Consensus Question

capsidx

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So recently I put in a new H23a1 in my CG. Yesterday while going to work, it threw a rod. This motor had less than 20k on it. I literally did an oil change before work. When I got it all the seals were leaking on the timing side. They were all aftermarket so I replaced them all with OEM seals. That made a small difference. Front balance shaft stopped leaking but front main, rear balance, both cam seals and valve cover kept leaking. Replaced them all again and I think they stopped leaking.

Anyways, between the leaks, the paranoia about the oil filter o ring blowing out like people have had happen tons of times and the uncertainty I was wondering what people think about the series. Did I just get a isht motor? I mean the leaking thing is well documented but I found this out after I put the motor in. I want to say definitively that the H23 is a trash motor but I think that's just my anger talking.

For all the money I spent I could have done some serious upgrades to my F23. The H23a1 has like 10 more hp than the f23 and the H22 has significantly more but them FRM sleeves tho. Does anyone think I'm doing the right thing by tossing the super reliable F23 in. Even though the aftermarket isnt as good theres still options. Goals are like 300 whp. Thoughts?
 

Accordx

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I mean a fully built F23 can net you some decent horsepower gains, I think I remember reading up on someone who rebuilt theirs twice swapped a manual in and boosted it and they were making over 350 easily I'm pretty sure. It also sounds like it's a lot of work to make power with the F23 though. I think for now it would be wise to put the F23 back in and come up with a plan on how you want to build it before you start spending money on it and also the H22 is also a decent option. Sorry about your luck man, best wishes for whatever you decide to do.
 

capsidx

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Thanks man. I think im staying away from H series for good. I know some people love them but unless you have deep pockets they're just not practical. The f23 is economic and has the potential to make just as much power for a fraction of the price. I'll post up some stuff when the F23 is back in. Hopefully other people share their experiences with the H series motors. I'm really hoping for someone to tell me im right lol. Although you kind of advised the F23 is a better choice which is what I was hoping some people would say.
 

Accordx

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It's definitely the more reliable choice in my opinion, while it's not the easiest to make power with, it's possible. Hope it works out man. Glad I could help :waytogo:
 

dawg316

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depends on your goals and what you want to do with the car and what kind of budget. a h23a1 non vtec is a dog**** swap. while the jdm h23 vtec is a monster. even a h22. seems like you got a trash motor and i hope all works out.

the f23 is an underated engine and can be had for cheap all day, plus the accord is already setup to run a f23 out of the gate. so why not rock it
 

Rusty Accord

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I can't say anything about the H series, as I've never had one.
The F series motors are great and under rated in my opinion. I've got a 5th gen with an F22 non vtec in it, and it pulls hard thru the gears (5 speed car) all the way to red line. Yes, you don't feel that little bit extra from the vtec kicking in at around 3500 like the F23 does, but still it just pulls from idle all the way up. I do like the F23 with vtec too, as it also pulls hard thru the gears (AT or MT, as I have both here). Yes, I do drive my wife's 00 Accord with AT every now and then, and I exercise it too. I like that I can get out on the highway, set the cruise to 80, with the AC on, and it'll just run there all day (my wife's car) like that.:) We normally take her car on road trips, as she's not comfortable driving a stick.
I think you going back to the F23 will be your best choice for now, then maybe add a turbo to it for that extra punch you're looking for.
Keep in mind that so far the highest mileage on a 6th gen is currently at 454,000 miles, according to the "highest mileage" thread, and that's with an F23 in it. :)

That said, I think that your H motor might have been a lemon, as like you said, it only had 20K miles on it, which isn't nothing for a Honda engine. I mean your old F motor have 10 times as many miles on it, and it was only when you "over rev'd it", did it actually fail. Part of me wonders if you couldn't put the H23 head on an F23 block, and have a sort of hi-bred. Don't know if it would be worth the trouble though.
Just my random thoughts on it.
 
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DarkSideAccord

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and why did u go with the H23 in the first place..? should have spent a little more for the H22 imo

also, why is a brand new motor leaking? was it rebuilt?
 

capsidx

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Thanks for the replies. I think they h23 was a lemon as it was in a junkyard car. It was in fact a re manufacturered engine from jasper. I’m leaning towards oil in the back of the pan while I was accelerating but since the engine was covered in oil when I got it I could only imagine the damage I didn’t see. I didn’t have the cash at the time for the h22 but honestly I wanted to be different with the h23 and I feel like a made a good swap choice, just a bad motor selection. I’ll have a low mileage one on the way in a few weeks and I’m hoping it was never opened. Hopefully I don’t get another 1000 mile motor again.

I’m also not sure why it kept leaking. I changed all the seals and they continued to leak. I made sure everything was to spec. I even got pages from the service manual at the dealer and followed them to the T. I think that motor was set up to fail. I also did some reading which made me decide doing motor combos isn’t good because of hotspots which can lead to detonation and ultimately motor failure. That’s why I went h23a1.
 
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