From what I've heard, 300whp is about as high as you wanna go with the stock engine for reliability. Personally I'm only really looking for around 200+ whp total. Same as a mini cooper s with a few bolt-ons. You can't go wrong.
@@meanpeak1857 i got a short ram intake and a exhaust, i just picked up my 05 civic si with only 40k miles, what do i need to do get a k tuner? i heard hondata isnt available for my 05
Intake, good race header, exhuast with type s tb and RBC with hondata is good for 170whp easy. A2 head/cam swap with injectors is good for 200+ easy. I am currently working on getting a tb and rbc at the moment. The injen cai, Skunk2 header and hks-hipower exhuast with hondata have really made it quick!
The bare block is the only thing worth keeping in that motor. You can get a K24A2 or K20A2/Z1/Z3 junkyard motor cheaper than building the A3. You can get a junkyard K24A1 for less than $250, have availability of aftermarket rods/pistons/bearings(things you can't get with the A3) , and swap a true V-tec 3 lobe cam head on it. The K20A3 is straight up garbage and deserves all the hate it gets.
Steevnb * that means you take off the k20a3 head which means you take off your intake manifold and headers.. and lift the head off and you can see your pistons
IamMrjovanni _ oh I see ! So then when you installs the type s head it comes with the cams and ect , so you kept the 5 speed transmisión ! Was it easy ?
It's not the "slowest" k20 in a honda as it has 160bhp from factory I think the k20a4 only has 155bhp or around that..... k20a3 + A2 head or cams and rocker assembly as valves are same size anyway and boost it that's my plan with mine will be a build vlog soon on my channel :) the A3 bottom end is good for boosting as it's lower compression than the A2 but would benefit from rods at least as they are a weak point I think cool video tho bro
But he is talking about making more power so what would be the point in swapping it for another k20a when the k20a3 can push 300hp+ with no issues... you go an make your own video of swapping a good motor for another.
My goal is a simple 260hp ,...Just basic af simple and fun weekend get away driver ....And most affordable in these times ... But a2 honda parts are getting stupid expensive especially these days.....
swap a k24a2 with kpro and call it a day. Works well with the stock transmission and you'll save a lot of money. k20a3 is a waste of money to mod in general.
I was doing pretty damm good with a full dc exhaust..k pro. And short shifter..stiffer struts. I was 1/2 a car from a z7. It was 10 years newer..with almost 50hp more than me. You wont break 170hp without boost on a stock a3 engine...all your advice blows. Never use am a2 head..the a3 bottom doesnt have the oil slicks...just buy an a2. The a3 is better set up for boost though..lower compression.
Yes, 5w30. K20a3s have a reputation for having pitted cams, 5w20 only exacerbates this problem. My ep3 is on her second motor. If you look at other K20s, 5w30 is always recommended. Anyway, this is what a Honda speed shop guy told me. He was pretty obsessed with Hondas, so ... I'm going with his recommendations.
@@sylphlite8437 wow! Im going to start using 5w30 royal purple my rsx is also on her second motor my old motor failed cause vtec would not engage and it turned out to be that my cams were so worn out and wouldn't engage vtec
@@rsxonprogress9488 Great choice. The question as to why 5w20 is recommended opens up a bit of a rabbit hole. Conspiracies abound. However, I think this is a plausible explanation: ------- "The ONLY reason 5W-20 was specified for your engine is to increase the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) reported to the Federal Government. CAFE is the combined average fuel economy of all of a vehicle manufacturers product line. Minimum CAFE levels are specified by the Federal Government. In order for a vehicle manufacturer to continue selling profitable large trucks and SUV's, which typically have poor fuel mileage ratings, as compared to smaller cars, and still meet mandated CAFE requirements, they must also sell enough of the smaller cars which have much better fuel economy ratings to offset the poor fuel economy ratings of the larger vehicles. For model year 2001, the change to a 5W-20 oil will allow Ford and Honda's overall CAFE to increase by a very small amount, typically in the tenths of a mile per gallon range. 5W-20 oil is a lighter viscosity than a 5W-30 oil and therefore has less internal engine frictional losses, or less drag on the crankshaft, pistons and valvetrain, which in turn promotes increased fuel economy. This increased fuel economy is virtually undetectable to the average motorist without the use of specialized engine monitoring and testing equipment under strictly controlled test track driving when compared to a 5W-30, 10W-30 or a 0W-30 viscosity motor oil." Question: What are the negative aspects of using a 5W-20 motor oil? Answer: There are many negative aspects, the most important is that 5W-20 has less film and shear strength than a 5W-30, 10W-30 or a 0W-30 motor oil. This can lead to increased and accelerated engine wear under today's demanding heat and high stress engine operating conditions. In our analysis, there is a limit to how light of a viscosity an engine oil can go, as a light viscosity oil such as 5W-20 offers less protection for your engine. ---------- Kudos if you got through that wall of text, but that's the story, apparently.
