It's a great engine! But I'm still so confused about the swap, especially now that Porsche have had their own flat-four turbo engine for about 5-6 years now if people wanted to swap it into a 911.
A lot of people confuse psi with air flow they are not the same thing pressure is caused by a restriction to flow look how large the intake piping is plus k series heads flow well.
I work at Porsche and I love their vehicles, but I drive a civic Type R FK8. Almost what this build is to me. Best of both worlds. Great job Speed academy in featuring this build and great job Nick on a fine piece of work. Can't wait for my FK8 to get tuned by you. This Build is awesome.
As a Porsche lover/owner (718 Spyder PDK) whose best friend drives an FK8 Type R I can tell you they are more alike than most people would give them credit for. Seeing this video and many like it I’d love to know if it would be possible to do this swap with a PDK trans to keep that turbo and motor on the boil? I’m an amputee and have access to a 997.1 with a blown motor that has a tiptronic.
Good to see the Porsche swap game getting so much attention. A turbo K in a Cayman (K-man?) would be killer. I put together a LS 911 a few years...I definitely recommend any Porsche swap - 911, boxster, cayman, 944, 928...They're all really good cars and perfect for a K swap!
@bgee461 it's a little tall. The hood needs a bump over the valve cover...the audi 07k 5 cylinder fits and it's capable, but it's not developed like the K and there's such a small aftermarket built around that motor that the LS or K are better options imo. There's a time attack team that ran a K24 for a while in their 944 with a sequential. Black and green car. I might build a sleeper 924 with a k24 (these names correlate too well) with cams 250+ hp. Pastel colored paint, funky plaid interior... I would daily it. Or a 928 LS daily with a great sound system?
A great swap that made me think about the ticking timebomb boxer engine in my BRZ. Why is it a great swap? Light weight and well thought out to match the character of the car. Fun episode.
@@zhila5958 Mine is a 2022 so it would be down the line after it is paid off and can be dedicated to autocross and track. The Boxer 2.4 oiling issues and lack of support by Subaru bugs me.
The FA20 has been shown to last around 160k based on the used car market. I know the new ones have that gasket issue but if maintained there’s no reason to consider it a “ticking time bomb” unless you’re driving it like shit.
Tony Angelo at Stay Tuned is buttoning up an LS swapped 996 C2 (a la Hoovie’s Garage). Gobs of torque, great sound, dead simple. Would be super keen to see K vs LS!
Yeah, absolutely nothing bad to say about this build here. You get beauty, performance, reliability and a turbo. There is also the fact that Nick got to keep the original instruments working using the Syvecs Cpu which is a huge plus. Great video, great car and cheers !
@@Vaino_Hotti I was very specific about US Elises. I know there were no K's in the EU. You're right though for a different reason, they were Toyota engines. Not K's. "The 2011 model was the last offered for street legal sale in the United States when the waiver from the United States Government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for Lotus to build and sell cars in the US without smart airbags expired in August 2011.[32] It used the Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine"
Okay this is great. As a 996 owner I’ve always seen tunning by nicks Porsche and Baysidefabrications k swapped 911 as a great alternative for a track car with a Porsche body
Waiting for the Cayman kit since I've got a TSX which is a super reliable car but not nearly as much fun as my 987.1 Cayman. Almost hoping the engine in the Cayman goes but the base 2.7l is much more reliable than the 3.2 but time with tell.
This is such a killer swap. Sounds good and seems to perform amazingly well. One thing to note about Porsche IMS issues. The aftermarket has completely solved this issue and it’s not much money or labor to get it fixed.
This would be my dream car. high revving characteristics and reliable K in a 911.....if I could have one car forever this would capture that idea perfectly
I love porsche but unless you have a gt3 or possibly a turbo, that engine has huge oiling issues which leads to ims issues and bore scoring. This is simply amazing. People are selling these with blown motors for cheap because a rebuilt or new engine is 20k. This guy figured out what the market needs for these older Porsches. 😎🤟
The speed academy I love! Sorry you guys can't get massive views with this content. Btw this is the beautiful thing about about someone agreeing to bring their car to the track for you to test. 10 10th lap time, come on.
The type of K series this is makes a huge difference in the response and exhaust note, this uses a pretty bottom of the barrel k series with the merged exhaust port cylinder head. In what it sacrifices in efficiency and a much stronger power output it gives a better low and mid range powerband that is better suited for tracks with turns in them instead of mid and top end power that you cant really utilize that isnt a 1/4mi 1/2 or stand mile etc. Not saying its bad but with this K engine I wouldnt push it much past 600whp, the block will take it but the cylinder head is a major choke point unless you do the older k series with the multiport exhaust. Much how like the new "supra" went from a single exhaust port (one for each three cylinders, so two in total) to a multiport in its later revision, the restriction and heat generated with the other style head was a choke point and found to be a cause for concern for anyone wanting to make north of 600whp
Because of the cost to replace really ANY porsche engine, I see nothing wrong with it. I have seen a VR6 Turbo swapped one once and that was really cool.
@@Shift4g it's not like he has taken a gt3rs and swapped it. You're being a bit purist here. And I love porsche, I love a 911. Hell I loved my 986 boxster that I put on air (you'll hate that too though). If it was my 911, I'd probably drove it until the original engine let go. But of I could make the same power or more with a k swap turbo and be under the cost of a rebuilt OEM Porsche engine, why not?
@@Shift4g If you're going to play the "poor" person argument, then you have to go all the way with it. Why didn't the owners pay double for a 997.2 that won't blow up? Sounds like they can't afford the base car for what it is.
@@Shift4g "what it is", sorry to break it to you but engine rebuilds are not a yearly maintenance item. Porsche knew for a decade about the flaws and did nothing, exploiting their customers.
