float_6969 wrote:http://www.raceeng.com

As for whether you need them or not. You're power range is kinda in a tough spot. 250hp, I wouldn't worry about the stockers. At 300hp, they'll probabally hold up OK, but you'll really be at their limit, and running anything motor related at it's limit is never a good idea.

Also, keep in mind how much work it will really take to hit 300hp, and how fast of a car that really is. For you to make that kind of power off of a T2 series turbo is gonna cost you. It'll be easier to go top mount with a T3/T4 hybrid, but you've go more fabrication to do.

Decide whether you want 250hp, or 300hp. They are going to be two totally different motors internally and externally.

Yeah thats why i started thinking, aftermarket pistons! I did a little bit of research and found that a lot of you guys are running CP pistons from Race Engineering and have had no problems using these and have made some pretty impressive numbers. I also saw wiesco, arias, tomei, etc. but the CP seemed most reasonable for my situation. Now ive decided to upgrade the pistons and i will be contacting Race Eng. about a set of pistons. I really wouldnt want to tear my motor apart later either. And i dont want to run pistons at there limit. I would rather be safe and consistent. As far as the turbocharger goes, a bottom mount s15 bb turbo would get the job done, so ive read. Im still on the block itself.

The front timing belt sprocket is still on my crank, what type of puller is most used on that? I tried some different ones but cant seem to get behind it enough b/c of the oil pump. If i cant get it off by the time it goes to the machinist, theyll take off for me(right tool for the job) but i would still want it off.

I also saw this topic come up, raise compression and lowering boost to try and achieve better throttle response and quicker turbo spooling. That sounds like what i want but i got the impression that its difficult or unsafe if you dont know what youre doing. Can anyone explain a little more on this matter?

Also i gotta find out if i can use the US spec CA oil pump.

PS - man i didnt realize how long some of you dudes have been doing this **** for... great knowledge...

Figuring a 20% drivetrain loss on a car with 280whp is about 350hp. Fast car. 12's are possible with a good LSD and tires. 300whp is getting close to 400crankhp and yes i would upgrade pistons. If you are going to rebuild, might as well give it a go, with what Ive read from sxoc, most guys there actually use a higher duration intake cam to help with torque in the midrange. Do your research, and make a goal of what you want in your car before building. that way you dont keep changing your mind and go with parts that arent necessary.

bump

...

The front timing belt sprocket is still on my crank, what type of puller is most used on that? I tried some different ones but cant seem to get behind it enough b/c of the oil pump. If i cant get it off by the time it goes to the machinist, theyll take off for me(right tool for the job) but i would still want it off.

I also saw this topic come up, raise compression and lowering boost to try and achieve better throttle response and quicker turbo spooling. That sounds like what i want but i got the impression that its difficult or unsafe if you dont know what youre doing. Can anyone explain a little more on this matter?

Also i gotta find out if i can use the US spec CA oil pump.

davidricardo86 wrote: As far as the turbocharger goes, a bottom mount s15 bb turbo would get the job done, so ive read.

I don't think you'll get 300rwhp out of an S15 T28. Maybe flywheel HP.

davidricardo86 wrote:The front timing belt sprocket is still on my crank, what type of puller is most used on that? I tried some different ones but cant seem to get behind it enough b/c of the oil pump. If i cant get it off by the time it goes to the machinist, theyll take off for me(right tool for the job) but i would still want it off.

It's often stuck on. I was lucky enough to not have that problem, but I would go down to Nissan an order another one right now, as they'll probably have to cut it off.

davidricardo86 wrote:I also saw this topic come up, raise compression and lowering boost to try and achieve better throttle response and quicker turbo spooling. That sounds like what i want but i got the impression that its difficult or unsafe if you dont know what youre doing. Can anyone explain a little more on this matter?

I've done this. It does help with throttle response, low end torque, and turbo lag. It is IMPOSSIBLE to do with the stock ECU (aka, plan on standalone from the get go) and requires massive timing retard on pump gas. I don't run more than 7-10psi on 91 octane and I'm only running about 10-12 degrees of timing to keep it from knocking. I'm also at 9.5:1 (maybe more since it's bored over and the head and block have both been resurfaced) If I were to do it again, I'd only do 9:1

davidricardo86 wrote:Also i gotta find out if i can use the US spec CA oil pump.

