Why Honda’s 4-Cylinder Is The Go-To Excessive-Efficiency Swap

Some engines are simply objectively higher than others for sure duties. Searching for a cost-effective each day? Most likely finest to keep away from any big-block V8s, and likewise, in the event you’re available in the market for a high-performance sports activities automotive, choosing a four-cylinder diesel engine is not more likely to do you any favors.

Nevertheless, with regards to discovering one thing thrilling for a high-performance engine swap, there’s one identify that retains cropping up, and that is Honda’s K24 engine. This Ok-series inline-four from Honda is successful followers throughout the tuning neighborhood for a complete host of causes, and we determined to find what all of the fuss is about – this is every little thing it’s good to know.

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A Temporary Historical past Of Honda’s Ok-Collection Engine

Honda’s iconic line of Ok-series engines was launched in 2001, simply as Honda was refreshing a lot of its complete lineup. The Ok-series engine, first launched because the K20A, changed the favored B-series household of engines, and each engines share many similarities. One key distinction, although, was the dimensions of the Ok-Collection engine, which began at 2.0 liters, and went as much as 2.4 liters within the K24 engine.

The K24 appeared not lengthy after and is usually present in bigger fashions, as a result of its greater capability. Whereas some fashions, such because the CR-V and Factor, use a lower-powered guise of the K24, some sportier fashions, just like the Acura TSX, pack upwards of 200 horsepower.

Key traits of all Ok-series engines embrace the long-lasting V-TEC system, which is a system that permits the engine to swap between completely different cam profiles as engine revs enhance or lower. Moreover, the Ok-series engines boast full aluminum development, which retains the overall weight good and low – supreme for holding the dealing with of any automotive candy. One other distinctive characteristic is twin overhead cams (DOHC).

The Ok-series engine first appeared within the Kind R Civic and Integra fashions of 2001, but it surely equally discovered houses underneath the hoods of some a lot much less intense and economy-focused vehicles, equivalent to base Civic and Accords. Whereas the Ok-series household has spent a lot of its life as a naturally aspirated engine, with a view to sustain with the competitors, Honda determined to turbocharge the K20 for the 2015 Honda Civic Kind-R, and all subsequent Kind R fashions have been boosted since.

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K24 Engine Functions

K24 Functions And Outputs

K24A1: 2002 – 2006 Honda CR-V; 160 horsepower and 162 lb-ft K24A2: 2004 – 2008 Acura TSX; 205 horsepower and 166 lb-ft K24A4: 2003 – 2005 Honda Accord, 2003 – 2008 Honda Odyssey, and 2003 – 2006 Honda Factor; 160 horsepower and 161 lb-ft K24W: 2013 – 2017 Honda Accord and 2015 – 2019 Honda CR-V; 185 horsepower and 181 lb-ft K24V7: 2016 – 2020 Acura ILX; 201 horsepower and 180 lb-ft K24W7: 2015 – 2020 Acura TLX; 206 horsepower and 182 lb-ft K24Y2: 2012 – 2015 Honda Crosstour; 192 horsepower and 162 lb-ft

Honda provides a large and diversified number of vehicles, and so, naturally, for an engine to succeed throughout the complete line-up, it must be versatile sufficient to be slotted into a variety of various automobiles. That is the place the Ok-series actually succeeds, and particularly, the K24.

Whereas the smaller capability K20 is extra usually discovered underneath the hood of hatchback and compact fashions, such because the Civic and Integra, the bigger K24 unit will be discovered powering quite a lot of crossovers and SUVs. For instance, the CR-V, Factor and Crosstour have all been powered by Honda’s 2.4-liter Ok-series engine.

Premium fashions, such because the Acura TLX and TSX, use extra highly effective variations of the K24, which little question helps to justify their steeper worth when in comparison with counterpart Honda fashions. No present Honda or Acura fashions in America are bought with the K24 engine, however some, such because the 2020 Acura ILX, used the K24 pretty just lately, giving the K24 a manufacturing life of just about 20 years in North American fashions.

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K24 Vs. K20: What’s The Distinction?

The primary distinction between these two engines is the manifestly apparent one – the K24 is just the bigger capability sibling of the K20. Because the identify suggests, the K24 sports activities a capability of two.4 liters, whereas the K20 is a 2.0-liter engine. The K24’s engine specs lead to extra torque than the two.0-liter engine, due to a bigger capability, which makes the K24 a extra appropriate selection for crossover and SUV fashions, such because the CR-V or Crosstour. Sure, the K24 engine’s horsepower is not spectacular, however it might probably simply produce extra energy with some modifications.