I know the bottom end can take some power, not as much as the k20a2. But if your looking for a 175-200 whp set up, the k20a3 can get you that but not much more without boost. If you got the money swap k24a2 or k20a2
This dude doesn't know what he's talking about. Hondata reflash and cold air intake will not get you to 160hp. I have a full bolt on k20a3 that makes 170whp and 145tq. (Modification) *Skunk2 pro series intake manifold (port and polished) *skunk2 pro series 70mm throttle body (port matched to intake manifold) * 3inch custom cold air intake *obx fuel rail ( doesn't add power just figured id list it) *dc race header *yonaka 2.5 inch exhaust with no muffler(turn down tip off resonator) *ktuner modified ecu *rev limited to 7,500 no power gains past that * dyno jet tuned by (proven power) in Tampa fl
@@Tuvzii no but a k20a3 makes about 135-140 whp stock. You can see my car and the mods if you think im just picking on this dude on the fanmods app under the name silentbob06. I also have a exhaust video on my RUclips channel u can check out
I was at 170 with my dc exhaust and k pro..its 10 hp. You did all that to an a3? Bet you dont make that mistake again...i got an a2 for 500$ pulled it from my buddys type s myself..had 120k on it. Decided to tradeit and a bike for a house..watched ot woop serious ass..then they boosted it and blew it up.
And none of what you said is true. Honda theirself maintains the k series stays within 5hp of its stock rating the majority of its life..sounds like your engine was toast. Im about to pick up my eyp next week. Shes bone stock. Gonna be fun.
I decided to sell mine it just needs to much to make good power like 10 grand if you dont want to go turbo i had the 4 lug version and that made it worse. They are great cars honda just didnt give us the enthusiast version. It can be made great but for a cost i wasnt willing to pay
@@aaronp9835 Hi, did you do it? Have you dyno-ed it? How does it go? The TB is really confusing for me. I have an EV1 (european version of the USDM Civic Si with 5 doors) & it has an electronic TB. Does yours have one? I mean a USDM EP Si has an electronic throttle body or mechanical? Where are you with costs?
@@st3v3nb915 its good i feel as if i have a better mid range plus having no cats on a car that makes all its power up top helps the top end and i dont even have a tune yet. If u let of the gas at anything over 4500 rpm it can get raspy but thats all N/a 4 bangers😆. If u have a nice muffler ur straight tho. Pops flames to.
Dark fuggin mark haaan nice I bough my car with long headers it had the cat and a 2inch vibrant exhaust it sounds good 👌🏽 mine revs up to 7400 I want to get a hondata ecu and might delete the cat . I think it’s a great daily driver tbh
There’s one for sale in my town it looks to be in immaculate condition but I’m afraid to jump the gun bc it’s sitting on 180k. Would it still be worth it to buy and maintain for a while or should I keep looking ?
Get it I'd say. Mine is 196k and it runs great. I am looking to upgrade some of the parts when I'm financially able to, but a Honda is a Honda and if it was taken care of by its previous owners I think it would be fine. I know ChrisFix has a good video series on buying used cars and it seems like a pretty good checklist for buying them as well. That checklist is free for download from his channel or something or just google it, but yeah.
Friendly reminder: the a2 crankshaft fits in the a3 block. Which means more balanced, which means higher redline which means more zoom zoom
Really? Thats awesome, im gonna need to do this
A3 rods are still weaker tho
Would this help my 3k rpms at 65mph on 5th gear drop down ? My rpms are way too high on the freeeway
@@KVv02 how would a crankshaft lower your revs?
