h22a swap prelude si

[Taog36]

I'm new to cars. Most of my interest come from playing Gran turismo.
I got a 92 prelude si automatic off a friend and that got me into cars in general.
I got a 2nd 94 prelude si for pretty cheap off craigs list, with a h23a1, with real bad scared walls. but this one is a 5 speed with a stage 2 clutch. So i decided to buy an H22a and make this a project car. But my first lude died, think its rod bearing, between that and burning oil bad i decided to get this project rolling asap, cause im out a working car currently.
first question the transmissions, my lude has a m2s4 in it, what is the difference between it and the m2f4 that stock vtecs come with, other then gear ratios. Friend at work told me to be careful because i can ruin that transmission with the h22a and in my research i cant confirm this.

2nd, i do need to get a new computer for the h22a right? If im replacing the h23 then i want something better then factory. Im having problems wording my Google searches right to find what im looking for. So Im asking for good websites with computers or suggested computers to use.

I got about $1500 right now, to invest in getting the car running, as i get more money i will do more to the car. i dont want to spend all my money on the computer, because i havent driven this car yet so i dont know if other random problems are gonna come up.

My goals with the car is 350 - 400 hp (approx). i need cold air intake (unless i take out of my other lude), custom duel exaust, and i want a vtec controler. thats going to be budgeted out of my 1500.
I want to go N/A and not turbo, down the road. I haven't scouted prices or scouted needed parts yet for this,
Id like to restore one of my h23a1's to get in my automatic, and sell it to fund the rest of my ideas for the vtec.

So please give me any suggestions or point out anything i haven't thought of yet. I just want to make sure i do everything right.
Thank you for your time

 

[reikoshea]

I'm running short on time right now, so quick response, and I'll get more later.

You'll not be able to get 350whp on an H22. It's just not gonna happen. You can make it up to 300, but it definitely won't be a reliable daily driver at that point.

Skip the vtec controller and get a chipped P28/P30/P72 ECU with a map for your engine. It's relatively cheap (the map and ECU cost me 250+150 for dyno time. Most people have base maps that work, but are not perfect for your engine).

Use the tranny from the H22. The gear ratios are a lot more fun, but it does hurt your gas mileage a bit. The H23 tranny is fine though, you wont hurt it if you replace the clutch and flywheel (which you'll want to do anyway).

Also KEEP THE FUCKING DISTRIBUTOR FROM YOUR BLOWN ENGINE.

It's very difficult to get the right combination of parts for the JDM H22, and it's just easier to keep the stock ignition system. You also don't have to rewire anything.

More later...gotta go to work.

 

[reikoshea]

I'm running short on time right now, so quick response, and I'll get more later.

You'll not be able to get 350whp on an H22. It's just not gonna happen. You can make it up to 300, but it definitely won't be a reliable daily driver at that point.

Skip the vtec controller and get a chipped P28/P30/P72 ECU with a map for your engine. It's relatively cheap (the map and ECU cost me 250+150 for dyno time. Most people have base maps that work, but are not perfect for your engine).

Use the tranny from the H22. The gear ratios are a lot more fun, but it does hurt your gas mileage a bit. The H23 tranny is fine though, you wont hurt it if you replace the clutch and flywheel (which you'll want to do anyway).

Also KEEP THE FUCKING DISTRIBUTOR FROM YOUR BLOWN ENGINE.

It's very difficult to get the right combination of parts for the JDM H22, and it's just easier to keep the stock ignition system. You also don't have to rewire anything.

More later...gotta go to work.

Sorry about the broken replies. So for some more detail:

The P13 is technically correct for your engine, but I've had some really bad luck with P13s. They are also more expensive and cannot be tuned. The 3 ECUs I listed above are very tuner friendly. If you're already planning on changing internals (new cams, BB6 Pistons, etc) then go with one of them and skip the P13 all together. The P72 also has the ability to control the butterflies on your stock intake manifold, the other two don't. If you're going to replace the intake manifold anyway, then don't worry about the P72 as they're usually a little more expensive.

More about your power goal being unrealistic:

I was running bigger injectors, BB6 pistons and Crower Stage 2 Cam in my prelude. I also had a shortie intake, and an open ebay header (never got around to the exhaust before it was stolen).

I was doing 225 (adjusted engine flywheel horsepower) on the dyno before it was stolen. It's going to take a LOT of work to get an H22 to 300 NA. Definitely a lot more than your budget will allow. I had almost 8 grand in my car and a lot left to do.

If you spend the cash you can probably get an H22 to about 250HP and still have a reliable daily driver, but pushing it beyond that will give you a lot of problems. Most importantly a really unreliable idle point.

If you ever watch rally or nascar for that matter, you'll notice that the engine always sounds like it's going to die, and thats because it is. In order to get the performance at the high end of the rev range they have to sacrifice performance at the low end, and a shitty idle point is part of that. That is definitely not something you want in a daily driven car because of stop lights and traffic.

That's about all the answers I have for that set of questions.

 

[Taog36]

Thanks for the help. Yeah the 1500 i got right now is to get the car running pretty well. Mainly i need a computer and need to put the engine in and it should be drivable. Then whatever else i can afford for now.
I would like to start upgrading internals but thats gonna come down the road.
After the 1500 i got, im gonna get my other prelude running to so i can sell it, unless i can get a good price for it as is. that money im going to dump into the h22.
This car is only going to be my daily driver temporally. I plan to get a loan and buy a new car after i spent the money i want on the prelude.
So i guess a P28 or P30 sounds like what im gonna look for. Any sugested sites?

