Honda H22A (H-series, 2.2 and 2.3)

Honda's 2.2 VTEC four — in the Prelude and the Accord.

It is the B-series' larger relative and the same rules apply, including the VTEC one: an engine that pulls cleanly to 5,500 and then simply does not change is an oil and solenoid question, not an internal one.

What is specific to the H22 is the head gasket, which is a genuine pattern rather than a rumour on engines that have been overheated or boosted. The tell is coolant loss with no external leak and, later, combustion gases in the header tank — testable in ten minutes with a chemical block tester and worth doing before anything expensive.

The timing belt is an interference design and the cars are old enough that history is usually unknown.

It is heavily modified, often turbocharged, and a stamped code on a rebuilt engine may not describe what is inside it. Confirm the build before trusting the compression ratio or the fuel requirement.

The H23 beside it is not a VTEC engine in most markets, which catches people out: same family, same bay, and no second cam profile to go looking for.