One other distinction is that Honda has been boosting the K20 over the past decade, whereas the K24 has solely ever left the manufacturing unit in a naturally aspirated state. Honda made the choice to turbocharge the K20 for Kind R fashions, which made sense, because the competitors was ramping up energy output considerably, and a naturally-aspirated K20-powered Civic Kind R simply couldn’t compete on the identical degree.

Right here-in highlights the opposite principal distinction between these two engines – their functions. The K20 will be discovered powering smaller economic system fashions, and in additional potent guises, the Honda Kind R lineup. By means of comparability, the K24 tends to energy both extra premium Acura sedans, or family-orientated crossovers and SUVs.

Why The K24 Engine Is A Nice Tuner Engine

Many fashions by Honda have an enormous following of lovers that love to change and improve their vehicles, and there is good motive for that too. The Ok-series engine lends itself nicely to tuning, and the K24, being a part of that household, is not any exception. Listed here are some, however not all, the reason why the tuning scene likes to get their fingers on a K24.

Honda’s K24 Is A Dependable Base

Before everything, tuners search for reliability with regards to constructing an engine. Making big energy is nice, but when the engine cannot deal with it, then what is the level? That is the place Honda’s K24 comes into its component, because the Ok-series engines are a number of the most bulletproof engines on the market. Beginning with a strong and reliable base like this can be a incredible means of making certain dependable energy additional down the road.

Sturdy Internals Can Take The Stress

One of many best methods of punching out large numbers from a small engine is to throw a turbo or supercharger into the combination. In lots of situations, this could contain first strengthening the usual internals by becoming cast components, which is a expensive train, prolonging the method and amplifying the prices. Fortuitously, Honda’s K24 can deal with the strain, as even with inventory internals, the engine will be reliably boosted to north of 400 horsepower.

The Excessive-Revving Nature Of The K24 Makes For A Thrilling Drive

Excessive-revving engines imply you may hold your foot planted for longer between shifting gears, and there’s little else extra satisfying than chasing down 7,000 rpm redlines. Right here, few accessible inline-fours can match the K24, which boasts a inventory redline of seven,200 rpm.

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Notable K24 Engine Swaps

Purists like to complain when tuners ‘wreck’ their vehicles by performing engine swaps, and often there’s little trigger for the moaning – however certainly swapping a K24 right into a traditional Ferrari counts as automotive sacrilege? Mike Burroughs from StanceWorks would beg to vary, as that is precisely what he is performed to his placing Ferrari 308 GTB. The result’s astounding, although – an ’80s Italian sports activities automotive that places out a dependable 1,000 horsepower; swiftly, the Honda swap begins to make sense.

The controversy does not finish there, both – this is a 997 Porsche which can also be powered by a K24. The rationale behind this insanity? Nick, the proprietor, didn’t fancy his possibilities towards the early water-cooled 911 points (IMS bearing failures are just the start), and so a sizzling K24 appeared like an affordable answer. A supercharger spices the recipe up considerably, offering Nick with a wise however playful 435 horsepower on the wheels.

The K24 can also be usually lumped into the engine bays of different Hondas, too, equivalent to with this sleeper of a seventh-gen Civic Hybrid. Gone is the outdated, lackluster powertrain, and as a substitute sits a turbocharged K24, which pushes out a number of occasions the inventory output, whereas nonetheless retaining the unassuming exterior.

How A lot Does The K24 Engine Value?

The price of a K24 engine can fluctuate massively, relying on the situation and state of tune. A mission engine will be picked up for only a fistful of {dollars}, lower than $500, whereas an assured and assured engine will doubtless value two or thrice this quantity. Later engines will value extra.

For a totally constructed and modified engine, the sky actually is the restrict, with big-power builds costing many 1000’s of {dollars}, however most tuners favor to begin with a clear slate and construct the engine themselves, to allow them to assure the standard of workmanship and situation of components used.

How A lot HP Does A K24 Have?

The K24 hp output will fluctuate relying on the mannequin, however it’s between 160 and 205 horsepower. Modified K24 engines could make a number of occasions what is feasible from a regular engine.

What Automotive Has The K24 Engine?

The K24 engine will be discovered mostly underneath the hood of first-generation Acura TSX fashions, though numerous JDM Hondas used the engine too, such because the Factor and Odyssey Absolute.

Are K24 Engines Dependable?

The Honda K24 engine is understood to be usually very dependable when maintained nicely.

Sources:
Honda