F22xx block with h23 head

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d112crzy

im not a n0ob, trust me
I am tired of people saying how its not possible and how it is not worth the money and blah blah blah.

well, guess what, it is possible and it is worth the money, especially if you are going from the f22a1 or f22b2.

this DIY is from WikkedV16 from CB7Tuner.com - 4th Generation Accord Online Community, the thread is here:
CB7Tuner Forums - DIY request on H23 head swap

this is for the F22Ax block with an h23 head. Now, it is pretty much the same for F22B2's. I'm not sure about F22B1 since it has vtec, but im pretty sure it WILL swap on.

If you fuck anything up, thats you're own fault, dont come complaining to me or Wikked.


WiKKeDV16 said:

Step 1:
Collection Process.. For this Headswap you need a decent amount of parts so without further adeu heres the parts list


F22A/H23A HEADSWAP

-H23A Head Complete(cams/cam gears/etc)
-H23A intake manifold complete(fuel injectors/throttle body/sensors)
-H23A Timing gear(crankshaft)-this piece may be a little hard to find but shouldnt have too hard of a time finding someone parting out a h23a
-H23A Headgasket kit
-F23A Headgasket
-H23A Timing Belt
-H23A Balancer Shaft Belt
-New Head stubs (OEM,Aftermarket whichever floats your boat)

Recommendation: Have the head rebuild since the headgasket kit already includes valve stem seals that u an have replaced.. and since the head is off why not rebuild it (150-200 for rebuild)


Thats the Main Chunk of Parts Needed to Complete this Hybrid


P-R-O-C-E-S-S

REMOVE THE TERMINALS FROM YOUR BATTERY and set them aside
PART I
1.park your car where u will be working it for the entirety of the time it takes you to do this
2. raise the hood and allow the engine to cool off (go watch some tv for an hour or so)
3.get yourself some sort of bucket(fits under the front end) and remove the coolant butterfly. Allow the Coolant to drain
4.while the coolant is draining u can go ahead and begin to remove parts
-Stock intake airbox/Short ram
-Distributor,spark plug wires
probably by the time your somewhere in those two steps the coolant has stopped trickling into the bucket..

5.pop your fuel door and open the gas cap(this allows the built up pressure to be released)
6.loosen the service nut on the fuel rail (have a rag handy to catch an fuel that may squirt out). you are doing this to release the rest of the pressure that may be still in the line
7.remove the fuel pressure regulator/fuel line(dont forget those washers) and set the fuel rail w/injectors aside somewhere
8.with pliers you can begin to remove coolant lines that connect the intake manifold to the thermostat housing
9.unbolt the thermostat housing (3x10mm) it is not neccessary to remove it off of the water pipe but just simply unbolt it so its not attached to the intake manifold (coolant will flow once this is removed, i suggest u place the bucket in the proximity that the coolant will drop down)

10. remove the throttle cable
11. begin to unbolt the intake manifold the top nuts can be accessible with a 10mm wrench. this step takes patience, u will end up finding ur own way on removing them
11b.the bottom center nuts of the intake manifold are quite hard to get to for this i suggest u use a long extension or two short extensions put together i myself use a 6" extension coupled with a 3" extension to reach the middle bottom bolt which is impossible to reach through the top
11c.once all of the I/M bolts are removed raise the car (move the bucket... more coolant will flow) get under the car and remove the bottom bolt to the bracket that attaches the intake manifold to the block

12.unplug all of the sensors connected and vac lines (tps,egr,iat,iacv,)
13.unbolt the pwr steering line holder and harness holder these are located on the drivers side (look next to the cam gear area.. you'll see a bolt strapped to the intake manifold holding the pwr steering line and harness to it remove both of these bolts)
14.slowly begin to shimmy the intake manifold off of the head
15. once u manage to get the flange portion(part that was attached to the head) over the valvecove.. reach under with pliers and remove the ziptie like holder that keeps the harness attached to the intake manifold.. once this is removed u can pull the intake manifold up and away

PART II
1.Remove the heatshield from the stock exhaust manifold(u will have to unplug the o2 sensor and slide the harness through the heatshield
2.slide under the car and remove the 3 bolts that connected the top portion of the exhaust manifold to the down pipe(bottom portion)
----this step is only needed if u plan on replacing the stock exhaust manifold with an aftermarket header----
3.near the flexpipe there are 2 bolts that connect the flexpipe area to the chasis remove these 2 bolts
4.get back to the engine bay and remove the bolts to the exhaust manifold
4b.shimmy out the exhaust manifold and set it aside