Between this, an LS swap kit, or the 2.7 Audi swap out there now, the options for a more cost effective way to put rollers of a killer chassis back on the road is pretty wide! I think the k 24 would be my jam for this.
I don't know... I think I'll pass on the K swapped 911. A huge part of my love for the 997 is the damn motor. From the odd starter noise as the motor cranks over to the boxer 6 howl, it's all too good just to rip out and replace with a K motor. And 997.2 are considerably more reliable. I used to be a huge Honda fan. Then I discovered BMW I-6's and Lexus V8's and I wouldn't touch another Honda 4 banger.
Agree 100% I have a 911 with the 3.8 motor and it has character. The stock motors aren’t that unreliable. IMS problems are limited to early models and not hard to do a preventative fix.
IMS Bearing issues are such a small percentage of what breaks on a Porsche motor. It’s such a blown up issue in the Porsche community. Can it happen? Sure. Does it happen on every motor?No. Also, the K-swap is $15k just in parts? He didn’t say what his labor would be. I’d imagine in total, it’s the same price as rebuilding the 911 motor. I think it’s a cool car, but I’d rather rebuild my stock motor, than go with an engine swap from a different manufacturer, because it limits your options on who can actually work on it. IMO
Good points, i think this option is better for ppl who want to buy a cheap dead one and build it from scratch, or go all out with a crazy HP build. Otherwise keeping everything OEM it will be much more servicable
thats even worse, idiots be buying up car shells and then swapping them to K without even knowing what the original setup FEELS like... mindless idiot hype beasts@@Pete0126
As someone with a track S2000 who wouldn't mind having the back seats, stealth, and class of a 911, this really might be the best of both worlds, for roughly the same net cost. Looking forward to hearing more when the kit is completed
The sound is the killer for me; there is no 4 cylinder that sounds good aside from bike engines. The M96/97 is hardly sacred, but if I'm swapping a 996, it has to be an LS so it at least sounds good. Neither engine will ever touch a Mezger from a sound or emotion perspective, but an LS swapped 996 C2S would be pretty cool if you can't afford a 997. Those headlights will always keep the 996 on the cheaper end of the Porsche tree.
It is nick! I saw the Ontario plate! Your tunes for kseries and edens tuning make the best numbers I’ve seen in NA motors and amazing turns all around. Love your channel
I would love to see what this platform is capable of doing on a 1/4 mile stand point .. I understand that’s not what this was built for but would be interesting to see .
not to take away from how incredible this 997 is... but I beat on my 3.4L M97 with 20+ track days per year on 200tw tires and Im not worried about IMS. Im more concerned about bore scoring which is more likely with the specific m97 engines used in the 997.1 and 987.1 cars.
That's because you drove the car as intended. Well known that cars that are tracked and maintained usually don't suffer from bore scoring. What usually kills these motors is short trips which the car never reaches full operating temp and if it does, it doesn't for very long. Short trips equals oil dilution and carbon build-up and the process begins... washing the oil off the cylinder walls and decreasing the oil viscosity and you have the beginnings of bore scoring. Rinse and repeat a few thousand times and the engine dies.
The IMS bearing is a way lesser issue as opposed to bore scoring and general failures related to poor oiling IMHO. Deep sump and motorsport AOS I assume?
I like the concept but the purest won’t accept it. The next thing is when it’s time to change the plugs, it’s an engine out affair, maybe putting the Porsche flat 4 and make a modern 912.
Porsche chassis with a k24 is the beez kneez. Very nice daily driver. For racing I'd recommend no turbo. Go k24-26 built all motor for an ultra light 10000 rpm monster. A 997 GT3.5 RS lol.
The K swap makes a lot more sense to me than the LS swap, weight being the biggest reason. The K also just looks right (fit and finish) in this build. All of the LS swapped Porsches I have seen always look cramped like a square peg was forced into a round hole. What a great build!
@@iluvcakes19 It is not. He has the weight on a previous video. Popular LS swaps will generally increase overall weight by a few lbs (basically negligible) depending on configuration and accessories assuming you use an expensive aluminum block motor. With the cheaper iron block LS motors increasing this base weight by ~100 lbs or so. Our K-swap actually reduces weight by 100-150 lbs with the full turbo system and intercooler, so your math is not accurate.
@@iluvcakes19 It is wrong, sorry to say. You need to compare the whole kit weight, not just the engine. There's more to a swap then literally throwing an engine into the engine bay. Lookup Chavis Engineering for the LS weight numbers, and Nick has a video comparing weights from a few weeks ago. Numbers don't lie.
The nickel plated cylinders won’t get beat up if it’s kept warm. Cold porsches don’t do well starting and driving in the cold weather. So heated garage and let it get to operating temperature before driving. And those motor last. But that Nicole playing getting scratched, I’ve only seen it on the porsches that are kept in colder climates
You get an 04-07 911 for like 35k drive it until it breaks and then do the swap or take engine out and sell it to fund the swap? Hmm…I’d do it in a heartbeat if I could do the swap myself but having to get a shop to do it would add another significant amount.
Pretty cool way to make it all work. Personally, if I could choose a 4banger, id do S2K with a sc. if I was to go turbo, I’d do a 2JZ. If I could pick any I’d do I’d be looking at LS7/E46/E90 🤘
A K swap is an ingenious option and seems well suited to the platform…however all the cool kinds are doing LS swaps on 911’s…nice to see people doing different things and developing ways to keep the “cheaper” 911s going.
People throw 20psi at them, crank out 600hp on the stock internals and expect them to last. With low boost, they're almost as reliable as stock. Source: I have a turbo k swap on 6lbs.
