Have a 94 accord EX Sedan. A/T, original F22B1 Engine. Replaced the Tranny with an accord tranny last summer as it went out. Engine has 275k on it and is my Daily Driver. I can't make this a 'track car' as I use it to haul my kids and well to work. So I am looking for best options. I am thinking a swap if possible since the engine does have minor oil leaks all over it. I'd have to fix those anyways. Also want some more power. Fk'ing thing is slow off the start and while I don't plan on dragging this car or a '10 second' ride but it would be nice when some a-hole ricer hater pulls up and tries to rev I could have something to maybe back it up. But at the same time the most economical approach. I understand both will cost bucks and my concern with a swap is finding the coveted H22.

I am looking for those members who have a pretty solid knowledge on this subject and willing to advise.

Thanks in advance.

 

Turbo will be much, much more expensive, more sacrifices will have to be made, and typically it will be less reliable in the long run especially if you remain automatic.

Sounds like the best route for you would be to install a JDM H23A. It's just like an H22 but with a longer stroke so it makes a good bit more torque. These engines are readily available from JDM engine importers. You can find them all over eBay and they can be shipped directly to your house or garage. If you live near either coast, or Texas, you can probably go pick one up yourself. They come with blue top valve cover and were all originally from automatic cars. Ideally you would want to swap over to a manual transmission for best results but the H23A is not as high strung as an H22 so your automatic transmission and transmission control module could likely be used with some decent success. It's a fairly easy swap but there are some odds and ends that need to be done like getting a 97-01 Prelude power steering bracket to keep power steering, some wiring, minor exhaust work, etc. You would need a programmable ECU for this swap also. If you remain automatic it will have to be a chipped "P75" ecu from an automatic OBD1 integra and a few wires will have to be swapped on the ECU/TCU harnesses. You would need to contact Chris @ Xenocron and tell him specifically what you're doing and what ECU you need, and that it needs to remain automatic. Other than that it is physically a direct swap. All 4 of the Accord engine mounts are a perfect fit for the JDM H series engines, the trans will bolt up, etc.


A cheaper, more direct swap would be a JDM F23A. It would drop right in and you can use your stock ECU, transmission, all of it. It's barely an upgrade over the F22B1 though. ~10-15hp at best.

 

Perfect. This is kinda of what I am looking for. Reason I hesitate or reluctant to go to standard transmission would be because I just replaced the tranny. If I am going to do this, i.e. engine swap, looking for more than 10-15hp. Since I have several oil leaks and the engine has a fair amount of miles on it I was thinking the engine swap would be the better option. But damn would I love to have a manual again. Haven't driven one since 05 HA! Thanks for the info man! Exactly what I was looking for in terms of advice.

 

No problem. The info is out there so you can dig a little deeper if you want. It's not a hard swap at all. Just some things you should be aware of that need to be done to get it all working properly. Those engines are really nice for the torque they make, especially in a heavy Accord chassis. It sounds like it's exactly what you're looking for and on the plus side you can keep all your creature comforts like a/c, power steering, etc.

 

HA, you said keep my AC. I bought the car in 12 and the belt is not routed for AC so I assume it's either dysfunctional or needs a recharge. I wouldn't do the swap myself because I am only mildly competent with autos and moreso has to do with a lack of confidence. Too chicken sh*t attempt most things on it. But I still need the info as hopefully next year I can go forward with this project. Gives me time to piece things together and come up with a cost estimate.

 

Would this be what I am looking for?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/98-02-HONDA...kAAOSwPnNazXw3

 

Yep. That's the one.

 

Ok what ECU (affordable) should I get. I am thinking of getting this done sooner than later. Figuring out my costs

Nevermind, saw the post " chipped "P75" ecu"

 

If you intend to stay automatic you will need a chipped automatic "P75" ECU with VTEC functionality added. If you intend to keep the proper IAB(intake air butterfly) functionality that the H23A comes with, you will need to have additional components added to the ECU for that as well. Alternatively you can delete the IAB plate from the intake manifold with a simple spacer or bypass the ECU controlled portion of it and route the IAB diaphragm directly to vacuum. You must choose one of those options for dealing with the IABs. The automatic P75 ECU is the only chippable/tunable solution for your year/make/model that can properly interface with the stock TCU(transmission control unit) and allow the transmission to function and shift as intended. Do NOT buy a P28/P06/etc ECU you see on eBay or wherever because it will not work correctly with your transmission, if it works at all.

