K20 EG civic project

[PorkFan]

Been working on an EG civic for a few months. The car is intended to be a daily driver and used on the occasional Track day. I've seen so many awesome projects over the years on internet threads I felt it was time I made a decent job of a car so I'm happy with it. Something to keep forever. I've had a K swapped Integra in about 2008 but never really got to finish it. Kind of just got the engine working and as soon as it was driveable drove without finishing everything off to a decent standard. It was awesome to drive, just needed a bit of tidying up. Ended up selling all the swap parts when I was skint but I've always missed it. No other car I've had is as fun so now it's time for K swap 2.

Bought a DC2 which was K20 swapped, stripped out and caged so too hardcore for me to use every day. Decided to take all the bits off and a few bit I have laid about and do an EG civic. Only options really these days for a rust free EG civic now is a fresh import and treat all the problem areas before they start rusting from the inside of the back arches. or one that's already been restored or protected properly which is pretty impossible. Other option is find one with as little rust as possible and do a proper job of putting in some new back arches. In the end I found a 2 owner 51k ESi auto for 300 quid by catching it as soon as it went on. I figured less miles it's done the less it's done on salty roads. Back arches looked bad on the pictures with the car being white but I took a gamble since it was so cheap. Train to Falkirk and drove back to Middlesbrough faultlessly. I even started using it for work for a few weeks. It looked horrendous and everyone thought I should be scrapping it rather than changing the engine. Don't have many pics because I wasn't planning on doing a thread but now the engine is nearly ready to go in I'm getting excited about it...feel like it's getting there.

The engine donor.



The project vehicle. A few shades of white. Looks cleaner than I remember there. Best pic I have, can't believe I don't have any proper before pics.



Engine out, bay de greased, surprisingly little rust and a lot cleaner than I was expecting. People were saying I'm mad to paint it but they don't know how good it's going to look when it's all done.



K20 comes out of DC2. What have I done? Looks like it's been living under the sea for 5 years.

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Continued

Engine had been recently rebuild so head and block are pretty clean anyway which is a bonus. (12.5 : 1 compression ratio, FD2 cams, I think it's been synod twice at 263 and 252 bhp. Went well in the Teg )



Everything needed hours of cleaning, sanding, degreasing, painting, polishing etc.



After plenty of hours things started to slowly come together







And eventually, now the engine and box are about ready to go in. Still a few parts to do but nothing that can't be fitted once the engines in.



Sump will be done once it's in the car

[U

[PorkFan]

Meanwhile at my friends unit

Any bits of rust wire wheeled off, treated with rust converter, primed, sanded, was going to spray the bay with rattle cans but my mate who's unit I'm in and who's a spray painter stepped in at the last minute with his paint gun and sorted it properly for me





Started fitting a few parts on the firewall today like brake proportioning valve. Using a 98 Spec JDM Non ABS proportioning valve and the master cylinder as it will be running Accord type R front brakes and 98 spec Integra rears. Haven't got any pics, but I'll try and keep the thread updated from now on

[PorkFan]

Not really.... It's a lot lighter than the original car the engine lived in. but a DC2 and EG are based on same chassis so very similar. Civic may be 50 - 100 kilos in it I think matching spec although I'm sure a civic dx and fully loaded Integra may be quite far apart. I could have used the Integra but it's already been totally stripped and although rust free has had two colour change paint jobs (white to blue to yellow) so I'd have really had to get it back to a bare shell and source a full interior, remove the cage, sort out the mess that leaves. Plus the rolling shell is probably worth something to sell.. the front end parts of the Teg would sell for much more than I even paid for the Civic. I also currently have an Integra type R I use every day so I do love them.....maybe I'm using the civic as a practice run to building another K20 swap Integra in the future but ideally I'd have both. A K20 Civic and DC2, one track one road, one NA, one rotrex supercharged. So no real reason other than the civic was the quickest way to a completed car.

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Not much of an update, fitted the freshly powdercoated subframe, fitted the Integra clutch and brake pedals as it was previously an auto, started bolting things back onto the firewall ready for engine going back in. Getting closer to engine going in now.

[PorkFan]

Other places to look for rust is along the sills. Along the seams under the engine bay. Tailgates rust from the inside but is a bolt off part. (Try finding a good one though) and same goes for sunroof. If you've got rust in many places other than these it's time to look for a better shell really. Once you cut out the back arches you should see most of the rust on the inner arches which lluckily is not too bad on mine.

Anyway, decided to fight the hangover this morning and get the engine and box together and bolted in. Happy times. Feel like I'm getting there now.

[PorkFan]

Sorry, realise I've not really listed any spec.

