Would an engine swap from a '89 Accord to a '90 Accord work and would it be a good idea? '89 is cheap & '90 needs an engine pretty bad...

 

The A20A won't go in the 4th Gen. They are radically different between those generations. However, I'm positive that you can find an F22A1 (if you're LX or DX) or F22A4 (if you're EX) pretty easily at a local junkyard. But you can also try http://www.importautosalvage.com if you can't find it.

 

Yea there are many differences, plus the 4th gen is a bit heavier, so the A20A (as great of an engine as it was and still is) wouldn't really be a wise choice anyways even if it did swap in. Plus the trannies are different, 3rd gen is cable, 4th gen is hydro. Like was said though, it shouldn't be too hard to find an F22 in a junkyard or online somewhere. Engines pop up on ebay pretty often too