natejones75

Hello, just joined the forum. I am a mechanic, but new to hondas.
Here is my question. I bought a sweet 2001 prelude from the bank (repo) with a bad VTEC motor. It has a quarter size hole in the block on the drivers side and oozes out oil. I would like to put another used motor or at least find a short block in this cat and drive it for an everyday work car. I am not looking to hop it up or swap for a hot engine, just simply get it running. Looking at salvage yards, what all models/ years hondas could I find another engine from??? What would be the common donor? This is a 2001 prelude with the VTEC / auto transmission. On this car do you drop the engine out the bottom or pull it traditionally??? Any help would be great

natejones75

I did find the code on my prelude motor. It is an H22A4. Looking on ebay I see other vtec engines advertised as 2001 prelude compatible with codes H23 or F 20. Are these direct swaps?

jdragon1974

You can put a h23a blue top that s is a pretty good engine and its not as expensive as the h22. Look up the h23 vtec blue top. Its pretty much a direct swap, just have to change the upper part of your intake from your intake with the iavc and maybe the dizzy.

natejones75

Thanks, that is a great start on info. Is the computer the same? What models might I find a H23 in??
I called a few big yards, and they said the motor in my prelude is specific to a 2001 prelude only. Everything on ebay says 97-01 prelude

natejones75

Would a H23A short block work with all the other parts from my H22a4?

jdragon1974

I would order the h23a blue top. here are the specs vs the engine you currently have, all so look at the hybred thread on here.

https://honda-tech.com/honda-prelude...tions-2341343/

JRCivic1

The H23A that is being referred to here is NOT an engine found in a US model Prelude or Accord... so finding one at a local salvage yard is unlikely. The H23A "blue top" is only found in Japan and Europe, so you will have to purchase one from an importer like "hmotorsonline". If you choose this route, there are some things you must keep in mind:

If you must pass smog, you will need to keep your current ECU. If you want to keep OBD-2 function for diagnostics, you will need to keep your current ECU.

Your current ECU will NOT run the H23 optimally... if there is a JDM/EDM computer with automatic transmission control available, this will be better mapped for the engine, however, you will lose the functions stated above.

Your oil pump and lower timing cover will need to be used, along with your current distributor and coil package as well as your engine harness... that is, unless you actually purchase a US H22A4.

One final note: You did not specify whether you have a base model or "SH" model. If you have the "SH" (the newby way to tell is if the oil filter is high up on the engine block on the driver's side of the car between the #1 intake runner and the shock tower), then everything suggested to you above is out the window unless you are willing to fully convert the car to a base type transmission... or find a JDM H22 Red top "Type S" SH... which is a unicorn. If the oil filter is under the intake manifold low near the center of the block just above the oil pan, like most Honda's that you have seen in the past... it is a "Base" car.

The simple swap is a US H22A4... it will cost a few bucks more than the JDM engines, but it will drop in with less fuss. I typically remove the hood and go in and out from the top leaving the A/C compressor in car.

m_shake

Are H motors like b-series where you need to change the oil pump to accommodate the crank sensor obd2 usdm cars have?

natejones75

Mine is the base model with automatic transmission. So you are saying a blue top H23 wont work?? I am trying to get this running on the cheap, and would be more than willing to use as many parts from the H22A4 as needed. Besides the H22A4 parts, what parts from the H23A car would I need? The computer?? Is it a direct plug in??
Is there any honda shortblock that will work with all the H24A pieces?

natejones75

One more thing...... i assume you pull the motor from the top. is it easier to pull motor and transmission together, or seperate them and just pull the motor??

natejones75

Sorry just one more question. Is the prelude the only car that has the base H22A4 it?? Salvage yard told me "only 2001 prelude" but on ebay they list H22A4 as out of 97-01 preludes, older ones, and some accords

JRCivic1

A blue top H23 will work best in your car if you run it with the JDM H23 computer. This computer will NOT communicate with an OBD-2 scan tool... so you will fail emissions testing unless it is done by manually sniffing at the tailpipe.

You can install the H23 with the intention of using your stock ECU to run it... but this will not fuel the engine optimally. You will also have to use your distributor/coil as well as move your H22 oil pump assembly (along with both crank sensors, timing wheel and balance shaft wheel) and outer cover over to the H23 to keep the stock ECU happy. If saving a few hundred bucks is worth that trouble... then there you go.

Otherwise, find a BASE '97-01 US Prelude engine H22A4 and drop it right in. You may have to move your T/B over if you get a manual engine... but this is fairly painless. Don't swap the entire intake manifolds as there is a slight difference between the '97-98 and '99-01 models.

You got it now ???