5.unbolt/remove the pwr steering pump from its bracket and set it aside, along with belt
6.loosen tension on alternator unbolt/remove and set aside (along with belt)
7.begin to unbolt the timing cover(s) the easiest one to get to is the top
7b.once the top timing cover is off simple cut the belt why i say this? well ur not gonna need the belt your not putting the same head back.. and i doubt u could sell it to anybody so why bother with having to loosen the tensioner right now?
smile.gif


8.get yourself a hydrolic jack and a piece of wood(sturdy and flat)
8b. place the jack with wood under oil pan and slowly begin to raise the jack until u can see that the weight has been taken off the motor mounts
9.remove the drivers side motor mount bolt(19mm i think)
10. go back under and lower the jack slowly NOT all the way just enough until u see the crank bolt clearly enough where u can get tools on it
11.Remove Valvecover
11b.unbolt head in according sequence(see manual)
11c.set aside somewhere away from dirt/grim/grass etc if u plan on reselling
12. go back under and remove the bottom timing cover and set aside
13. rotate crank manually with ratchet until piston #1 is at TDC(piston closet to timing side) TDC=Piston is at highest point in compression stroke
13b. this is up to you.. u can deside to attempt to remove the crank bolt yourself.. you can buy the special tool for this.. there are a million ways/tricks/tips to do this.. i will not discuss them.. just get it done.

14.once the bolt is off remove the crank pulley and pay attention for the key it may or may not fall down when u pull the crank pulley out
14b.remove crank timing gear
14c.replace crank timing gear with p14 timing gear(17 teeth)
15. Flip h23a head on a table or some work-able area place the f23a headgasket on it and fill in the blind hole with hondabond and with your finger rub some of the hondabond in that part of the gasket
16. clean up block from any old gasket material it may have.. or dirt grime etc
17.if aftermarket headstuds have been purchased insert them now
18.spray copper gasket on block and on the bottom of the h23a head(Gasket area)
19.place h23a head WITH intake manifold( heavy i know) onto block with care to not move to much the f23a gasket

PART III
1.Reinstall the Camshafts with cam gears on (UP letters facing ^) into their corresponding locations (cams are marked INT= INTAKE EXT=EXHAUST
2.lube up the cam bodies with assembly lube (lithium grease)
3.place cam caps back onto their corresponding locations (in corresponding order)
4.go back under and remove the plug covering the access way for the rear balance shaft
5.insert a screw driver into the access hole and rotate balancer shaft until locked
6.while down there loosen the tensioner bolt to release the tension it may have preciously had
7.FOLLOW MANUAL ON REINSTALLATION OF A TIMING BELT
8.Reinstall bolt for access hole/timing

9.replace timing belt covers
10.raise up jack holding motors weight to align bolt hole for motor mount bolt
10b tighten down the bolt to spec and lower the jack SLOWLY
11.Install Valvecover gakset/valvecover/tighten down
12.install distributor and make sure u have firing order correct
12b.1-4-3-2 (im tired as shit but i believe its right)
12c. install fresh NEW spark plugs

13.plug in distributor/egr/tps/iat/iacv/all vacumn lines
14.install top portion of new header OR stock exhaust manifold
14b.disconnect stock downpipe from cat and replace with new aftermarket downpipe OR simply bolt up the stock exhaust manifold to the stock downpipe
15. Drain oil/Replace Oil Filter
15b.Replace oil with your brew (Mobile 1 is my canidate,switching to redline soon due to some convincing
bouncy.gif
)
16.Bolt up Thermostat Housing/Coolant lines/make sure everything is button down tight
16b.look over everything
16c.look over everything
16d.LOOK OVER EVERYTHING
16e.L-O-O-K O-V-E-R E-V-E-R-T-H-I-N-G!!

17.Reinstall your alternator/ a/c belt
17b. reinstall alternator/reinstall pwr steering (if ur keeping it,pwr str is for pussys)
17c.recheck over everything one last time
18.remove ECU fuse
18b. crank the motor over a few times without the ecu fuse (this will allow oil pressure to be built up)
19.install ecu fuse
20.hop inside your car, turn the ignition key to on (make sure u hear the fuel pump priming)
21. turn over key and hold (may take a lil longer then normal for it to turn on for the first time) once its on quickly get out and check your work
22.look over fuel rail for leaks/vacumn leaks(if ur idle is surging ) pay close attention to everything.. if it sounds fine let it be till it warms up
23.once warmed up check temperature if its normal proceed to check other problems you may be having

