This hopefully is an easy item to answer and perform.

I have a 1998 Accord LX coup with a 5 speed and 265k miles. The head started leaking oil into the radiator fluid. To get the head repaired with parts will cost between $500 - $700. Then I place the refurbished head on a high mileage block... hum does that make sense? I've found complete motors imported from Japan (JDM) running from $600 to $1000 having less than $60k miles. Sounds very enticing. A little risky because who knows the condition but at 60k it shouldn't have issues and most come with a 90 day warranty.

Here's the rub.. the motors from Japan only come with auto trannys so I'll need to mate the 5 speed from my auto to the auto tranny motor.

Two questions pop up... 1) will the bell housing from the manual bolt to the automatic engine block? 2) If so... will the auto transmission motor crankshaft accept the flywheel bolt pattern from the manual transmission motor?

If neither question 1 or 2 are "no" then how hard would it be to convert the shifting mechanism on the high mileage car to accept auto transmission controls? This would mean swapping the complete drive train from a 5 speed manual to a 5 speed auto.

Maybe fix the old head enough to get the vehicle running then sell it? I hate doing that as the car is in "like new" condition and ran perfectly up until I noticed oil in the radiator.

Thanks... Dio

 

USDM parts drawings show the same part numbers for the block & the crankshaft.

You will have to use the flywheel from your engine, and the longer bolts to bolt it onto the crankshaft.

But...!
I doubt if there's anything about the JDM engine that's different, but I don't know for certain.

I've heard people claim that those JDM engines look like a lot more than their advertised miles, but that's just BS claims & I don't know if its true.

 

Thanks for the info. According to the JDM people the conversion is easy by replacing the flex plate used on the auto trans with the flywheel from my old engine. For the time being I've decided to RR the head and put it back on the block. I took the head to a auto machine shop and they checked it for warpage and it had none detectable... good news so they'll now vat and pressure check the head. The valve seats and guides look surprisingly good. I did lap them and they should serve for another 150k or more.

I'm guessing the head bolts stretched enough over the last 17 years to allow a little seepage of oil into the coolant so with a restored head, fresh gaskets, guide seals and head bolts it should be good to go.

Dio

 

^^^^This is what would make the best logical sense of what to try first.