@@dominicrichardson5546If you swap out your crankshaft, I might as well build the block lol
From what I've heard, 300whp is about as high as you wanna go with the stock engine for reliability.
Personally I'm only really looking for around 200+ whp total. Same as a mini cooper s with a few bolt-ons. You can't go wrong.
Honestly I hope you hit that. Sweet spot for this chassis is 250hp not insane on torque steer with LSD and fucking quick.
I just got a 2003 Honda Civic Si in November and its awesome to see new content with the same car I have. Keep it up!
Such an underrated car imo. Thank you!
Do you still have this car? How is it I think I'm going to look into getting one
@@DEZUSD i just bought one, it has 143k miles but its so smooth still
Just bought an 04 two weeks ago and wanted to see what people are up to. Thanks for the content!
Should be tuning my a3 with Hondata soon. Should be interesting
@@meanpeak1857 i got a short ram intake and a exhaust, i just picked up my 05 civic si with only 40k miles, what do i need to do get a k tuner? i heard hondata isnt available for my 05
do u still have ur civic?
Looking to buy one in a few months ! Thanks for the info young blood 👊🏼
Intake, good race header, exhuast with type s tb and RBC with hondata is good for 170whp easy. A2 head/cam swap with injectors is good for 200+ easy. I am currently working on getting a tb and rbc at the moment. The injen cai, Skunk2 header and hks-hipower exhuast with hondata have really made it quick!
Ep3 si already has the type s tb
The bare block is the only thing worth keeping in that motor. You can get a K24A2 or K20A2/Z1/Z3 junkyard motor cheaper than building the A3. You can get a junkyard K24A1 for less than $250, have availability of aftermarket rods/pistons/bearings(things you can't get with the A3) , and swap a true V-tec 3 lobe cam head on it. The K20A3 is straight up garbage and deserves all the hate it gets.
I have a 2005 base rsx did a type s head swap stock a3 bottom end and I made 211whp with full bolt ons ofc
No ECU?
Steevnb * super late response but k tuner chip I got installed only the 05-06 rsx can use k tuner
IamMrjovanni _ what do you mean when u say head swap thanks for the reply tho
Steevnb * that means you take off the k20a3 head which means you take off your intake manifold and headers.. and lift the head off and you can see your pistons
IamMrjovanni _ oh I see ! So then when you installs the type s head it comes with the cams and ect , so you kept the 5 speed transmisión ! Was it easy ?
It's not the "slowest" k20 in a honda as it has 160bhp from factory I think the k20a4 only has 155bhp or around that.....
k20a3 + A2 head or cams and rocker assembly as valves are same size anyway and boost it that's my plan with mine will be a build vlog soon on my channel :) the A3 bottom end is good for boosting as it's lower compression than the A2 but would benefit from rods at least as they are a weak point I think cool video tho bro
Just swap the rods out wit stronger ones and do a little ring gap
Rods are hard to find and when u do they are expensive asf
Just, bought a 2002 ep3, and I'm fine with the stock motor.
If you do a head swap on a a3 you might as well just swap the motor. It might even be cheaper seeing you can get a k24a for $800. 🤷♂️
Exactly, JDM K24A's are so cheap right now.
@@poindexter9098 careful getting a jdm motor, i got a bunked one. it had who knows how many miles, sounded worse the the motor i originally had
Or turbo it.
But he is talking about making more power so what would be the point in swapping it for another k20a when the k20a3 can push 300hp+ with no issues... you go an make your own video of swapping a good motor for another.
@@poindexter9098 but the point is to make more power did you listen?
My goal is a simple 260hp ,...Just basic af simple and fun weekend get away driver ....And most affordable in these times ... But a2 honda parts are getting stupid expensive especially these days.....
Thanks for the video!
Get the A2, A, or Z
swap a k24a2 with kpro and call it a day. Works well with the stock transmission and you'll save a lot of money. k20a3 is a waste of money to mod in general.