@@grant6985 Did you watch Stancework and even dude on that Supra channel…and honorable mention to Boosted Bois…even with them build and tuned by the professionals they don’t seem to last
When people say, "It costs $15,000-$10,000 on the low end to swap (whatever) motor in this platform," it blows my mind. Sure, you can spend that much on a swap. Realistically, you can do a swap for pretty cheap if you can weld, have access to a junkyard, and have basic knowledge of car dynamics/fabrication. The turbo will cost the most, or you can get a cheap/used one. Make your own piping and mounts. The ecu and tuning will be the biggest deal, but that's always the case, and kits don't cover that. You can flash the ecu or get a stand alone. It would be sweet if their was a user ran website where enthusiasts and fabricators upload schematics for parts. You could even 3d scan manufacturers parts and upload the schematics.
Cool build that caters to people who want power. However, I don't see the economical argument. The 997.1 M97 motors are not going to explode at any notice; the IMS issue is not that common. In addition, for the price of the K series swap, you could spend another $5k-$10k to build a functioning M97 motor to make more power and be more reliable. I also think there is another cost that isn't being considered, which is the time and money to get the K series car to run and keep running properly like OEM. I guess this would make sense for someone with a 997 with a bad motor who just loves what the K series offers. Money wise, considering resale, I think buying a 997.2 with the more reliable engine or buying a 997 turbo is the cheaper route in the long run.
Oil pressure gauge seems to drop below 30 PSI in right hand corners. Not so much in left hand corners. Is that an artifact of the stand alone ECU, if not that could be a concern.
Oil pressure in the 997 is sent to the cluster via CAN from the DME (or in this case, the Syvecs S7+). Because of this, it's possible that the scaling factor is incorrect, but there's no way to know for sure. The production kits use the Link G4X Fury with the CAN communications that has been validated by myself so I can guarantee it'll be accurate on the cluster for the production kit. That being said, Nick's car does not have a baffle and thus the pressure drops could be "real" for sure. For the longitudinal swaps like the 996 and 997 configurations, I would recommend adding K-Powers V2 oil pan baffle designed for longitudinally mounted K series engines. For the 986 and 987 swaps, it will retain the same transverse layout as the engine was designed for, and thus will likely not need any baffling. It'll report back once we have more track miles on the development car with the production ECU.
I do have to say that given the high-revving and mechanical nature of the K20/K24 series engines, I think it lends an oddly similar sonic quality to what Porsche's flat 6's emit.
@@NewtonInDaHouseYo K Series sounds OK (check out the Lotus Exige K20 supercharged that sounds pretty good - th-cam.com/video/cX3JneKcZIA/w-d-xo.html , I guess a turbo version not so much, but like any twin-cam flatplane four it can sound if you get the exhaust and intake just right). It's more that it's not a Porsche engine, it's just as strange to put a Honda engine in a Porsche as to put a Porsche engine in a Honda! If it was the Porsche 944 or 968 that came with an inline-four in the first place then I guess it would make some sense, but I dunno. I guess tuning these engines is Nick's speciality and he likes 911s so he made it happen! 🙂
@@freddarau That’s true. But the NA flat sixes have a great sound at higher rpm. I get the idea of the Honda swap, but I can’t imagine it can match the Porsche engine sound wise.
To be clear, Porsche is known for the GOOD flat 6's, not these. The M96/M97's engines are junk, hence why the .2 versions with the much more reliable 9A1/9A2 engines are literally double the cost of the .1 cars.
Math doesn't make sense to me. $15k for the swap parts which means over $20k probably $25k with labour etc. You can rebuild the Porsche M97 for not much more and upgrade it to a 4.0L and in doing so address the shortcomings and have a reliable and robust Porsche motor. Furthermore, if you do upgrade the motor to a 4.0L and do it right, I would argue that it will add way more value to the car than the K-swap alternative. Just a guess, K-swap 997.1 will fetch = $35-35k? and be difficult to sell. Rebuilt 4.0L Porsche motor will fetch $50+ maybe more? and will be way more desirable. With that all said, I have no qualms with this build other than it doesn't make much financial sense, but I still think it's interesting and cool.
YOu're not wrong about the value, any swap usually kills resale but even with a rebuild there is always a chance of a failure and that's where this swaps value is. The buy-in isnt 'cheap' per say but after that a motor will run you $1500 on the high side to replace. If you're looking for worry free enjoyment then this is why the K motor is appealing.
I am all for what works for people and it's definitely always great to have these options and innovations. Would love for you guys to profile a rebuilt 4.0L 996/997/987 to see how it performs around the track! Btw, love the channel and keep up the great work guys!
That math is incorrect though. Let's take a running 997.1 C2S for example... Original purchase price ~30K. Sell running engine for ~15K. Buy K-Swap kit for 15K. Do the labor yourself because you aren't a girly man $0. Now you have a 500HP 997.1 with an amazing reliable engine for ~30K. Every swapped Porsche on BaT has fetched a premium (look up the archived sales). You forgot to mention that a rebuilt 4.0L with the track upgrades is literally the same price as the car itself if you go with a popular builder like Vision.
@@williamrori1274 If we are comparing apples to apples, and you double up the daily dose of Nugenix Total-T and can do all the greasy work yourself, then you can rebuild and upgrade the Porsche motor for $15k and keep the Porsche a Porsche with similar HP. Personally the character of a NA flat 6 engine howling towards the redline is one of the best automotive soundtracks and essential to preserve the true character of the car. I will reiterate, to each their own, I def think it's cool and love the these kind of projects, but personally I would want to keep my Porsche a purely Porsche experience for similar money. Also, I'm not sure about getting $15K for a non working Porsche M97 motor. My guess is $15k would probably be for a working used engine that doesn't need a full rebuild with 100,000km on it. Anyways there isn't a lot of transactions out there to reference on these things and it would be a what someone is willing to pay for the motor at the time you're selling it depending on condition etc. Grand point is any way you slice it both are expensive and labour/logistically intense projects so might as well pick the option that keeps the car original.
