F23 swap into 86 Accord LXi

Hello, hello

Here it goes. Im posting this for more educated Honda folks to add any red pen to my idea and get me going. I bought this 86 Accord LXi two weeks ago. Replaced the alternator and Radiator. From what Ive found the coolant passages in the block are clogged and coolant will not circulate. In addition to that lovely issue the trans is effed. It drove 50 miles to where I parked it and from there it stopped shifting entirely, hooray. Now those issues I could fix but also the engine has a horrible idle and the electrical in the vehicle is mostly non functioning. Now I could spend all the wrench time sorting ALL of that out but im thinking of sacrilege instead. I have a rebuilt F23 engine with a 5 spd from an H22 just sitting and not doing anything. I have the ECU as well. All I need is new flywheel bolts ($65), F23 wiring harness ($16), Clutch pedal ($8), Clutch reservoir ($8), Motor and trans mounts($24) and H22 axles ($32). These prices are cheap because I pull them from the local U pull and its a glorious place.

Heres the plan and where I would like guidance. Getting new hubs, control arms, suspension from the H22 and fabbing them in sounds awful. I want to use the stock 3gee control arms, hubs, suspension and splice the H22 axles into the original 3gee axles. The 3gee axles are hollow (im assuming theyre huge) and the h22 axles are solid. From the sizes it looks like they both can be cut and inserted into each other and from there do some top notch welding to make them as strong as humanly possible.

Once the axles are sorted I have the correct placement for my engine and trans. I figure do the axles first, I can get the geometry right and drop the engine where it lays from there. The 3gee engine bay is huge and I doubt that Ill have any issues with size. From there I can install the F23 wiring harness and run the junkyard wiring harness and fuse box where it makes logical sense. I can fab the receiving ends of the motors mounts and use the stock F23 mounts to secure the engine assembly. Any residual electric problems like lights, blinkers wipers I can route into the F23 box (which cant be much different) and sort anything that wont go to the old ecu via switches.

The F23 is already Turbo ready and im thinking of completing it with a new turbo and fabbing the return line before it goes in. I need to replace the flywheel bolts because I swapped that engine to manual and I used the flex plate bolts which arent long enough. Hole cut a spot in the firewall for the pedal, install the clutch reservoir, run brake line for the hydro clutch and install the shifter and shifter cables which isnt any issue at all.

Now the questionable parts are the Axles(obviously), im confident I can make them sturdy enough for a +200 hp/tq Honda. Also the receiving ends of the motor mounts and subframe for the F23.

PLEASE let me know any skepticism. I think that this is a decent swap and I have a lot of the major parts ready to go. I want to desperately drive this car but the stock setup is super unreliable and wont be on the road very often. I hate to commit sacrilege by swapping the engine, but I figure its a newer accord engine and from what I read the F23 can take K20 pistons and other performance goodies so it seems like a nice alternative.

I want to do this in the next couple weeks and make a creation all my own. I think that the axles are the biggest concern but ive seen some sketchy axle conversion and this doesnt seem like it would be a huge issue.

Thanks guys! I love the cars and I want to do anything to get my baby on the road.

Peace

Sounds very ambitious. Have you accounted for the forward lean that an A20 does to accommodate the slope of the hood on a 3G? Not saying it cannot be done but there's not a lot of clearance under that glorious hood.

A20a3 4 life :argue:

I know guys I'm so sorry to diss the a20a3 my trans is garbage and I have this entire f23 setup rebuilt.

I guess hood clearence I haven't thought of but body work is the least daunting of the project. I seriously don't know if splices axles will hold under a boosted f23. I suppose I could spend some money and have a machine shop make some custom f23 transaxles to 3gee hubs.

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For the record right now I'll put mine in second where the trans can't slip and it revvs sooooo good. I would love a 5spd for the car but these cars don't exist in junkyards anymore

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Originally Posted by myogi

I know guys I'm so sorry to diss the a20a3 my trans is garbage and I have this entire f23 setup rebuilt.

I guess hood clearence I haven't thought of but body work is the least daunting of the project. I seriously don't know if splices axles will hold under a boosted f23. I suppose I could spend some money and have a machine shop make some custom f23 transaxles to 3gee hubs.

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you can get Hood spacers on eBay for like 15 bucks if you have most of the parts go for it

It should be one of the lesser problems of the swap. I lowered it and the trans is literally inches off the ground right now. The gauge cluster doesn't work and I bottomed out the other day and it magically worked for a couple minutes

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by myogi

It should be one of the lesser problems of the swap. I lowered it and the trans is literally inches off the ground right now. The gauge cluster doesn't work and I bottomed out the other day and it magically worked for a couple minutes

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you'll probably switch to the F-22 gauge cluster when you do the swap

Yeah local boneyard has enough donor cars I'll get its cluster and massage it in. Accessories will stay the same even though most don't work as is.

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