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K20A2 EK Swap Parts List, Pictures, Manual Conversion and Writeup in Progress

572K views 236 replies 121 participants last post by  Silviodagreat 
#1 ·
I know this may be common knowledge to alot of you, but for the people just getting into it (like myself) hopefully this will all help.

Hey whats up everyone. Well about a month ago me and a some friends decided to take on a K20A2 swap into a 98' EK (automatic). Unfamiliar to this a couple of us were pretty nervous. So far so good.

I am listing all the parts I have purchased, where i puchased them, Honda parts diagrams, and pictures of the work in progress.

Parts List:

www.jhpusa.com
: SARD Fuel Pressure Regulator $139.00
: HaSport 96-00 EKK1 Motor Mounts $576.00 (HaSport sells
direct as well for $639.00)

www.hasport.com
: K-Series Header for 88-00 Civic $399.00
: PNP Conversion Harness $350
: Radiator Hose Adapter w/ Fan Switch and Temp
Sender Port $35.00

www.goldeneaglemfg.com
: K20 Fuel Rail $125.99

www.karcepts.com
: Shifter Mounting Kit $150.00

www.hybrid-racing.com
: OEM Pulley Replacement w/belt for Power Steering $150.47
: OEM Thermo Unit $22.00
: OEM Switch Coolant $26.00

www.hondaautomotiveparts.com
: Pedal Assy Brake $38.36
: Pedal Assy Clutch $40.72
: Clutch Pedal Bracket $17.20
: OEM Master Cylinder $98.07
: Clutch Fluid Tank $5.17
: (I will highlight all parts needed for pedals and master cylinder)

www.delrayacura.com
: Exhaust Manifold Gasket $9.46
: Exhaust Manifold Studs (2) $1.52
: Exhaust Manifold Stud Nuts (2) $00.28
: Exhaust Manifold Bolt Flange (3) $00.74

www.ebay.com
: Type R (PRC) ECU $400.00

Jegs High Performance
: Steel Braided Line 6ft no. 4 for Clutch Line $25.99

www.sunnysideacura.com
: RSX Type S Titanium Shift Knob $39.20

Race Parts Wholesale:
: 10mm x 1 to 4 AN adapters for slave and master cylinder

www.racepartsolutions.com
: 2- 6 AN x 8 AN direct fit 45degree hose end (for fuel rail, one on each side) $ 25.15 each
: 1- 6 AN x 8 90 degree low profile hose end $ 14.39

*** I highly reccomend this place. Their fuel fitting quality has been unmatched to what I have seen. If at all possible buy the low profile fittings. Very well built and very strong. This company offers the best fittings hands down.***




Tools (these are all of what I have used not necessarily required)
: 8-19mm Sockets both Deep Well, Regular, and Impact
: Breaker Bar
: Air Socket (saves time)
: Impact Gun
: Screw Drivers
: Pry Bars
: Needle Nose Plyers and Regular Plyers
: Sledge Hammer
: Rubber Mallet
: Flat Chissels
: Short Meteric Wrenches
: Saw Zaw
: Drimmel (with metal cutting blades)
: Stone Grinder
: Fluid Pans
: Lift (if available)
: Welding Machine (if available)

Well first things first. Here is the engine bay with the motor pulled. Not that you have to, but I took the time to Simple Green the engine bay, steel wool the paint, and put a glossy primer coat over it.



Since there was going to be time to spare while waiting for parts I started on the manual conversion.
Here is 2 part diagrams with the parts you will need (if buying new) to complete the conversion
I am still not sure if the "inhibitor sensor" is needed but will post an update

Pedal Diagram (www.hondaautomotiveparts.com)



Master Cylinder Diagram (www.hondaautomotiveparts.com)
* NOTE: It is very important to buy the Master Cylinder new for it is a wearable part, the rest "can" be found at junk yards.




Pedal Instalation:
Overall the instalation was not difficult just time consuming

With the manual conversion you cannot get your key out unless the plug that goes to the automatic shifter is plugged in and is in park.

First start by disconecting the brake master cylinder from the pedal (not fire wall), then pull the pedal spring off and unbolt the 1 bolt from the pedal






Now that the brake pedal is out, replace it with the manual brake pedal. First bolt it up, then reatach the spring (hardest part for me atlest), and finally reconect the brake mater cylinder bar with the bolt and cotter pin

Old Brake Pedal



New Brake Pedal Installed
NOTE: You dont have to buy a new brake pedal but the automatic one is way too close and may cause problems with hitting your feet when engaging the clutch.



Onto the clutch.
I found it best to install the clutch pedal and spring and all other plastic inserts and stoppers while it was all out of the car. Once the pedal and spring are put together in the bracket you then want to get the master cylinder through the firewall ready to be connected to the bracket.
I did this all by myself but it would have been much easier to have somone holding the master clyinder outside the car.

