Unfortunately, I didn't get the H23A from an SiR.

I expect to make to the wheels what my buddy's mildly built H22A1 does at the wheels and I haven't touched the internals.

[TracieS]

With my f20b Im going to run a chipped ecu then once I get all the bugs worked out Ill probably have it dynoed tuned on hondata.

[theSOB]

I guess with this being my first swap I'll just stick with the H22. Maybe for my other accord I could do something different. So then as for the tranny, which would be best with the H22, m2b4, t2t4, or t2w4?

[Bacon]

I guess with this being my first swap I'll just stick with the H22. Maybe for my other accord I could do something different. So then as for the tranny, which would be best with the H22, m2b4, t2t4, or t2w4?

Depends on what you wanna spend, what you are looking for, etc. I am personally using my factory Accord tranny until the funds for an M2B4 come around.

[theSOB]

ok, well looking around I hear that the m2b4 has 5th gear and reverse go out often and the t2t4 and t2w4 are newer and should last longer. What I want is LSD with short gears and longer 5th gear. Only track close is a 1/8 mile strip. They shut down the 1/4 mile strip in KC. I'll be driving on the interstate too so the long 5th would be nice.