Yes you can.

Kouks wrote:Figuring a 20% drivetrain loss....

Please don't ever say anything about 20% drivetrain losses again. Anyone who knows anything about physics is going to laugh at you. I'm not trying to be mean, but please sit down and do a little math before you start quoting figures out of Import Tuner. In fact. I'll save you the trouble....

READ THIS

Kouks wrote:Do your research, and make a goal of what you want in your car before building. that way you dont keep changing your mind and go with parts that arent necessary.

THAT is some good advice. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for that sheet float, good read.

I know chassis dyno's are to be taken with a grain of salt, and although I didnt know losses were less than 10% normally, dyno's are for tuning, and with all other things being the same, should be used as a tool. SO in your opinion, a 300 crankhp s-chassis puts out 270whp?

Yes, I think that's a much more accurate representation of the numbers.

Also, I have something that I might as well figure out while we are on this subject, just because you engine makes more power doesnt mean you're drivetrain should take out more power.

Example; 1000 crankhp supra's drivetrain shouldnt take out any more than about 80 horsepower through the drivetrain.

Drivetrain doesnt suck more power, the more power the engine makes does it?

I hear all the time, people still use the same percentage for a 300crhp car as for 1200. Surely, it doesnt work that way right?

Is is ever defined, like say(the drivetrain in the s chassis takes approximately 25-30hp off the motor...)

Update: September 13 2006

Well guys its been a while since i posted but ive got news and pictures for yah! First off is some new pictures that i hadnt posted up because of a missing camera cable and just was too lazy to find a way to upload the pictures. Theyre actually a lil old but i know i havent shown them to anyone. Theyre of the engine practically dissassembled. Enjoy, and comments are welcomed! Also i will be posting a vid of the engine on my profile so check that **** out too.











Next is news! The CA is gone! Thats right, gone! No, not gone forever but for a few days or maybe weeks as it has been taken to the machine shop! Not the entire engine but the block, crank, rods, and pistons. Oh yeah! Its gone in for some cleaning, honeing, bearings, new pistons, etc. Im doing it this way because i am not rich so the most logical choice was this. After a few weeks, i will be taking in the head. Ill keep yous updated as they come.

Heres the shop i took it to. P.E.R. in Plainfield Illinois. Theyre shop was phenomenal and they had a lot of great things like, equipment, cridentuals, and know-how! We'll see how great they actually are once its done!



Heres my engine sitting along some other engines at the shop. Get a load of that Viper V10 on the bench! Makes my engine look like a lawn mower engine! lol. Hey its not the size, it's how you use it that counts!



And theres a close up of my engine. Wont look like that after i get it back!

Congrats on the progress! More pics!

Thanks!... with time.

Great work so far. Cant wait for some finish pictures of the rebuild and in the engine. How much have you spent so far on buying the engine and having it rebuild? Looks like $5000 but well worth it for a CA,

No not quite that much, yet. Motorset was $1350, CP pistons $557, and machining service $???. I dont know yet because the guy at the machine shop hasnt really done much or cant come up with some prices. Ill post them so i could get some comparisons of what some of the other guys are paying or have paid.

This is question is for the experienced cats, Dee, Crad, Float, and any of the other fellas.

But anyways back to the question.

In the near future once the machining is finished and im ready to assemble the engine back together, Im going to need gaskets, o-ring, seals, etc. And i found a " engine gasket rebuild kit" online through Ebay. I asked the seller if it was a OEM kit, and they said yes. Price was about $250.00 before shipping but is this worth it? Is there anything less expensive out there? Do i have other options?

P.S. - I wouldnt mind paying a price like this considering it includes every gasket/seal i would need for my rebuild. Well thanks in advance for the advice.

i got a oem nissan full engine gasket kit for the ca18det from mynismo for only 230...

How long before it goes in. Can't wait to see it.

c-rad wrote:
That's hogwash!

Yeah, and I live on the 3rd floor

You're gonna get evicted.