This is not a new trend. This had already gained momentum in the community as several owners, with different generations of 911s have already taken that route. Including one from about 5 years ago. There's a 1982 variant with a k swap as well.
Wait what? My 00 civic ek k24 swap supercharged has electric powersteering and working AC. What are you talking about? I can drive everyday EXCEPT winter because I live in a RustBelt state. I bought the car stock 11 years ago. Lol
I'm a purist at heart. But this ... This is BRILLIANT! I'd LOVE to piss off the other purists with one of these packages. The sound, not as good as the Mezger 97/79, but it's not bad. It has its own "thing" going on. I'd rock this whip every day of the week and twice on Sunday, just because V-TEC! Someone send me the keys, please!!!!!!! And yes, it's turned up to 11. I dig it. BUT, let's do 40 and see what happens. 🤪🤪
There will be a full kit. No cutting, no welding. Apparently TH-cam doesn't allow website links, but the parts and more info can be found on Nick's site.
From LN Engineering's website on their IMS bearing kit which fixes the issue presented by Nick in this video: "On average, IMS bearing replacement can run $3500-4500 but the cost to have the IMS bearing changed in a Boxster or 911 can vary greatly depending on regional labor rates...". Let's say it's $10K to replace the bearing by someone in Canada. That's still at least $5K less than the K-swap. Not to mention that a part of the 911 experience is the noise a flat 6 makes.
issue with the m97 is bore scoring, ims is overblown and not that expensive to fix. 6k gets you a short block conversion at ln which takes care of that issue. they are expensive but tolerably so to rebuild before they blow and bonkers after they blow.
If you've got a running car then its a no brainer to keep the original engine and do the fix. You still do have the bore scoring issue to worry about but this swap makes sense for a car with an already blown motor not one that is perfectly good.
430whp on 11 psi that is so incredible! The K is just so great...
It's a great engine! But I'm still so confused about the swap, especially now that Porsche have had their own flat-four turbo engine for about 5-6 years now if people wanted to swap it into a 911.
A lot of people confuse psi with air flow they are not the same thing pressure is caused by a restriction to flow look how large the intake piping is plus k series heads flow well.
I'm making 600hp on 7psi 🤷♂️
@@TassieLorenzo it's a K-swapped 911, not a homemade 912
@@fishingwithadrian754 exactly why that power level with that boot pressure is impressive, the engine has very good flow
I work at Porsche and I love their vehicles, but I drive a civic Type R FK8. Almost what this build is to me. Best of both worlds. Great job Speed academy in featuring this build and great job Nick on a fine piece of work. Can't wait for my FK8 to get tuned by you. This Build is awesome.
I’m actually cross shopping the two. Haha. I’m leaning towards the fk8.
As a Porsche lover/owner (718 Spyder PDK) whose best friend drives an FK8 Type R I can tell you they are more alike than most people would give them credit for. Seeing this video and many like it I’d love to know if it would be possible to do this swap with a PDK trans to keep that turbo and motor on the boil? I’m an amputee and have access to a 997.1 with a blown motor that has a tiptronic.
@@gouldnj So far, no. But if you have enough money... It might work with the tip though.
Good to see the Porsche swap game getting so much attention. A turbo K in a Cayman (K-man?) would be killer. I put together a LS 911 a few years...I definitely recommend any Porsche swap - 911, boxster, cayman, 944, 928...They're all really good cars and perfect for a K swap!
Damn I think you hit the nail on the head with “k-man”
944 k swap would be nice
Cayman would be lighter good choice
@bgee461 it's a little tall. The hood needs a bump over the valve cover...the audi 07k 5 cylinder fits and it's capable, but it's not developed like the K and there's such a small aftermarket built around that motor that the LS or K are better options imo.
There's a time attack team that ran a K24 for a while in their 944 with a sequential. Black and green car.
I might build a sleeper 924 with a k24 (these names correlate too well) with cams 250+ hp. Pastel colored paint, funky plaid interior... I would daily it. Or a 928 LS daily with a great sound system?
He is making a k-swap kit for Caymans.
A great swap that made me think about the ticking timebomb boxer engine in my BRZ. Why is it a great swap? Light weight and well thought out to match the character of the car. Fun episode.
First gen brz? what mode year? i heard that the early FA20s aren’t the best when it comes to reliability.
@@zhila5958 Mine is a 2022 so it would be down the line after it is paid off and can be dedicated to autocross and track. The Boxer 2.4 oiling issues and lack of support by Subaru bugs me.
The K motor is pretty tall. You'd likely have to put a hole in your hood to fit it under there.
@@seabrookmx they fit fine without cutting the hood or subframe, I've had one in my 2015 BRZ for the last two years.
The FA20 has been shown to last around 160k based on the used car market. I know the new ones have that gasket issue but if maintained there’s no reason to consider it a “ticking time bomb” unless you’re driving it like shit.
Tony Angelo at Stay Tuned is buttoning up an LS swapped 996 C2 (a la Hoovie’s Garage). Gobs of torque, great sound, dead simple. Would be super keen to see K vs LS!
LS for me.
Yeah I immediately thought of Power Kraut too... I'm sure they both drive great but the K sounds terrible, give me the V8 please!
Yeah, absolutely nothing bad to say about this build here. You get beauty, performance, reliability and a turbo. There is also the fact that Nick got to keep the original instruments working using the Syvecs Cpu which is a huge plus. Great video, great car and cheers !
I absolutely love Porsche, but I am a JDM guy at heart, this definitely makes sense to me. Best of both worlds for sure
My first thought was OMG Ferdinand Porsche is probably turning in his grave.
