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hi there, so I want to k24 swap my civic at some point, and I know that it is going to take a lot of effort and a fair amount of cash. That being said k24s over here in Aus are quite expensive ~$3000 USD and that seems quite expensive compared to the around $1000 USD prices in the US, HONDA ACURA TSX K24A RBB 3 LOBE VTEC ENGINE MOTOR 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 | eBay I found this place selling for around 1k USD and stating it has around 31k miles, which I would guess is quite low for a Honda motor, I was wondering about if it would be a bad idea to ship from the US to Australia and if I should jump on this deal or wait until I'm more prepared to perform the swap? (if I bought it now it would definitely sit around for a few months before being swapped into my car) also would it be any more or less difficult to swap a RHD civic compared to a LHD model?

 
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The AUD is pretty poor against the USD so they’ll probably cost you close to $1500 AUD, with about that again in shipping. Buying elsewhere probably won’t save you any money.

Wait until you have the means to swap. I don’t think it’d be any different doing an LHD vs RHD.

 
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fair enough, i would prefer to wait anyways, so this isnt that good of a deal then? and the only reason i asked about the lhd vs rhd is i noticed that the engines are really over to the left side of the engine bay if youre standing outside the car and looking at the engine bay, and that it doesnt look like there'd be enough room for the brake and clutch master cylinder? would this require any extra messing around to accommodate? the k swap photo below isnt the best example cause of the airbox but in some vids i watched on swapping it does look quite tight on the left side of the bay where the rhd brake master is Edit: i just realized that the k swap picture is of a k20 whoops



th

 
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From an EP3 Type R.

 
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that fits well hahah, so the battery need to be relocated to the trunk or could i re locate to the other side of the bay like on the EP3? and the fuse box and abs are on the opposite sides to my car but that should be fine, how similar are the mounts in the EP3 to the es1 k24 adapter mount things? as in would the engine end up in the same location in the bay? ive also heard that i might need to make a cutout in the hood if i want to keep the power steering?

 
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It would almost certainly require modification.

Honestly, pricing it out, you’re probably better off getting a different car. Assuming the price of cars is normal, my TSX (Accord Euro R to you) was cheaper than the swap alone will cost, and it already has a K.

 
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yeah it seems quite unfortunate. currently the price of a euro r over here is about 20-25k AUD(15-18k USD) but lets all hope prices drop sooner rather than later, what would a k20/4 swap be expected to cost? im guessing im not going to like the answer hahaha
Edit: would it be worth considering trying to turbo my d17z1 non vtec and adding vtec if thats even possible? or swapping to a d17a2 or d16 and turboing one of those? or is this a bit of a lost cause?
there are basically no affordable cars in aus rn so its not looking too great hahahah especially manuals, they've pretty much all disappeared as far as used car websites are concerned

 
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I never tried swapping to the other side, just put mine in the truck. It's now actually mounted to the back of the rear seats.

No issues.

They make K swap mounts for a reason. It would be in the same place.

If you want to keep hydraulic power steering, yes. You can use an EP3 idler pulley to avoid cutting the hood. Either have to go without power steering or EPS swap.

Absolute bare minimum, I did mine for about $1,500-$2k USD. And I mean bare minimum. That was a K20a2 swap, I had a donor car with a broken timing chain that I fixed, over 200k miles on it. You can easily spend upwards of $4k.

No experience with D17 turbos. I would suspect you would still end up spending $2k+ for maybe 200-250 HP.

 
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thanks for all the info! from what i can see, the most available k24s here in aus are k24a1/3 and k24z motors, i can find them reasonably cheap around 1000aud (700usd) would they be a good idea? i remember hearing that the k24z were harder to swap cause of something about the crank or cam position sensor. and ive been having trouble finding info on the differences between all the iterations/generations of the k24, would it be financially sensible to buy a k24a1/3/4 or k24z and "upgrade" it to a k24a2? (as far as i can tell the k24a2 is the best k24?) and i cant really seem to get a price on any of the k20s over here and they all seem to be a lot more expensive than the k24