Clutch Pedal and Bracket Assy



Clutch Pedal Spring Position



Spot in firewall where master cylinder and bracket connect



After the master cylinder is in place alligne the clutch pedal backet up with it and spin the two nuts over the bolts. Do not tighten all the way (just enough to hold in place). Now the the nut flange bolt and allign it with the top hole. Once again do not tighten. Once in place tighten down the nuts on the master cylinder bolts and then tighten the top bolt up.

You will then connect the master cylinder piston to the back of the clutch pedal with the bolt and cotter pin similarly to the brake pedal.

Im not sure if you need the inhibitor sensor yet, but the parts diagram shower where to install it

Master Cylinder and Clutch Pedal Bracket Installed



Finished Interior Job



Now on the outside you must hook up the clutch tank resivor ( easiest job)

When Assy it should look like this




Now the major parts of the conversion are complete. A clutch line will have to be run from master to slave cylinder when the motor is installed. Both inlets are 1/8", I am going to use AN adapters and fittings with no.4 steel braided line as listed in parts above.


The next step that I took was to mount up the engine mount plates to the chassis of the car. This is a very simple procedure. I know that HaSport offers an online pdf. version of their instruction manual. I got shorted a spacer for the rear tranny mount, but just replaced it with a few washers.

Here is the rear transmission mount. If you look you will see that I added 3 washers to fill in the gap. Do not tighten this bolt down unless you have either a spacer or washers to fill the gap. It will bend the mount plate and probably ruin it.



Here is the driver's side mount. Nothing to it, I utilized oem bolts for this plate, I believe the HaSport mounts instruct you to do this as well. 2 bolts on the top and 1 bolt on the under side.



This is the passenger side mount. Once again very simple and you use oem bolts. Make sure when taking the factory mounts off you do not take the plate with the bolt threads that is mounted straight up.



HaSport states the the torque settings are measured to these specs
Passenger Side Mount Plate: 43lbs/ft
Driver Side Mount Plate: 33lbs/ft
Rear Transmission Plate: Not Listed (I did 43 lbs/ft)


The next step has been the most fun so far. If you want your RSX shifter to fit like oem then you need to check out www.karcepts.com. Here they offer a shifter plate kit to solve the problem. Without this kit you will have to drill a hole in your fire wall to run the shifter cables, and the shifter box will not fit as good in place of the civic one. Karcepts instructions for this install are the most complete directions I have ever worked with.

For your reference you are going to need a drimmel tool, drill, 9/32" drill bit and if you had an automatic tranny like I did then you will also need an 11/32" drill bit. These bits should be made to drill through metal. You will also be able to utilize these bits for drilling out spot welds on the radiator and A/C brackets.

Here is how the shifter sits with the newly installed kit.



This is the bottom view. Like the directions say apply the silicone liberally. The more you put in areas that could let heat through the better. I went to the extent of putting the silicone around the bolts, shifter cables and all other gaps or holes.





Note how you can even attach the bracket from the shifter lines to an oem hole. The great thing about this kit, especially utilizing the EKK1 mounts and HaSport header is that you will have good exhaust clearance, and there will be no need for custom bends of any sort.



Note: You will not want to reinstall all the interior plastics around the shifter until the motor is dropped in and you are sure the car shifts properly.

Thanks for the interest and support everyone. This has just gotten started for me, and I will post new pics and updates after each step I take is completed.

Max
 
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#7 ·
If you want a cleaner look on the black silicone around the shifter box you can tape both sides of the gap where the silicone will be applied. You will the apply the silicone between the two pieces of tape. After you have siliconed the piece you remove the tape and you will have a sharp clean edge. I know, it's not necessary and nobody will ever see it but it is a good tip. Awesome write up :up:
 
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#9 ·
c_buz said:
If you want a cleaner look on the black silicone around the shifter box you can tape both sides of the gap where the silicone will be applied. You will the apply the silicone between the two pieces of tape. After you have siliconed the piece you remove the tape and you will have a sharp clean edge. I know, it's not necessary and nobody will ever see it but it is a good tip. Awesome write up :up:
That's what I did also.
 
#11 ·
Yeah the tape is a good idea, but as you can see its too late for me to do that lol. I was as steady as i could be and went over it 2 times for a smoother look and then took the edge of a paper towl down the plate to give it as straight of an edge as possible.

I am using an oem radiator, just relocate the brackets to the other side.

I will have that step posted up tonight.

Thanks for the support everybody, this is my way of giving back to everyone that has helped me out.

Max
 
#12 ·
Okay well Im posting the moving of the radiator and a/c unit brackets tonight.

I finished the radiator brackets last week, but havent gotten the pics taken until tonight. Tonight I rewired the radiator fan, and relocated the a/c unit brackets. As of now we are not installing the a/c unit, but the brackets will be there if we decide to do so.

To start off you need to remove the brackets from their oem position. I did this by drilling out the spot welds and prying them the rest of the way off. If you have a better method, please post, anything helps. After they are drilled out go through and sand off any jagged edges for saftey and fitment.

Now there are two ways that I know of to remount them. Obviously the better way is to weld them back on. I wasnt able to weld them back on unfortunately.