But when I started watching the video it’s actually make sense.
Yeah he’s wondering why couldn’t make reliable, affordable power 😛
Way better than an LS swap
Crazy accurate comment
Not at all..
I would have loved to see you measure it up against a 997-911 turbo for comparison.
It’s a pricey upfront cost for a project but long term it makes Porsche ownership a little more reasonable for the average person.
We need a ls vs k swapped 997 back to back comparison .
Remember the K20 swapped Lotus passing Porches in Nurburgring? Amazing..
In the US the Elises came with a K engine from the factory.
@@quademasters249 Elises never had a Honda K-engine from the factory. Older Elises had ROVER K-engines.
@@Vaino_Hotti I was very specific about US Elises. I know there were no K's in the EU.
You're right though for a different reason, they were Toyota engines. Not K's.
"The 2011 model was the last offered for street legal sale in the United States when the waiver from the United States Government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for Lotus to build and sell cars in the US without smart airbags expired in August 2011.[32] It used the Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine"
Okay this is great. As a 996 owner I’ve always seen tunning by nicks Porsche and Baysidefabrications k swapped 911 as a great alternative for a track car with a Porsche body
Waiting for the Cayman kit since I've got a TSX which is a super reliable car but not nearly as much fun as my 987.1 Cayman. Almost hoping the engine in the Cayman goes but the base 2.7l is much more reliable than the 3.2 but time with tell.
Im not mad. K-Series are simply amazing engines.
This was a sick vid. Love these style vids . Speed Academy has some of the best content. Thx guys
This is such a killer swap. Sounds good and seems to perform amazingly well. One thing to note about Porsche IMS issues. The aftermarket has completely solved this issue and it’s not much money or labor to get it fixed.
Need a Speed Academy Mid/Rear engine Lap Battle- Turbo K swap porsche vs my NA K swap Lotus ... letssss goooooo
When the Cayman kit is ready you guys gotta build one!
This would be my dream car. high revving characteristics and reliable K in a 911.....if I could have one car forever this would capture that idea perfectly
I love porsche but unless you have a gt3 or possibly a turbo, that engine has huge oiling issues which leads to ims issues and bore scoring. This is simply amazing. People are selling these with blown motors for cheap because a rebuilt or new engine is 20k. This guy figured out what the market needs for these older Porsches. 😎🤟
The speed academy I love! Sorry you guys can't get massive views with this content. Btw this is the beautiful thing about about someone agreeing to bring their car to the track for you to test. 10 10th lap time, come on.
Can't wait for the Boxster and Cayman version!
The type of K series this is makes a huge difference in the response and exhaust note, this uses a pretty bottom of the barrel k series with the merged exhaust port cylinder head. In what it sacrifices in efficiency and a much stronger power output it gives a better low and mid range powerband that is better suited for tracks with turns in them instead of mid and top end power that you cant really utilize that isnt a 1/4mi 1/2 or stand mile etc. Not saying its bad but with this K engine I wouldnt push it much past 600whp, the block will take it but the cylinder head is a major choke point unless you do the older k series with the multiport exhaust. Much how like the new "supra" went from a single exhaust port (one for each three cylinders, so two in total) to a multiport in its later revision, the restriction and heat generated with the other style head was a choke point and found to be a cause for concern for anyone wanting to make north of 600whp
I always thought kswap in bmw and porche would be perfect. The power band is suited perfectly for the chassis
Because of the cost to replace really ANY porsche engine, I see nothing wrong with it. I have seen a VR6 Turbo swapped one once and that was really cool.
So in other words, these types of swaps are for people who can't afford the base car for what it is lol
@@Shift4gWhat's wrong with that? People should get the best car they can
@@Shift4g it's not like he has taken a gt3rs and swapped it. You're being a bit purist here. And I love porsche, I love a 911. Hell I loved my 986 boxster that I put on air (you'll hate that too though). If it was my 911, I'd probably drove it until the original engine let go. But of I could make the same power or more with a k swap turbo and be under the cost of a rebuilt OEM Porsche engine, why not?
@@Shift4g If you're going to play the "poor" person argument, then you have to go all the way with it. Why didn't the owners pay double for a 997.2 that won't blow up? Sounds like they can't afford the base car for what it is.
@@Shift4g "what it is", sorry to break it to you but engine rebuilds are not a yearly maintenance item. Porsche knew for a decade about the flaws and did nothing, exploiting their customers.
I like the fact that you can maintain lightweightness with the K swap, plus if you blow it up you dont go broke
Between this, an LS swap kit, or the 2.7 Audi swap out there now, the options for a more cost effective way to put rollers of a killer chassis back on the road is pretty wide! I think the k 24 would be my jam for this.
I don't know... I think I'll pass on the K swapped 911. A huge part of my love for the 997 is the damn motor. From the odd starter noise as the motor cranks over to the boxer 6 howl, it's all too good just to rip out and replace with a K motor. And 997.2 are considerably more reliable. I used to be a huge Honda fan. Then I discovered BMW I-6's and Lexus V8's and I wouldn't touch another Honda 4 banger.
Agree 100%
I have a 911 with the 3.8 motor and it has character.
The stock motors aren’t that unreliable.
IMS problems are limited to early models and not hard to do a preventative fix.
