Honda A engine

History

The Honda A-series engines succeeded the earlier EZ, ES, BS and ET engines in the Honda Accord and Prelude. Some of those engines were actually early A-series engines and parts between them may be cross-compatible. There were several variations, ranging from the 1.6 liter A16A to the 2.0 liter A20A. All A-series engines have iron blocks with single overhead camshaft aluminum heads and are the last iron blocked engine produced by Honda. They came in both carbed and fuel injected configurations.



Technology & Advancement

Although they don't have VTEC, the A-series engines were well-designed engines. Analysis of the head construction has showed that Honda was using valve geometry and technology several years ahead of their time. Also, the later model of the A20A3 & A20A4 benefitted from the addition of a dual-stage runner intake manifold design, 4-2-1 headers, and a more electronic form of the vacuum advanced distributor. The PGM-FI engines were equipped with partial OBD-0 engine computers.



Aftermarket

The aftermarket for the A-series engines (and the cars they came in) is all but dead. An A-equipped vehicle isn't for someone who wants bolt-ons from Wal-Mart or even your local import performance shop. Most upgrades and modifications to the A-series engines are of the DIY variety, with one of the more popular being a turbo set-up. Because of their closed-deck iron block design, they're especially well-suited for handling boost. It's just a pity that Honda didn't capitalize on that from the factory. And since a VTEC version of any of the A-series engines was never produced, swaps akin to an LS/VTEC or "mini-me" aren't doable because no VTEC head bolts to the A-series block.



A-Series Engines



A16A1

The A16A1 was a carburated 1.6 liter engine used in the 1982-1985 Honda Accords in North America and in some of the 1986-1989 Accords in the non-USDM market.

Specifications

* Carbeurated
* Displacement: 1596 cm³
* Bore: 80 mm
* Stroke: 79.5 mm
* Power:
o 88 hp @ 6000 rpm
o 91 ft/lb torque @ 3500 rpm



A18A

The A18A engine was the 1.8 liter engine found in the 1982-1985 Honda Accords as well as the 1984-1987 Honda Prelude in the US. Abroad, it was also available in the 1986-1989 Accords.

Specifications

* Carbeurated
* Displacement: 1829 cm³
* Bore:
* Stroke:
* Power:
o 110 hp @ 5800 rpm
o 112 ft/lbs @ 3500 rpm


A20A

The A20A is probably the most plentiful of all the Honda A-series engines. It was available in both carbeurated and PGM-FI versions. They were found in both Accords and Preludes throughout the 1980s.



A20A1 & A20A2

The A20A1 and A20A2 were the carbeurated versions of the A20A engines. It was available in the 1984-1987 Honda Preludes as well as the 1982-1989 Accord DX and LX. They are the same engine, the only difference between them being that the A20A2 has no emissions components, so it has a slightly higher power output (hp and tq numbers for A20A1 only).

Specifications

* Carbeurated
* Displacement: 1955 cm³
* Bore:
* Stroke:
* Power:
o 98 hp
o 109 ft/lb at 3500 rpm


A20A3 & A20A4

The A20A3 and A20A4 were the fuel injected versions of the A20A engines. They were run by Honda's PGM-FI system on a partial OBD-0 computer. Again, there is no real difference between the A20A3 and the A20A4 besides the A20A4 having a slightly higher power output because of not having emissions components (hp and tq numbers for A20A3 only). The A20A3 was offered in the 1984-1987 Honda Prelude 2.0Si, the 1985 and 1989 Honda Accord SE-i, and the 1986-1989 Honda Accord LX-i.

Specifications

* PGM-FI
* Displacement: 1956 cm³
* Bore:
* Stroke:
* Power:
o 1986-1987: 110 hp @ 5500 rpm & 114 ft/lb @ 4500 rpm
o 1988-1989: 120 hp @ 5500 rpm & 122 ft/lb @ 4000 rpm