My '95 Civic DX K20A2 swapped no more**Red Rocket K24/K20 **

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By CopyLifted
- Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:41 pm #349346
jefferydclark wrote:awesome progress dude! how much do you have in this? I'm looking for a better platform after I blow up my D series next year LOL


Thanks!

I'm into it about $4300 and counting. Although I got lucky and scored the k20a2 with 6 speed trans, ecu and shifter box with cables for $1000.

Now that I've done it, I can see where buying used parts and such can save money. But for the first time, having the full k swap package was helpful.
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By CopyLifted
- Thu Oct 23, 2014 1:46 am #349348 If the DESCRIPTION and item specifics of this auction are correct (donor car is a 2006 RSX), then I just bought a halfshaft for $60 today.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/361056470684?it ... m=&vxp=mtr


Anyway, I was going to clean up the wiring from the mess I made the other day when my fan wouldn't kick on, but it's too gloomy and rainy. Another day.....

In the mud and rain lol

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By jefferydclark
- Thu Oct 23, 2014 5:57 pm #349369 good deal man :thumb: maybe i'll go this route some day. build is coming along nicely and that's a hell of a score on that swap for a grand!!!!!!
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By CopyLifted
- Thu Oct 23, 2014 8:33 pm #349373
jefferydclark wrote:good deal man :thumb: maybe i'll go this route some day. build is coming along nicely and that's a hell of a score on that swap for a grand!!!!!!


Thanks alot man!

Honestly, this k swap would have never happened if that swap didn't come up for sale when it did at that price.
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By CopyLifted
- Sat Nov 01, 2014 1:56 am #349544 I got the halfshaft today and I have officially driven it about a half of a mile lol.

Left my driveway............spiiiiinnnn. Second gear........spiiiiiiinnnn. Let's try third........opps, that's fifth! Oh well, I have traction now.

Like I said, I only took it down the road and back and only crossed over into vtec once in third, but WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST DO!? I can tell this thing is going to be a BEAST!

That's all I drove it due to overheating issues. And let me tell you. It's driving me NUTS. I'm hoping it's just the common air in the system but I have been working on that for a few days now and I don't seem to be getting anywhere.

Jacked the front up as high as i could get it, with a funnel in the radiator half full of water to get it above the top water neck. Heater on full blast. Lots of air bubbles and heater finally started working after the third day of trying. Water level never dropped after sitting for 2 days. temp guage shows normal temp. Thought maybe that was faulty so i tried another temp sensor and same thing.

It gets boiling hot in the radiator. Lower radiator hose is COLD. Thermostat doesn't seem to open but I have tested it on the stove with water and it does start opening around 175. Fan never kicks on either. Tested that in boiling hot water and the fan came on. Tried it again today and it didn't come on.

I'm lost. Hopefully I figure it out this weekend.
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By brandoff88
- Sat Nov 01, 2014 5:15 pm #349551 sounds like the wiring somewhere is iffy, kudos to testing everything before throwing parts at it, and im really thinking of ditching the ls turbo set up im planning and going n/a k series thanks to your build thread haha
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By CopyLifted
- Sat Nov 01, 2014 7:41 pm #349552
brandoff88 wrote:sounds like the wiring somewhere is iffy, kudos to testing everything before throwing parts at it, and im really thinking of ditching the ls turbo set up im planning and going n/a k series thanks to your build thread haha


Tested two switches and they both work when in hot water. Also, if I loop a wire in the connector + to - fan works all the time. So i know it all works. Also 1 time it kicked on when i brought a pan of boiling water out to the car and set the switch in it. So, I don't know lol.

Honestly, I would go k. Just a better platform all around to start with. Unfortunaly, it's so damn expensive just to get it in the car lol.

If you're on the fence about it maybe this will help. pros and cons 8)

http://www.k20a.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10985
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By CopyLifted
- Sat Nov 01, 2014 10:22 pm #349553 Still can't get this thing to cool down properly. Water temp at the gauge reads normal. Valve cover is HOT HOT. Radiator boils over. lower radiator hose takes a long time to finally get hot, but the fan never kicks on and I don't want to risk overheating the block.

I have gone out there twice with a pot of boiling water and put the fan switch in it and the fan DOES turn on.