Yep, the Porsche needs that flat 6, even the 2.7 cayman motor is a sweet engine
IMS Bearing issues are such a small percentage of what breaks on a Porsche motor. It’s such a blown up issue in the Porsche community. Can it happen? Sure. Does it happen on every motor?No. Also, the K-swap is $15k just in parts? He didn’t say what his labor would be. I’d imagine in total, it’s the same price as rebuilding the 911 motor. I think it’s a cool car, but I’d rather rebuild my stock motor, than go with an engine swap from a different manufacturer, because it limits your options on who can actually work on it. IMO
Good points, i think this option is better for ppl who want to buy a cheap dead one and build it from scratch, or go all out with a crazy HP build. Otherwise keeping everything OEM it will be much more servicable
theres more garages used to working on honda motors than Porche ones
thats even worse, idiots be buying up car shells and then swapping them to K without even knowing what the original setup FEELS like... mindless idiot hype beasts@@Pete0126
I agree with you
@@markmartin7384 I agree….but how many shops work on Hondas inside of a Porsche? The fitment, wiring, etc is all different.
I have a '99 996 with a built 3.8L and I *LOVE* this. Starting to look for a '06 997 that I can have Nick swap a K24 in for me.
Great video guys! Thanks again for putting it together
Happy you guys got to drive this around. I'm eagerly waiting for his cayman kit.
Awesome swap. Love hearing the familiar sound of a k24z7 in a 911 as an FB6 driver.
Brilliant! Once my d17 goes in my 04 civic it’s getting a k24 and going to be a rocket
Amazing! Finally get to see your opinion of this beast! Such a fun car to drive
What a cool project and so nice to see these type of videos back to the channel 👌
I said this when it was created, it was and shall always remain brilliant.
Crazy awesome swapped Porsche K Series Frankenstein car
“K” is the way
As someone with a track S2000 who wouldn't mind having the back seats, stealth, and class of a 911, this really might be the best of both worlds, for roughly the same net cost. Looking forward to hearing more when the kit is completed
The sound is the killer for me; there is no 4 cylinder that sounds good aside from bike engines. The M96/97 is hardly sacred, but if I'm swapping a 996, it has to be an LS so it at least sounds good. Neither engine will ever touch a Mezger from a sound or emotion perspective, but an LS swapped 996 C2S would be pretty cool if you can't afford a 997. Those headlights will always keep the 996 on the cheaper end of the Porsche tree.
It is nick! I saw the Ontario plate! Your tunes for kseries and edens tuning make the best numbers I’ve seen in NA motors and amazing turns all around. Love your channel
this makes me want to boost my 9th gen so much more..... and nick is down the road from me
I would love to see what this platform is capable of doing on a 1/4 mile stand point .. I understand that’s not what this was built for but would be interesting to see .
not to take away from how incredible this 997 is... but I beat on my 3.4L M97 with 20+ track days per year on 200tw tires and Im not worried about IMS. Im more concerned about bore scoring which is more likely with the specific m97 engines used in the 997.1 and 987.1 cars.
That's because you drove the car as intended. Well known that cars that are tracked and maintained usually don't suffer from bore scoring. What usually kills these motors is short trips which the car never reaches full operating temp and if it does, it doesn't for very long. Short trips equals oil dilution and carbon build-up and the process begins... washing the oil off the cylinder walls and decreasing the oil viscosity and you have the beginnings of bore scoring. Rinse and repeat a few thousand times and the engine dies.
The IMS bearing is a way lesser issue as opposed to bore scoring and general failures related to poor oiling IMHO. Deep sump and motorsport AOS I assume?
K-series
The holy grail
Game changer
This is good news for someone in the middle of this swap on a 996
This and the Lotus Elise are probably the most compelling options for a K swap.
I like the concept but the purest won’t accept it. The next thing is when it’s time to change the plugs, it’s an engine out affair, maybe putting the Porsche flat 4 and make a modern 912.
We aren't marketing to the purists. Those are the people that generally don't modify or track their cars anyways.
Porsche chassis with a k24 is the beez kneez. Very nice daily driver. For racing I'd recommend no turbo. Go k24-26 built all motor for an ultra light 10000 rpm monster. A 997 GT3.5 RS lol.
The K swap makes a lot more sense to me than the LS swap, weight being the biggest reason. The K also just looks right (fit and finish) in this build. All of the LS swapped Porsches I have seen always look cramped like a square peg was forced into a round hole. What a great build!
hell no! LS would be better weight wise.. he slapped a turbo on this thing! that means it needs cooling too. Definitely gonna be heavier than a LS.
@@iluvcakes19 It is not. He has the weight on a previous video. Popular LS swaps will generally increase overall weight by a few lbs (basically negligible) depending on configuration and accessories assuming you use an expensive aluminum block motor. With the cheaper iron block LS motors increasing this base weight by ~100 lbs or so. Our K-swap actually reduces weight by 100-150 lbs with the full turbo system and intercooler, so your math is not accurate.
@@williamrori1274 post the engines you're talking about and their corresponding weights because I don't think my math is wrong.
@@iluvcakes19 It is wrong, sorry to say. You need to compare the whole kit weight, not just the engine. There's more to a swap then literally throwing an engine into the engine bay. Lookup Chavis Engineering for the LS weight numbers, and Nick has a video comparing weights from a few weeks ago. Numbers don't lie.
The build that makes sense! True build for the Speed Academy line of cars. When are you gonna build one??
Way more reliable than the original engine in that car. Great job!
Nick: I put a K-series in some place very uncomfortable.
SA: What, like the back of a Volkswagen?
the z7 is perfect for this chassis. the sound is much more fitting than a k24a or k20z
2.0ltr subaru wrx sti mate with the porsche twin turbo system .... had to detune to 620 from 980 bhp 😎
The nickel plated cylinders won’t get beat up if it’s kept warm. Cold porsches don’t do well starting and driving in the cold weather. So heated garage and let it get to operating temperature before driving. And those motor last. But that Nicole playing getting scratched, I’ve only seen it on the porsches that are kept in colder climates
will be looking for the speed academy 997.2 k swap build 👀
finally, the crossover episode, love both channels !!!
Been waiting on the final follow up of this because I have seen it other places but saw it here first!!
