Abandoning KA for SR. Advice for 230whp?

[0wn3r]

^ ur estimates are a a little high, i just sold an fmic for $60 not $300, and he could swap it in completely stock and upgrade later

Did that include all piping and hardware?

If he wants to bump it right up to 12psi, I don't think he should be using that stock one.

he may be able to get away with stock motor mounts, but they are 10 years old already...
Modified by 0wn3r at 8:27 PM 11/10/2007

[CRyan]

ok well here's what I've come up with - tell me if I'm really missing anything - for starters - the swap

SR20DET (probably going to be the S13 blacktop) w/ transmission

While engine is out, change out stock clutch and go with say stage one XXX clutch? (And no,XXX is not a brand, just using it as generic)

Clean engine up, check all seats, gaskets, and what not.

Now quick question while I'm at this - If I buy a motorset, will this include all the hoses, belts, radiator, and what not?

Anywho - replace oil pan with deeper one

Thats about as far as I'm getting - but I'm wanting to make sure I'm going in the right order here

[redtop91]

A motorset will have the engine, transmission, and a wiring harness for both. That's all. If you want a radiator just reuse the KA one. It's the same/similar.

[CRyan]

O YEAH forgot to give ya'll the great news I recieved today!

I'm going to be working at the Nissan Plant running orders!!

can we say "15% off!" heyo!

[BoBa524]

my half cut S14 clip was 3000 shipped. plus some fees and 260 for wiring.

[CRyan]

Where did you pick that deal up at?

[nzmoman]

there are some good suggestions on here... I agree with WHITE COMET.

a completely stock swap to upgrade later. most people are giving you things to give you 230whp, but you are not going to get that right away for under 3.5k. unless you are already sitting on some of the needed things. and many of the things are luxury's and not must haves for your initial swap.

some things to consider....you DO NOT need to change your stock oil pan unless the one with the motor is banged up...if you are just going dd on the car the stock pan is fine...You DO Not have to change motor mounts ...You dont even have to have a 3 inch exhaust to do the swap. you dont have to have a boost controller, you dont have to change your radiator. you may not need to upgrade the clutch right away, but dont turn up the boost...and the swap can cost less than 3k, but not at 230whp. it will be stock, it will not be anything super special...better than the sr but not super special...

I would try to get a motor from somewhere that can tell you they ran the car and they can tell you the clutch and turbo are fine. these are things that IF you can wait on you can defer the work, in many cases for months.

Also, this is where i differ from many people who swap motors. contrary to popular belief. I personally dont think it is really a huge pain in the *** to have to pull your motor to handle upgrading exhausts, radiators, fans, clutches, head gaskets all at once. I have pulled SR's in under three hours by myself with a picker hand tools, and a basic jack and stand set.

but if you do it this way:DO NOT TURN UP THE BOOST!!!

now after you have the money...a nice rule to remember is that for every power upgrade you also should perform a cooling upgrade...

and lastly,get a front mount and paint it flat black. if it is one of the standard large front mounts on ebay it will work better than any sidemount i can think of...and when you get addicted to boost you will already have that part done.

a reminder:somebody already told you if you want to do this right it is going to easily cost you well over 3k...dont rush your build, most people who do end up regretting it. do it patiently and do it right.

[idahotuner]

somebody already told you if you want to do this right it is going to easily cost you well over 3k...dont rush your build, most people who do end up regretting it. do it patiently and do it right.

words of wisdom right here. i am doing my build slowly for two reasons to get it right and be sure about parts, and second lack of money, i have a dd honda accord though so i can be in no hurry. plus with it being winter i wont be able to drive my 240 any how lol.

[icudruln]

Sweet Jesus this thread is helpful.

[0wn3r]

a completely stock swap to upgrade later. most people are giving you things to give you 230whp, but you are not going to get that right away for under 3.5k. unless you are already sitting on some of the needed things. and many of the things are luxury's and not must haves for your initial swap.

some things to consider....you DO NOT need to change your stock oil pan unless the one with the motor is banged up...if you are just going dd on the car the stock pan is fine...You DO Not have to change motor mounts ...You dont even have to have a 3 inch exhaust to do the swap. you dont have to have a boost controller, you dont have to change your radiator. you may not need to upgrade the clutch right away, but dont turn up the boost...and the swap can cost less than 3k, but not at 230whp. it will be stock, it will not be anything super special...better than the *ka* but not super special..

fix.tYeah...that's exactly why I kept the KA long enough to be able to afford doing most of that all at once...minus a few things that I don't need right away.

[CRyan]

fix.tYeah...that's exactly why I kept the KA long enough to be able to afford doing most of that all at once...minus a few things that I don't need right away.

