Honda J37A
Honda J37A engine
Honda J37A engine specs
| Manufacturer | Anna engine plant |
| Also called | Honda J37 |
| Production | 2007-2014 |
| Cylinder block alloy | Aluminum |
| Configuration | V6 |
| Valvetrain | SOHC 4 valves per cylinder |
| Piston stroke, mm (inch) | 96 (3.78) |
| Cylinder bore, mm (inch) | 90 (3.54) |
| Compression ratio | 11.0 11.2 |
| Displacement | 3664 cc (223.6 cu in) |
| Power output | 216 kW (295 HP) at 6,300 rpm 220 kW (300 HP) at 6,000 rpm 220 kW (300 HP) at 6,300 rpm 224 kW (305 HP) at 6,300 rpm |
| Torque output | 367 Nm (270 lb·ft) at 5,000 rpm 373 Nm (275 lb·ft) at 5,000 rpm 370 Nm (272 lb·ft) at 4,500 rpm 370 Nm (272 lb·ft) at 5,000 rpm |
| Redline | – |
| HP per liter | 81 82 83 |
| Fuel type | Gasoline |
| Weight, kg (lbs) | – |
| Fuel consumption, L/100 km (mpg) -City -Highway -Combined |
Acura TL 13.8 (17) 9.4 (25) 11.5 (20.5) |
| Turbocharger | Naturally aspirated |
| Oil consumption , L/1000 km (qt. per miles) |
up to 0.5 (1 qt. per 1200 miles) |
| Recommended engine oil | 5W-20 5W-30 |
| Engine oil capacity, L (qt.) | 4.3 (4.5) |
| Oil change interval, km (miles) | 5,000-10,000 (3,000-6,000) |
| Normal engine operating temperature, °C (F) | – |
| Engine lifespan, km (miles) -Official information -Real |
– 300,000+ (180,000) |
| Tuning, HP -Max HP -No life span loss |
400+ – |
| The engine is installed in | Acura MDX Acura RL Acura TL Acura ZDX |
Honda J37A engine reliability, problems and repair
The largest Honda J engine appeared in 2007, and was intended for top Acura cars. They created this engine on the basis of the popular Honda J35. It has the same V6, its deck height is 235 mm, but the engineers have increased the cylinder bore to 90 mm. They also installed a 96 mm stroke crankshaft and 157 mm long con rods and the compression height of the piston was 30 mm. The compression ratio was increased to 11. Thanks to these changes it was possible to increase displacement to 3.7 liters.
Reworking the cylinder block is not the only thing, J37A cylinder head was also modified. They have SOHC configuration, and use the variable valve timing and lift electronic control system VTEC. This system is activated after 4,500 rpm. These heads, the intake valves diameter was increased to 36 mm and the diameter of the exhaust valves was the same as in J35, 30 mm. These valves have been lightened, and hollow camshafts were used. They improved the cooling system of the engine, used a lightweight 64 mm throttle body, as well as an improved 62 mm exhaust system. For J37A, light 2-Stage intake manifold is used, which switches after 3,800 rpm.
Here the first version of the J37A1 is described, but this engine has got upgrades and has several versions for various cars. The differences between them are described below.
The Acura J37A engine uses a timing belt; it is to be replaced after every 60,000 miles.
The valves are also to be adjusted after every 30,000 miles. Valve clearances in a cold J37A engine are 0.24-0.26 mm for intake and 0.28-0.32 mm for exhaust valves.
Along with Acura J37A, Honda J family included the following motors: J25, J30, J32 and J35.
J37 had been continued until 2014, then it was replaced by a new version of Honda J35Y.
Acura J37A engine modifications and differences
1. J37A1 was the first version. It reached 300 HP @ 6,000 rpm, the torque was 373 Nm @ 5,000 rpm.
This engine got some changes in 2010. The compression ratio was increased to 11.2, VTEC system was improved (triggered after 4,800 rpm), the intake manifold (switching after 4,050 rpm) and the exhaust system were modified.
2010 J37A reaches 300 HP @ 6300 rpm, the torque is 370 Nm @ 4500 rpm. It was installed in Acura MDX.
2. J37A2 was an analogue to the 2010 J37A1, but for Acura RL. Its power was 295 HP @ 6,300 rpm, the torque is 367 Nm @ 5,000 rpm.
3. J37A4 is the same 2010 J37A1, but with a cold air intake system and a 69 mm throttle body. The power of J37A4 was 305 HP @ 6,200 rpm, the torque was 370 Nm @ 5,000 rpm. This engine can be found in Acura TL.
4. J37A5 is another 2010 J37A1, but for Acura ZDX.
Acura J37A engine problems and malfunctions
Reliability of the J37A engine is not much different from the popular Honda J35. HERE we have shown the most common problems on the J series.
Honda J37A engine tuning
Fans of boosting the power of the engine have nothing to do here, it will be next to impossible to find any J37A performance parts. It is better to pick another car for this purpose. Especially for those who can’t live without performance tuning, we recommend buying a cold air intake system, performance catalytic converters and perform aggressive ECU tuning. It will add a little power and improve the sound.
Forget about building a J37A Turbo with a twin turbocharger or a singe large turbocharger, these are too expensive projects, it is much easier to buy a faster car.
