I have an f23 engine in my 98 accord and I recently discovered the compression ratio of that engine is only 8.8:1 i believe I read. Why would honda make this engine with a compression ratio so low, when they could bump it up to 10.0:1 and make a lot more power with a 2.3 liter engine. Only reason i could see for doing this would be gas mileage but that averages out to only be around 23 in the city, so that kinda sucks to. Anybody got an answer to this question about the compression ratio being so low?

 

It's actually 9.3:1 for the F23. So it's not that bad, but good for low octane levels.

 

Unless you've a ready supply of 100 octain Aviation Fuel (Avgas), you'll settle for the 9.3:1 ratio you're blessed with. Considering you're playing go-fast with a 140 cu/in (2.3 l) engine is a testiment to Honda doing it's engine homework.
It all has to do with drivability, reliability and durability using the available fuel blends. And remember, Honda has to warranty their product.

P

 

f23a5 (non-vtec) is 8.8:1 compression, a1 and a4 are 9.3:1