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This is an article NOFX found in the July 2004 issue of Sport Compact Car. (If you don't like the magazine, keep it out of this thread. This thread is not meant for battles on which magazines suck or not.) This article refers to the cover car, a Milano Red 1996 Civic hatch with a K20 swap in it. There is also a corresponding article on the car called, The RedDevil.
Hybrid How-To
BY JARED HOLSTEIN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: TIM KELLY KEVIN WING
Hybrid No. 15:
K-series engines into the EK (1996-2000) Civic's chassis
WHAT AND WHY
Face it, the D-series in you Civic is far from anything special. It's a fuel economy engine. If you want more power, it's forced induction or a swap. Installing a B-series swap is easy, but Honda hasn't made a B-series since model year 2001. Supply is shrinking and they're getting pricey.
The future of Honda engines is the new K-series, under the hood of the Accord, Element, CR-V, TSX, and RSX. Figure more than 400,000 of them are sold each year. They're already in junkyards and the minimum power is 160. Plus, the 2.0-liter version has lots more torque than a B-series swap and the 2.4 even more still.
Then EK Civic is the last generation with a double wishbone front suspension instead of cheap MacPherson struts liek that 2001-and-up models, and the handling potential of the EK models is well beyond that of the newer cars. It's also lighter and has lots of non-engine-related performance parts and bling-bling parts available.
Swap Basics
CHASSIS: 1996-TO-2000 HONDA CIVIC, SIXTH GENERATION, ALL MODELS
They all came with D-series engines (except the Si) so they all have the same mount locations. The fastest units, post-
swap, are the lightest, which are hatchbacks. The CX has a factory-listed weight of just 2,250 pounds. But even if
you have a plump EX sedan, this swap works.
ENGINE: K20 OR K24
The Hasport kits work with either size engineand with all the combinations like a K24 from and Accord on the bottom
end with a K20A2 head from an RSX Type-S. The K24 motors have EGR built into the head (except the CR-V), and the
K24A2 from the TSX has a different ECU and harness. Other than those anomalies, they're all the same electronically and
emissions-wise.
CONCERNS
If you've done a Honda hybrid swap, this is no tougher. Three mount points, three new custom mounts. You need a custom
exhaust and driveshafts, but Hasport is currently supplying the necessary parts. The wiring is very tricky, however.
Plan four to five hours on wires alone if you go it yourself, or just buy the Hasport sub-harnesses.
Emissions may require a lot of work, depending on your state's rules. The 1999-to-2000 cars generally have all the sensors
the K ECU is looking for, but other years/models may require parts from newer years/models of Civics to be fully
emissions compliant.
PICKING THE CHASSIS
For starters, Hasport, one of the best-known names for Honda swap parts and engine mounts, has engineered the K-series swap into the 1996-to-2000 Civic chassis. Any of the Civics (except a Civic that has a Contnuously Variable Transmission, CVT) made in these years can accept a K-series engine. A Civic with an auto tranny will work too, but the kit is made to drop in a manual transmission K-engine. You'll have to add the clutch pedal yourself.
The leanest, meanest car for speed would be the 1996-to-1997 CX hatchback. It has the lowest weight, least emissions control, a relatively rigid body (since it has no moonroof), and is still relatively available. Next would be a coupe, like an HX, but even a 2000 sedan with it's 300 extra pounds will suddenly wake up, especially if you drop in a torquey K24.
PICKING THE ENGINE
There are several versions of the K-series. Any of them will fit, but some are better than others. The K20A2 powers the RSX Type-S. It's the best of the U.S. engines, mainly because it has the real VTEC, with high- and low-rpm lobes for both intake and exhaust valves, as opposed to the sissy eco-version that only acts on the intake cams and has no high-rpm lobes. The A2 also packs the highest compression, is built to withstand higher revs and comes bolted to a six-speed.
Unless it's cheap, a K20A3 engine from a Civic Si or base RSX is probably one to skip. You can beat it with a B20 VTEC and save the trouble of the wiring harness. It'll go in just like the K20A2 shown here, but unless being different means more to you than being better, why bother?
The K24s from the Accord Element and CR-V are all basically the same, bt different intakes and emissions components can complicate things. the Accord and Elements have the most emissions control stuff. The CR-V is called a "light-trc" by the EPA and will have less crap to hook up, notably EGR. All California cars will have more emissions crap. Consider a K24 for a swap because it will have great torque, responds well to turbocharging and paves the way to a future upgrade with an RSX Type-S or TSX head.
