So I've been out of the scene for a while, like 15 years or so. Just picked up a EF and started poking around for B series swaps. Are they just becoming so rare that its driven the prices up so much? $600-700 for an LS cable tranny and $1200 for an LS longblock seems high when I'm seeing K series longblocks near $600 and K series trans for $700. I did a K swap in an EF in 2006, and it was a nightmare.. I'm guessing its come a long way since then? Just looking for some insight - K series would be ideal, but the simplicity of the B series is hard to beat.

 

Funny, you find those prices to be "high" and to be honest, what you have posted for both "B" and "K" series engines and transmissions are cheaper than anywhere in the Country. It is true that "B" series parts, especially nice ones and not worn-slap-out junk, are increasingly rare and command a premium price. "K" series engines will follow this path soon since the number produced is far less than "B" series engines.

If budget is a concern, it is still cheaper to do a "B" series swap in a 2G CRX than it is to do a "K" series swap... forget the engine/trans cost, doing the "K" swap requires WAY more expensive supporting parts (mounts, wiring harness, ECU, axles, radiator, shifter, shift cables, etc) than the "B" series swap.

 

Nailed it on the head. I think we're at the crossover point right now where the swap all-in ends up costing about the same either way.

The beauty of the B swap is that it's generally bolt in (a little less so in an EF gen chassis), where a K is always going to require a ton of extra hardware and work to swap.

K-series transmissions are also pretty pricey for anything desirable, as I'm currently learning.

 

I'm finding this to be pretty spot on. I've lost all my honda buddies also so I'm having to resort to hunting marketplace. Its a grind out here for sure but there are those unicorns still around! K swap I'd imagine may be a more viable option for the EG and EK's?