K20 & K24
By Jameseg
#355431 Hello all, I just became a member on this forum and I wanted to share my experience and suggestions to you all who might be thinking of swapping a K in your 5th gen.

First off, my car... I have a 1993 Si hatch with a K24a2 motor.

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You take a light chassis and add a larger motor and you're going to have a good recipe for speed. The EG hatch weighs anywhere from 2100 to 2300 lbs. You add a motor that can put out an easy 200 hp and 160 lbs. of tq(K24), and you're gonna have a car that will surprise a number of petrol heads all with retaining that Honda reliability we all love.

I'm not going to list all of the positives on how fun it is own a K swapped 5th gen, but rather tell you all how I got to having a reliable set up that will last and it's quite simple. Do your research! Have a plan AND a budget! Use quality (OEM) parts whenever possible!

Do your research! - It took me months of searching options on different forums and calling guys from different companies to figure out what I needed for the swap. Remember, there is a bunch of info on the internet that is misleading and quite simply incorrect. I found calling places like Hybrid Racing, K-Tuned and Auto Fair Honda was more beneficial than searching for answers on the forums. It's reassuring to speak with someone who has done a dozen K swaps themselves than lean on some forum troll for info.

Have a plan! - Plan out what you want. What are your goals? What chassis do you want/have? What are your expectations of the swap? One of the best things you all can do is actually take a ride in a K swapped car! So many just think it's cool because that's the "in" thing or want to do it because it's what the Honda crowd is into at the moment. Maybe you'd be happier with a newer chassis that already has a K in it?

Have a budget! - You need the green to do a swap correctly. Create a spreadsheet if you're really detail-oriented like me. Make a list of the parts you'll need and their respective price. Total everything up and see what you'll need in the end. Don't forget to think of a location for the swap, tools etc.

Use quality(OEM) parts! - This one is especially important. It is my personal opinion that Honda OEM parts are king! Why? Because Honda has engineered it's parts to last for years/decades. Don't use hardware from AutoZone or crap from eBay. There are some parts that you just have to get aftermarket, ex: Motor mounts, custom/swap header, etc.

A number of people have asked how much it cost me to do the swap? I won't list an exact amount, but tell you it was around 10k. This does NOT include the price of the car. Keep in mind I used all quality, mostly new parts. The swap can be done for half as much if you go used and shop for the lowest price.

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So, I hope some of you might find this post helpful. Good luck with your builds!!
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By CopyLifted
#355478 Nice little write up! I can't tell you how many times the "haters" have dogged my car just because it has a K in it. They know nothing about them. Then they see it in action and still can't believe it. It truly is the way to go IMO if you can afford it i guess. Haters gonna hate I guess.

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By FlopUrDonk
#355730 I just bought a non running tsx manual off a buddy who was gonna scrap it. This makes me wanna maybe do the swap but that is a lot of green and just did the b18 swap. But the torque my 9th gen si has is awesome and could only imagine what it could do in my gutted vx. Green is King.
By HeikDiesel
#355742 Not sure if it's a "haters going to hate" kind of deal, but if you invested the money for a K swap into a B series you could have a pretty nice B series. In your case where your car came with a d16z6 at best, I can see that you would want to go K, whereas people with a 99-00 Si, 94-01 Integra, Del Sols, etc I don't see the justification.
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By CopyLifted
#355781
HeikDiesel wrote:Not sure if it's a "haters going to hate" kind of deal, but if you invested the money for a K swap into a B series you could have a pretty nice B series. In your case where your car came with a d16z6 at best, I can see that you would want to go K, whereas people with a 99-00 Si, 94-01 Integra, Del Sols, etc I don't see the justification.


The justification is it's a better platform to start with. Part for part, the k series will always put down more power than a b series. Prices are starting to come down on k series parts as well.

The b series is a dead end technology. Yes, they are putting down some insane #'s now, but it has come down to squeezing that last bit out that they can. How much more boost before she blows is what's happening actually.

It's amazing the power a stock k series longblock can put out. Sleeving isn't really even needed until you push more than 700hp!

The biggest problem with the k series is the tranny's though. You'll have just as much, if not more, into a built tranny as you do into the motor unfortunately. But when you are serious about making power, the trans should be built regardless.

One must experience a k swap!
By HeikDiesel
#355784 I'm not going to get into a big debate about it. The built in girdle in the bottom end is nice, but the transmissions are junk and there's a reason the worlds fastest FWD Hondas still run a B series. Call it better aftermarket support or what have you but to call the B series "dead end technology" is just ignorant.
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By CopyLifted
#355817
HeikDiesel wrote:I'm not going to get into a big debate about it. The built in girdle in the bottom end is nice, but the transmissions are junk and there's a reason the worlds fastest FWD Hondas still run a B series. Call it better aftermarket support or what have you but to call the B series "dead end technology" is just ignorant.


Ignorant? lol

The B series has been around 21 years. The k series 13 years. And I've already said how they are finding more power. It's a dead end technology.
By Axix23
#357428 It's about personal preference. Nothing wrong with a b series. I had both in an eg8. Both has its pros and cons.