I'm no mechanic but I like to work on my own vehicles. Bought car fot $200 and was told it had a knock. So I was going to fix it the cheap way and just replace the rod bearings but when I took the oil pan off this is what I found. Can anyone explain to me what this is?

 

What you're looking at is part of the block "girdle". It acts as a support between the mains to strengthen the bottom end. In the engine that your Accord has, it also plays a crucial role in engine lubrication because oil is supplied to the bearings through it. Looking closer at your picture, that is the least of your worries. The #1 rod is broken which is what caused the girdle to break like that. The broken rod swung around and busted it. That engine doesn't just "have a knock", it is totally trash.

 

I know h and f series motors will fit but exactly which one will be the easiest with a little more power than the stock engine that's in my car? Mines a manual.

 

F23 would be the easiest to swap. ~145hp and more torque. Basically bolts in. Requires minimal wiring/fabrication and you can use an OBD1 F22B1 ecu out of a 94-95 EX Accord with it. You can usually pick the engines up from an importer for $350 or so with low miles.

 

Whats the pick and pay rate for the f23? I see those cars all the freaking time, seems like it would be cheaper, or maybe ask around.

 

That's going to depend on your local junkyard. Personally I like to go with the JDM engines because they're low mileage and typically well maintained. If you asked me to pay $350 for a ~50k mile JDM engine or $250 for a 180k USDM engine the choice would be a no-brainer.

 

Yeah, I wasn't sure. I just checked and the local pick and pull charges 200 w/ a 50 core charge. Seems getting it from an importer is probably a much better idea, and a hell of a lot less work.