Hello all, Ive been out of the scene for a long time but I recently purchased an 03 RSX Type S that Im gonna do a little playing with.
Q-1. Where do you find the bearing code/color/number (s) for the rod bearings? Im used to B-series and its not there on this block. Ive already got the pan out (man wasnt that fun) and am looking at the rods,.. I assume that the #s that are split by the connecting pieces on the rods but I want to be sure,.. they all have "2" on there so I am assuming thats it but Im not 100%. Oh, and heres what they look like:

looks kind of harsh for a car with 127k miles dont it?

Q-2. I always liked the k-sport coilovers but Ive gotten a little older and laugh if you want but I drive over 120 miles a day so comfort is a biggie for me, I had some lowering springs before that rode really well but were still stiffer than stock ones,.. Id really like to do that same setup again but problem is is that I dont remember what they were..... so,... what would you guys recommend? Im not a cheap skate but I enjoy a good "deal" as well as the next chap. And please only comment of youve had experience with your reccomended spring. Thanks in advance!

Q-3. How much power can a bone stock k20 handle on boost if tuned well? Im not talking about a strip car, I mean a daily that can handle "X" hp for awhile. My last two turbo cars I drove for about a year and a half im between hones so Id at least like to get that much out of it. I remember we used to say that a stock ls motor was good for around250-275 hp as a daily but anything over that wasnt reliable long term,.. Ive seen guys get over 450+ on gsr motors but they never last so thats what I am saying about the k20. I dont "know" this engine like I do the b stuff so anyone with boost experience on a d.d. your opinion would be both valuable to me and greatly appreciated.

Look forward to re-friending this site and maybe I can help out a member or two!
(also, if any of you are a k20 "guru", please call me @ 229-224-4757 and Ill make it worth your while)

 

1) I have some bearings laying around in the shop I'll see if I can find them and snap some photos. But look for color on the edges. Those bearings look like a road hard Honda set...

2) Ksport actually makes a really good product and I've been impressed with some friends rides. I myself have buddy club coilovers and they ride great. I have no complains about ride, I just wish the front could go about a half an inch to inch lower. But comfort wise I like them a lot.

3) I built a friends RSX and did a bolt on PeakBoost turbo kit pushing 500+ whp for 3 years. He won King of the Dyno two years in a row. And that was on a stock engine... tuning is everything. But you can push a lot of power stock but I would keep it around the 300-400 marker if you want it to stay safe.

 

Cool, You confirmed what I already knew to be true,.. Thanks. And for the buddy club coilovers, where did you get yours and what did you pay?

 

GOT BAD NEWS,.. I pulled of the rod caps and got to looking at ALL the bearings and the crank and #1 bearing is TOAST, there are also some scratches on the crank that you can feel with your finger, and especially your fingernail. SO,..... Ive heard before not to polish Honda cranks and then Ive also heard that its been done with good results,... what do you guys think? Im prob just gonna get this one polished and see how that looks before i go all out and get a new crank but once again, opinions are welcome. Oh, and if any of you have any k20 bottom end parts for sale (bearings, crankshaft, high end rods, etc...) please let me know.

 

perfect time to upgrade to a k24a2 block

 

I've thought of that bit don't want to get too deep on my first K motor build. How hard are they to come by? I would assume they use a different crank and all right? How bout the stock pistons and rods? Can they hold power?

 

bore and stroke on a k24 is 87x99 where k20's are 86x86. the k24a2 out of the tsx is the best one to get in stock form and is a straight forward swap. you can just get the block and swap your head on or do a straight longblock swap.

 

Im seriously thining about doing the k24 thing now, that would set me back a lil on going ahead with boost but after talking to a few folks it seems like it might be worth it. If I do go ahead and go for it I could finish the rebuild on this k20 and either have a spare engine or sell/trade it for kpro. If I do the k24, other than the ecu will everything else interchange? harness? accessories? mounts? everything else pretty much the same? (Im sure this is covered in a sticky somewhere but I appreciate the individual responses to this thread too)

 

you'll need a crv passenger mount bracket and swap most of the sensors from the k20 over but it's very straight forward

 

alright so after much debate I'm going to go ahead and rebuild the k20. I pulled it out the other day and now have it sitting on the engine stand. Ive already replaced the VTC actuator, chain, tensioner, and LMA's. I plan on replacing all the main/rod bearings, getting the block honed/bored (which ever is needed) and replacing the piston rings. I wonder, should I go ahead and replace the oil/water pump? If so, How much do they cost? Another question,... Ive used ACL "greens" on a couple of my builds and never had any problems with them,.... I wonder though,... what are your opinions on that? It used to be split almost equally between those guys who felt strongly that you should always use Honda bearings and those who said that ACL's were the way to go. Unless someone chimes in who sounds reputable and tells me to go with the ACL's Im gonna stick with all oem parts. ARP head studs? Ive bought a few in the past and seem to be a worthy investment, I dont know how well the stock head studs respond to boost. Do you guys think a 400-450 whp car needs some head studs?
Thanks again, Ill post up some pics of the broken down block as soon as I can.