Hell, I just got back from a short (*cough* 120 *cough*) drive and the temp gauge still reads normal while the engine is HOT and no fan. I am out of ideas except let her run til she either melts down or the fan kicks on lol.

By Axix23
- Sun Nov 02, 2014 7:55 pm #349563 If you think it flies with that ecu, wait until you run kpro or ktuner ecu and be tuned! One thing is, which fan switch are you running? I am using k tuner ecu to turn the fans on at 196f and disengage at 190. The stock eg fan switch kicks on prolly around 212f.

FYI, that gauge cluster temp gauge is almost useless, just a guide. It takes forever to read properly. You want read it from the k series coolant sensor into the block. My ktuner ecu reads 180f when my gauge cluster gauge will still read c and then a few minutes later, it reads to normal temp. You could be overheating and not know it.

I highly suggest you pick up a mishimotor radiator and a slim fan. You spent so much the s​wap, no pt on cheaping out on the coolant system.
Last edited by Axix23 on Sun Nov 02, 2014 7:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.

By Axix23
- Sun Nov 02, 2014 7:56 pm #349564 My lower radiator hose takes a long time to heat up too, that's normal.
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By CopyLifted
- Tue Nov 04, 2014 12:47 am #349592
Axix23 wrote:If you think it flies with that ecu, wait until you run kpro or ktuner ecu and be tuned! One thing is, which fan switch are you running? I am using k tuner ecu to turn the fans on at 196f and disengage at 190. The stock eg fan switch kicks on prolly around 212f.

FYI, that gauge cluster temp gauge is almost useless, just a guide. It takes forever to read properly. You want read it from the k series coolant sensor into the block. My ktuner ecu reads 180f when my gauge cluster gauge will still read c and then a few minutes later, it reads to normal temp. You could be overheating and not know it.

I highly suggest you pick up a mishimotor radiator and a slim fan. You spent so much the s​wap, no pt on cheaping out on the coolant system.


I really need kpro or ktuner as i really have no idea what temps I am at.

I am using a stock b series fan switch. I believe it says the fan should kick on between 194-203. I just can't imagine that I haven't gone over that by now lol.

Yesterday I removed the thermostat completely and the car seemed to warm up real quick. I bled the system (hell, that's all I seem to be doing) and once again the fan never kicked on. I jumped the plug so my fan would stay on all the time and the temp gauge dropped a tick below the C. remove the jumper and it climbs back up to normal and the fan never kicks on.

Now for my worst nightmare. I believe it has a head gasket issue. With the thermostat removed and from what I would think that all the major air pockets have been bled out, I had frequent small bubbles. Especially when I revved it up.

Today I tried again, but this time I had a IR heat gun. Temps seemed good for the first 30 minutes or so, but then the radiator reached boiling point. I checked the temp of the fan switch fitting and it was right around 190, but the radiator was at 209 on the outside and boiling. The water was almost at the top of the funnel. And a good amount was pushed out when i shut the car off. The air bubbles were worse today too. A lot of small and big bubbles when I revved it. The fan never kicked on either btw.

I am just so confused as to why my fan doesn't kick on, yet it does when I place it in a pan of HOT water.

Also, when I bought this swap the guy told me his buddy did the head gasket on it. And seeing as the cam timing was off, I wouldn't doubt he botched the gasket install too. My fault for not tearing it down like i told myself to do.

Maybe tomorrow I will get a video of the air bubbles coming out. I am pretty positive it is air getting in from somewhere and not air pockets in the motor. Too many for too long.

Any thoughts, please post them.
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By CopyLifted
- Thu Nov 06, 2014 12:07 am #349674
Civic Savior wrote:Hope you can get it figured out. I need to go for a ride!! lol


Well I'm pretty sure I found the source of my air bubbles. The top of #1 piston is wet.......

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Once I get this squared away, I will most defiantly take you for a ride. Be warned though, you'll never look at a d or b series the same. I'm considering selling my '98, b18c1 powered civic just to get this done lol.

After taking the k20 for a rip, I had to go get something in town and was not impressed with my b18c1 anymore haha.
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By CopyLifted
- Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:41 pm #349719
Civic Savior wrote:That's what i am afraid of. I love my D at the moment but i think your K will ruin me lol So is that a head gasket issue like you thought then?


Yeah. Well I'm hoping it's just the head gasket. I'll know more when I pull the head.
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