Well the moment i have been waiting for for almost a month finally came, the day my block came back from the shop! Thats right, after all that time its good to have it back especially with all the work done to it. As i mentioned before the block, rods, and pistons basically the short block, were all taken to Precision Engine Rebuilders in Plainfield Illinois. After some cleaning and machining, toss in some fresh new pistons and a few other things here and there and viola! Yesterday (10/04/06) i went and picked it up, not to mention the bill! Ouch! Ive taken A LOT of pictures of it to show some of the machining and work that was done. Enjoy!













































And finally, how much was all this you ask?

pressure wash block - $90.00deglaze hone 4 cyl (upto .030) - $90.00deck straight block - $100.00balance crankshaft (internal) - $160.00change pistons (4 cyl set) - $58.00standard short block assembly - $325.00tear down short block - $40.00rod bearings (clevite) - $31.88main bearings (clevite) - $49.95sales tax - $5.32freight - $13.57

TOTAL - $963.72

CP Pistons (pistons, rings, pins, clips, and shipping) - $570.34

TOTAL w/ pistons - $1534.06

Now im broke for a few months! hahahahaha...

Mmmmm Lookin Good

Not too bad. I'm not impressed with the coolant passages on the block though, did they not hot hot tank it? Not a bid deal I guess, just make sure and flush the system really well when you first get it fired up.

The price you paid isn't too bad at all. I think I paid $1300 for JUST the machine work. I had more done than that as well though.

Congrats again and keep us updated!

Thanks for the comments and advice. In a few weeks i will be taking in the head. I asked the shop onwer for a little advice on what he would recommend as far as the head goes.

My first concern was about porting and cleaning up the runner on the head. He said that most tubro heads dont require too much porting because its really the turbo thats going to be putting more air in there. Although i agreed with him i think that id still like to have this done and increase flow now that the engine is out of the car. Also i told him id want to make a little bit more power in the highend and also increasing redline or rpms of the engine. He said one way of doing this is by using aftermarket adjustable cam gears and "moving" the powerband up a little. Can anyone elaborate on this a little more? Also changing out to some stiffer springs would contribute to rasing the rpms. My thought was that you also would have to change to a bigger cam. Ive heard and he also told me this, that stock cams on a turbo car are already pretty good. This may be true but doesnt the stock CA stop producing power after 6400rpm? To me thats not high enough. What kind of head combination can i use to achieve what im looking for?

...

Hello everyone!

Well the time has come for me to begin work on the head so i decided to take it apart, clean it, inspect it, "mic it," and just get it ready for when i have to take it to the machine shop. I wanted to dissasemble as much as possible without me having to pay a lot for a service like pressing the guides out or new seats, etc. yet. Also im already thinking on a setup that i think would be very good for a high rpm ca18det. In the meantime i must keep trying to save for the parts/upgrades that will get done. Cams, springs, retainers, maybe lifters, are some that i already have in mind. Well i took a lot of pictures of which i tried to get into good detail. Enjoy! Input wanted! :thumbsup

Here is where i left off. Remove cam gears, rear cover, and tensioner.



A look into the head and its "hey-thats-not-so-complicated valvetrain." Camshaft, lifter, valve, keepers, retainer, and spring.

I took the head to school and threw in the parts washer. Did a nice job but im taking it for a second time.











Remove cam gears, rear cover, and tensioner.



A closer view at the front of the head reveals all its sharp edges, shapes, and intake/exhaust camshafts.





Removed all caps.

Remvoved camshaft.

A really high detailed look at the lifters. Everything looks pretty good as far as visuals go.







A look at the camshaft's lobes and journal areas.

Now this is the type of compressor i bought but i was not right and bought it anyways just to find out the ca18det has its spring, retainer, keeper assembly in a bore. It is not exposed like on some other engines.

Now this is the correct type. Bought it on Ebay from a tool warehouse in cleveland ohio. http://www.USAtoolwarehouse.com OTC and very inexpensive so i was happy. Recommended!



Some more detailed images.





Yes the lifters are hard taking out if you have big hands/fingers. I used little to no pressure as shown and they slid out like well... you know... easily. This worked best for me. Do it at your own risk i suppose!





Whats going on underneath? Looks like the headgasket was leaking in the area i highlighted. Overall everything was clean, mechanically too.

The little pieces that make it work! Keep things in check, inorder, and know what goes where. Important!











All the hardware. Looking nice and sweet after i clean off some of the oil.

Valve guides, seats, and seals i believe are whats left. This is what the machine shop will continue off from.





