Where are folks sourcing used F22C engines these days? My understanding is that crate motors from Honda are no longer available and that rebuilt ones have mixed results. Spoon motors are now going for close to $13k which is way out of my budget. So where do regular Joes like me get used, unopened F22C motors?

 

You look around, ebay, classifieds, craigslist, forums, auction sites, etc. It takes some leg work because even if you find a donor engine, it may not be a good engine. Even if compression checks out, there may be other issues that won't show up in a leak down or compression test like ring wear or micro welding. So it's a crapshoot no matter what you do. You can maximize your chances of finding something decent if you stick to 04 05 engines, those are the easiest to swap, and likely the most reliable s2k engines Honda produced. They tend to need fewer valve adjustments, they have upgraded oil jets, AP2 retainers, etc.

I thought I struck gold with my 05 engine, and while it runs well, it does burn a little oil. About 1 hash mark on the dip stick every 800 miles more or less. Or a quart every 3,600-4000 miles, some people don't burn ANY oil between oil changes, I use up about a quart in my 5k OCIs. Regardless it's better than my AP1 engine which at best would consume a quart every 1,300 miles, and as much as a quart in 800-900 miles.

 

A solutions auto in Chicago Heights have been a good source for me on quite a few S2000 parts.

 

Frankly if you don't have any bottom end issues, you can rebuild your motor with OEM factory parts and get some good life out of it. Most of the wear happens to the piston rings, and the head, the cylinders usually tend to outlast the rings. This is counter intuitive because rings tend to be made of harder material than cylinder walls, however at a microscopic level, the rings wear and create bigger gaps as they rub past the peaks of the cylinder bore(you see this as scoring on the cylinder wall(typical of burnished metal)). The bearings also tend to last a very long time as long as they're well oiled. The valve guides are what wear out on the head, protecting the valve guides is CRUCIAL for engine longevity. Proper valve lash, especially on the exhaust valves is crucial, as is using good oil with good OCI habits. Fuel injectors and ignition system being in top shape reduces valve deposits which act as heat insulators. Reducing overheating events by having the cooling system in tip top shape, no air pockets in the coolant, etc.

And I'm probably going to get flack for being a snake oil salesman, but I believe a good upper cylinder lubricant can help lubricate valve guides, and prophylactically keep them from prematurely warping, although the factory seals work very well at lubricating the valves and guides themselves, as evidenced by plenty of high mileage motors with no valve guide issues.

However once the valve guides start getting loose, it leads to a chain reaction that damages the head and renders it useless. It begins a slow process that there's no coming back from, once the valve play in the guide exceeds a certain threshold, the valve wobble will increase the gap even more, and the valve will no longer seat properly on its seat. Eventually the valve seat becomes distorted allowing the valve to leak down exhaust gasses leading to low compression, misfires, and other bad juju.

 

@Soviet

Try PMing him. He knows some people. He runs the youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBe...jojSgx3H8SPD4A for all of your S2K DIY needs.

 

I know a couple of people that have located used engines from Andy Smedegard at ASM in Wisconsin. https://www.shopasmotorsports.com/

 

LHT has a good source iirc.