And see, I'm wanting to do the same thing!

Ok, so will I need an install kit or whatever? Or does the engine have needed hoses, belts etc. etc.?

God I'm glad I've decided to do this - I can ask so many more questions about the SR than a KA getting supercharged!

[0wn3r]

Ok, so will I need an install kit or whatever? Or does the engine have needed hoses, belts etc. etc.?

I think it really depends on what you buy for a front clip or motorset. You'd need to see it to find out what else you may need. Some may be good, some may need to be replaced...same thing probably goes for gaskets. A front clip may give you a few more things, but definitely at a price..and you may be stuck with more junk than you want. I've read that you shouldn't buy a foreign clip with "aftermkarket goodies" since it was probably beaten on.

Personally, I bought some Samco hoses and a new radiator as well. Install kits can mean different things to different people. If you need to save money and want to go piece by piece, search around for good used parts or deals.

If you need any parts, I HIGHLY recommend 240sxmotoring.com . I have been buying almost every part I can through them for my SR swap.

[Captain_Ron80]

Here is a list of what I included in my swap. My feeling is if I am going to invest money in a part I might as well invest in a good part and upgrade. My budget was 4500 when I started the project. As you can see by the total number at the bottom that number was a joke. I can assure you... there will be items that you'll need to replace or items that you didn't know that you needed. Unless you get a clip it is not likely that you will get a "complete" swap. Not all of the below parts are necessary but most were one way or another. This doesn't include fluids.

Item..........................................Brand/Model..........................PriceBattery....................................Braille Auto Lightweight.........180Downpipe................................Blitz 3"...................................195O2 Housing.............................Greddy...................................185O2 Sensor...............................Stock......................................95Exhaust...................................HKS High Power.....................500Exhaust Hangers x3................Nismo.....................................50Valve Cover Breather Filter.....K&N........................................20Air Intake................................A'Pexi Power Intake...............124Slave Cylinder.........................Stock......................................28Radiator/Electric Fans.............Visteon 7027..........................400Fan Controller.........................DIF Dual Fan Controller..........120Oil Filter...................................Nissan....................................6Oil Drain Washer.....................Nissan....................................0.7Oil Pan Drain Plug...................Circuit Sports Magnetic..........10Fuel Filter................................Nissan 300zx.........................20Intercooler..............................Greddy Type M.......................440Walbro Fuel Pump...................Walbro 255lph.......................85Radiator Hoses........................Samco....................................85Heater Hoses..........................Nissan....................................50DOHC Steering Lines...............Nissan....................................250Clutch......................................Spec Stage 3..........................300Flywheel..................................HKS 14lb.................................300Motorset..................................sr20det Blacktop....................2350Motor/transmission Mount................Nismo.....................................200Thermostat..............................Nismo.....................................50Spark Plugs X4........................NGK Copper............................10Spark Plug Gasket x4..............Nissan.....................................16Valve Cover Gasket.................Nissan......................................13Aluminum Driveline.................Custom....................................225 Total Swap Cost 6307.7
Modified by Captain_Ron80 at 11:43 AM 11/9/2007

[0wn3r]

yeah, the copper spark plugs are fine..they just don't 'last as long' as iridiums.

the battery is made smaller for the intercooler piping. however, i've been told that smaller batteries won't last as long as your regular sized 240 battery. So a cheaper and better alternative may be a battery relocation kit using your current battery.

Your fan and intercooler prices are pretty high...

I take it you (the OP) are going for the stock look. I picked up the Circuit Sports dual-tip exhaust which looks very close to (from pictures) stock exhaust. It was recently installed and since I don't have my motor yet, I can't say how it sounds either...but I can let ya know.

If you're looking for the do-it-right, all-at-once price...that's pretty much it man. factor in a good tune...I wouldn't doubt you'll fall around $6K for new parts + SR set.

[White Comet]

Did that include all piping and hardware?

If he wants to bump it right up to 10-12psi, I don't think he should be using that stock one.

i agree to either go aftermarket or run less boost til u can afford it. and no mine was just the core but if u wanna do it cheap, make ur own. even if u cant weld and fab ur own pipes make friends w/ someone who can.

there are some good suggestions on here... I agree with WHITE COMET.

a completely stock swap to upgrade later. most people are giving you things to give you 230whp, but you are not going to get that right away for under 3.5k. unless you are already sitting on some of the needed things. and many of the things are luxury's and not must haves for your initial swap.

some things to consider....you DO NOT need to change your stock oil pan unless the one with the motor is banged up...if you are just going dd on the car the stock pan is fine...You DO Not have to change motor mounts ...You dont even have to have a 3 inch exhaust to do the swap. you dont have to have a boost controller, you dont have to change your radiator. you may not need to upgrade the clutch right away, but dont turn up the boost...and the swap can cost less than 3k, but not at 230whp. it will be stock, it will not be anything super special...better than the sr but not super special...