 
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kinda definitely off topic but how much potential does the es1 actually have to be a great car, ive heard about the suspension being inferior to the double wishbone of previous generations, is this able to be overcome with suspension upgrades or is there an inherent flaw with the suspension design? Edit: that being said i like the handling of my car and i think it corners quite well, however i havent driven a previous gen civic and the only context i have are ford falcons and holden commodores, which are like massive boats / taxis with big engines (the commodore being the AUDM pontiac GTO/G8/ chevy ss) also how would the k24 swap affect the handling of the car in terms of the increased weight / weight distribution of the car, as far as i can tell the d17 weighs around 340lbs and the k24 around 413lbs

 
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Depends on what you want to do. The K24A’s are still excellent engines. They just make less power (160hp vs 205hp). That’s definitely the way to go in my opinion.

7th gens are just the ugly ducklings of civics. Bad engines, bad chassis, bad aftermarket compared to the other civics, you get my point.

Of all the cars I’ve had (I’ve had 7 cars lol), it probably handles the worst, but it was also on stock suspension.

This forum was originally a 7th gen forum so we all have an irrational love for them. I was suggesting you get a different car based on the original price you gave me. I’d consider doing it with the cheaper K24A though.

Never driven a K-swapped 7th gen so I can’t provide input on how it would affect handling. I don’t imagine you’d feel a difference.

 
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yeah i had a quick consideration of selling my es1 but i dont think i could do it hahahaha and how difficult / expensive would it be to bring a k24a1/3 to k24a2 spec / performance, ive heard that the k24a2s have "real" vtec whilst the others dont? whatever that means, and to be honest all i really want out of a motor is a nice sounding and decently hard hitting vtec and later on some turbo noises without making insane power, probably around 300-350 crank at the most, but probably a fair bit less than that, as i dont want to "ruin" the car with too much power, if that makes any sense?

 
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Some of the K24Z family have a single, large exhaust port on the back of the head. Everyone favors the separate ports for each cylinder.

K24a1/3 to a K24a2 would basically require everything except the engine block. Unless you just slap in some after market higher compression pistons and call it a day. Still wouldn't be as good though. I pulled a K24a2 block out of the junkyard for $150 then put my K20a2 head and other parts on. Basically gave me a better K24a2 and cost me almost nothing.

I'm not as convinced the 7th gen is a horrible platform. The aftermarket is terrible, I agree, but the Si trim (K20a3 in the US) was loved. The EP3 Type R was also considered a great car. Both share a similar chassis/suspension to your ES1. The 7th gen also shares the same chassis/suspension as the RSX, and people love it. Double wishbone is better than MacPherson strut but I don't think it handles bad. One track day over the summer I caught up with and passed a 10th gen Type R. Granted, they probably weren't pushing as hard as I was

Also, I noticed no difference in handling between the stock D17 and K24. Not adding enough weight to make a significant difference.

 
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I guess I should correct myself. It's not a horrible platform, it's just worse than the rest of them. From what I've read over the years, I was always under the impression that the EP platform was also less popular due to the "subpar" handling (again, relative to other civics. I'm sure it's still pretty good). Maybe I'm wrong then.

All K24Z came with single inlet exhaust ports. They're amazing engines if you want to make relatively minor performance changes. If you want a crapload of power, look elsewhere.

The K20Z engines came with conventional exhaust ports. It's just an expansion from the K20A whereas the K24Z is completely different.

 
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hahahaha im sure the 10th gen wasn't happy about that one and it sounds like the k24a2 is the way to go, but then again i cant find any over here (makes sense cause they didn't sell any cars with an a2 in it over here) so i'd have to import from Japan or the US, neither of those sound like a great option. but it seems like a lot of effort swapping in a new motor and all the rest just to gain 40hp with an a1/3, sure i bet that makes a big difference but i might as well spend a bit extra and double that to 80hp have better vtec and more potential too? ive heard a bit about the franken k24 with a k20 head, what are the benefits of that? im guessing its a bit less tall, but i can already fit a full k24 in my bay right?