You get an 04-07 911 for like 35k drive it until it breaks and then do the swap or take engine out and sell it to fund the swap? Hmm…I’d do it in a heartbeat if I could do the swap myself but having to get a shop to do it would add another significant amount.
Pretty cool way to make it all work.
Personally, if I could choose a 4banger, id do S2K with a sc.
if I was to go turbo, I’d do a 2JZ.
If I could pick any I’d do I’d be looking at LS7/E46/E90 🤘
If you swap a 2JZ into a 911 you'll have the only Porsche with a tail.
100% brilliant
Peter with all the Jam. Very cool swap Nick!
I love when you do track reviews
A K swap is an ingenious option and seems well suited to the platform…however all the cool kinds are doing LS swaps on 911’s…nice to see people doing different things and developing ways to keep the “cheaper” 911s going.
15,000 km is pretty solid, because most of these K-swaps that get built seem to always blow up.
Yeah, I keep hearing about how durable that engine is but my MR2T just keeps laughing in 33yo 350WHP unopened 3S-GTE.
depends who's driving it and what they're doing...
People throw 20psi at them, crank out 600hp on the stock internals and expect them to last. With low boost, they're almost as reliable as stock.
Source: I have a turbo k swap on 6lbs.
@@grant6985 Did you watch Stancework and even dude on that Supra channel…and honorable mention to Boosted Bois…even with them build and tuned by the professionals they don’t seem to last
K-motors are getting older and buying random junkyard motors is a gamble without refreshing them, especially if you throw boost at it.
The LS dorks in the comments are angry about this K swap 😂😂😂
This removes the whole 997 engine issues....but K swap... well done gents.
When people say, "It costs $15,000-$10,000 on the low end to swap (whatever) motor in this platform," it blows my mind. Sure, you can spend that much on a swap. Realistically, you can do a swap for pretty cheap if you can weld, have access to a junkyard, and have basic knowledge of car dynamics/fabrication. The turbo will cost the most, or you can get a cheap/used one. Make your own piping and mounts. The ecu and tuning will be the biggest deal, but that's always the case, and kits don't cover that. You can flash the ecu or get a stand alone. It would be sweet if their was a user ran website where enthusiasts and fabricators upload schematics for parts. You could even 3d scan manufacturers parts and upload the schematics.
Kits literally cover that. Our comes with a plug and play Link G4X which fully supports the CANbus.
996 is definitely on the radar somewhere, and this entices the deal if it's going to be a track car!
We are working on 996 support as the mechanical components carry over, just need to finalize and validate the wiring and CAN reverse engineering.
@@williamrori1274 super cool to see, continue the great work!
Cool build that caters to people who want power. However, I don't see the economical argument. The 997.1 M97 motors are not going to explode at any notice; the IMS issue is not that common. In addition, for the price of the K series swap, you could spend another $5k-$10k to build a functioning M97 motor to make more power and be more reliable. I also think there is another cost that isn't being considered, which is the time and money to get the K series car to run and keep running properly like OEM. I guess this would make sense for someone with a 997 with a bad motor who just loves what the K series offers. Money wise, considering resale, I think buying a 997.2 with the more reliable engine or buying a 997 turbo is the cheaper route in the long run.
Oil pressure gauge seems to drop below 30 PSI in right hand corners. Not so much in left hand corners. Is that an artifact of the stand alone ECU, if not that could be a concern.
Could be oil pan baffling and oil pump. Hopefully they know about that issue.
Oil pressure in the 997 is sent to the cluster via CAN from the DME (or in this case, the Syvecs S7+). Because of this, it's possible that the scaling factor is incorrect, but there's no way to know for sure. The production kits use the Link G4X Fury with the CAN communications that has been validated by myself so I can guarantee it'll be accurate on the cluster for the production kit. That being said, Nick's car does not have a baffle and thus the pressure drops could be "real" for sure. For the longitudinal swaps like the 996 and 997 configurations, I would recommend adding K-Powers V2 oil pan baffle designed for longitudinally mounted K series engines. For the 986 and 987 swaps, it will retain the same transverse layout as the engine was designed for, and thus will likely not need any baffling. It'll report back once we have more track miles on the development car with the production ECU.
Id like to see what people do with the I3 G16 GTE crate motor from the GR Carolla and Yaris
Oh amazing! Absolutely love that idea!!
This is totally fine to do to a salvage or extreme high milage 911. Best sports car with best budget race engine.
What about a J32 swap
I do have to say that given the high-revving and mechanical nature of the K20/K24 series engines, I think it lends an oddly similar sonic quality to what Porsche's flat 6's emit.
I'm sold. I'd love a honda K20 swap 911. Oh shit and Turo!
Imagine a 997, with a boosted kswap, and pdk. 😍😍
Excited about his Cayman/Boxster kit he is working on.
The question is, why not do this swap? You get reliability, track ability, and peace of mind. PLUS, the performance is on point.
Amazing build!
… because it sounds a bit pants?
@@NewtonInDaHouseYo K Series sounds OK (check out the Lotus Exige K20 supercharged that sounds pretty good - th-cam.com/video/cX3JneKcZIA/w-d-xo.html , I guess a turbo version not so much, but like any twin-cam flatplane four it can sound if you get the exhaust and intake just right). It's more that it's not a Porsche engine, it's just as strange to put a Honda engine in a Porsche as to put a Porsche engine in a Honda! If it was the Porsche 944 or 968 that came with an inline-four in the first place then I guess it would make some sense, but I dunno. I guess tuning these engines is Nick's speciality and he likes 911s so he made it happen! 🙂
@@NewtonInDaHouseYo porsche turbo flat 6s do not sound good.
You get all that with the Honda the motor came in. Why not just accept what your budget is for your hobby?