I would try to get a motor from somewhere that can tell you they ran the car and they can tell you the clutch and turbo are fine. these are things that IF you can wait on you can defer the work, in many cases for months.

Also, this is where i differ from many people who swap motors. contrary to popular belief. I personally dont think it is really a huge pain in the *** to have to pull your motor to handle upgrading exhausts, radiators, fans, clutches, head gaskets all at once. I have pulled SR's in under three hours by myself with a picker hand tools, and a basic jack and stand set.

but if you do it this way:DO NOT TURN UP THE BOOST!!!

now after you have the money...a nice rule to remember is that for every power upgrade you also should perform a cooling upgrade...

and lastly,get a front mount and paint it flat black. if it is one of the standard large front mounts on ebay it will work better than any sidemount i can think of...and when you get addicted to boost you will already have that part done.

a reminder:somebody already told you if you want to do this right it is going to easily cost you well over 3k...dont rush your build, most people who do end up regretting it. do it patiently and do it right.

exactly, if moneys tight just do it like stock and upgrade as u can afford to

[DrifterProdigy85]

Cheaping out and using old parts is just gonna cost you later and can cause downtime that could have just been avoided by replacing in the first place. Minimum of what i would do.

S13 Front Clip Walbro Fuel Pump Nismo Engine/Trans Mounts Nismo Fuel Pressure Regulator ACT Street/Strip Clutch 3" Downpipe 3" Catback

You can reuse stock driveshaft, use the SR radiator from the front clip, use the stock clutch fan.

[White Comet]

^ dude if he runs stock boost he wouldnt need any of the things u listed and it wouldnt give him probs later

[CRyan]

So if I'm thinking right - If I run stock boost, stock engine, stock everything with the S14 Notchtop engine, I would roughly be putting about 190 - 197 RWHP correct?

[DrifterProdigy85]

I dont know about you but all my stock KA mounts were shot to sh*t. Why not replace them when swapping the engine. Why use a stock clutch? It'll just give you a fit later when you want more power. Fuel Pressure Regulator is mandatory when upgrading to a Walbro Pump. Because the stock FPR is meant to regulate fuel pressure based off the pressure of the stock fuel pump. The Walbro provides alot more fuel making the stock FPR run high fuel pressure of 50+psi. Also he wants 230whp, it takes 14psi from a untuned T25 SR and 12psi from a untuned T28 SR. Either way your gonna need a Front Mount Intercooler and a Boost Controller to get the power.

[0wn3r]

stock boost is 10psi for an S14... stock everything on an older used S14 SR20 engine might be around upper 190's, but an S14 SR20 is rated around 220 stock.

you don't need an ACT street/strip clutch just for 230hp. The exedy stage 1 will do fine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR20DET

[DrifterProdigy85]

Dont kid yourself. Once you get to 230whp, your gonna want more. But do what you want, its your money. What do i know anyways. Ive only been working with the SR for 3 years and have gone from fully stock to fully built with all the work except machining done myself. F*ck it, you obviously know what your doing since your asking on the forums.

[CRyan]

Dont kid yourself. Once you get to 230whp, your gonna want more. But do what you want, its your money. What do i know anyways. Ive only been working with the SR for 3 years and have gone from fully stock to fully built with all the work except machining done myself. F*ck it, you obviously know what your doing since your asking on the forums.

Whoa whoa now - In no way did I say what you mentioned WASN'T a bad idea - And yes your right - eventually, as drugs are, horsepower would become addictive...But hopefully it will become addictive when I've got more money and time - if that were true - I wouldn't even be going to the SR series engine.

I agree with EVERYTHING you mentioned, seeing as going with a stronger clutch will help support everything when I begin to modify - along with the larger exhaust system and somewhat upgraded fuel system. The engine mounts and trans mounts will be a must because yet again, I want the car to act as normal as possible. I don't want a slight shake because of too stiff engine mounts, and I don't want worn out one's because well, ****, I'm going to be in that general area anyway!

Thanks for all the help - and while I'm thinking about it - if anyone has the notchtop or even the S13 blacktop with basically everything that would come with a motorset for sale - PLEASE TELL ME!

[White Comet]

I dont know about you but all my stock KA mounts were shot to sh*t. Why not replace them when swapping the engine. Why use a stock clutch?

money, you cant replace those things w/ out it

[CRyan]

money, you cant replace those things w/ out it

Exactly - and seeing as I'm a 19 year old attempting to also pay for college - I'm a little short on it.

