I'm new here and I have a problem. I NEED vtec! I have a 93 si with an aem cai, dc headers, and a set of cams from Webcam. I don't have an exhaust because nothing made for the 4th gen really interests me. Well the other night my gf shows up at my apt with one of her girl friends who has a 95 vtec. She let me drive it and she almost never got it back. The H22 really turns the car into a screaming monster whose power seems endless. I've been happy with my setup for quite some time, being able to beat civic si's and keeping up with some gsr's was okay with me. Now I've got the mod bug again. Sorry so long but my questions is where is a reliable place to get an h22a?
an exhaust, a pully kit, an AFR, or FPR and some spark upgrades would make such a diff. Then all you gotta do is tune the car. STock you put out 160, with the mods you got and the ones I mentioned you should be just about even with a VTEC (190hp). The 2.3 litr has more grunt then the smaller 2.2, more torq too. if you really want to juice it up think of a smal shot of NOS, maybe 50. or better yet if you really want vtec just buy the head and out it on your 2.3 block, now you got size and vtec.
Get an exhaust, tanabe or Greddy power extreem do great on our cars, sound deep and throaty too not thin and tinny
i've never driven a vtec prelude, but i can't fathom it being a hole lot quicker than our 2.3's. i too was once contemplating the swap to a jdm 2.2L but then decided against it because if i'm going to pay $4000 CDN for an engine swap and only get 30 hp out of the deal, why not just go turbo and really go fast.
Not to knock my own engine down or anything b/c it has been good to me but the h22a, despite being a tad bit smaller in terms of displacement, it really is so much better than our h23a. It is smoother revs higher and faster and to be honest I noticed no difference in torque. Plus when vtec hits its a feeling that the h23a can never provide even with cams. Yes the h23a is quick and with the right head work, mild cams, and the proper tuning can be made even quicker BUT at the expense of low end torque, something that every h23a owner prides himself on. Plus I'm not too big of a fan of bolt on performance. I think they satisfy our psychological need for speed more than anything else. Though I still have plenty to learn about cars I'm of the opinion that bolt ons are only good if they are specially made to suit your engine and the performance route your going to take. However, the aem cai and the cams from webcam did make a difference on my car.
The real beauty of vtec is that its economical when you want it and a street terror at the upper end of of the rpm when you want it to be. If anyone cares I was doing some research and found a link on hp.com to rising sun engines. They offer a warranty and quoted me about $1800 for a h22a longblock. If anyone out there knows of any other trustworthy engine resources I'd be thankful for the info.
Something everyone should keep in mind is that the H22 and H23 are very very different blocks. Externally they are very similar (enough to swap easy). The H23 lacks the oil squirters that the H22 has, probably the cause of the infant mortality that H23/VTEC conversions have. I have yet to hear of anyone doing this and getting more than 10 or 15k miles out of the engine (if anyone's out there, please come forward). You should also keep in mind that the rod/stroke ratio on the H23 is down around 1.5, pretty bad. It makes for a torquey stroker motor, but makes it less free-revving.
All that in mind, if you do *anything* to the H23, even if you balance, etc., I wouldn't raise the stock rev limit. That extra torqu comes at a cost. If you want more power, go with a complete H22 (will end up being cheaper/easier than a head swap), and if you want more torque, sell your car and buy a 5.0 Mustang.
Welcome aboard Milano.. I agree that if you want an h22, you should do the whole swap, don't bother with the h22/h23 hybrid. I figure you can get a motor somewhere for a decent price, I did notice this one however, but I'm sure the reserve is about $2000..
I don't know how sketchy it would be, buying a motor through ebay and all, but there are some relatively reputable places on the net that sell good used motors. If it was up to me, I'd find a good used JDM h22a (pre '96, OBD I), with a LSD tranny. Get set with the mods you want, and get a custom ECU. It's the only way to go.
I'm sure you could sell some parts to some Si guys around here.. especially those cams.
Yeah, I'm kind of leery of buying a whole engine from someone of ebay.
However Nippon-Motors.com quoted me around $1400 for an h22a with a 6 month warranty so I'm looking into that right now. Wish I had a beater so I could part my engine out... oh well.
AutoForums.com is the premier network of enthusiast-owned
enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
We operate more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share
experiences and opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
