H23A1LUDE

What's up Fellow Luders!....I'm caught between the H23A and the H22..I have an h23 under my SE Lude's hood..runs strong, but I want more horses and more speed. The h22 has more hp but less torque than the h23...but I don't know if torque is all that important. Should I swap an H22 into my lude, rebuild the H23(cause it's better for turbo, right?) or just sell it and get another Honda? Thanks for the help ya'll.....

preludeChaos

If I were you I'd save the $3,000 + you'd pay to do the full swap and rebuild/turbo your H23A1. But if you decide to go N/A, the H22A1 is most definately the way to go. As far as the H23 having more torque; that's actually not true. The H22 has 2 ft. lbs. of torque more than the H23; the only difference is the torque on the H23 peaks a little lower than the H22's torque, which means that you may feel the torque peak in an H23 a quarter of a second sooner than you'll feel it in the H22. But VTEC engines are designed so that they have great low and high end power. From my experiance, the H22 feels far more powerful than the H23, even in the low end. I have an H23A1 in my lude by the way...

JDMLude

h22 head on a h23 block. that way you have the torque from the h23 and the vtec from the h22 which would probably give about 35 horses

apexii

here we go!

flip1199

Well it actually depends on which h22 your gonna get, because h22a1 from the 94-96 vtec has 190 hp and 158lb-ft, while the 97-98 has 195hp and 156lb-ft. and the 99+ 200hp and 156lb-ft. But if i were you i'd just stay with the h23 and boost it.

JDMLude

use a jdm h22a vtec head. mine puts out 200 hrsp and my vtec hits at 7200 at stock

H23A1LUDE

Sounds great.....but my H23 has 108,000 soon to be 109,000 miles on it. When I race I can smell the engine and everything...newer engines perform better. Boosting an engine 109,000 miles on it would be pointless unless I also rebuit the engine with a new head, pistons and rods....still think I should boost my original H23?.....thanks for the 411 so far guys.

H23A1LUDE

Also finding an H22a head without having to buy the entire engine ........would be pretty difficult and in good shape....that's rare.

flip1199

keep the h23 sleeve it, put new pistons and rods and boost the **** outta it

symba

well, i am currently in your position...i have close to 87,000 miles on my 96 h23a1 engine. here is what i found out from my research...Keep in mind that i am no guru and don't know where to go for KILLER deals...

JDM h22 or h23 engine with less than 40,000 $6000-8000 190-225 hp

used usdm h22 engine with 50,000 plus install $2000-3500 190 hp

rebuilding and boosting h23a1 $8000-$10000 225-450hp
w/keeping AC
horsepower on this option will vary greatly due to the vast range of turbos, fuel enrichment and tuning options that are available..

I decided to go with rebuilding h23a1 and boosting...Actually i'm looking for a used h23a1 block to rebuild so there isn't a lot of down time...my car is a daily driver and i can't be without it for extended period of time. Again, this is my opinion and i am by know means an expert!!!

H23A1LUDE

Thanks for your opinion symba.... But, if you go to jdmhondaparts.com.....you can see an h22 for $4,000 not 8 or 10...and I would probably install it myself or with some help....

PrecisionH23a

are you planning on going n/a or forced induction on this motor? You need to figure that one out first. The vtec engine rocks, dont get me wrong, but is it worth 30hp for 2500$? You could spend the same amount and get boost and run high 13s compared to a 15.1 with the stock h22a. I also agree with symba, boost the h23a.

H23A1LUDE

I'd like to go NA....but which one is cheaper? My H23 has 108,000! miles on it...108..I don't want my engine to blow up soon. A new head for an H23 goes for 1500 bucks and then pistons, sleeves, rods....wouldn't you rather have a practically brand new H22 with 40,000 miles on it? More life for it and more time to make it a Strip Killer!....I think rebuilding the H23..to where it was practically new would be more than a JDM H22...don't you? Then boosting it were talking 10g's here....

B-series Assassin

Huh?

sammysnakes

All Natural

I'm getting near the same situation...have 148,000 (!) miles on my '95 SE. I had a '98 GS-R before, though, and I can tell you that VTEC motors are a blast to drive. So when the engine starts burning up excess oil and stuff, I'd be more likely to just spring for a H22A than to rebuild the H23. Of course, that's me...and staying NA will cost you an arm and a leg to get power gains (my hybrid Civic was NA but cost a small fortune to make fast).

For me, though -- when the motor starts to go out, I might just sell the Lude and go for a new car...MAYBE an RSX-R if it comes to the states...but I'm kinda sorta looking at the Audi S4 also (but it's pretty pricey). I have my F4 for speed, so a quick, comfortable car is more appealing to me now.

H23A1LUDE

I don't know..what I am going to do... I think if I rebuild the H23 I'll learn more about the engine..knowledge is important. And I could boost it after I get forged pistons, rings, block. Could I put an H22 head on an h23?.......FELLAS?

ludeNstein

if you turbo you car, dont you hafta get sleeves and pistons anyways. and then you have to buy the turbo! i know in the end you get a lot more hp out of it but it is an extra ~$3000!!


[Modified by ludeNstein, 2:59 AM 7/2/2002]

PrecisionH23a

you can run 7psi just fine on stock internals, but many of you guys have found out the prelude ring lands are pretty weak. if you go with a larger bore piston, the sleeves cannot be honed out, instead they must be resleeved to accomodate new pistons. i boosted 8psi daily on my h23a for over a year and the only real problem i had was a blown oil seal on my turbo, as long as you guys dont abuse your motor you should be fine.

JG Luder

lol... the H23a has more torque. ROTFL.... yeah. ok.

The H22A owns all.

symba

You can put a h22a VTEC head on an h23a1 but it is pricey and there are mixed reviews on the efficiency of such a project..Unfortunately, i can't remember where i saw a link to someone who had done it and there opinions..It was also reviewed in a magazine but that was a long time ago.. i just remember dismissing it myself because it to me it just wasn't worth the price to pay..i'm no mechanic so i pay for most of my labor... but i'm learning

ezark

If the H22 has more horsepower and more torque why is it every prelude h22 that i race I beat. I raced one with intake headers and exhaust when i only had intake and heavy 17" tenzo's. h23a1

Accord94DX

DLB1994

H23A1LUDE

Hey Brian you say that your 94 Accord boosted H23A on nitrous SUCKS because it's NOT VTEC!...and you tell me to keep my h23a?