24.fine adjustments (adjust the idle screw), FIV(theres a DIY on here) , Bleed the Coolant,check for any vacumn leaks,set distributor timing with a timing gun, check for any leaks from coolant lines
24b. once this checks out hop by in your car and give it a few light revs (2,500rpm is fine) everything still there? shes still on?
winkeye.gif

24c. put your tires back on tidy up and pull it out of your driveway.. DO NOT GO ONTO A MAIN ROAD
25.drive it around your neighborhood/block/street/w.e slowly..
25b. raise in rpm to about 3,000rpm and shift getting a feel for it, listen very carefully for any wierd noises or leaks that may spring(coolant lines like to burst a leak randomly)... check your temperature if its fine proceed.. after a good 10-15minute drive take it back home
26.park it.. turn it off. and pop the hood again.. give it another inspection.. if all's well u can begin to really tidy up the engine bay and make things look nice..
 
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should be about the same as a stock h23. it depends on which ecu you use. if you use the p14 or p39, its gona run strong, but not its strongest. a chipped and tuned ecu would be best.

its gona have a lot more umph, but dont be surprised if it doesnt keep up with h23's. h23's still have higher compression a more displacement. the head does NOT affect the compression ratio. it will still remain at 8.8cr.
 
I could have sworn that the F22 has the same block dimensions as the H23. Its supposed to be related as a JDM version of the H23...
 
I'm not convinced. A honda headgasket is $80. You still have to change ECU's, and rewire your harness. An H23 can be found for $500, easy. Now, what is your time worth for a half ass engine with no knock sensor, that PROBABLY makes less power than a stock H23?

You'll save a few bucks, sure. You'll also have more hassle.

I tell people it is not worth their time or money, because it is true. Changing the cam on your F22 is cheaper and easier than a head swap.

That being said, I'm glad you enjoy doing the work, and hope you enjoy the car after the work is performed.
 
The idea of combining the 2 different engines is a great idea when you look deep down at the differences, you are actually taking the best of two worlds.

One of the biggest complaints about H blocks is the FRM sleeves and also good H blocks are getting harder to come by (ie. high cost), where as F blocks are a dime a dozen at any local junk yard and already have cast iron sleeves. Also if you are doing a turbo build, the F22A is already at a low 8.8:1 compression, good place to be for boost.

Then there is the strengths of the much higfher flowwing and tunable DOHC head, weather you chose H22 or H23 you are just going to see significant gains. Not to mention H heads are alot eaisier to find then good blocks.

So if you really look at it think of it as getting a sleeved block without the cost, and once you have done the work the first time, now you can cheaply and eaisly get a replacement lower end.

Just my opinion.

And yes I am in process of rebuilding a H23 head to stick on my F22 block.;)
 
The idea of combining the 2 different engines is a great idea when you look deep down at the differences, you are actually taking the best of two worlds.

One of the biggest complaints about H blocks is the FRM sleeves and also good H blocks are getting harder to come by (ie. high cost), where as F blocks are a dime a dozen at any local junk yard and already have cast iron sleeves. Also if you are doing a turbo build, the F22A is already at a low 8.8:1 compression, good place to be for boost.

Then there is the strengths of the much higfher flowwing and tunable DOHC head, weather you chose H22 or H23 you are just going to see significant gains. Not to mention H heads are alot eaisier to find then good blocks.

So if you really look at it think of it as getting a sleeved block without the cost, and once you have done the work the first time, now you can cheaply and eaisly get a replacement lower end.

Just my opinion.

And yes I am in process of rebuilding a H23 head to stick on my F22 block.;)

thank you. you are right one the ball. finally, someone who knows what they are talking about. what other forums are you on?

anyways, x2 on what he said.

It will only be worth it if you get the parts for cheap, which now in days, heads are pretty cheap, just kinda hard to come by. Just recently, on cb7tuner, ive seen a few complete h23 heads go for less than 150shipped. If you're spending more than 500 for this swap, you're not looking hard enough for the parts.

yes, an h23 can be had for about 500, but they arent as boost friendly as an f22 block, as 4thgen mentioned.

reliability will NOT be an issue if everything is done right. an f22/h23 is nothing more than an f22b dohc engine. the head is the same, the difference between the two engines is the compression, which the f22b gets the compression from the pistons, NOT the head as many think.

the power gains are a lot, especially if going from an f22a1 or f22b2. The best gains will be had if tuned of course, but very good gains can be had if you use a p39 or p14 ecu. and if you have atleast some mechanical abilities, then this swap would be a breeze. the hardest part would be lifting the head and intake manifold assembly off and putting it back on.
 
