H22A Engine

Since its inception, Honda Motor Company has had a driving goal of dreams and passion.  The company’s core motto is to see the world as it ought to be and not as it is.  This is evidenced by the company’s enormous success in the American motorcars market.  People trust Honda to deliver quality products that exude innovation and longevity.  Engines made by the company are no exception and it makes some of the most reliable and long lasting engines in the auto industry.  One model in particular is the h22a engine from the company’s H line.  This line was the Company’s high performance workhorse in the 90’s and early 2000’s.  It was featured in cars like the Prelude and touring car race engines until its eventual replacement by the K engine design.

The H22 was first introduced in the United States in 1993 under the part number H221A and it was used in the Honda Prelude VTEC and later in almost all Prelude models.  It was also used in some European and Japanese versions of the Accord.  The last Preludes were produced in 2001 when Honda stopped using the engine for consumer production vehicles.

The H22A delivers a lot of power for a smaller engine.  It only has an inline 4-cylinder aluminum block and head and a 16 DOHC or VTEC valve configuration.  It delivers a maximum horsepower of 185 to 220, which is a lot for a four banger.  It also features fuel port injection with belt driven dual overhead cams.

Today the H22 is a very popular used engine for Honda racing enthusiasts and builders.  Finding a good used motor is no easy task and one has to know what to look for if searching in salvage yards or other less discerning sellers.  Engines that have been left out in the rain or in regions where there is excessive snowfall, these conditions can destroy the internal components of an exposed engine especially if some parts have already been removed.  The junkyard should be the last place you look for an engine like this unless you plan on rebuilding it from scratch or you have other information that tells you it’s a good engine.

Avid car nuts can still have H22a engines with low mileage, you just have to walk the walk and talk the talk.  Low mileage H22A’s can be imported from Japan.  It should be noted however that emissions standards in Japan are much more stringent than in the United States and you may find that your motor has some trouble relating with your American manufactured car though that’s an easy work around.  H22A engines from overseas can usually be found with as little as 10,000 miles on them and typically no higher than 35,000, again because of strict Japanese environmental standards.

Overall the H22A is a well made and versatile engine that provided reliable power to one of Honda’s premier products.  It lives on today as a sought after sport engine for racing enthusiasts and Japanese car lovers everywhere.