Whats best?

[webmedic]

I've been looking through threads going back 2 years or more on how to do engine swaps which I have done before on older vw. Man those are easy and nice to work on.

I recently got a 89 accord with bent rods. I know the motor needs to be replaced have not decided what to put back into it yet. I figured I would look around first and see what my best options are.

1. I'm not exactly looking for better performance. If I get that then fine but it's not my main concern. I would prefer something that gives at least as good of gas miliage as the original motor. I used to have an 86 prelude that got about 35 and sometimes as good as 50mpg when going about 80 down through canada. So I assume this will get similar.

2. I would prefer something that would bolt in easily. I dont have welding equipment and it has been years since I did any welding so I would not want to have to make my own motor mounting brackets.

So what do you guys think? What would work best? And what cars should I get the motor from?

Please give the motor model as well as the car it comes from so I can easily find it at the local junk yard.

Thanks for any help with this.

[jschatte]

well if you want a bolt in engine, the only think you can get is a jdm b20a, which needs to be imported from japan. You could also swap in a b18, b16, or even h22, but that requires alot of fabricating which you dont want to do

[snoopyloopy]

well then, here you go. b18/b20 require a little redoing of the mounts. much easier if you manage to snag one w/ all the mounts.
bs/bt
2g accords
earlier 2g preludes
1986 model year 3g accords(?)

a20a1
1987+ 3g accords

a20a3
2.0si 2g preludes
1987+ 3g accords

b18a
jdm 3g accords

b20a(a1/a8)
jdm, edm 3g accord
jdm, edm 2g prelude

[A18A]

id just say go for the a20a3, the b20a would be too much of a shit to go through especially if your main priority isnt performance

[webmedic]

thanks for the replies.

How about the dual carb one that was in the 2g preludes?

I'm just kind of curious is all. It was what was in my 86 prelude.

As far as what I'm looking at so far I'm kind of leaning two either one of the pgm-fi motors or simply another carberated one. After looking at the motor he had replaced a fair number of parts in the last couple of years including a new alternator.

Also if I decide to rebuild this motor where's the best place to get the parts?

[SQ is the SQUAD]

isent the jdm accord motor an a18a and not b18a
the b18a was featured in the 90-93 integra rs, ls, and gs

[SQ is the SQUAD]

to answer the original question, what modle car do you have and how much your looking to spend? (time and money)

id you have a dx/lx woth the carbuated motor, your better off with a cheap non performance rebuild of your a20a. that way you will have a practcally new motor, that will get pretty decent gas milage. its very possable to swap a motor into a carbed car, but if you arent trying to send alot of time and money its best not to go this rounte. to swap in a fuel injected motor you need to swap tanks, wireing, ecu manifolds, ect.

if your lxi or sei thats fuel injected, then you have a few more options. you can stil rebuild the a20a but alos upgrade a better fuel injected motor. a nice direct bolt in is to get a jdm accord b20a, not to be confused with the us model prelude b20a. now the only problem i see with this is your going to spend some dough getting it imported. and most likely it will have an automatic transmission. the best all around way to go is i wouilds say to swap in a b18a. they are in aboundance, the provide nice power over the a20a, still get very good gas milage, are not very hard to swap in, and an abundance of aftermarket support. with the b18a u can use there cable tran ny sewtup if your 5spd or there auto tranny if your auto

[webmedic]

Yes thats kind of what I was thinking. I have been looking at rebuild kits for it but just for the rods, rings and I assume I will also need pistons since it supposedly has a bent rod, anyway the rebuild kits not including the pistons are well over $200.

It's a lx and still has the carb motor in it. The thing is around here there are some really decent u pull it yards and I can pick up another motor for $150.

Either way it's just a matter of my time to do it. Which is no big deal.


Thanks for the ideas and advice.

[SQ is the SQUAD]

the thing with a use engine is you have no idea how well it is. if u check ebay they have lx pistons on there all the time for $9

[MessyHonda]

the thing with a use engine is you have no idea how well it is. if u check ebay they have lx pistons on there all the time for $9

cuz im going to turst 9 buck pistons.