Check out this carbon build-up. To me it looked normal. I dont suppose something was messed up too bad here. If anyone has anything on this topic, please share. My guess was on the butterfly system. We already know that some are closed if not taken past a certain rpm. Fuel is being dumped in and not going anywhere so it sticks on the guides and valve stems because of heat? Where as the side that is open all the time, fuel makes its way into the combustion chamber. This was my guess.

















Valve seats inspection.









Everything must wait, for more money. Damn... :tears
Modified by davidricardo86 at 5:52 PM 12/7/2006

good to see some pics of the process

Great job. Hopefully you will do a write up on a rebuild? Hope to see it all come together.

Hey mate. The engine is 'looking the goods'.

To pull the lifters out use a magnet (after spraying some WD40 lube on them), Don't some vice grips if you can help it :-)

With the valve spring compressers the 'heads off' way is the safest and easiest. But just takes longer if you don't want to remove the head.

I made a compressor by copying the design in the nissan handbook. It looks more like the first one you bought. I then filled the cylinders with compressed air, with the piston on top dead centre, to protect the valves from falling in if the pressure dropped while I was drinking a beer..

EDIT: I almost forgot...remember the valve springs go in paint side down.

I used a magnet seen in red on the intake plenum:
Modified by dattodude at 2:14 AM 11/8/2006

Thanks for the advice! I completely forgot about a magnet, doh! Actually i noticed that the springs, since theyre variable rated according to the FSM, are longer at the top, and then the coils get closer together at the bottom or where they sit in the head. Crazy. Wow wouldnt it be easier to remove the head? I mean how would you get the valves out or you wouldnt? This is done only when youre changing cams, springs, etc.?

Yeah all that nasty build up is from no fuel, the injectors only spray down one runner, Unlike the euro 4-port head which gets even fuel through both runners.

kapower06 wrote:Yeah all that nasty build up is from no fuel, the injectors only spray down one runner, Unlike the euro 4-port head which gets even fuel through both runners.

So everything appears normal and im just being too paranoid? See i kinda figured that would be it but i just need some reassurance.

The springs are made that way to improve oil flow through the oil gallery next to the spring.

I didn't need to pull out my valves, was just replacing the springs and retainers so I could get my new cams and lifters in. It was fine surgery to get the retainers out so I could fit the new the springs and retainers. I had to do it twice after I realised the springs went in a certain way (paint side down). Took 4 hours the first time, and 1.5 hours the second time.

So yeah. There you go.

My last post was last month and ive been piling up on some pictures that ive been meaning to get up but just havent had the time (aka laziness). Its not a huge update or the most exciting update but... it is what is.

Earlier in the year it was easier to buy parts (i was working a lot more hours) and get things done but now that its cold and almost winter time, im just not bringing in the dough to make it go as fast as id like to. I work for Sherwin Williams as a "sales associate" and they decide that winter is a slow season for painting so they've cut back on my hours and that takes its toll on my paychecks. Its tough saving your money when you've got college, insurance, and bills to pay aswell as other expenses. Oh and with Christmas on its way... its not lookin' too good. Slowly but surely, i will make it through this! Well heres some pictures of what ive been upto lately. Let me know if youve got any ideas, comments, or whatever. Enjoy!

These first ones are from my intake manifold. I took more pictures but i think you get the idea. Its just a simple disassembly. Its now waiting to be bead blasted, ported/polished and maybe powdercoated.







And this is from the inside of the plenum. Get a load of the pattern of the crap in there. I thought the camera captured good detail here.



Next are my covers. These were glass bead blasted and now are waiting on some red powdercoating. Im going to take them in after the head is finished. Im also going to be getting other parts blasted like intake manifold, butterfly mani, fuel rail, etc. etc. It depends if i want to spend the money... we'll see.

Before:



Now:











Finally i have some pictures of my block being painted and the color and product i chose. When i got it back home, dumbass me was too anxious, impatient and excited to get the engine back on the stand that i chipped the paint a little using the hoist and chain. I shouldve had someone give me a hand taking it out of the car like i did at school. Oh well, thats what i get. lol.

This is what i used. I went with "Aluminum" because it reflected the most light and preferred it over "Cast Coat Aluminum" or some other dark color. I used primer, a finish coat, and a clear coat on the block, oil pan, and other things that you might be able to see from the pictures.



This was the two test samples i did before deciding on the color. You can see the slight difference between the two.

































Well thats it this time. Im now waiting on more money, parts, and warmer weather. Peace!