Best site to get KAE rebuild kit? What piston rings on stock pistons (altima)?

[SHIEF]

I'm looking for a good place to get new piston rings, main and rod bearings, chain guides, along with a engine gasket set. I can get them at Autozone, but wondering if there's a better/cheaper site to go. Also, is there a better set of piston rings I can get that will fit the stock KAE pistons? I thought I you could use newer Altima rings that were stronger, is that right? Thanks in advance.

[S13ChucKAT]

Most parts you buy from the parts store are supposed to be "equivalant if not better" than OEM... Before you go buying piston rings, you need to measure the cylandar, and see if the cylandars are bad or not, and see if you need to get oversized rings or if the stock rings will still work.. same goes for crank/journal bearings, Keep an eye on ebay, and go on google, and search for KA24DE engine rebuild kit, y ou can find them for around 390$ with pistons/rod bearings/journal bearings/thrust bearings/head gasket/oil pump/timing chain and full gasket set

[WDRacing]

Post up whatever you find Shief.

[SHIEF]

I'm doing some looking. I'll post up prices of what I can get at Autozone through commercial prices tommarrow I haven't pulled the head off of this engine to see how the cylinder walls look yet. If stock rings will work, what rings fit the sohc that were stronger? I thought andave (sp) made a post saying what rings worked, I'm just not sure if those will work with the SOHC or not. This is just my 'testing' engine using stock/factory parts, while I fully build another KAE.

[Tx-Sx-FS]

I thought that parts that were ordered for engines that had been bored/honed should be UNDERSIZED? Well Im gonna be rebuilding my E too for turbo so it would be great if you could find a site that sold the parts..let us know

[andrave]

with your bores, if you have them bored, the bore is larger. You then need larger pistons and rings.If you cut the crank, you need thicker bearings. See below.
Modified by andrave at 2:19 AM 11/22/2004

[ultimatuc]

If you cut the crank, it is smaller. You therefore need smaller bearings. make sense?

actually, you need larger bearings. and they are refered to as under size bearings.

[SHIEF]

I never priced the stuff through AZ yet, because I had piston probs (bad scruff/scratch marks you could feel on the side skirts in the og engine). I had to pull different pistons from another engine I had, and luckily those were good. I'll be looking for stuff on Monday. But the original block needs nothing, doesn't really need honed but I'll do it anyway. So stock rings will fit. I guess I'll just use factory 240sx rings and headgasket then. I'm guessin you didn't make a post on better factory spec rings right andrave?

[andrave]

yeah the bearings are thicker but the diameter of the part that contacts your crank is smaller.but since they are measured in thickness you are right, they are smaller. My former post probably was more confusing then it was helpful.

as for rings, the chrome ones off a 99+ altima fit fine, thats what I used and I'm told they are a little better than stock. Mine were like 40 bucks or something from courtesy.

[SHIEF]

Ok sweet. Any ideas on a headgasket other than stock? I'm kind of tempted to see what a stock Fel-Pro will do under nice boost.

[SHIEF]

Having no luck at all finding a good aftermarket/metal/performance headgasket for this sohc. Cometic doesn't make one, neither does a few other sites I checked. Anyone have an idea or place to try?

[S13ChucKAT]

the stock nissan headgasket has a metal seal ring that has held up pretty dang good to my car MASSIVLY overheating, running lean as heck, and having other MISC problems.. i removed mine, and its fine.. I think the OEM gasket is fine.. unless your going for HUGE boost..

[andrave]

yeah oem is great, fel pro is great, and cometic DOES make 2 different ones, a normal one and one thats called like HP for high performance. But that is overkill. And occasionally there are spacer headgaskets on ebay that lower your compression but I don't know how they work, if you have to use a headgasket beneath them or whatever.

[SHIEF]

I'm really not caring about compression at this point. I talked to Chad at Cometic (very nice/helpful) and he said they do not have a gasket for the KAE. He told me to send him a used head gasket in one piece and he would see what he could do with getting one started being he was a Nissan guy himself. So it looks like Fel-Pro for me I could ring the head but I'm trying to stay away from machine work right now.

[WDRacing]

I'd use the OEM headgasket for levels not exceeding 350whp.

[TheUndergroundLegend]

From my experiance, Fel-pro head gaskets are crap. I would never use one with boost.

[andrave]

oh kae sorry I thought ka24de, nevermind.

[sil80drifter]

I can add to this that I've overheated quite a few times (goign up to and over 250 degrees for 5-10 minutes), and my stock HG has held up. I wonder if my blockwarped from this, but I'm getting another one anyway. Same questions about the head and whether I could measure whether it's warped by myself.

