New to Preludes and have an engine question

[MrsBartrand]

Hi, I am sorry if I am not posting this correctly, I am new to this. I bought a 90 Honda Prelude from a kid who had rebuilt most of the engine, new head, new timing belt, new spark plugs etc. Drove it for a few days and everything seemed fine, but it started making a very loud noise especially after driving for a bit. Took it to a mechanic who works on Honda's and was told it needed a whole new engine. Which confused me since the thing had already had a lot of work done to it. They said that the piston rods were bad and slapping, that was the noise it was making. So initially I was quoted a price of $1600 to swap out the engine. Then the "owner" calls to say that wasn't accurate, the engine they found was old, and they found a better one, but now the price is $1900. Unfortunatly I am not that mechanically inclined, but I was getting the BS vibe so I took the car home. I bought the thing for $1400 because I needed a car but I am also out of work right now, so spending $2K to get the car fixed isn't really something I want to do at the moment. So my question is... what types of engines can go into this thing, and does it have to be a 90? This guy told me he was looking for 90's engines, but I was thinking there must be some chance of a newer engine being available. And if so how much is the average price for these things. Should I just try to resell the car for what I paid?! I REALLY like the car, it's body, it's handling, everything else is nice so if I could keep it I'd like to, it was fun to drive for the week that it was functioning well...
Also is there anyone in the Tampa Florida area that knows a good Honda Mechanic. I just felt like this particular owner was yanking my chain, and they seemed less than on top of things. But again I don't know enough to say for sure. I have been trolling around online trying to find answers but I need some more laymans terms!

Thanks for the help

[spiffyguido]

Sorry to hear what happened to your new Prelude purchase. We'll try to help you out as best we can.

If the knocking sound is truly coming from the rods, then your rod bearings must have worn out. Not a nice problem to have, and will require some work to get it fixed. I'd avoid running the engine at all to prevent further damage. I don't know how much you trust your mechanic, but I would suggest that you get a second opinion as well. Bad piston rods doesn't mean that the engine needs to be replaced, although many shops may choose that route. It's entirely possible that only the rods and rod bearings will need replacement, depending on how bad things are. If you can, phone a Honda dealership and describe the situation to them and see what they propose.

As far as engines, your Prelude probably has one of two engines. If you Prelude is a 2.0 litre, it will have the B20A5 engine. This engine was available from 88-91. If you have a 2.1 litre, you have a B21A1 engine which came from 90-91 (and possibly 89 as well, though I'm not positive). If you're unsure what engine you have let us know and we can describe to you how to find out. The B20A5 engines are readily available and can be found all over the place for reasonable cost. I'd expect to pay roughly $500 for a B20A5, or potentially less. The price of the install will depend on the shop rate. Finding a B21A1 engine will be slightly harder, but they are out there.

It's up to you whether or not to just resell the car. Keep in mind though, a car with a faulted engine will be hard to get rid of for anything above a rock bottom price. If I were in your situation, I'd keep it and find a way to repair it.

Welcome to the forums. Ask more questions if you need.