H22AdelSol's H22A swap guide.

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H22AdelSol

Senior Member
Hey i thought something like this was needed because there has been alot of posts on what is needed and how much everything is...

Types of H22A's
U.S. H22A 190 HP 157 ft/lb trq 10.0 Comp Ratio 2157cc
JDM H22A 200HP 163 ft/lb trq. 10.6 Comp Ratio 2157cc
JDM H22A Type-S 220HP 163 ft/lb trq 11.1 Comp Ratio 2157cc
EURO-R H22A 220HP 163 ft/lb trq 11.1 Comp Ratio 2157cc

The reason the JDM engines are quicker is because they have better pistons, camshafts and the Type-S and EURO-R have a mild polished head.
These engines except the base JDM H22A(200HP +163 ft/lb trq) will most likely NOT pass smog in california.
I have yet to get my H22 to pass and it will most likely barely pass.
h22a.jpg

~99+ Euro Accord-R H22A. If you find a motor this clean, you have found a winner.

55.jpg

JDM 92. The reason i went with such a crappy looking motor is that it was cheap and i was planning on building it for turbo(as we speak)

Note: Everything that i am explaining here is from expeirence and if i dont know something i will simply say "i dont know" unlike some of the people in the FAQ :D
This guide assumes you know what a front clip is and what comes with it. (everything)

If this is a swap into anything other than a prelude or accord your going to need better suspension.

Engine $2000-$3000
Usually you will want to aim for the newest engine possible ie:95+ In my expierance of having a 1992 JDM alot of stuff needed replacing, such as everything on the timeing belt side, alternator, oil pump etc. Just a good idea to aim for newer.

Mounts $300-$600
You can go with whatever mounts you want but they have to been H-series swap mounts made for the car its going into.
Hasport sells really nice mounts but you pay the price:Hasport
Enjo Precision Also has some pretty good mounts but are way cheaper:
Enjo Precision Products

Suspension ~$400-
As stated before if this swap is going into an Integra, Civic or del Sol your going to atleast need to get better suspension upfront. I went with Tokico Illuminas and Skunk2 coilovers. If you would rather have lowering springs then your going to need a custom spring rate. I know Ground Control makes a kit for this swap.
Ground Control: here
Also most of the bad handling comes from having to small of a sway bar in the rear, of course strut bars and tie bars will also help.

Smog Related ~$100 (Only applies to non front clips.)
If you didnt purchase a front clip chances are that the EGR(Exhaust Gas Recirculation) was left back in that prelude in japan. The prelude H22A also has a secondary baffle system like the GSR.IAB(Intake Air Bypass), which contains a vacuum box+attached selenoid to open the intake manifold a couple hundred RPMS before VTEC. It helps regain low end torque and also helps with smog. If this system is not functioning properly ie: not hooked up. the baffles stay closed in VTEC and your getting half the air you are supposed to! Another way is to just take the baffle mechanism out but im not sure if you can just bolt it back together without the plate. The charcal canister is also needed and i will take full pictures as soon as i can get them.

Wiring ~$60
Did you put your H22 in and find out that the prelude wiring harness doesnt bolt up to your cabin harness? Well your going to need a wiring harness that mates up to your cabin harness. In my obd1 del sol im using a 95 civic EX harness in which every single connector has to be lenghened 4-5". Note: DO NOT extend your o2 sensor wire, do it from the harness! Hondas run off of ohms and they are sensitive so dont mess with the o2 wire itself. You will also have to run wires for EGR, EGR Valve and IAB, the pinouts can be found in the articles seciton. Make sure you solder and then heatshrink wrap your wires! I wrapped my heatshrink in electrical tape to play it safe.
DSC00336.JPG


Misc
Prelude fuel filters are on the other side of the car which means the fuel line connects on the other side. SO, a longer fuel line is needed such as a steel braided line. I had Earls fittings put on mine which are an unbelievable $20 per fitting :ph34r: . If you use the Earls banjo bolt fitting on the stock fuel rail, you have to griend the walls on the fuel inlet on the fuel rail so the banjo bolt sits flush. I decided that doing that was janky and got an AEM fuel rail. It doesnt really matter what u get, ebay usually has some good deals.
Fuel Rails Since older preludes have the map sensor mounted on the firewall you may need to get one if you didnt get a clip. I believe the newer obd2 preludes have them on the throttle body. Your civic throttle cable is not long enough, i used a GSR one by flipping the bracket on the IM on the H22 but i have heard that the 98 prelude one is supposed to work right... dont know

It is a good idea to change the timing belt and water pump when you do a this swap especially because it is so tight in the engine bay it is difficult to change. Spark plugs are also recommended. A good thing to do is swap the clutch out if its an older motor.

