CA18DE N/A Buildup?

[dareo]

Yeah i know it'll be slow compared to a turbo. I'm thinking about using an S13 CA18DE swap to replace my 22r in this 88 baja style toyota pickup i got for almost free. High revving NA CA sounds like a fun low budget project.

I'm thinking CA18DE+higher compression pistons, cams, valvesprings, and turn up the redline. ~160-180hp possible and a great upgrade compared to a 100hp 22r. Plus the CA has a great rep for taking abuse, the kind of abuse my super cheap rally truck endures.

Also i'd probably put in 5.xx gears in the truck to help acceleration and offroad torque.

Anyone even done an N/A CA18DE in the US?

[themadscientist]

I did one, don't. The CA has absolutely no torque. I had to shift and launch mine in the 8000s just to keep the car going. Now when I did that I could stick with RB20DET Skylines with a CA18DE Silvia. Take into account though that the Silvia was stripped to the bone, two seats and a dash board was all that was left inside. In a truck the CA would be a popgun, the 22R probably has more balls down low where you need it.

[dareo]

I've since come up with a better idea..if i can buy a harness i have a 95 240sx KA24DE swap i'll just put in the truck instead. Cheaper than even a CA18DE.

I still think an N/A CA would be fun, but only in the right car. Perhaps a B12 sentra thats stripped and rusted out.

[themadscientist]

that would be a fun platform.

[boost_boy]

I've since come up with a better idea..if i can buy a harness i have a 95 240sx KA24DE swap i'll just put in the truck instead. Cheaper than even a CA18DE.

I still think an N/A CA would be fun, but only in the right car. Perhaps a B12 sentra thats stripped and rusted out.

It works beautifully in a B12 or if you can make it fit, a B11 sentra. I've had the N/A CA18DE in my old 1987 B12 sentra and the performance was phenomenal. It was pretty fast and it even put away some of the more modern technology-based honda and nissan cars as well. After I out ran a couple of 2000 civic Si cars on the highway and few B13 Se-r's, I only then realized that the 1.8litre CAwas a venerable contender that was obviously over-looked by many performance hunters. At least in this country, there's not may others who sport a CA18DET in a B12 sentra with all the fixings that I've mixed and put together. I can honestly say that driving my car makes you kinda cocky on the road because not only is it light in the @$$ and nimble, but it's also exrtremely long-winded on the highway with the incredible mph capabilities.

Okay, so I'm bragging and advertising at the sime time , but it is what it is and I wouldn't dare try to hide something so wicked, yet so simple and still over-looked. Dee

[dareo]

I still think i could get some legendary performance out of a CA18DE in my 88 toyota if i geared it as low as i plan to. Sure i probably would'nt be able to go over 85mph but screaming through gears up to maybe 9000rpms with 31" tires and still shifting fast? It'd be fun, but i have a KA already so im doign that. Measured to confirm fitment in my truck.. i'l need to make a simple plate to adapt the mounts, then do get a driveshaft made. Wire the ECU into the few wires the truck already has and i'm running. I guess i'l need to rig up a fuel pump too. After its running i'l decide if it needs to be N/A KA or KA-T with biki rom. Go Truck Engine KA

[dattodude]

If the car is what I think it is..the KA24 would be a much better choice..You could get it from someone who is replacing it with a CA18det in their S13 :-)

The CA18DE is a great little engine...but it's not a sports motor out of the factory. Not even close. Not a bad engine for a car that weighs less than 1600 pounds.

You need torque...get a V6 out of something, hell go a Lexus V8.

Otherwise go a CA18DET ..accept no less. You'll never thank me if you follow my direction, because you'll never know how dissapointed you'd be if you used a CA18DE! :-)

[dareo]

Don't need torque, my truck weighs 2600lbs, same as an older S13. and with the gearing options availiable for a toyota pickup even a torqueless CA18DE would work. And i have a KA and plan to use it if you didn't catch that in the thread so far. If i did go CA18DE i'd have enough money from selling my KA and 22R engines to buy it and do some good upgrades like cams and valvesprings and retune the ECU to like 9k rpms so it'd make some good power. It would be like hitting 9,000rpms in 1st gear at maybe 20mph, shift to 2nd and drop to 6,000, and so forth. It could be done but im going to be lazy and just put in my KA i have lying around.

[dareo]

I've got special skills. I think the silvia spec CA18DE is a sports engine in a very detuned form manufacture. USDM spec CA18DE kinda sucks but the silvia spec is probably indestructable. Re-post corrected by float_6969 12/30/05

[themadscientist]

Mine sounded like a sportbike at high RPMs. All that high RPM and mercilessness took it's toll though. When I tore that motor down #1 rod bearing was about to fail.