I have searched around and haven't found any definite answers to these questions, so here we go.

1. What are the H23A1 cylinders composed of? nikasil coating, FRM?

2. Can these be honed?

3. If so, what are the specifics of the (honing) process? Will the cyls have to be recoated?

I am in the process of rebuilding my engine and have had trouble finding machine shops in the area who know what the @#$^ they are doing I know ultimately my best option would be to resleeve, but I don't have the money for that and I need my car back. So, if I do have to resleeve:

4. I want to keep my stock pistons, so can I have the cylinders resleeved with the original material with some degree of ease?

Thanks is Advance,
Jason


[Modified by jbbrann, 10:53 AM 9/27/2001]

 

1. I quit caring when I tossed my stock ones out the door. So I couldn't tell you.

2. Honed? Or BORED? Honed? Maybe slightly to take off an edge. Bored? Hell no.

3. The sleeve will have to be punched out and a new one put in it's place.

4. It's all the same degree of ease. Its not that easy.

 

If I'm readig this correctly you just want to rebuild your H23a and not build it up correct? This is pretty much a foreign concept to me b/c I belileve in upgrade rather than replace, so I'd wait until I could resleeve my block and the bore it out for more displacement and then some high compression forged pistons. If the H23a is in your daily driver and you need it running as soon as possible, go to the dealership and ask if it is possible to rebuild the engine without resleeving the block.

 

i don't know if they are nikisiled or not, but i know with dirt bikes, we'd send the cylinders to LA sleeve to get recoated.

 

1. dunno.
2. yes.
3. each cylinder should be honed to match each individual piston. not very much should be removed since you are keeping the same pistons, just enough to reseat the rings. make sure to get new rings no matter what.
4. no, and resleeving with stock pistons would be a terrible waste of money.

and whatever you do, if the shop you're talking to dosen't seem to know whats going on, take your buisness elsewhere.

 

IMO a straight rebuild with stock parts is the "correct" way. Yes this is my daily driver, and I'm sticking with the stock parts for a reason.

 

Er... well, do what you want. Reliability isn't an issue of you re-sleeve and go with forged pistons and stay NORMAL. If you go to the extreme I've gone, then yes, daily driver is out the window.

But I agree with staying normal. And I also agree that if the shop doesn't know right off the bat about whether you can re-sleeve or not, don't even bother with them. Tow that thing somewhere else if you have to. DON'T let someone foriegn to the H22 touch it. It's not a normal Honda motor. Messed up sleeves, closed deck block, hydraulic tensioners... it can be jacked up in a heartbeat by someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

 

Simply hone, new honda pistons and rings and new valve guide seals... New rod bearings as well..

 

I went thru the same ordeal. What I found out: The H23 cylinder walls are coated(with what I don't remember). This coating will cause any pistons other than Honda pistons to absorb too much heat and crack. I know someone this happened to. Cost him a whole engine. This is why any H23 upgrading their pistons has to resleeve. Cha-ching! If your sticking with your stock pistons, you can have the shop measure the inside of your cylinders and tell you if they are in tolerance to hone. The manual tells the tolerances. If you don't have enough cylinder wall, you have to get oversized pistons or get your block re-sleeved.

 

So what did you do and how were the results?

 

I got JE oversized pistons-8.5 compression. Pauter rods, got my block sleeved and bored to match the new pistons. total=$2600-$3000 ballpark.

 

we need to meet up so i can see your setup....im in mesa. email me at elitelude@hotmail.com if you want to meet up sometime......im willing to drive.

 

That's WITH the pistons and rods right?

 

I would hope so.... otherwise he got raped.

 

are h22 cylinder walls the same

 

Ya, I paid $1200 for the pistons, rings, and rods altogether. The sleeving was right at $1200, and another $100??? or so to bore the cylinders to match the pistons. Gonna be a mean mf soon as I finish putting it together. Should be able to run hi boost now, huh?

 

let me guess... JE pistons, Crower rods?

 

I don't know about internals. If just the piston rings are being replaced, do the cylinder walls need to be honed?

 

no one ever said are h22 walls the same as the h23 u cant put forged pistons in with out geting the block resleaved

 

^^^

 

I used JE 20 over pistons with a 9:1 compression. Pauter rods.

 

did u get the block resleaved

 

Ya, thru Golden Eagle.