I have a dirt track prelude. I bought a h22a and did a complete rebuild. The guy I bought the block from sent a new oil pump and gaskets with it. I put everything together torqued everything to spec and put everything back exactly like I pulled it apart except I didn't put BS shaft belt on. I broke it in ( let it idle for 1the hour then changed oil). Car runs like a champ but I can't get vtec to swap. I ran a wire from solenoid to a power source and it is engaging and I pulled the cams out to make sure the pins that lock the lobes together were free and they are. I turned the car over with the valve cover off and the head doesn't look like its oiling properly. And suggestions? Please help. I have a big money race in 2the weeks and a H22 without Vtec is a dead duck.

 

I assume you verified you have low oil pressure ? Verify that the oil pump pickup and oil pan are for the same engine. Are you throwing a vtec pressure code ?

 

I haven't put a gauge on it but while the motor was running I pulled the plug on the side of the head out and it it barely running out. The code shouldn't matter if I straight wired the solenoid right? I reused the old oil pick up and gasket could that be the problem? I cleaned it very well but not to sure about the gasket. The pan doesn't have any dents in it. Everything else seems to be oiling fine bc I got kinda pissed and twisted it 8200 and it didn't hang the rods out so im assuming all the bearings are getting what they need. Is there any way to get more pressure out of a stock oil pump? Or install a external one?

 

Are you throwing any codes ? As long as the oil pan and oil pump pickup are the same you should be fine. Get an oil pressure gauge and check ur actual pressure.

 

No its not throwing any codes and the solenoid is opening so im assuming its oil pressure. I will put a gauge on it tom. It its to low is there any way I can out a external oil pump on it or any way to modify the stock oil pump for more pressure?

 

I put a oil pressure gauge on it. At running temp, im getting about 40 psi at idle and 78 psi at 5500it rpms. I would think this should be plenty of pressure to engage vtec. I changed solenoid and im still not getting anything. I am completely stumped. What route does the oil take when it travels through the head? Im getting plenty of oil to the cams. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

What ECU? Is it tuned with anything? Could be a bad VTEC oil pressure switch; ie the ecu thinks there is not enough oil pressure to engage VTEC and therefore doesn't, even though there is.

 

The ecu couldn't be the issue bc I ran a wire (12 volts) straight to the solenoid to see if it would swap. I didn't get anything. I also changed the solenoid and plunger assembly to see if that changed anything and still nothing. Any other ideas?

 

I think I may have found the problem. When I assembled the motor there was a orifice (oil restrictor) in the deck of the block. All things I read about it says that doesn't belong in a H22. They say B motors have it and h23 has it. Any feedback on it?

 

Remove it and you should be good to go. But if you actually have a h22 it shouldn't be there. What's the stamp on the block?

 

Damn, yeah the H23 has a plug blocking the port, since it does not have VTEC, all you have to do is remove that plug if it is there. Hopefully you have time to pull the head.

 

Its stamped H22a. I bought the bare block from a guy who had boosted it. Im assuming he put it there for turbo reasons. I know for a fact its there because I thought to myself this block has one but the other one doesn't I wonder why. Well I wont have time to have it ready for this weekend but that gives me 6 months to fine tune her. Thanks for all the help!

 

I pulled the head, removed orifice, and reassembled the motor. Ran it up to 3500 rpms and put 12it volts to vtec and she swapped over perfect. So the oil orifice/ oil restrictor does NOT belong in the h22 block. If your motor has one TAKE IT OUT!!!!!

 

If your h22 has one, somebody has been in there ******* around...

 

since they were boosting they prob ran turbo cams which cuts out vtec or they just eliminated it for better supplying the turbo