Honda Car Forum

will it be fast or should i go with a b16

the H22 motor is the superior motor, but there are some things you need to consider, like 1 you are going to have to cut into the frame in order to mount the tansmission, you will need special motor mounts to put it in, you will need new axels, you will need to beef up your suspension for the added weight of the H22, lastly you may or may not have engine compartment clearance issues.The B16 is the more popular, and more easier swap to do, because it literally drops right in. this would be my choice, especially if you were considering doing the swap yourself

the h22 is a better motor due to its larger displacement, but it is difficult to swap into a civic (it can be done but what a hassle), your better bet would be a b18c (Integra gsr or type r motor) it puts out almost 200 hp and drops right in with a new wiring harness, or there is also the b20 they drop in an are rewarding after build up, but a b20 will need to be sleeved for best results, a b16 has less starting hp but is rev happy

Everybody that says the H22 is a superior motor has never had to rebuild one due to the fact that the internals are JUNK. Not only is the issue of size a problem, but the weight and position of the motor throws off the handling by being so front heavy. I would HIGHLY suggest getting either a B16A or B18C instead. Both are readilly available for around $1,300 and will drop in alot easier and cheaper than a H22. The extra money you save can be out towards some performance parts, such as pistons, rods, cams, cam gears, exhaust, TURBO, air intake, the choices are only limited by your imagination and budget. But to be painfully honest I have personally rebuilt over 15 H22's due to internals failing. The cylinder walls are VERY thin and cannot take much punishmnet other than a little more HP over factory levels.

Why do you people insist on putting all of the these ridiculous motors into your civics. Do something simple like the B16 or the B18. You won't have to cut the frame and squeeze the motor in and have so many problems. Just put a B series motor into the car and stop with all of the foolishness!!

People who say that the engine weighs a ton, and that the swap is a lot harder than a B-series swap obviously have never done the swap. The H22A doesn't weight that much more than a B16A, it's a myth. The understeer that people talk about is solely from the way the engine sits (tilted toward the firewall). And as long as you upgrade your suspension with some stiffer shocks & springs, you'll barely notice the understeer. I have more understeer in my '94 CX hatch than my friend's H22A turbo swapped VX hatch; both without powersteering. There is no cutting of the frame in the engine compartment, you just have to cut off the mount bracket that is attached to the frame. If you don't want to cut it, then just drill out the spot welds and chisel the rest off. This does not effect the structural integrity of the frame in any way. You also need to cut 2 fairly small holes inside the car to route the shifter cables and place the shifter assembly. Then with an aftermarket mount kit and axles, it's a simple bolt-in procedure like every other swap. You'll then have some wiring to do, just adding wires from the engine sensors to the ecu (pretty simple). It would just take a couple more hours to do than the B16A swap, and you'd have far more hp out of it. And the only time I've ever seen a damaged H22A was either from using too much nitrous, or from an aftermarket crank pulley that cause the crank to be unballanced.

the H22 Prelude motor is one hell of a motor. but before doing all that , better have a correct engine wire harness , proper engine mounts and a correct pcm . H22 can and will put out more power than your B16.