 
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interesting okay, is it anymore difficult of a swap? because i do remember hearing something like the crank position sensor has more "teeth" or points on it? also would it be a good idea to run a standalone ecu as compared to one from a tsx or crv if i want to turbo and tune in the future?
also also would it be worth upgrading to a 5 lug setup as i heard that you can run stronger CV axles than compared to the 4 lug?

 
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Is the K24Z any more difficult of a swap? Probably. It's mounted inversely to how conventional K-series are and it mounts differently as well. I doubt anyone makes swap mounts for it. I guess I should have elaborated; it's not an engine to swap in. If your car just so happens to have one (in the form of an Accord Euro R for you), then it's lovely.

Your only real options are what I'll call the 1st gen K-series engines. Keep in mind it's not just 40hp, but also 50 foot pounds of torque. It will make a monumental difference. If you plan on turbocharging it, the lower power engine is still more than capable of handling 400hp. Hell, I wouldn't go higher than 300whp in a FWD car, but that's just for some perspective.

5-lug is pretty much standard procedure for the swaps. As for tuning, KPro/Hondata.

This is a good read if you're serious about swapping it.

 
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fair enough, so basically only the k24As are swappable then? and maybe turboing a k24a1/a3 might be worth it then, is there much of a difference with the vtec between the a2 and the rest of them? because ive heard the a2 has "performance" vtec whilst the rest have "economy" vtec? and i guess the only only other reason im apprehensive towards the a1/a3 is that how well would it go with NA / all motor power, as over here it is very illegal and obvious when you have a turbo car on your provisional license, i feel like the 200hp of the k24a2 the perfect amount for a decently quick car. and im gonna give that PDF a good read through

 
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with enough money, time and ability (meaning wants to do and will do instead of asking) time, anything is swappable

 
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hahahah that's very true! i am going for something that has a decent value for money though

 
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The problem with getting an A2 where you are is you can piece together a turbo kit for your D17 and be making more power for probably as much. Certainly cheaper when you consider the extra costs going into swapping, including trans, ECU, wiring harness, custom engine mounts, etc. That PDF is a comprehensive breakdown.

My experience with K-series at least, I don't find there to be a huge difference unless you're pounding the hell out of it. If I was in your position and I had to K-swap, I'd go with an A1, simply because it's cheap and gives me the base to start with. With the extra money saved, you're a decent ways to having a decent turbo kit assembled. Since you're concerned about having a turbo car on a restricted license, I'd probably wait until you have your full license. That's just my 2 cents.

If you're going A2, you will probably be looking in the area of $6-7000. Only you can decide whether that's worth it or not.

 
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yeah i might have to think about this for a while, i feel like a d17 non vtec turbo wouldn't be reliable when compared to a k24 na, im about a third the way through the pdf and im gonna price it up and look at my options, it does seem like the car isnt worth dumping all that money into it. i might just end up keeping it stock and having a good cheap daily and then buy a project car later on, but with the ridiculous prices of cars right now that might be awhile away. lets hope theres a way to make my car quick without spending triple its market value

 
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A few things:
-The K24a2 does have the performance VTEC, the a1 just has the economy version. Lower compression ratio and no real VTEC is why it only makes 160 HP.
-I have a K24a1 in my garage. When first planning my K swap I was going to use it. Ended up finding a K20a2 at a good price. The additional torque from a K24a1 would still make the car feel significantly quicker than the D17.
-Turbo D17 can get you over 200 HP but an NA K24 will be more reliable. The K also responds to upgrades well, turbo K24 will get you ~400 HP. Even a K24a1 turbo can make good numbers.
-5 lug swap isn't necessary but lots of people do it. I already had two sets of 4 lug wheels and didn't want to replace them. I am still 4 lug.
-I agree with Chezboat, I think the K24a1 swap would be the best direction for the time being.

 
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Yeah i think I'd much rather k swap and good news is I was wrong about the A3, it turns out that it's the AUDM version of the A2 which makes things a lot easier, there are several of them for sale in Aus but they do seem a bit expensive although some of them come with an auto trans attached which I could try and avoid buying or just sell later