But the HG held up just fine.

Also, deviouKA said that the Altima rings are supposedly a big mistmatch for the KA-E pistons, because of size/fit differences in the ring lands. Maybe they work for the DE, but I guess the SOHC is a different animal.

sil80
Modified by sil80drifter at 2:50 PM 12/18/2004

[SHIEF]

Hmm...well I matched up the chromoly ring part #'s with the Altima and they use the exact same specs. I think after 2000 they went with the 2.5 and up engines and bigger bores. So maybe deviouKA was talking about the 01-* Altimas and not the 00 and older DE Altima engines.

[sil80drifter]

So do the KA-E and the KA-DE of all years use the exact same piston rings?

sil80

[SHIEF]

Yes, all of the dohc DE's in the Altimas (which have the kade) up to either 00 or 01 have the exact same ring specs.

[deviousKA]

Check out http://www.hybridka.com for ka rebuild components.

The 1998+ altima ka24de uses different oil rings than 240sx japan ka24's and are not interchangable. The 1998+ ka24de that came in the altimas and frontier use a 1.5-1.5-2.5mm ring arrangement vs the 1.5-1.5-2.8mm that is found on the earlier versions. 240sx uses the 2.8mm oil ring set from 91-99.

You could use the top two compression rings from the 98+ ka but they are a standard ring and will give no advantage over ones ordered for an earlier ka.

[SHIEF]

Hmm..interesting. I looked in my Top-Line book and the SOHC piston rings were 1.5-1.5-2.5. While the Altima DOHC rings were 1.5-1.5-2.5 up to 00 I think. I'll have to double check but I'm pretty sure on that. I didn't look for the DOHC on 240sx. So maybe that will solve some confusion. I'm talking about the SOHC only for the 240sx.

[deviousKA]

2.8mm oil is the standard ka ring size for 89-97 sohc.

The 98+ altima and frontier take a different piston as well, obviously. All would be compatible depending on what piston you are using.

Not in any way trying to bust your chops here just stating some facts. If your looking for moly ring set I carry those as well (hasting). Id suggest some standard cast iron type rings if your not boring your engine. They will break in much faster and seal properly.

[SHIEF]

I'll do some checking on Monday on what you said. I'm using stock pistons from a 89-90 SOHC 240sx. I'd imagine that moly rings would hold up better to boost than a cast ring though right? I'm building an engine using standard sizes. Basically new stock parts through the entire engine. I'm testing a completely stock KAE to some decent boost, while I forge another engine. Let me know what you think on the rings though. I'm always willing to take advice

[deviousKA]

I checked even further and there is other difference to note. The 95-97 altima also had a different oil ring depth in the piston, even though it was 2.8mm thickness overall.

93-94 altima Piston oil ring groove depth 3.70mm (.146")

95-97 altimapiston oil ring groove depth 3.40mm (.134")

Only the 93-94 OEM rings will work with 240sx pistons properly. This doesnt mean much if your buying new as the standard de piston (93-94 alt, 91-99 240sx) supercedes the 95-97 altima part for both piston and ring in aftermarket.

Anyways, a cast iron ring will work just as well under boost condition as a chrome moly ring. The moly rings are designed to have a harder surface and they retain their tension somewhat better. This is for longer overall ring life (200k+). You will have poor results unless they are installed and broken in on a fresh bore with proper crosshatch angles etc..

Just for reference, Ross pistons the rings that you get with those are childs & albert cast iron rings. That is, unless someone proves me wrong

[SHIEF]

So basically what your saying is to just get some standard stock cast rings for a 89-90 SOHC 240sx. What ring brand would you go with?Also, I checked out that site you gave earlier, and the adjustable lifters look nice. It looks like the center was machined out but that's all I can make of it. Is it a screw/locking nut configuration (like a Honda), or how do they work?

[deviousKA]

If your using standard bore yes thats what you should do. As far as brand, just make sure its a quality set. The rings that i sell are better than the regular hasting non moly ones, or i would offer those instead. Hasting non moly rings are cheap. There are other brands shop around.

I updated the picture of the lifter conversion, and yes it is similar to honda in function and design. The adjuster screw/tip and nuts are custom Crane cams hardened steel.

[SHIEF]

Well turns out the book I had was misprinted, and it was saying that 2.5 was the oil ring, when indeed it was 2.8. I call my AZ commercial guy and sure enough the 2.8 is standard stock size on the oil rings. Thanks for the help devious.