But hey - there is good news - I did JUST get a job as a tech. at the Nissan dealership around here. . .

If that makes a damn ha.

[nzmoman]

I dont know about you but all my stock KA mounts were shot to sh*t. Why not replace them when swapping the engine. Why use a stock clutch? It'll just give you a fit later when you want more power. Fuel Pressure Regulator is mandatory when upgrading to a Walbro Pump. Because the stock FPR is meant to regulate fuel pressure based off the pressure of the stock fuel pump. The Walbro provides alot more fuel making the stock FPR run high fuel pressure of 50+psi. Also he wants 230whp, it takes 14psi from a untuned T25 SR and 12psi from a untuned T28 SR. Either way your gonna need a Front Mount Intercooler and a Boost Controller to get the power.

He wouldn't replace the mounts because he would be pulling the motor again in a few months. I think its more about staying in his 3k budget than it is about getting an immediate 230whp. If he's going completely stock for a month or two then at stock boost he can source a clip or motorset with life left on the clutch. Almost every one of the 20+ motorsets and clips that i have come across have had good clutches and if a person wanted to they could get plenty of daily use out of.

the reason he wont need to upgrade the FPR is because he will be running the one off of the SR...not the KA...the stock sr fpr will be fine with a 255lph fuel pump. I have yet to see someone with a stock swap have issues over this.

also,the goal is for this guy to be able to get a running swap for the lowest price not to get the swap and have 230whp at startup...he doesnt have the money for that. he is tryin to keep it around 3k. yes to make the power he will need those parts, but not to make the car run. Everyone is telling him to do things that he doesnt have the money for. if he does the swap stock then he can go back and upgrade things later. IF he is getting a front clip then there is no reason to run a front mount when the side mount will suffice while he raises funds for the rest of it. if he doesnt get a clip and has to purchase an intercooler then he should go with a large sidemount or a front mount. After two or three months on a completely stock running SR, he will be able to add everything listed previously to get his power. All of my 3 SR's have started off stock and i saved money by not rushing.

[White Comet]

^ my thoughts exactly

[CRyan]

Alrighty - From what I've read its not very smart to order an engine that I can't see look over myself SO.

Seeing as I live in the horrible state of MS, there are no shops or importing buisnesses around here. Anyone know of a good name company with startup warranty and all the good stuff - NEAR MS? I believe I read of somewhere in FL, but I'm not trusting my car to make that drive to see an engine that MIGHT be OK.

Thanks for the info guys - reading through this thread pushes me more each day to save and save (so I too can have a cool swap thread! haha)

[0wn3r]

Alrighty - From what I've read its not very smart to order an engine that I can't see look over myself SO.

Seeing as I live in the horrible state of MS, there are no shops or importing buisnesses around here. Anyone know of a good name company with startup warranty and all the good stuff - NEAR MS? I believe I read of somewhere in FL, but I'm not trusting my car to make that drive to see an engine that MIGHT be OK.

Thanks for the info guys - reading through this thread pushes me more each day to save and save (so I too can have a cool swap thread! haha)

You have no idea how important it is to look over the motor in person. Don't buy from Zerolift. Are you talking about XAT?

I'd recommend working at Nissan for a bit and make some friends there...see if anyone is REALLY skilled and maybe they'd be cool enough and offer to help you out.

[CRyan]

yesss--- that is the name, I just don't remember the prices on the S14 SR20 engine from them. . .

I didn't realize there was so much PRE planning for an engine swap - I'm just glad I decided to make a thread ha

[whiplash willy]

Even if that clip is in really good condition, which I would assume it is not for $2100 you will still have to put a decent amount of money into the swap. There are a lot of little things you need to/should replace. I paid about $5k for my swap and it is basically stock except for exhaust. $3k for clip, the rest in parts.

I am happy to see someone with modest HP goals, you don't need 400hp in these cars like everyone thinks. 230whp should be very nice. The SR has a very nice smooth powerband, unlike the KA. I am tired of those KAT bandwagoners that try to get everyone to go KAT, like it is always the best path to take. Their arguments are always like "You can get 300hp easy with a KAT". They never take into account you will probley have to rebuild the KA to get those numbers reliably.

All together - I'm not wanting to go much over $3000.

I have found an SR in canada from an import place for $2100 shipped. This is the S13 blacktop BTW. Comes in an engine set.

Also, do yourself a favor and replace the manifold to turbo gasket while the engine is out, as the stock ones suck and blow, and are a ***** replace. Also replace the rear main seal.