None at this point, but after reading several years of not having the ability (Time, Money, ect..) I am getting back into SC building and tuning. The first major swap I did was going on 10+ years ago when I took and built a NA H22A1 for a friend abd built it to 270+ WHP and shoved it into a 86 CRX. That car was pulling 11s at ATCO NJ. Since then I had to become a grown up and let other priorities take over. Now I am married to a great woman who actually supports the idea of getting back into this, oh and did I mention she loves drift racing and actually helps me with the work along with my 9 year old step-son:D . So about 9 months ago I picked up what has always been my favorite Honda, the 4th Generation Prelude (Love the body style and the dash) and am doing a full build on the vehicle, which is also my daily driver.

Anyways, just as you said, for those of us with large bugets to do our engine builds this is a perfect little marraige. How much is it to get a H22/23 block sleeved?? From what I have seen that costs somewhere around $500 just for the sleeves, not to mention the cost of the block in the first place, which again from what I have seen on FleBay, most of the H22s seem to go for $1K+. Most of us who are really into streaching out our Hondas would probably have a chipped ECU or some other form to be able to tune, anyways, I am in process of figuing out which way I am going to go for a re-programmable EMS, buy or build my own. Not to mention there is a finite number of H blocks out there, I think there were more than 50 times then number of F blocks made as H blocks, simple laws of supply and demand kick in there.

Is there anyone out there from the Northern VA area who can point me towards a good machine shop in the area?


Many thanks goto PirateMcFred, prelittlelude, and Sam1am26 for thier early work on these Hybrids.
 
I was contemplating a swap in my accord now that the motor seems toasted. I think I'll pull the F22 though and buy a H23 to swap onto it. I planned on rebuilding it anyway so now I'll make it even bigger and better :) Thanks for the info!!!!

Do you know if the H23 exhaust pattern is the same as a F22? I just had a ramhorn made for my F22 and would hate to have to buy another one now :(
 
h23/f22b dohc/f22a are all the same exhaust patterns.

an 4thGen, I'm glad that you have such a loving wife that supports what you love doing. I hope my gf converts, lol. As of now, she "supports" me, but not really.

anyways, you should join cb7tuner.com. its a forum for all cb7's. It's an alright forum, it has its HUGE share of noobs, but there are true enthusiasts there also.
 
should be about the same as a stock h23. it depends on which ecu you use. if you use the p14 or p39, its gona run strong, but not its strongest. a chipped and tuned ecu would be best.

its gona have a lot more umph, but dont be surprised if it doesnt keep up with h23's. h23's still have higher compression a more displacement. the head does NOT affect the compression ratio. it will still remain at 8.8cr.

OK.

You didn't mention that you wanted sleeves for boost. That is a different purpose altogether. At any rate, a DOHC F22B is pretty much what you are after. I just like to skip extra work. Call me lazy. I fix everything myself, but I don't try to make extra work. You see, my time is valuable. I can make $1500 dollars painting a truck that will only take me a few days worth of work. Skills=money. I am always budget conscious, but time is just as important.

As mentioned, if you love the work, then congrats and enjoy it.
 
what? when did I say anything about sleeves or boost?

if i did, i dont remember and dont really feel like scrolling up to read my essay.:p
 
please get back to me

with the h23 crankshaft fit in the f22
I am tired of people saying how its not possible and how it is not worth the money and blah blah blah.

well, guess what, it is possible and it is worth the money, especially if you are going from the f22a1 or f22b2.

this DIY is from WikkedV16 from CB7Tuner.com - 4th Generation Accord Online Community, the thread is here:
CB7Tuner Forums - DIY request on H23 head swap

this is for the F22Ax block with an h23 head. Now, it is pretty much the same for F22B2's. I'm not sure about F22B1 since it has vtec, but im pretty sure it WILL swap on.

If you fuck anything up, thats you're own fault, dont come complaining to me or Wikked.
 
check the date before posting :newbie:

But if your asking will the h23 crank fit in the f22, they bolt right in, just have to get h23 rods. h22 crank is better.
 
I need help with my h23/f22 build

Alright I got a f22 bottom all oem and a h23 top. Everything is aftermarket but my heads. I cant get the balancer bolt to fit...any ideas? I have spent countless hours on this and i am gettin to wonder if it is worth the hassle. I got to get some ideas I have other parts like the chain pain wont fit im not to concerned with that but still want it right. Also got more issues but ill take them one at a time.
 
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