Hi
I was just chatting to a friend at the weekend about possibly putting a honda H22 Prelude engine into a locost etc. he reckons that it wouldn't
work because honda engines rotate in the opposite direction to Ford and VX etc. Is this right? He also mentioned that the timing belt is in the
wrong position to fit a kit car. I think he might just be misinformed but it made me realise that there are very few honda engined kit cars. Is this
the reason for the lack of honda engined kit cars?
Thanks
The newer Honda engines (K-series) turn in the right direction, but I don't know if an adapterplate is available to attach it to a ford
gearbox.
You could also use an S2000 engine together with the s2000 gearbox.
I'd love to know where this unsuitable timing belt is, the glove box, hiding in the headlining? Such a general statement - 'the wrong
position to fit a kit' oh the anticipation
i have a prelude at home waiting on mot. the engine is very strong, just bad bodywork. Is it possible to fit this in a locost? I was pricing s2000
engine + 'box. It is more than £2500. I'm sure it would cost a lot less to fit a H22a engine. Especially as i already have a great engine
available.
What about even using this engine with an s2000 gearbox? Lots of questions I know but all answers appreciated 
[Edited on 25/3/08 by quinnj3]
Can't you just flip the diff over if the engine rotates the wrong way?
They do it a lot on scrapheap challenge! 
Well, the S2000 engine turnes in the oposite direction to the prelude engine.
So probably not a very good idea to mate a prelude engine to an s2000 gearbox.
You could however build a mid engined locost with the prelude engine.
Have a look at www.kimini.com, he has build a mid engined mini with a this engine.
yeah - honda's spin in opposite direction. presumably prelude is FWD and your car will be RWD? hence you need to have either the matching honda RWD gearbox or see if engine spins clockwise when viewed from the front ( timing belt end), if not, you are rather stuck.
The B,D and H series all rotate "backwards" which is why you don't see them used much in front-engine/RWD applications. They would be
ok in a mid-engined car though.
Running a diff upside down is a possibility, the diff is unlikely to complain provided you sort out breathers etc. but running a gearbox backwards is
more likely to be problematic. For starters the thrust forces from helical gears will all be in the opposite direction to that intended by the
designer.
Scrapheap Challenge can get away with this kind of bodgery as the vehicles only have to last a couple of hours.
[Edited on 25/3/08 by MikeRJ]
@nitram If you do that the crown wheel and pinion wont last very long. Helical cut gears are designed to rotate in one direction.
[Edited on 25/3/08 by Fatgadget]
S2000 is a tall engine though. Might have trouble fitting under the bonnet unless you're prepared to have a serious bonnet bulge. Spinning the
"wrong" way would also pose a problem...
Flipping the diff (as mentioned) is only a good idea if you're not planning on going far. It'll wear the diff very quickly...
There's nothing wrong with Honda engines (particularly the bike ones 
)
i think there is enough answers there thanks guys. I don't think there is a rwd honda from the early to mid nineties, but correct me if i'm wrong. I'd definately be interested if there was one. other than that i think the prelude will just go through mot and on to a new home.
I don't see the problem, just turn the seat round
and Mr Bean covered locost remote steering before
quote:
Originally posted by Fatgadget
@nitram If you do that the crown wheel and pinion wont last very long. Helical cut gears are designed to rotate in one direction.
[Edited on 25/3/08 by Fatgadget]
quote:
Originally posted by quinnj3
i think there is enough answers there thanks guys. I don't think there is a rwd honda from the early to mid nineties, but correct me if i'm wrong.
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
S2000 is a tall engine though. Might have trouble fitting under the bonnet unless you're prepared to have a serious bonnet bulge. Spinning the "wrong" way would also pose a problem...
what about toyota engines what direction do they turn as it may be easier and cheaper to get a rwd toyota gearbox and get a local engineer to fashion an adapter plate.? ps don't like the sound of toyota engines and lack of torque hense mating the 'box to a honda engine.
Toyotas are fine. In fact I have a 22RE from an 84 Celica with a very good, just rebuild gearbox. The motor had 180,000 kms on it, and ran very well
when I scrapped it last year. You can have it. All you have to do is come and get it here in Canada...
Hey, I'm just making room!!!
yeah i know they are ultra reliable but do toyota engines turn the same direction as a honda engine ie backwards. if they did it may be possible to mate my h22a engine with a corolla rwd 'box. or even better a modern is200 box? maybe
No, Toyota engines turn in the conventional direction. Few if any mainstream manufacturers makes backwards engines other than Honda.
ok thats that idea out the window. was just looking peoples opinions anyway. Would be a fine engine if it could be done. Quite torqey and when the vtec kicks in it pulls like a train. even in a heavy car that the prelude is. I'm not fully set on the kit i'm after yet anyway. I don't think ill go for a 7. I'm swaying towards WLR, nice agressive bit of kit. I've seen an omega v6 fitted to a locost before and as this car is based on a locost would be another fine engine to fit to it.
Or commision a camshaft grinder to make you up a new cam ! Its been done before apparently. On Chevrolet Corvair engines used in left hand oval
racing.
[Edited on 25/3/08 by Fatgadget]
General rule of thumb is looking in the engine bay of an east/west fwd. from the front, if the gearbox is on the right, engine rotates the conventional direction. Gearbox on the left rotates the wrong? way. I have a 2.2 Vti too, super motor, very flexible and smooth.
yep would be an ideal engine if it could be fitted. I think reprofiling the cams would be more expensive than buying s2000 running gear. Plus the s2000 revs to 9000 rpm standard. Now that would be nice hearing a honda vtec sreaming to be thrashed.
Has anyone ever used a complete FWD engine/gearbox/diff unit fitted longitudonally with propshafts from the centre diff driving front and rear axles for 4WD?
quote:
Originally posted by dmac
Has anyone ever used a complete FWD engine/gearbox/diff unit fitted longitudonally with propshafts from the centre diff driving front and rear axles for 4WD?
I hadn't thought of that, could compensate with bigger wheels/tyres
Yeah, some Massey Fergie rear wheels would get the job done!
Only prelude engine ive seen fitted into a kit is in a Mojo2. Being at the back it was used in the same orientation as the original car putting power into back wheels. Gear change was quite an achievement.
If you really like Hondas it may please you to know that all the V6s spin the 'right' way. I'm using the 2.7 legend (and rover 800)
engine in mine mated to a cossie 4x4 gearbox - check out me photo archive.
Liam
P.S. My tintop is a 3.0 omega elite. Absolutely love the engine and of course you have a bolt-on RWD gearbox. Bloody heavy though, being an iron
block with DOHC heads!
Liam
s2000 engine is a nice engine, but like everyone else here has said - its expensive and very tall! even taller than my toyota beams 3sge - and I am going dry sump to fit more of the engine inside.
Wow, I never new that the V6 honda legend engine spins the right way round.... opens up a whole new can'o'worms
Thanx for that one.
Raw striker with an all alloy V6.... hmmm
Grtz Thomas
Haven't posted here in a while and was on havin a nosey and seen this thread...
I have a 3rd gen lude sittin on driveway and think suspension near the same on from 3rd gen on...
So was thinkin why not build it into a middy as the set-up for double wishbone already there to transfer into the back and no shortage of rover hubs
to throw on the front and use a mushroom like the sierra hubs....