Back in the day when I was automatic, I got my P75 from Xenocron. If you contact them you can purchase one from them setup exactly as you need it. Just tell them that you need an automatic P75 and that it must remain automatic for your purposes. Give them the rest of the info on your setup and they'll sort out of the rest of it as far as chipping and adding the components required. They will ship it with a "basemap" for your engine, so you can run it. This does NOT mean you're good to go and you can dog on it all day around town. Ideally you want to get a true dyno tune, or a least a street tune, before you go WOT for the first time. Otherwise you risk potentially catastrophic engine damage if the base calibration is too far off.

 

I am having a mechanic do this. I have no means to do this nor the knowledge. I put a call in tonight and gave him a heads up. I am going to run this by him. I have limited funds if I do this so it's a "budget" build. Notice I avoid cheap. I have to account for labor so I need an idea of costs. The Engine is going to be 750 shipped + labor. I know my Tranny labor was nearly a grand. ECU 200? (haven't checked your recommended site yet) plus other odds and ends. I have about 2200 thereabouts in the budget. Might be tight. Might not be doable at this time but I want to see. Either way I have to consider the engine has 275000 roughly plus minor oil leaks. It gets up and moves for what the amount of miles. Attached to this car. Bought it as a daily driver commuter. Drove it for about 3 years stock with nothing really to it. Figured I could do something with this and this is where I am at today. Just a bit of a back ground.

 

You will easily have $1500 in parts after engine, ecu, fluids, maintenance items, parts to make the swap work in your chassis, etc. Then you have some labor, some mild exhaust fabrication work, a decent bit of wiring, and a tune which will run you ~250 for a street tune or around ~400 for a dyno tune. Realistically I would expect about $3000 all said and done if your mechanic has reasonable rates. I charge $750 for a stock long block swap and that doesn't include any odds and ends if it's a different engine. If he's anywhere around there I'm sure you'll be well over your budget.

If you just want a reliable swap with low miles, consider a JDM F23A. It'll be a more modest bump in power but also much more inexpensive and less involved.

 

That's what I was afraid of. No worries, I can be patient. I'd rather do the H23A since I am staying auto. I could buy the motor now and just garage it until I save up a bit more or after taxes. His rates are like 90 an hour. He cuts me a discount because I have used him for years plus military vet (his step kid is in the Marines too). I still need to look into that ECU. Didn't see a chipped P75 on that site so I will be calling or emailing just to see. You've been a tremendous help.

EDIT: Now that I started thinking and looking into the F23, it might be a good option. I am uncertain what gains I would get over the F22B1 but perhaps a bit more power? Original Specs F22B1 145 HP (not sure if that's WHP or BHP) where the F23A1 is 150 HP. In addition it would be a bit cheaper it appears. Looks like I would still need an ECU. I did some quick research on here but appears bickering on how to do it or the 'right' way.

Just keeping options open.

 

You can run your original F22B1 ECU with the F23 if you go that route. The engines are so similar that the ECU doesn't have an issue adjusting for the .1L of displacement and very negligible bump in compression.

 

This below is what makes it hard to make informed decisions.

Here:
https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-...motor-2714869/

 

There was a lot of misinformation from that 2010 thread and it was generally difficult to read. There's no need to swap to a different ecu for the F23 on an OBD1 car like you have. In fact, there is no better OEM alternative ECU for that engine in OBD1 cars. If your car was a 96-97 and OBD2 you would be better off using the F23 ecu but that's not the case. The engine is OBD2 but that doesn't matter. You basically throw everything away and use just the longblock with your alternator/distributor/other accessories. Honda-Tech is not always the best source for information, especially when it comes to old threads. This swap has been done many times to replace old, tired SOHC engines in these cars. I know of quite a few over on HondaSociety who have done it with great success and used the 94-95 EX ECU.