Will Aquino would it be an easy swap? Ive heard that some transmissions wont be able to handle it. Idk tho
I was doing pretty damm good with a full dc exhaust..k pro. And short shifter..stiffer struts. I was 1/2 a car from a z7. It was 10 years newer..with almost 50hp more than me. You wont break 170hp without boost on a stock a3 engine...all your advice blows. Never use am a2 head..the a3 bottom doesnt have the oil slicks...just buy an a2. The a3 is better set up for boost though..lower compression.
Raymond Noodels It’s just a base was at 235hp with k20a2 cams and bolt ons with a tune. That was with a k20a3. Cams work really well on the a3.
I have a k20a3 i use 5w20 am i better off putting 5w30? Will it protect my cams
Yes, 5w30.
K20a3s have a reputation for having pitted cams, 5w20 only exacerbates this problem. My ep3 is on her second motor. If you look at other K20s, 5w30 is always recommended.
Anyway, this is what a Honda speed shop guy told me. He was pretty obsessed with Hondas, so ... I'm going with his recommendations.
@@sylphlite8437 wow! Im going to start using 5w30 royal purple my rsx is also on her second motor my old motor failed cause vtec would not engage and it turned out to be that my cams were so worn out and wouldn't engage vtec
@@rsxonprogress9488 Great choice.
The question as to why 5w20 is recommended opens up a bit of a rabbit hole. Conspiracies abound. However, I think this is a plausible explanation:
-------
"The ONLY reason 5W-20 was specified for your engine is to increase the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) reported to the Federal Government. CAFE is the combined average fuel economy of all of a vehicle manufacturers product line. Minimum CAFE levels are specified by the Federal Government. In order for a vehicle manufacturer to continue selling profitable large trucks and SUV's, which typically have poor fuel mileage ratings, as compared to smaller cars, and still meet mandated CAFE requirements, they must also sell enough of the smaller cars which have much better fuel economy ratings to offset the poor fuel economy ratings of the larger vehicles. For model year 2001, the change to a 5W-20 oil will allow Ford and Honda's overall CAFE to increase by a very small amount, typically in the tenths of a mile per gallon range. 5W-20 oil is a lighter viscosity than a 5W-30 oil and therefore has less internal engine frictional losses, or less drag on the crankshaft, pistons and valvetrain, which in turn promotes increased fuel economy. This increased fuel economy is virtually undetectable to the average motorist without the use of specialized engine monitoring and testing equipment under strictly controlled test track driving when compared to a 5W-30, 10W-30 or a 0W-30 viscosity motor oil."
Question: What are the negative aspects of using a 5W-20 motor oil? Answer: There are many negative aspects, the most important is that 5W-20 has less film and shear strength than a 5W-30, 10W-30 or a 0W-30 motor oil. This can lead to increased and accelerated engine wear under today's demanding heat and high stress engine operating conditions. In our analysis, there is a limit to how light of a viscosity an engine oil can go, as a light viscosity oil such as 5W-20 offers less protection for your engine.
----------
Kudos if you got through that wall of text, but that's the story, apparently.
Manufacturer specs say 30
Aye for reliability the a3 would be a better option, it’s that or the r18😂
What type of gas do you pump with?
I really wanted to know how do you know to put 5w-30 oil instead of 5w-20 because I just brought mine
Just remove your valve cover and check your damaged camshafts by using 5w20.
I run 5w40 x8100 for summer.
Mlyn666 so I should run 5w 40 for summer and what about the other seasons I mean I live in Florida too. But thanks
@@Mlyn666why does honda recommend 5w20 then?
Ive heard from several Honda tuners that the k20a3 block is actually stronger than the k20a2 block.
クルー喧嘩者 really?? How so? I'm really curious..
No a3 rods are thinner
The crankshaft is lighter then the a2 but that’s it really
Tim Eubanks and Aaron B he said block not crank or rods
The A3 motors came with a single VTEC and they were not good under pressure
I know the bottom end can take some power, not as much as the k20a2. But if your looking for a 175-200 whp set up, the k20a3 can get you that but not much more without boost. If you got the money swap k24a2 or k20a2
This dude doesn't know what he's talking about. Hondata reflash and cold air intake will not get you to 160hp. I have a full bolt on k20a3 that makes 170whp and 145tq.
