For Those Who Know... whats really best for me

[J Epic]

Whats happenin yall I been doing some digging and i've decided to finally ask for some advice on what to do with my car.

Now it seems what pisses you guys off the most is when people dont use the search function or dont explain what their use for the car is. So I've attempted to remedy the first lets see about the second.

ME RIGHT NOW:

I have a stock 1990 s13 with the ka24e. I dont race or drift or really plan on getting into that at any time. I am however more than a commuter, I love to drive, and I tend to push my cars pretty hard on my little cruises.

So I would venture to say the three most important things for me would be: 1) The engine needs to take alot of miles and "sporty" driving 2) Its gotta perform but not race worthy, just enough to have fun 3) The Project has to be fun and educational

My knowledge of cars pretty much pretains the stuff ive done on my MG including an almost completed engine rebuild (not a performance build, just slipped a rod) and what I've learned from digging through the KA forum.

WHAT IM TRYING TO DO:

So basically what Im trying to do is buy an engine that I can do a complete rebuild with performance in mind. The engine on my s13 is fine but I want to focus this rebuild on increased performance more than the mechanical issues. Again the goal is performance and education, but Im not trying to build a race motor here.

MY QUESTIONS TO YOU:

1) To DE or Not To DE? It seems that there are alot more parts available for the DE, but I cant quite tell. It seems that the DE is intended for those who would like to go turbo but I do not see me doing that in the near future.

2) What should be my Primary Direction. Intake and Exaust, Performance Cams, Forged pistons, what is going to give ME the best Gain.

3) What more detail do you need to help out really.

Ok so I know alot of these questions have been asked before but I just cant seem to find answers that relate to what I am doing.Id like to thank everyone in advance for any advice or guidance

One.J.E.

[TrueSlide]

Your from CA and say yall?

LOL, anyways I will have to post later and help you out. Iam in a rush and Iam out getting out the door ......... now.

[wild_maxx]

would you consider going turbo? The KA24E is a great motor for turbo because of the low end power. A guy recently finished up his kae-t build and the dyno results were awsome. I think he made over 220 lbs. of torque at 3k rpm's. and 200 hp at 5k rpm's.

I love the SOHC motor for the simplicity of repair. there aren't as many moving parts as the DE and the parts are usually cheaper. The DE does have it's advantages though. The DE will flow better air through the head since its DOHC (doesn't become a factor until hight HP figures come in.) the DOHC also has piston oil squirters which is better for the motor in lubercating the pistons.

Both motors are great platforms to build on, but in my opinion i choose the E because thats what come in my car stock. If you are looking for parts for the E-t you can go to this site and check it out. Good luck with your project.

http://www.jgstools.com/turbo/index3.html

[Florida240sx]

Put a turbo on it. Just run under 10lbs and you'll be fine.

[whiterps13]

the two main questions you need to answer;1)What kinfd of hp and tq numbers are you looking for? this will help you realize the direction you need to take. if you want 300hp, you cant stay n/a. 2)Will you consider going turbo?please answer these, and i'll come back and help you out some more...

[J Epic]

Ok so I did some digging again and I cant seem to find it now but I believe the stock Hp for a Ka24e is around 130??? Im thinking Id like to be as close to 200 as I can before I try and go to turbo. So yes I will eventually go turbo but thats not going to be on this project, probably later on. I cant afford to drop roughly 2000 on a rebuild and then another 3000 on a turbo right now. So I plan on going turbo later at some point, but the original rebuilt engine will be N/A.

It is my understanding that Intake and Exaust are a must, so my main concern is not the bolt-ons as far as my advice goes, those are just things I figured id need.

As for as torque goes, I dont understand enought about torque to give you a figure. It's of my opinion that torque relates to acceleration but im not quite sure how accurate or juvenille that statement is.

One.

J.E.

[J Epic]

Your from CA and say yall?

Im around Bay Area rappers alot (unfortunatly) and these guys love to bite off the south, it kinda rubs off on you.

OneJ.E.

[GhostDriver]

A 200hp NA KA is expensive. Your better off going KA-T if you want that power. An I/H/E with other miscellaneous things might net you around 165-70hp. There's a couple of guys shooting for the 200hp mark and I don't think they'll tell you it was cheap.

[Edub1]

The DE motor has a hell of a lot more aftermarket support. About the only way to make these motors fast is with a turbo. You can achive 200HP with about $1000 if you plan right and do only what is neccessary.

You really have to decide if you're going to turbo or not. If you don't, you can use your SOHC pistons in a DOHC for 11.1:1 compression. That plus cams, tune and a good exhaust should give you a strong N/A build at a reasonable cost.

How many miles on your current mill? You might consider a basic T3 setup and leave it in the car. But we can't tell you what's practical for you.

[Nismochick240]

As far as a turbo kit being pricy... it's a yes and a no... you can find GREAT used parts from fellow nico members to build a cheap turbo kit. If you run low boost, you won't have worry about the compression. However, if you want to run a pretty good amount (I would say over 10) you would need pistons and while your in the motor, rods. That's what's the most expensive part haha. You can pick up a cheap SR turbo and a used manifold for less than 400 bucks. I'm building a turbo kade and I'll be looking at around 2500, including pistons and rods. A cheap kit CAN be done. IF you are looking for over 200hp that's the way to go. N/A get's expensive too. Either way, you are going to have to spend money. I would also look into motor swaps. You can pick up a CA pretty cheap. I dont know much about them, but those who do, love it! Whatever you do, don't throw in a 350 or some other american motor hahaha!GOOD LUCK!!

[J Epic]

As I stated I do plan on going turbo, but not during my rebuild. The 200 mark is just my aim its not a must but the closer I get the better. My engine is at 188k but Im not doing it for a mileage issue. As far as price goes Im looking at $2000 for the rebuild, I believe that should be enough as it was a little over $800 (machining, new pistons and rods, and two engines) for the MG. so I think 2000 should cover a rebuild for the 240.

As far as price goes, I got a quote for 200 for Ka24e and 250 for a DE. But I'm not sure what Im looking at out side of that . Where can I get quotes or even find performance components for the 240. Its easy with the MG cause only one company handles it, but Im not sure on the 240.

[Edub1]

There should be all kinds of places in CA. While you're at it you might want to put in some better pistons/rods in case you decide to boost more later.