@@freddarau That’s true. But the NA flat sixes have a great sound at higher rpm. I get the idea of the Honda swap, but I can’t imagine it can match the Porsche engine sound wise.
I always liked these Porsches and i like this build. I'm always impressed when everything works as intended🏆🏆🏆
I can appreciate the amount work this swap takes. But no way could I give up the flat 6 that Porsche is Notorious for.
To be clear, Porsche is known for the GOOD flat 6's, not these. The M96/M97's engines are junk, hence why the .2 versions with the much more reliable 9A1/9A2 engines are literally double the cost of the .1 cars.
Math doesn't make sense to me. $15k for the swap parts which means over $20k probably $25k with labour etc. You can rebuild the Porsche M97 for not much more and upgrade it to a 4.0L and in doing so address the shortcomings and have a reliable and robust Porsche motor. Furthermore, if you do upgrade the motor to a 4.0L and do it right, I would argue that it will add way more value to the car than the K-swap alternative. Just a guess, K-swap 997.1 will fetch = $35-35k? and be difficult to sell. Rebuilt 4.0L Porsche motor will fetch $50+ maybe more? and will be way more desirable. With that all said, I have no qualms with this build other than it doesn't make much financial sense, but I still think it's interesting and cool.
YOu're not wrong about the value, any swap usually kills resale but even with a rebuild there is always a chance of a failure and that's where this swaps value is. The buy-in isnt 'cheap' per say but after that a motor will run you $1500 on the high side to replace. If you're looking for worry free enjoyment then this is why the K motor is appealing.
I am all for what works for people and it's definitely always great to have these options and innovations. Would love for you guys to profile a rebuilt 4.0L 996/997/987 to see how it performs around the track! Btw, love the channel and keep up the great work guys!
That math is incorrect though. Let's take a running 997.1 C2S for example... Original purchase price ~30K. Sell running engine for ~15K. Buy K-Swap kit for 15K. Do the labor yourself because you aren't a girly man $0. Now you have a 500HP 997.1 with an amazing reliable engine for ~30K. Every swapped Porsche on BaT has fetched a premium (look up the archived sales). You forgot to mention that a rebuilt 4.0L with the track upgrades is literally the same price as the car itself if you go with a popular builder like Vision.
@@williamrori1274 If we are comparing apples to apples, and you double up the daily dose of Nugenix Total-T and can do all the greasy work yourself, then you can rebuild and upgrade the Porsche motor for $15k and keep the Porsche a Porsche with similar HP. Personally the character of a NA flat 6 engine howling towards the redline is one of the best automotive soundtracks and essential to preserve the true character of the car. I will reiterate, to each their own, I def think it's cool and love the these kind of projects, but personally I would want to keep my Porsche a purely Porsche experience for similar money. Also, I'm not sure about getting $15K for a non working Porsche M97 motor. My guess is $15k would probably be for a working used engine that doesn't need a full rebuild with 100,000km on it. Anyways there isn't a lot of transactions out there to reference on these things and it would be a what someone is willing to pay for the motor at the time you're selling it depending on condition etc. Grand point is any way you slice it both are expensive and labour/logistically intense projects so might as well pick the option that keeps the car original.
Yes would love to see a LS 911 vs K swap 911 !
Then Dave vs Peter at the track !!!
This is so much cooler than an ls swap
This is not a new trend. This had already gained momentum in the community as several owners, with different generations of 911s have already taken that route. Including one from about 5 years ago. There's a 1982 variant with a k swap as well.
Wait what? My 00 civic ek k24 swap supercharged has electric powersteering and working AC. What are you talking about? I can drive everyday EXCEPT winter because I live in a RustBelt state. I bought the car stock 11 years ago. Lol
He's not using a Honda Ecu
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of Porsche purist voices suddenly cried out in terror...
Luckily we can't hear them, because those purists are in the shop waiting for their engine replacement :)
I’m waiting for the Ferrari fanboys to come running into the comments section to trash a certain K swap build and trash this build too.
11:15 tach fail on downshift. Electronic bugs still yet to be worked out I suppose.
Cool swap id rock that all day!
Like mentioned, this is on his old Syvecs ECU. The kit does not utilize that ECU, and thus that is not an issue.
Great car, good review episode guys!
I'm a purist at heart. But this ... This is BRILLIANT! I'd LOVE to piss off the other purists with one of these packages. The sound, not as good as the Mezger 97/79, but it's not bad. It has its own "thing" going on. I'd rock this whip every day of the week and twice on Sunday, just because V-TEC! Someone send me the keys, please!!!!!!! And yes, it's turned up to 11. I dig it. BUT, let's do 40 and see what happens. 🤪🤪
If it fits it fits
love it! is there a swap kit or everything is custom fabed?
There will be a full kit. No cutting, no welding. Apparently TH-cam doesn't allow website links, but the parts and more info can be found on Nick's site.
Hate to say it but... This is the way.
A much better engine for a porsche
From LN Engineering's website on their IMS bearing kit which fixes the issue presented by Nick in this video: "On average, IMS bearing replacement can run $3500-4500 but the cost to have the IMS bearing changed in a Boxster or 911 can vary greatly depending on regional labor rates...". Let's say it's $10K to replace the bearing by someone in Canada. That's still at least $5K less than the K-swap. Not to mention that a part of the 911 experience is the noise a flat 6 makes.
issue with the m97 is bore scoring, ims is overblown and not that expensive to fix. 6k gets you a short block conversion at ln which takes care of that issue. they are expensive but tolerably so to rebuild before they blow and bonkers after they blow.
If you've got a running car then its a no brainer to keep the original engine and do the fix. You still do have the bore scoring issue to worry about but this swap makes sense for a car with an already blown motor not one that is perfectly good.
Kinda makes more sense than the LS swap