(Modification)
*Skunk2 pro series intake manifold (port and polished)
*skunk2 pro series 70mm throttle body (port matched to intake manifold)
* 3inch custom cold air intake
*obx fuel rail ( doesn't add power just figured id list it)
*dc race header
*yonaka 2.5 inch exhaust with no muffler(turn down tip off resonator)
*ktuner modified ecu
*rev limited to 7,500 no power gains past that
* dyno jet tuned by (proven power) in Tampa fl
did you dyno before you did all that ?
@@Tuvzii no but a k20a3 makes about 135-140 whp stock.
You can see my car and the mods if you think im just picking on this dude on the fanmods app under the name silentbob06. I also have a exhaust video on my RUclips channel u can check out
Download fanmods app and check it out
I was at 170 with my dc exhaust and k pro..its 10 hp. You did all that to an a3? Bet you dont make that mistake again...i got an a2 for 500$ pulled it from my buddys type s myself..had 120k on it. Decided to tradeit and a bike for a house..watched ot woop serious ass..then they boosted it and blew it up.
And none of what you said is true. Honda theirself maintains the k series stays within 5hp of its stock rating the majority of its life..sounds like your engine was toast. Im about to pick up my eyp next week. Shes bone stock. Gonna be fun.
I decided to sell mine it just needs to much to make good power like 10 grand if you dont want to go turbo i had the 4 lug version and that made it worse. They are great cars honda just didnt give us the enthusiast version. It can be made great but for a cost i wasnt willing to pay
Where did you buy the spoiler?
So what turbo kit are u recommend on a bone stock a3
Why did honda not say the eco engines will have no vtec and the performance engines get vtec
It's crap!
Did you know the k20a3 in the ep3 si actually has a type s oil pump as well as an rbc cam gear?
how much you paid for it?
Im currently modding my base rsx 5speed with an a3
Oh cool! what you doing to it?
Mean Peak got an injen intake, dc raceheader, N1 catback with a hondata. Next will be types tb and rbd IM
@@aaronp9835 Hi, did you do it? Have you dyno-ed it? How does it go? The TB is really confusing for me. I have an EV1 (european version of the USDM Civic Si with 5 doors) & it has an electronic TB. Does yours have one? I mean a USDM EP Si has an electronic throttle body or mechanical? Where are you with costs?
Yes or no?
Longtube headers mod anybody have any more info on that mod for k20a3?
i race one and im trying to get more power with out a tune like to do head and cam to it
Y don’t u post no more only good ep3 channel
02 k20a3 civic si makes 160hp stock
They make more power with out the cats imo that cat is so restrictive ☠ and as it got holes it blew holes in my cat so i got a test pipe
Dark fuggin mark haaan how was the test pipe ?
@@st3v3nb915 its good i feel as if i have a better mid range plus having no cats on a car that makes all its power up top helps the top end and i dont even have a tune yet. If u let of the gas at anything over 4500 rpm it can get raspy but thats all N/a 4 bangers😆. If u have a nice muffler ur straight tho. Pops flames to.
Dark fuggin mark haaan nice I bough my car with long headers it had the cat and a 2inch vibrant exhaust it sounds good 👌🏽 mine revs up to 7400 I want to get a hondata ecu and might delete the cat . I think it’s a great daily driver tbh
💯
There’s one for sale in my town it looks to be in immaculate condition but I’m afraid to jump the gun bc it’s sitting on 180k. Would it still be worth it to buy and maintain for a while or should I keep looking ?
Get it I'd say. Mine is 196k and it runs great. I am looking to upgrade some of the parts when I'm financially able to, but a Honda is a Honda and if it was taken care of by its previous owners I think it would be fine. I know ChrisFix has a good video series on buying used cars and it seems like a pretty good checklist for buying them as well. That checklist is free for download from his channel or something or just google it, but yeah.
I bought one with 150k miles. All I did was a basic tune up maintenance and got some good tires and it runs like a champ.
Rods. Rod bolts. Valve springs.... good till 400 after that you might as well get a k24
Im trade my car to my naboir that has a ep3 with a k20 with a k24 head would u be getting more who out of it with that swap over
K series are better than B series and D series
realiable k20a3.....future videos....problem after problem. lol 🤣
kpro.