Hey guys, I wanted to present this because i have looked on multiple sites and cannot find any in-depth info about swapping the z3 motor into the ep3. I have mostly found people ragging on the z3 and the z3 swap with the 6 speed trans only. If this has already been documented please direct me to the thread. Basically i want to discuss advantages/disadvantages of the z3 vs z1,a2 swap, motor only and use this as a step by step guys to swapping the motor only into the ep3. I plan to keep my ep3 5 speed transmission. People say this is one of the easiest swaps so i'll start with what i know and as you all enlighten me i will update the original post as needed.

Things you will need indefinitely:
-karcepts throttle body adapter(if you plan to use the z3 rbc intake)
or k20a3(ep3 stock motor) intake with throttle body.
-k20a3 thermostat housing
-ep3 or rsx(complete) exhaust aftermarket or stock (I run rsx monza longtube headers to rsx stainless midpipe to vibrant muffler)
-ep3 accessories (alternator, starter, power steering pump)
-ep3 motor mounts (note: the rear motor mount is the same on the z3 and a3)

Not that it needs it, but i like to be extra careful since i don't know the history of the motor(i don't want to do this again), so i plan to buy/repair:

-Top end gasket/seal kit
(Head gasket, intake gasket, Exhaust gasket, Throttle body Gasket, valve seals, intake sensor o-rings, spark plug tube seals, valve cover gasket, etc)
-Main seal
-crank seal
-re-silicone oil pan
-water pump gasket/seal
-lap valves

I may also hone and put new rings depending on the mileage after i check the carfax and see what the cylinders look like when i remove the head.

I bought this motor for 400 with tons of extras such as coil packs, flywheels, pressure plates, z3 engine harness, fuel rail, 2 water pumps, etc. so i plan to do my part in making sure it's reliable, so that i don't have to do another swap for a long time. I chose the z3 because i believe the ep3 deserved more power. The k20a3(stock ep3 motor) has ~160hp and could achieve 23mpg(city) 30mpg(hwy) or so Honda claims(every ep3 owner knows the a3 never achieved 30mpg). The k20a3 was built for economy yet still had enough power to have a little fun, while all the other performance based motors around it's time received the more stout ~200hp motors(k20z2,k20z1k20z3). Funny thing is these motors get hardly a noticeable difference in fuel economy ~21mpg(city) 29mpg(hwy). The a3 also was equipped with inferior rods and lower compression as compared to the other k20 motors so it was a waste of time to slap another head onto an a3 block as you could do with the B series motors. The other options are boosting or swapping motors. My goal in this swap is to keep a straight forward swap that is as reliable as possible, yet achieves the most amount of power with easy and tasteful bolt-ons. I like everything to be oem if possible. I am not a fan of hacking or chopping something so that it cannot be returned back to factory. I know to fit the RBC intake you must grind a radiator support so i will look for other option for that. Please feel free to add to this thread and ask questions.

Some pics of the motor IMG_1253.jpg