H23 Swap

[XCRN]

I have decided I would like to do an H23 swap this summer but I will need some info. From what I have researched, it will drop in just fine, feel free to say so other wise. I do want to keep power steering so how would I go about doing this? Would ~$900 seem low for this engine and will die out on me faster than expected, if so what is a good rice to pay for this engine. And last question, though this is probably best to ask in the regional forums, I am unable to do the swap myself with a full schedule and lack of necessary tools, what takes a professional 12 hours takes me a month and I have to work so any places around Seattle WA that would do a quality job for a reasonable price? Thanks for your input.

[deevergote]

H23A1 or H23A?

The swap procedure for either is similar to that of an H22A.
As for a shop... look very carefully. I, too, did not have the tools, time, knowhow, or space to do a swap. I paid to have my swap done by a shop owned and operated by former Honda mechanics. They claimed to have done swaps before. 2 weeks and $1700 later, I had a halfassed H22A swap in my car. I had to teach them how to do it. To this day, a decade later, I'm still fixing their shoddy work!

I had turned down a number of offers from local enthusiasts to do my swap. I regret it now. Some local kid would probably have done a better job in a day or two for the price of a couple cases of beer than that overpriced shop did!
If you can't do it yourself, research your installer VERY carefully. Don't get burned like I did.

[XCRN]

I am looking for non-VTEC so H23A1 I think. I have a trusted mechanic, but I am not sure if they will do hybrids. I am all to familiar with a bad shop, $300 for timing belt turned into $1200 for a new head.

[Joey GT-R]

Is this your only car? Can you afford to have it off the road for a few days? I would consult the NW Community in the Regional Forums on who's who when it comes to work under the hood. NWAccord may be able to offer you help or point you in the right direction if you're willing to meet him in Oregon.

[Jarrett]

Treat the engine just like any other swap, regardless of how drop-in you think it is. You'll need to do a complete timing job with belts, water pump, idlers, and a balance shaft seal. You're also going to want to do camshaft, crankshaft and rear main seals as well as a full valve cover gasket and distributor seals. Then replace the intake and exhaust manifold gaskets so that you know everything is good to.

I'm assuming you'll be buying this as a complete assembly with distributor, intake manifold, throttle body and wiring harness. If not, you'll want those things. Assuming your car does not have IABs then you'll want to salvage that wiring from the H23A1 harness as well as the black box on the bottom of the intake manifold. You also want the knock sensor harness. To get these out just cut up the harness looming and trace the individual wires and remove them.

Parts specific to the swap that you'll need are the P14 ECU, knock sensor attached to the block and wired up correctly, and that's mostly it. Your exhaust manifold and engine mount brackets will swap over.

If you're using the H23A1-specific transmission (M2S4) then you'll need to read the DIY here on drilling and tapping holes for the mount. If you're using your Accord transmission then it will attach to the H23A1 and then the car just fine. Be sure to replace the clutch, throwout bearing and resurface the flywheel.

And who cares if it takes you that long to work on it? As long as you're willing to spend the required funds and do the job correctly then you're better for having done it yourself at a slow pace.

[deevergote]

If you're in no hurry, start collecting the parts. If you can't store them, then start finding all the parts you need, and saving to buy them all at once. As Jarrett said, you will need more than just the engine. Seals, gaskets, belts, fluids... replacement parts for things that are discovered to be broken, or break during the swap (axles, ball joints, mounts, hoses...) You'll want to replace your clutch and flywheel, as it's MUCH easier to do with the engine out of the car.
It all adds up. You'll also need a shop you can trust to replace such things. My shop told me my timing belt looked fine. My timing belt is now 2 decades old. That's another thing that's much easier to replace with the engine out.


Any reason you've chosen the H23A1? Personally, I'd much rather go with an H22A. When you're paying all that money to swap out your engine, a 60hp gain is far more enjoyable than a 20hp gain!

[XCRN]

Before school starts would be when I want to have it done and I still need to get funds ready for it too. I do have some stuff I could sell to jump start the fund though.

[Cb_JoeyG]

I'm about 2 hrs away from you and also the regional mod here as well as NWAccord.com. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to set something up i have a fully capable shop and all the tools required to do the swap.

[XCRN]

And to your question deev as to why, well the idea is to keep the F22 transmission for gas mileage and if I were to put mate an H22 engine to F22 transmission, I would not reach VTEC too easily and from the different graphs I have seen an H22 is almost the same as an H23 until it hits the VTEC, this is what I have seen not what I know. And I am a poor as shit college student so money.

[XCRN]

Also P14, is this the correct ECU?

[deevergote]

Jarrett wouldn't have suggested it if it wasn't.

As for the H22, you'd reach VTEC just fine. The only issue is that you'd fall out of the VTEC range when shifting. You'd be slower, but you'd also get the VTEC crossover in most gears, which is fun in itself.
And yes, the H22 and H23 are fairly similar until the H22 hits VTEC. But that's the whole point of VTEC... it's basically two camshafts in one. Practically two engines in one. Once it reaches the limits of the low-RPM lobes, it switches to VTEC and comes alive again.

[reklipz]

You could always re-grind a new cam at a later date with high and low lobes that you feel better match your drive-train. You're talking full-tune kit at that stage though, but it would be fun. Extensibility man! Good luck with the build!

[XCRN]

What reklipz is suggesting is what I was thinking about last night. Again I feel stronger about the H23 but in the future after my internship becomes a career I would like to get another CB and put an H22 in there.

[Smokinspeeds]

All the parts Jarrett mentioned are absolutely necessary. You cannot put in a motor that has been sitting in a warehouse for years into a car and expect all the rubber to be intact. I picked up an f22b dohc for next to nothing from someone, the timing belt was done but pretty sure most/all seals were left alone, and I have a handful of small leaks and noises that make it unfit for daily driving.

I also had to fork a hell of a lot of money over on a car I picked up that was swapped in horribly wrong and absolutely abused. I found a great honest shop that did way more labor than he originally intended without jacking me on labor, but the parts alone on top of the cost of a fresh 900$ h23a put it over 4k in all, nearly 3k (2k after the motor cost!) in parts alone to replace all the seals, belts, some sensors, clutch and flywheel, axle, headers, fluids etc.

[SPLCB7]

I am looking for non-VTEC so H23A1 I think. I have a trusted mechanic, but I am not sure if they will do hybrids. I am all to familiar with a bad shop, $300 for timing belt turned into $1200 for a new head.

I would hit up collectorcarkid hes in your city and his dad has a full shop that dose only hondas and caleb has a h22 swapped accord wag he swapped in himself. caleb is also a Honda technician at renton Honda. I would get ahold of him he can hook you up properly and show you what all you need for it..... or if you want a road trip Joey dose have a nice shop and dose good work for cheap too... but caleb would prob be most convenient for you....