About to buy a CA18det, have a few questions...

[ca18detdrift]

I'm getting a ca18det motor set for 1,000 shipped. My question is, what else would i need to buy in order to make my engine run? I know i need an intercooler (any recommendations) and custom piping (i cant find a ca18det intercooler kit anywhere!!!). Also I think i will need the air intake piping from the turbo to the filter, and a MAF. Can someone please list the items i need to buy.

I also heard that wiring the fuse box is very difficult, can someone please elaborate what exactly needs to be done?

Also can I use my ka24e heater hoses behind the engine in order to provide the heater in my car to work after i swap in the ca18det?

Sorry for all the newb questions I have, but i want to make sure i do this swap right. thanks guys!

[slownslurious]

ka 24 E hoses will fit, but for the one that attachs to the block by the oil cooler hose its much easier just to replace it with a piece of straight hose and run it to the lower inlet/outlet on the heater hose.

The fuse box doesn't need messed with at all.its the same as sr20 pretty much, that info is all over the place.

For what you'll need we'd actually have to know what your motorset included, but some examples I can think of:tach, intercooler, piping, intake piping (use anything, doesn't have to be stock), filter, injector resistor box, ignitor, harness, ecu, downpipe, vaccuum hoses, etc

[ca18detdrift]

Thanx slownslurious! The Motorset includes, engine, 5 speed transmission, ecu, harness, starter, alternator, ignitor chip (shouldnt all motorsets come with this?). not sure if it comes with powersteering or AC compressor but either way I think i'd have to change those out for a ka24de ones.

And i just found out that the ka radiator works for the ca as well! Whats the injector resistor box? also, can i use my ka24e MAF and just re wire it?

[slownslurious]

your motorset should come with ps pump and ac compressor. If not its going to be difficult to find them. The ka ones as far as I know do not work. The dohc ps lines are said to bolt up to the ca pump, I used my stock sohc ones with a slight modification and they work just fine also. The AC compressor, as I understand, needs to include the lines that bolt to the top of it so that they can be brazed to your underhood lines in order for it to work. Mine did but I think I threw them away for some retarded reason. I don't have AC anyway.

KA radiator works, upgraded works better. Injector resistor box is this box with resistors for the injectors, its mounted to the firewall stock so a lot of importer whack it off. You can use the one from a DSM I believe, run a search on that. I'm not familiar with it since my came with it. As for the mafs I've never done it but I've heard it will work.

[ca18detdrift]

Thanks slownslurious. So this is my list of things i need to get so far.1: FMIC w/ piping (most likely exhaust piping)2: Air Intake w/ Filter (Anything will do right)3: Tachometer (stock one wont work)4: Vacum hoses (10 cents per foot at autozone)5: MAF (use stock ka24e one and re wire it or research which one works)6: Fuel Pump

I'll use the powersteering pump it comes with and try modifying my ka24e lines to make it work if not buy the dohc lines. I dont plan on having AC either so im not too worried about the AC. And I will do my research on that injector resistor box. Just order the motorset, see what it has once it arrives and buy what it needs? That should be pretty much it right?

Also, is there any maintnence things i should do before putting the motor in? Like changing the water pump, belts, timing belt, spark plugs, fuel pump, fuel filter etc....? thanks alot for all this info, i truely appreciate it!!!

[slownslurious]

fmic or smic, I use stock smic.

For the intake I guess its worth noting that you should run your driver's side valve cover to the intake, although you can put a breathe on it with no illeffects, or you can buy one of the filters that, like mine, comes with an attachment for the breather hose.

for the tach swap yours out for a dohc one. I did but I still run an aftermarket tach since the stock is lazy.

You can use your stock fuel pump and I have been for a while but I finally ordered a 255 since I want to up the boost.

For the maintenance stuff, if you can afford to do all of that, then I'd recommend you do everything you can while your motor is out of the car, and do all the vaccuum lines and fuel lines when you do the swap... that way you won't have to fix them one at a time on the side of the road later.I just dropped my motor in but I'm constantly fixing little coolant leaks... I wish I would have replaced every inch of hose on the motor when I swapped, including the oil cooler and the throttle body hoses. the old hose that will be on your motor won't be in the best shape.

[ca18detdrift]

Sorry for not posting in a while. I was in a drift event in california over the week end.

I met sdtouge at the event and found out from him that you can use the s13 sr20det hot pipe and the s14 sr20det cool pipe for the fmic piping. Are these hard to buy seperate or will I have to buy the piping kits for BOTH the s13 and 14 sr's? Also, whats the best diameter for the intercooler piping, 2.5 inches or 3 inches (does it depend on the intercooler inlet/outlet diameter)? A friend is selling me his greddy vspl fmic, so im about 90% sure im going to go this route with the intercooler.

I had another question, the motor set doesnt come with an oil cooler right? Should I buy one (is it worth buying?)

[c-rad]

I had another question, the motor set doesnt come with an oil cooler right? Should I buy one (is it worth buying?)

Only the automatics and euro motors had the heat exchange/oil cooler. While not necessary, it helps to keep oil temps down.

As for maintenance, it would be wise to replace the t-belt, tensioner, and at least the water pump. Those items aren't expensive and are critical. If you have even more, replace the oil pump too.

[ca18detdrift]

Cool, thanx will do! As for the timing belt, is this a hard thing to do? is there an instruction manual somewhere online to do this? I dont want to mess up the timing or anything.

[slownslurious]

Only the automatics and euro motors had the heat exchange/oil cooler. While not necessary, it helps to keep oil temps down.

As for maintenance, it would be wise to replace the t-belt, tensioner, and at least the water pump. Those items aren't expensive and are critical. If you have even more, replace the oil pump too.

is that so? I bought a JDM motorset from Jhot and it has the coolant to oil cooler by the oil filter... and it was bolted to a 5 spd, with a 5 spd ecu when I got it.

So does that mean I have a euro motor?

[c-rad]

is that so? I bought a JDM motorset from Jhot and it has the coolant to oil cooler by the oil filter... and it was bolted to a 5 spd, with a 5 spd ecu when I got it.

So does that mean I have a euro motor?

Yep, that is so. I have a 5spd transmission, but, an auto ECU and auto harness. Double check your ECU. A lot of times they will attach a junked M/T motor's transmission to an auto motor and sell it that way. Is your ECU a MEC-D016B or a MEC-D015?

[slownslurious]

I will have to check when I get home. This wouldn't have anything to do with my speedometer not working, would it? I don't think so, but I've heard auto ecu's have no speed cut so there must be some difference.

[c-rad]

I will have to check when I get home. This wouldn't have anything to do with my speedometer not working, would it? I don't think so, but I've heard auto ecu's have no speed cut so there must be some difference.

Auto's have no speed cut (I think) but it shouldn't matter. You should be using the KA speed sensor on the CA transmission. But even if you did use the CA one, your speedo should still work, it will just be off.

[NeedCAforS13]

unless you have 4 intake ports (instead of 8) you don't have a Euro motor. I highly doubt anyone would import a Euro motor either...

Sean