nickaj

i want to start getting things together to do an engine swap on my 1992 honda prelude s. i am having a hard time figuring out weather the JDM H22A is the best engine or if the JDM F20B is better. i want to turbo it and i have herd that the H22 has alot of problems if it is turbo'ed. so i need some solid input!!!!...the key here is SPEED along with reliability! so any of you guys/girls out there who have had some experience or know of some important things about these engines please let me know! thanks

Acidcrakker

I forget what the F20B is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_F_engine#F20B

If its the SOHC than its only better in the aspect that the block is made from different material than the H22a, which can handle more power because the h22 is made with FRM sleeves, and the f20 is cast iron, I think?

nickaj

sorry its the F20B DOHC Vtec
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_F_engine#F20B_2

92civlude

Ive done a couple of F20b swaps. One in an Accord, the other in a 5th gen Prelude. They rev really quick! The only problem Ive experienced is their lack of torque. But I suppose BOOST is a great equalizer.

nus_dogg

You'll need a set of low comp pistons from Mahles if you don't want to sleeve the soft Fiber Reinforce Sleeve for either the F20B DOHC VTEC or an H22A.

Boost the SOHC in your Prelude. It'll last if its got good compression and you can go up to 12psi with stock internals with a good tune.

jr_deleon

iTrader: (1)

F20Bs, whether single or dual (in this case the DOHC) are iron sleeved 85mm bore. You technically can have a set of pistons made for it without sleeving it, but you'll want to also address its rod bolts (especially if you boost it) as they are small. If ARP makes bolts for the F23 (which uses the same size rod bolts as an F20B) then you may also want those. Some guy even had cometic make a custom head gasket for the F20B so he could boost it (I dont recall what the compression ended up being)

Hope that adds some insight

92civlude

The F20b has cast iron sleeves. My mistake.

#1rudebwoy

thanks @pirate mcfred. people will give the wrong info and mislead people. thanks for that pic

vinuneuro

The F20b is a pointless street engine. There's no reason to take the displacement and valve size hit. It was only created for homologation for a series that limited displacement to 2.0L.

minilogoguy18

Read about FRM before calling it soft or weak. You just need pistons that undergo a special forging process to work with it. Many sports cars use FRM and even have forged pistons from the factory.

vinuneuro

Yes, get the H22 and Mahle pistons. There are people using them and FRM for 500+ whp reliably.

sde780

So with Mahle pistons h22's don't need sleeved?

h22crxpwr

Mahle makes a piston compatible with FRM sleeves.

Doesnt mean the sleeves are as strong as golden eagle or such..

Kelly66218

I lost a head to a tuner here in the midwest, due to a timing belt change with an auto-tensioner failing. There is a Manual tensioner swap, just not in time for my belt change.

To my point, I want to rebuild from top to bottom now,(head was shot and really needed the work only but since i'm doing head work...) and most of the west-coast tuners are swearing on their children's eyeballs that Mahle gold is **** for FRM blocks, Jun is also the same, if better (hot girl-on-girl ****), but will cost more.

King Motorsports Unlimited said sleeving would cause the cylinder to shift over time. There is a "right way" to do sleeving most shops do it wrong.

The right way to sleeve is to remove FRM walls insert the sleeves, seat, build the engine back, run the car, Tear back down, reseat, deck the block, and build it back up.

I remember when Darton and "aebs?" sleeves were what every tuner recommended, now comming back from leaving the tuner scene about 7-8 years ago, a lot has changed.

double wishbone

This is correct. I believe the NSX and S2000 are examples among us Honda guys. I read a discussion where someone stated that the FRM leads to problems with forged pistons because of the shape of the piston skirt. Not sure if that's correct, nor can I qualify it, just putting it out there.

Acidcrakker

Where did you hear this?

nickaj

ok so from what i understand is i should go with the H22 and just buy some 8 series pistons that are compatible with the FRM walls in the H22...right......and also ......i have herd about alot of problems with the H22's when they get turbo'ed like they burn oil, the lsd tranny goes out, they dont last long...blah blah blah....do any of you guys have any info on any problems with a turbo'ed F20B....because it seem to me that an F20B can put out just as much speed as an H22 with 1/2 the cost and twice the reliability?

Acidcrakker

Man frankly it all depends on your set up. Mechanically speaking anything can go wrong at any given time.

Your best bet is get the cast iron bottom end, and h22 head.

nickaj

ahhhhh haaaaa i was gunna ask that later...i seen a guy online who had an F20b with an H22 head swap and that was putting out 730Whp...is this what your talking about?

Acidcrakker

No, Im talking about running stock motor.

Cast iron block is better than the h22 block any day of the week.

But these are single cam blocks, with a few exceptions.

Its really a hybrid build nothing more or less. What you build it up with will give you a power output of whatever you build it with.

minilogoguy18

All he did was make an F20b, the F20b is just a destroked H22a with iron sleeves.

nickaj

ok so i got the engine thing down...now for a tranny!....anyone know a tranny that will do best for this....i have herd the accord trany is better then the LSD and i plan on having it rebuilt and upgraded...anyone have some input as to which is a better tranny for my turbo setup...os is there some other tranny that is better then the both of these?

mgags7

Since it sounds like you're gonna be doing some real deal racing...most likely with people that have last names but can't pronounce them, I'll go ahead and recommend the best of the best. Harry can probably have one in by friday.

http://www.saenzperformance.com/

jclark5093

HAHA that feels like ages ago :-P (just watched it the other night - was feeling nostalgic, and am acquiring my first prelude on monday - 92 si 2+2 dohc 2.3)

By Friday?? How about tomorrow? Today? Now? Come on, white boys work fast, right? Hector has no patience ;-)

jclark5093

In all seriousness, though, how would this affect mpg? As Nus_Dogg said, (can't confirm this) the stock parts can handle up to 12 psi - that is what a mechanic friend told me - same number, so there may be some truth to this...

So I am thinking of boosting my (incoming) stock prelude - it has CAI w/splash guard and a customized cat back. Other than that it's stock - was thinking of putting a T4 or something in there (and probably at the same time swap in some 4-2-1 DC sports headers and a higher flow cat). My last honda was a 97 civic ex, and it got wrecked before I got to do too much to it, but I feel like I'm gonna miss my vTec, so I'm thinking boost.

Am I in over my head? (I don't pay for labor :-/ )