I started off by holding a radiator bracket and placing it on the outside location, almost exactly where the a/c bracket was. I used a marker and marked my holes to drill. For this I used a 1/4 inch size drill bit made to drill through metal. after the holes were marked for the first bracket I used a pointy chisel and punched the center of the holes. I drilled them out all the way through to the next side so could see an exact location of where to cut on the other side.
NOTE: Just an option but it is good to keep a little cup with some oil right by you and continually drop the drill bit in it, this helps cut better in my opinion and the bit will last much longer.



The next 2 pics are my cut outs on the other side to get to the bolts. Its not great work, but it got the job done. I found a better method with the a/c brackets though lol.




To bolt them up you will have to cut a peice out on the opposite side in order to get a socket and nut in there. Cutting is the worse way to do it as I learned and did it a completely different way tonight with the a/c brackets. Once the holes are cut you can tighten down the first bracket. For the next bracket you will need to space it almost exactly 15.5 iches apart.





After you make the same types of marks and center punch the holes do the same thing, and bolt them up. If you did it correctly the radiator should fit right on in there.




You can utilize the top mount bracket, but I drilled a new hole for a more snug fit.



Now that this fits, time for the a/c unit. Honestly even if right now you dont plan on putting a/c back in the car I would mount these up just in case down the road.

The first bracket is spaced less than half an inch away from the center radiator bracket. Here you will want someone to help you hold the a/c unit so you cant get it as close as possible to the radiator without throughin ne thing off.



After you get your holes marked, go ahead and drill all the way through again. After the first bracket holes are drilled now time to drill the other side for the socket to fit into. This time I did not cut it. A friend told me to use this. It works perfectly, keeps a clean look, and fits right up to a normal drill.



This is what the holes will look like.



After you get the first bracket bolted down, set the a/c unit on it, and line up the next bracket. The spacing was almost 13.5 inches but not quite.





Now make your drill marks, center punch, then drill, and drill from the other side as well. Once you get this bracket mounted the unit should look somwhat like this.



Looks like oem to me.



From the top view, if you decide to later install the unit, some modifications will have to be made.



You are also going to have to extend the plug that goes to the radiator. Nothing special here, just some electrical tape, crimpers, and cutters.




Here are some other pictures of the brackets and fitment.










I was also able to get the new manual dash/gauge cluster in tonight. Its pretty cool looking, and fit in there perfectly.





Thanks again, will be back soon with updates. Still waiting on the PNP harness from HaSport so I can drop the motor in.

Max
 
#14 ·
gay question but: what do you use to light up your garage? The lighting is excellent, nothing like the flurescent tubes in my garage
 
#16 ·
dm95eg said:
great writeup! I just have a general question about the holes you drill for the motor mounts. What size holes do you need to drill?
For the EKK1 motor mounts there is no drilling. I think you might have to for the EG models though, but the HaSport mount plates bolt right up to the factory mount holes.
 
#17 ·
sf-si-02 said:
gay question but: what do you use to light up your garage? The lighting is excellent, nothing like the flurescent tubes in my garage
LOL well we have lights that are mounted on the celing and along the tops of the walls along the celing. I also have vertical lights mounted in the wall around the lift. I will take some pics here soon and pm them to ya.

Max
 
#19 ·
suprfast said:
very nice write up. i love how you are keeping AC, i will be doing the same
Kris

If you do it before I do let me know how you run the lines, and if you did it yourself or took it somewhere, right now my plan is to take it to an A/C specialist to run cusomized lines, but not a final decision.

Max
 
#20 ·
boost_me said:
Okay so I attempted the D series outters on the RSX Type S inners, and it does not work. Some of you may already know this, but it was never clearly stated in my searches whether this would work or not, well it will not. So I have to go get some B series outters. But the swap of the hubs is extremely easy. Does any one know where to get the tool to crimp the clamps? or would it be easiest to just take them to a dealer and have them do it?

I will have pics posted up as soon as I get the B series outters, and complete the axel swap.
THanks
You can get some clamps at like AutoZone or where ever that don't require any special tools. Just a pair of pliers and a hammer will work to secure them properly...
 
#23 ·
ken-e said:
Dumd question im sure but does the oem ek radiator mount right on the mounts for the a/c unit w/out any mods?

It looks like you only had to modify mounts for the a/c unit...
I had to switch both of the mounts (for A/C and radiator). That is exactly how they would sit, but on opposite sides. If you need more info post up or pm me.
 
#25 ·
boost_me said:
Does anyone know the NPT size of the mastercylinder and slavecylinder, both of them are the same size, but i am not sure if i need a meteric or a standard. Right now i have a 1/8" NPT and i am not sure that i like the fittment, and feel i might need a metric size adapter to a no 4 AN. Any help would be great.

Thanks

Max
What I did was take the stock lines to a hosing company (Moreland Hose here in NY) and had them make me an adapter out the stock fittings that allowed me to use a 3AN braided line.
 
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