F22 Motor Swap - Details, What Tools are Needed?

[TMaxxTim]

Alright, I have a 92 Accord LX. It needs some help in some areas, but I only got the car for $500, so I honestly think I can help bring it up in some areas...it will be faster for me to make this a working car for another couple months than just letting it fall apart.

1 Question before we start...I got this car for $500 because it was originally in a crash, everything is new and you woulnd't know it except for some rust on the inside of the door wells (not sure what to call it, like door posts), but I can fix that. How much is that going to keep down the resale value of my car even if I put a good engine in it, and fix everything else?

Here's why I want to swap:
1) Engine burns oil, every week, week 1/2 its from top hole down the bottom hole on the dipstick...

2) I can't drive it hard because after 4500rpm it starts sputting out blue smoke like crazy, VERY EMBARRASING!!


3) Engine feels bogged down when accelerating, it also hesitates a lot until REALLY warmed up.


Is burning oil and smoke (they go hand in hand since its blue smoke) something I really want to replace the engine for, or are there other alternatives, I've tried lucas and replacing gaskets...didn't work so I'm guessing piston rings.

Now, if I picked up a good F22A6 (140HP instead of my 125HP), would would be involved in swapping the engine. I really think I could do it, but from the standpoint of tools, I don't have an engine lift. I have car ramps, and I have everything else I'll probably need.

I know this is a day long project, and now that summer is here, it would be a great project.

Here's my questions
1) How much are tools needed, where would I rent an engine lift if possible (I heard Autozone loans out tools for free, would they have something like this?)

2) How hard would it be to find an F22A6 that was in good enough condition I'd want to put it in my car, like doesn't burn oil, everything else is good on it...I really DO NOT trust the junkyards around here to be accurate on anything, so what would I need to look for?

3) How much would I want to spend on one? I saw one on eBay going for $150 with 103k on it with $140 shipping, seems pretty good to me.

4) I don't race my car, and I don't plan on racing it, is this a swap I'd want to do? H22 is out of my price range. My transmission seems to be strong, it runs a lot better now that I changed the fluid in it a couple times.

5) Are there any other components I'll need to make this engine work, or will everything that would be missing off an engine I get be swapable from my engine now (ECU, etc.)

Thanks for any help, and if you guys know a site that walks somebody through this like the H22 site I saw, that would be great. Thx for the help!!

BTW If you want to move this into motor, it should probably be there, but I posted here first, then remembered about the motor section...its kinda dead though so I had second thoughts about requesting it to be moved.

[Jarrett]

The F22A6 is definitely a good motor choice for a swap but you said yourself you don't care about racing so what good is that 15 extra horsepower going to give you? It's not really that big of a deal to me, it's just that you'll come accross 10 times as many F22A1s as you will A6s. And whne you do find an A6, it'll be priced higher than the A1. Have you considered an F20 single cam like the ones always posted on eBay? 150hp for dirt cheap. Just some things to consider and decisions should be based solely on your priorities, not my opinions. But to agree with you in another area...yes, this is a very doable shop and this project could definitely be done in a day. Plan ahead for everything to go wrong and it will go smoothly. Having said that, you won;t have everything you need to finish the swap. There's always at least 1 run to the parts store. Autozone does not rent equipment or tools for free. It's a service they offer for a fee. Would be nice though. There's not really much technically involved with an F series to F series swap(unless you go the A6 route) because you're swapping in the same motor and most of what you need to know about putting a motor in, you'll learn taking it out. The A6 is slightly more difficult because of the dual runner intake.

[Maple50175]

That stinks too bad i dont have my old engine. I woulda gave it to u for like 200

[TMaxxTim]

Okay, would AutoZone have the tools I needed to do this though? I head somebody say once that when you buy a part from them, you pay for whatever you need to rent, and then when you return it, you get your money back.

If I was going to do a motor swap, I woulnd't mind paying a little extra to find a slightly bigger engine, is there another F series engine that would be good to swap in. Since I'm going to do a swap, I'd like to find one that has a little more power and pay a little more, its not something that needs to be done today so I have time to look.

What's involved in putting an A6 into an A1, are there other parts I'd need too?

[Elusive]

You asked what tools. A quick rundown of what you will most likely need.

Sockets/Wrenches: ( all ¼, 3/8, and ½ drive )
10
12
14
17
19 / ¾
Maybe a 32

Ratchets:
¼ drive
3/8 drive
½ drive
½ Breaker Bar

Misc:
Pliers
Extensions ( 3, 6 and 9 )
Needle Nose
Flathead S/D
Phillips head S/D

That's all I can think of right now.

[TMaxxTim]

Alright, thanks. I think I have all that.

What about an engine lift...I'm guessing thats one of the main tools needed for an engine swap..where would I go getting one of those or renting one?

I have car ramps...should I have anything else, or do I not really need to get in an under the car for much?


Also, for the engine...is there really any way to tell its in good condition, like not burning oil, no huge carbon build-ups? What should the compression be on an engine like this?

[slobluaccord]

add a 36 mm socket for the axle nuts.

Civics are 32. accords are 36

[Elusive]

Unless you're taking the axles out to have them serviced, there is no need to break the axle nuts. Just break the ball-joint castle nut, push the rotor/assembly up w/ a floor-jack and start slamming the shit out of the control-arm. Just don't hit the ball-joint because you don't want to fuck up the threads.

[Elusive]

Originally posted by TMaxxTim
What about an engine lift...I'm guessing thats one of the main tools needed for an engine swap..where would I go getting one of those or renting one?

I have car ramps...should I have anything else, or do I not really need to get in an under the car for much?

Cherry picker, yesh you will want one, unless you want to drop the motor on the ground and pull it out from under the car, or get a whole bunch of big friends to help pull it from up top.

Ramps will not suffice. You will need jack-stands to pull the axles from the transmission, you will need to take the rims off to get to the ball-joints.

Try to do this in an area that preferably has cement or some kind of hard flooring. Doing it in the dirt/rocks really sucks.