Your catback will be slightly too long and since i didnt care about smog i cut my catalytic converter in half for a mini test pipe.
Resistor Box
This resistor box is needed to control the voltage going to the injectors IF they are multi point injectors, saturated do not need them.

If you have the extra money for this swap its yields great results especially with drag slicks. From my expierence without slicks, i spin through first and half of second.

A great place for discounted Honda parts is Honda Automotive Parts

FAQ people have asked and some ive found on other boards.

____________________________________________________________________

My car has linkage what do i do!?

H22 trannys have cable linkage which connects to a shifter bracket that you take from the prelude. Unlike cars with steel linkage, when you buy a short shift kit you cannot replace the shifter because it is all one piece, short throw shifters on a cable tranny are very differant and cannot be used on linkage trannys.

Take it from someone who has a del sol with a H22 in it...You will also   need to change the radiator so that you dont overheat the motor.

In my opinion the only reason to swap out the del sol radiator is to put a slim line fan on it, without the slimline, the hydrolic clutch rubs against it and makes a funny sound. The radiator itself is small but it works and its been race proven ;)

you will have to completely redo the suspension and it will still never handle corners as crisp

You need to sit down and think about why its not handling correctly, as i stated above, rear sway bar plays a big role, i added one after the swap and the handling is alot better. This may sound extreme but you can put every suspension part on your car with $2000 tein suspension and it should handle better than the prelude 10x over.

you are going to wind up spending more in the long run for all of the excess parts and materials in order to do the swap

The only parts i bought for my engine were the IAB parts and the EGR that i got from the junkyard. $100 tops. If thats not something you want to do, dont do the swap, no ones begging you.

Handling sucks d@@@.... unless impressive 1/4 mile times tickle your fancy!

^doesnt even own an import...

If I have a 92-96 header, will a 97-01 downpipe fit on it

yes it will but note that each downpipe has differant sized O-rings that fit up to the catylitic converter.

Will my F-22 tranny work on my H22A?

Yes it will bolt up and work but the H22 tranny is geared way better and using the F-22 tranny will hinder performance.

Ive heard about H23/VTEC how do I found out more?

There is alot of money to spent doing that but if you insist, h23/VTEC
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Bottom line, find out the real facts, decide on what you want to do. Asking "should i go b18c1/5 or H22A?" answers your question already, everyone will say b series all the way and i agree, its easier. They almost drop in.

Any comments? tell me if i missed anything
 
good write up =)

I think i'll move this into the articles section in a few days. also, i fixed your quotes :D
 
arg i added more FAQ questions and the quotes all messed up, dont know how to fix em. Thanks for fixing them in the first place B
 
Originally posted by pissedoffsol@Feb 25 2004, 05:28 AM
good write up =)

I think i'll move this into the articles section in a few days. also, i fixed your quotes :D

Definitely a good write-up.

But should probably be in a Civic forum, if not the articles section. :)
 
if you have all of the emissions components working (that includes that picky ass egr valve) then yes, a JDM H22 will pass smog.
 
I'm rather attached to the k20a in the rsx-s, I think that's what I'll be putting in my Integra this spring :)

And what does that have to do with anything in this thread?

Did you not read what I said above? This thread is freakin' old, why are we still posting in it?
 
On a scale from 1-10, how much harder is the H22 swap than the b-series swap into a 92-95 civic??? thnx

Congratulations, you just resurrected an 8 month old thread. :roll:

Do some searching before you ask questions like this please. Information on Honda engine swaps is NOT hard to find...
 
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