DC5 standard box so has LSD, my last K swap had a U.K. EP3 box so had the longer 4th-6th but had a Spoon plated LSD which I'm gonna be missing this time around. Maybe something for the future. Engine is a K20A so from something Jap spec, probably a DC5. Wouldn't really make a difference as everything different between UK and JDM has been changed or uprated. 12.5:1 Omega pistons, FD2 cams, valve springs, RBC intake. I suppose it's nice that it has the K20A stamping as it probably makes it worth more just since it's missing that "2". I have a SSR manifold which are very expensive to import from USA, that's what I had on my last swap too which I sold on....I have a funny feeling I've ended up with my original one back as there must only be a few in the country. Don't think I've ever seen another myself over here. I'll be running a 3 inch exhaust since the K series responds so well, I've got one on the DC2 I can modify to fit for now but I'll buy one in the future. Hasport mounts, last time I had to weld something on my subframe for the mounts to fit since it was originally for LHD so I was missing a bolt hole. This time I have the V2 version which has a different rear mount which fits both RHD and LHD. Hybrid racing fuel setup. Exedy lightweight flywheel, uprated organic clutch. K tuned shifter and cables, I'll get a pic up, it's a work of art. AEM ECU, would have probably gone with hondata as that's what I had before and kinda know my way about it, but AEM came in the DC2 and is mapped for my setup so seems daft to change. Since it's the JDM lump it has the factory wideband which is useful for doing your own road tuning.

Think that's about it. Power steering will be done in the future maybe, deffinately if I go plated diff. Fairly easy using MR2 electro hydraulic pump. I'd like to fit Air conditioning in the future but the spot for the factory compressor has already been reserved by Rotrex hopefully.

[PorkFan]

dannyDC2 said:

Cool project mate! You wouldn't really want a plated diff on a daily driver. Pretty horrible on the road!

What are you doing with the DC2 shell?

You seem pretty clued up, but if you get stuck with anything give me a shout.

I've had plated LSD on 3 fwd road cars. (A 200hp Glanza, a 320ish GTi-R engined Sunny GTi, and a K20 DC2) hasn't really been a problem, as long as it's set up to be not too aggressive, so you can turn a tight corner without clunking, I've never really had problems. Last DC2 had no power steering though so could sometimes catch you out by trying to pull the wheel straight when you weren't expecting it....I won't do it unless I get some power steering sorted though.

DC2 shell is up for grabs, or will be once I've took last couple of bits I need.

Thanks for the offer of help. I think I'm thoroughly researched up at the moment, if I can't work on it I'm reading up on it. ... I'll be needing a black interior, set of glass, and a passenger door for an EG at some point if you or anyone else knows anybody breaking one.

Not much progress last couple of days, been painting bottom arms etc and pressing in my new hardrace bushes. Also been modifying a brake master cylinder brace to fit as there's not much room with the K20 in. A bit of grinding, tapping, and painting, but again I forgot pics.

[PorkFan]

Butter Face said:

Nice. My EP3 is Rotrex'd. It's ace.

Great work so far. Was the DC2 shell no good then? Seems like it was a nice car/setup and a rare colour too!

It's not an original yellow car, it's a 96 spec which has been white, then blue, now yellow. Does seem totally rust free and nothing wrong with the shell. But since I'm putting all this time and effort, I'd have had to have give it a full bare shell respray really, and get rid of any evidence the cage has ever been in. I will restore a Teg one day, but for now the EG route seemed cheaper and easier. Fix the arches, get my mate to give it a quick blow over and it should look nice and clean.

[PorkFan]

Not much of an update, bottom arms painted with new bushes



And chopped away at the back arches. Nowhere near as bad as I thought looking from the outside. I still have most of my inner arch lip even. New arches supposed to be getting started today. Fingers crossed.

[PorkFan]

I originally bought the black one to put the engine into but it's so perfect as it is it seemed a shame to to do anything with it other than drive it. Plus it would have stood me at a lot more than the civic does.

Unfortunately I'll be taking the RPF1's, ATR brakes, and Meister R suspension off it for the Civic and then selling it when the Civic is done.

Will be putting OEM 98 spec wheels, brakes, and shocks, along with Eibach lowering springs on it as I still have loads of bits left from my last K20 project.

[PorkFan]

I did think about spraying/dying the interior....maybe if I had a few bits to do but doing everything seems a pain. A lot of M plate onwards seem to have the black interior in certain colours like silver or Teal green. It's not important for now though. Shame because I must have scrapped a few interiors years back when EG civics were everywhere.

Something else I've been working on is the engine wiring loom.....standard loom is really ugly, and never really looks quite right in a Swapped chassis. All that corrugated tubing and sticky horrible black tape.... something needed doing. As usual I forgot to get many pics

Before but after stripping some of the horrible sticky crap off


Part way through. It's been a right pain having to de pin every connector. Hope I don't make any mistakes putting everything back together. Hopefully get it finished tonight.

