i have a 98 base model prelude and I'm curious on how good the H22A is?

 

Its a good engine with quite a bit of aftermarket support if you ever want to fully build it or turbocharge it. very vague question you are asking.

 

i was looking at some other threads about the h22a and someone said it isn't ideal to turbo ?

 

I would never trust to much of what others say here on the internet, unless they have firsthand proof of why h22 engine's are not good for a turbo setup. There are a lot of good build threads with people using stock h22 engines, and others are fully built with top to bottom name brand internals. So whomever said it was not ideal for a turbo doesn't know what they are talking about. Obviously if you want to run a bunch of boost then yes you should either not run that much boost or simply not have a turbo on your setup. The only reason people say the h22 is "BAD" is because it utilizes the FRM sleeves.

From Super Street Online: "FRM-lined (Fiber Reinforced Metal) cylinder blocks. FRM is a thin but strong lining material that consists of a fiber matrix, aluminum alloy, and aluminum oxide. It's inserted into the cylinder casting when molded, cooled, and bored out, and then left as a thin lining material for the piston rings to brush up against. The results are tough, resilient cylinders that can put up with their fair share of abuse. But FRM linings aren't all perfect. Because of the material's strength and composition, it's easy for oil to pass by the piston rings, up into the combustion chamber where it has nothing left to do but burn and cause you headaches."