That leaves the K24A2 from the TSX or the JDM ITR engine, called simply the K20A. The JDM K20A is the best OEM version there is, with 20 more factory hp and a limited slip. The TSX us so new you likely won't see one in a yard for some time. The TSX also uses an electronic throttle that could cause other problems. But either of these engines follows the same installation as laid out here.
Parts Table
There are some things that must be custom if you do this swap. Hasport
sells nearly all of them. Some other parts are from Honda but are not original
to the EK.
CUSTOM PARTS
Engine mounts
Driveshafts. No OEM units work exactly
Wiring harness
Exhaust header
A/C hoses (optional)
Air intake (aftermarket units are easliy modified)
Fuel pressure regulator
Metal clutch tubing from master cylinder to rubber tubing on K trans
HONDA PARTS NOT FROM YOUR CAR
2002-and-up Civic Si throttle cable
1990-1997 Accord shifter box or RSX shifter box
1994-2001 GS-R radiator hoses
2002-and-up Civic Si idler pulley (goes where power steering pump was)
PICKING THE TRANSMISSION
If you're polling the yards for complete swaps, you may not have a choice, but there are some diamonds out there. The best of them would be the six-speed from the RSX Type-S, Japanese Type-R or TSX. Either is good, with the TSX being geared for the torque of 2.4-liters and the Type-S and Type-R geared for high-revving powerbands.
It's all about teh other trannies that present you with choices. There are no CR-V two-wheel-drive manuals, but the Element has some short (high numerically) gears. It might make for a nice, all-motor gearbox. Next is the Civic Si. Nearly and exact match for the RSX, it has lower first and second gears, but a higher final drive. The Accord tranny is about fuel economy. It's the easy choice for turbo application though, where short gears just mean wheelspin. See the transmission ratios table for all the details. Gears and final drives of all teh five-speed boxes are interchangeable, as are the six-speeds. But you can't swap parts between five-speeds and six-speeds.
K-series gear ratios
Accord TSX RSX-S RSX Element Civic Si
1st 3.267:2 3.267:1 3.267:1 3.267:1 3.533:1 3.062:1
2nd 1.769:1 1.88:1 2.130:1 1.880:1 2.042:1 1.769:1
3rd 1.147:1 1.355:1 1.517:1 1.212:1 1.355:1 1.212:1
4th 0.872:1 1.028:1 1.147:1 0.921:1 1.028:1 0.921:1
5th 0.659:1 0.825:1 0.921:1 0.738:1 0.825:1 0.738:1
6th 0.659:1 0.738:1
Final Drive 4.389:1 4.700:1 4.389:1 4.389:1 4.765:1 4.764:1
ENGINE REMOVAL AND PREP WORK
This is kinda old hat by now. The D-series engines that orginally came with these cars are tiny little guys that come out easily. A lift makes things easier since Honda motors comoe out the best from the bottom.
When you're buying your K motor, make sure to get everything attached to the engine, including the engine wire harness and the engine charging harness (battery cable and alternator wires), since it's a separate piece on K-engines. The batteries are different places in the K-powered cars and you're going to need its charging and power distribution harness for the EK.
The other must-haves are the ECU, an original key and the transponder from the steering column. Since 2000, Honda has built all it's cars with a coded key and transponder system as an anti-theft device. ECUs are matched to keys and can't be reprogrammed without a lot of documentation and an understanding dealer.
COOLING SYSTEM
This one is a bit of a bugger. Our EK uses an aftermarket radiator moade for an RSX (you can use the stock RSX unit as well). The stock lower mounts have to be cut off and mounted lower down, but it's very effective and uses stock RSX hoses. The old EK radiator's fan switch and temp sensor had to be moved when we did this as well (and are still needed if you use your EK radiator).
This setup means no AC/ without the RSX condensor. Another option, if you want A/C, is to make the EK radiator and the A/C condensor switch places (they sit side-by-side, not one in front of the other like most cars). In the stock location, the EK radiator's upper outlet hits the K-series intae manifold. For hoses you can use 1994-to-2001 GS-R upper and lower hoses. the lower hose will require some creative trimming to fit properly.
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