Advice on finding/swaping 2.3 Rare Prelude engine in 3g 87 LXI.

[Sherlock87LXI]

My friend said it cost him $2400 to get one shipped and rebuilt from Japan cause (not sure here im going off all of what he told me) they werent stock in cars here.

My questions are... Can you buy it here? New or rebuilt? Will it fit in my 87 LXI? I need a new tranny anyways but does it have its own tranny? Will i need engine/ tranny package? If so... is the 2.3L better then a Vtec? I have been told by a few peeps this engine doesnt exist... but then i poped his (96-01 not sure Ill ask) prelude hood and they were like... whoa, but is it a better engine if I cant get one? Has it been done?

[Dibbs]

There is an H23 w/ Vtec. It went in some of the Wagons in Japan and Europe (I think) and yes it is a bit rare and hard to find here. It's NOT going to fit in your 3rd gen without MAJOR modification. It's not a worthwhile project. The power you get compared to what you spend getting that monster in your car is just not worth it. There's a sticky thread in Engine Swaps about what engines will fit in our cars. Just gotta search around a little.

[Sherlock87LXI]

I have cash and shop. when you speak of MAJOR mods... what you mean. mounts? NP. Entire prelude car? NO. I thinking that when you say major thats not cool. but hey. I might be up for it still.

[carotman]

Check all the H22A threads.... that should tell you what Major mods means

[Dibbs]

There was a guy on here who did an H22 swap in a 3g, but I haven't seen him around lately. I know you will need more than mounts. Things like custom axles come to mind. If you do a search you should be able to find the thread on that H22 swap. It will show you all that is involved. Yeah, I've got money too but I'm not about to throw $7000 into something that will give me 80HP when I can get a turbo setup that will give me 225 WHP easily(using stock internals even) for $2500.

[RobT5580]

If you have cash just do a swap and a turbo. I would do a B18C1 or a JDM B20A or even turbo what you have if you have the money. You just have to build it right and you will have all the power you could want. Personally i like the JDM H22 but i would NOT want it in our accords its just to big and will be a headache every time you have to work on it and its similar to the 2.3 your talking about. So far only one person that i know of has done a swap like that and it was more work than most would want to do and if you have to ask you probably dont have the experience to do it yourself. There are pros and cons for every swap you just have to figure out what you want but the accord motor is a very good motor to turbo IMO.

[NXRacer]

motor mounts, engine bay space, wireing headaches, fuel lines, axles and just about everything you could possibly think of have to be reworked and custom fabbed. Its just not worth it. Besides, why would you want an aluminum block that you have to sleeve and do major work to, all for a couple more valves and .3 liters more displacement then whats in your car already.

and dibbs - the h23 didnt have vtec as far as i know (unless they're different from the USDM h23's)

[k-roy]

Whats so "rare" about a H23 anyways?
Turbo is the way to go for the Third gen.

[Sherlock87LXI]

Where do i find out on the engine it self... (assuming i get the keys out of it. :banghead: ) What the engine i have in it is? A20 or what not. that code. where is it? and same for the tranny. i wanna know what code it is so i can start replacing the shiznit. And my friend does this stuff for a living so I have someone who knows his stuff. Hes a dodge man, but hes got a Dodge Shadow Shelby GT... something... Hes done one of a kind mods to it... and he wants this car as a project and so do I. So im just asking the "Pros" about possiblities.

[Neuspeed87lx]

its on the engine block .... if you pop the hood and look on the front of the engine .... its on the left side of the block ....

[Bronx89lx]

I feel u wit the project thing but for the same money u can get ur a20 and head running and still be a project.There are no excuses now there is more surport now for the a20. Its the matter of taking the challenge of the build.

[Dibbs]

and dibbs - the h23 didnt have vtec as far as i know (unless they're different from the USDM h23's)


I just copy/pasted this from the source (thanks CB7Tuner):

JDM H23A DOHC VTEC---6th generation accord wagon and SiR

2258cc
JDM H23A DOHC VTEC (black valve cover) and h23a engine code
200hp/6800rpm
161tq/5300rpm
7200rpm redline
10.6 compression ratios
87.0mm bore x 95.0mm stroke
open deck and 2wd or 4wd setups depending on the trim level
LSD optional depending on drivetrain configuration

This is probably the rarest of all the available options and most don't even know it exists. It was made available in 99 when honda of japan decided to quit importing wagon models to the states due to the lack of interest, not to mention that 2/3 of all wagon sales were in japan. The wagon was available in 2wd and 4wd configurations. The 4 door sedan had this engine available in SiR trim. All h23a's also benefitted from a vtec setup which allowed one set of lobes to operate at low rpm for improved gas mileage while swapping to a normal mode during hard driving to provide power. The sedan was available only in 2wd setups with or without LSD, but these trannies are interchangeable as are most h and f series.

PROS: available 4wd drivetrain if you can find it and adapt it, powerful, unique, and uses the vtec II to improve gas mileage.

CONS: more expensive ($3500-$4000), OBD II, harder to obtain, but should be more available in the future since these engines were only released in 1999 in limited numbers.

[shepherd79]

visit this website for more info http://www.alljapanesecars.com/

[Sherlock87LXI]

o.O
ouch. thats expensive.
Screw that.

haha
Im just gonna swap out the tranny from a friends wrecked 86, but its a manual and i have an auto. My roomie can do that... and replace the rear door passenger (dumbasses who back in to me AFTER i fix this will see the wrath of my Fence post. *SLAM*) and the heater core. then i will rebuild the a20 i assume i have and slap a nice turbo on it. YAY i love my car.

[Illicit3rdgenRacer]

man a h23 is not rare is came in later model preludes here in the states like the 96 97 98 99's they had them

[Dibbs]

man a h23 is not rare is came in later model preludes here in the states like the 96 97 98 99's they had them

Yeah but the didn't have VTEC in the USDM versions. The JDM VTEC variant of the H23A was only made in 1999.