[PorkFan]

Wiring loom virtually finished. Just one last big piece of heat shrink to get, the blue wire to sort, then ecu plugs back on. I'm so glad it's done, don't think I'll ever do that again. About 12 hours work to make some wires look prettier

[PorkFan]

Haha was just doing some random googling and found this thread I didn’t remember I’d ever made. Funnily enough the civic has sat unchanged since my last post, that is until about 2 weeks ago, a bit depressed with lockdown, my Evo 9 has spun a shell so i’ve Been driving my mums beige Fiat 500 for what seems like forever. I need a car....and the cheapest way to something interesting is to finish the civic. There’s no point rebuilding an Evo engine without forging it, and if I did that I’d need a big turbo and all the supporting mods....plus it was a fresh import 4/5 years ago, and I hate underseal, so after a few winters I’m the UK the underside really does need a refresh. There is no rot, but the Zinc coating from the once golden bolts has gone, and various brackets and seams have little bits of surface rust.....plus it is fairly high mileage.....so I’d really like to replace all the bushes, re plate the bolts, and get everything painted or powder coated.....and just have the underside and engine bay looking perfect. Don’t worry it won’t become a fair weather only show car....I’ll use it as intended....nothing beats an Evo on snow tyres as a winter car.....but to do everything....and do it right...it’s probably gonna be 10k at least....and 3-6 months minimum.....so....

I start thinking about the civic, pretty much all the bits are there....just needs some time and effort. Luckily enough, since last working on it, I’ve become real good friends with another guy who is a big Honda fan. Particularly a fan of EG civics, with engine swaps, and also just happens to be a Mechanic with his own garage. A brainwave, phone call and recovery truck later....car is on the way to his unit. I’d have loved to have finished it all myself, but the truth is, my mate is just loving working on an EG, he has loads of energy to throw at it, takes the same line as myself and Guy Martin in his approach to the Project...ie, “If it’s not right, it’s wrong”.....so we are finishing it together....if me waiting at home for parts to arrive and him doing all the graft counts as together.....so progress so far....sorry I don’t have pics but I’ll get some....wasn’t planning on making this post....until I stumbled across the thread on google.....so....

Engine is in as seen previously....we’ve had it fired up....but just need to finish one water hose and a couple of vacuum lines. Underside has been stripped of underseal, and is ready for painting. Every suspension component is painted or powder coated with new hardrace bushes.....I’m sure I have OEM Honda bushes for the rear trailing arms somewhere.....as the Hardrace ones change the rear suspension characteristics coming off throttle (apparently, I’ve never tried them).....but I can’t find the OEM ones at the moment so the Hardrace ones have gone in to try. Easy to swap later if I don’t like them. Amazingly for a 29 year old Japanese car, all the brake lines, petrol tank, fuel lines all came off without a single snapped bolt. The brake and fuel lines look brand new even though they are obviously original. There is a rust scab on the tank itself, and the tank straps are past their best, but once the floor is painted and a few brackets it should look brand new underneath. There is not one tiny piece of rust we can find to fix.....apart from that, and the fact it needs a respray, it’s just daft little jobs, a bit of wiring, horn, washer bottle, paint the wheels, sort some rusty bolts, re route shifter cables and mount shifter, I can’t think of much left to really do. I’ll get some current pics up.....and hopefully some pics and vids of it all done before long. Sorry for the long read, am a bit pissed 👍🏻

[PorkFan]

I kept the wheels, coilovers, brakes, and a few other bits off the black DC2 and sold it......was a shame to let it go.....was a shame to steal the nice bits off it aswell but i'll restore my silver shell one day.....I sold it just before prices went mental and it ended up k swapped and back for sale....i imagine its kicking about somewhere.

Yes i'll deffinately be taking it on track....the whole idea is to make it as useable on the road as possible....but it should still be enjoyable on track....Croft is my nearest proper circuit....but im also near Teesside Autodrome which is cheap and not too bad for a little car like a civic.

I'll see if i can put some pics up....ill swap over to my phone should be easier since the pics are there

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Don’t really have any photos....my phone is always flat when I’m where the car is. A pic of the back end floor painted...I’m now painting the car grey....shame I’ve already done the engine bay but I’ll leave that until the motor comes out at some point. Also painted the RPF1’s in Hybrid racing Green....came out brighter than I thought....but I really like how they came out. I have the tyres on now and the Enkei decals. I’ll get more pics up soon.

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My mate sent me this one

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well i know it didn't really end up as much of a build thread.....but the little civic has been plodding along.....really starting to feel like its getting somewhere now.

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The Green is the same shade hybrid racing use on their logo and packaging etc....i really like their products and have a few on the car.....decided to paint the wheels that colour when the car was still going to be white....once i'd decided to paint the car grey, the white bay wouldn't look right.....never been a big fan of different coloured engine bays....but we had spare green paint, my mate doing the painting really wanted to do it green.....i was drunk....so i just said yes.....I'm glad i did now

wheels will probably go a different colour eventually, but i doubt ill paint the engine bay again any time soon

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have 5 awesome sauce air fresheners waiting lol