 

[reikoshea]

Xenocron Tuning: Chipped OBD1 VTEC ECU. #[P28-Equiv]

The dude that runs this site is a pretty frequent poster in the ECU section and his prices are pretty nice. Heck I think he might have lowered his price too cause he's doing 200 for ECU with base map. *shrug*

Also when it says 'if you need an ECU with IAB control' those are the intake butterflies i was talking about earlier. That's up to you if you're going to keep the stock intake.

 

[Taog36]

Ok i been reading as much as i can find about computers. This is where im starting to get lost. If i get the Chipped OBD1 VTEC ECU you linked me to. What all will i have to do? After installing it, will it be good to go with the base map it comes with? or do i need to get someone to do custom tuning to my car?

 

[Taog36]

"Can I run my vehicle on a basemap & not worry about it?:
No matter how good the basemap, every forced induction or heavily built motor should be dyno & or street tuned by an experienced tuner to ensure engine safety. "
Since for right now all im gonna have is at least Cold air intake and exaust maybe headers and or cams, but i wouldnt be considered a "forced induction or heavily built motor" so should i be safe on the basemap? and when i get more added to my engine thats when i should start getting it tuned to adapt my engine to the upgrades? some confirm me if im on the right track.

 

[reikoshea]

yeah, the base map will be just as safe as the stock computer with your current set up. Once you start upping the compression or messing with cams, that's when you'll need to get it tuned.

 

[Taog36]

Car is almost done. I need a new fuel line, went to Honda dealership they said it was discontinued and part stores cant get one either so i gotta find one from a junk yard.
Anyone know of a fuel line that will work and what accord has the h22a if any so i can ask the junk yards about that car if they don't have any preludes.

also does anyone know the size of serpentine belt you need when you don't have the air conditioner in anymore.

thank you

 

[BoosteDa]

I think you need the 6 rib alternator belt that's 36inch in length. Someone correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[BoosteDa]

And for the fuel line, i'm thinking you could find an aftermarket one online from companys like aem. This is an example i found.

 

[BoosteDa]

did you ever get it figured out?

 

[Taog36]

Nope nobody has them or its been discontinued, and same for online sites. So im looking at after market ones.

 

[Taog36]

Does anyone know the external FPR and fuel rail make and model of a stock 94 prelude?

Also what all do i need to know about the wire to hook up the vtec to the new ecu?

 

[fastnsideways]

wats good everybody? i got a 92 lude si with a fresh h22a built new/ semi beefier from block up, now, the kid who did the swap, whom i cannot contact, put a vtec control chip in it, and he has a dummy map sensor and charcoal canister feeding info to the chip which is spliced into main harness, idk much about all this, but i heard that setup can run right with the right ecu and right tuning, now where i need help, is i can tell by the marker on the ecu its from a junkyard, i need to know if there is a way to know by lookin at it, is it a p28, p06, how can i tell, and also, do any of you know anything about tuning ecus, because this is the first time im messin wit all this tuner stuff, and im picking up on somebody elses mess.

need some help here fellas.

 

[BrutalB83]

wats good everybody? i got a 92 lude si with a fresh h22a built new/ semi beefier from block up, now, the kid who did the swap, whom i cannot contact, put a vtec control chip in it, and he has a dummy map sensor and charcoal canister feeding info to the chip which is spliced into main harness, idk much about all this, but i heard that setup can run right with the right ecu and right tuning, now where i need help, is i can tell by the marker on the ecu its from a junkyard, i need to know if there is a way to know by lookin at it, is it a p28, p06, how can i tell, and also, do any of you know anything about tuning ecus, because this is the first time im messin wit all this tuner stuff, and im picking up on somebody elses mess.

need some help here fellas.

If this chip is spliced in to the wiring, then it's probably garbage. The car's ECU should be controlling VTEC, not some hack job chip spliced in to the wiring halfway between. You need a chipped and tuned ECU or a standalone...

 

[fastnsideways]

thanks dude, much obliged

 

[Taog36]

Ok, my swap is almost finished now. The car is running but it still has some bugs, before i can really figure out what the bugs are i need to know exactly what these are. i have the wireing harness from an h23, and looking at my other h23 lude it does not have either of these circled things or they are located somewhere completly different.

I would like to know what these are, i think the green might be the air intake temp sensor, but i have no idea about the purple one. Also where do the wires for these come from, i searched everywhere and i cant find any open wires so i might need to rewire this myself.



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i will also need to know where the vacuum kines go for the things circled in purple.

The bugs of the car, once the engine warms up, i loose almost all low end power until about 2500 rpm.
2nd issue i have, the car accelerates only if the gas peddle is barley pressed, anything pass about 1 cm the exhaust gets really loud and there is no power. It seems to me there is something wrong with the fuel system. i have the h23 fuel pump in the can, which runs at higher psi, but shouldn't the regulator prevent this from being a problem?

The only code the computer is showing me is the one for the vtec oil pressure switch, which i bypassed so i'm assuming its normal for the code, vtec does kick in when it should tho. The car does have fresh oil, filter, fuel filter, plugs and wires, dist. rotor and cap.

when below half tank of gas sometimes it stalls out when i come to a stop and during acceleration sometimes it cuts off like no fuel is getting to the engine but it only last for a sec and only aprox below 1/2 tank..

last issue, in city driving sometimes the car overheats, theres no leaks or kinks, but i have only ever seen 1 fan running, should both be running at all times or does one kick on later when im driving and cant notice it come on?

thanks for your help

 

[reikoshea]

green is the tps sensor, cant really tell what purple is.

without the tps plugged in you're gonna have all kinds of issues with power.

as for the fans, only 1 is on unless you turn on the AC, then the second will turn on.

 

[Taog36]

green is the tps sensor, cant really tell what purple is.

without the tps plugged in you're gonna have all kinds of issues with power.

as for the fans, only 1 is on unless you turn on the AC, then the second will turn on.

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if the green is tps sensor then what is this one circled in red? i thought it was tps.