I'm looking at a 93 Prelude SI 5 speed that needs an engine. I need to get an idea of what it's going to cost to get this thing on the road before I purchase. I did not get to look under the hood or hear it run. The owner says it sounds like a rod knock. I know very little about Hondas so I need some help finding a replacement motor or short block. I don't think rebuilding is an option because I want this on the road quick. No wiring or computer changes unless very minor and cheap.
What engine is in the SI? I ran the vin and it says 2.3L.
VTEC, non VTEC?
What short blocks or JDM engines would work?
What other vehicles should I be looking at in the junk yards?
I want to spend as litttle money as possible. This will not be a ricer. I'm looking for a cheaper daily as my Benz requires 93 octane and it's already at $2.70 and I'm driving ALOT.

 

the motors are pretty cheap, you would want to look for a h23 that would be the stock replacement engine. or you could go with the h22 and have about 50 more hp. if you are serious i have a really good hookup on those engines and can install at a good price. pm me for details.

is it auto or manual.

 

It's manual.
I'm all about more power, as long as it is an easy swap. I don't want to be chasing an ECM and rewiring.

 

Yup the motor in the SI preludes are the H23 non vtec. The BB4 preludes also came with the H22 which is vtec and like ^ said it has like 50 more or so HP in stock form so obviously it costs more.

So in my opinion if you already have to swap the motor id say you should probably go with the H22 since its a better base to start with out of the 2. And since they came in the prelude stock you wont have any difficulty swapping the motor in there

 

Is that extra 50 HP at a cost? How do the torque curves compare? (I drove an SR20 for years) The wrench turning isn't the issue. I'm only concerned about having to chase parts. I'm going to assume that the harnesses and computers are different (between VTEC and non VTEC). This would have to be a quick swap project over a day or so.

 

Not the cheapest route, but probably the best road you could take..

 

Okay... Going to call my junk yard buddy tomorrow. What are the years I'm looking for?

 

93-95 obd I h22
The harness will be plug and play. The ECU will also be plug and play. You might have to run wires for vtec, I dont know much about Preludes. You might be able to search on honda-tech. If not search on google for someone that did a swap and see if they had to run any extra wires for a knock sensor of something of the sort.

 

Your going to need to run a few extra wires to the Vtec Solenoid. I think its 2-3. Not very hard.

 

Found a H23 from another SI 4WS locally. Probably going that route. Now I gotta haggle with the car's owner.