Freshening up the CA, new turbo, opinions,pics....

Discuss topics related to the CA18DE and CA18DET series engines.
beans33
Posts: 908
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:51 pm
Car: 1993 ca18det 240sx

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Hey guys I havent posted in a while, been busy with work and everything else. Its come to the point where the almighty CA has to do something. I'll be the first to say I have loved the past 5 years of no problems, I love the fact I have a 20 year old swapped motor that runs perfect and is a daily driver. But its time so see what she is made of. I pulled the motor and took the head off and everything was just normal. I had my builder, Andy Vaughn at Auto Vaughn performance look at it and he said nothing was wrong. I took the head to the machine shop and they took 3 thousands of a inch off just too make sure the cometic seals properly My plans are:

Cometic Head gasket
Holset hx35
Injector dynamics 1000cc
E-85 w/ fuel setup
Log style manifold


already have:
Cp pistions .20 over
Arp head studs
full top end nissan gasket kit
Nistune type 1 board

My one questions is, with the holset turbo I have a few different exhaust housing options. I know its a big turbo but I have 3 options, this will not be a dd anymore. I dont have a certain purpose for the car either except to have fun.
The 3 options are:
bullseye performance, dsm style .55 ar or vband .70 ar or garrett style 4 bolt ,63
Let me know what you all think (dee ryan tim etc)

Here are a few pics:

Motor being pulled
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Head, on stand
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Cleaned up after 5 years
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log style in process of being welded
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low mileage hx35
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welding on the flange random...
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dhen
Posts: 634
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:27 am
Car: MGA w/ CA18DET

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I don't have any advice, but I always like different projects. What made you go with the Holset?

Keep us posted!

beans33
Posts: 908
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:51 pm
Car: 1993 ca18det 240sx

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Well I've heard nothing but good things with holset and that they are very durable. I've seen them put down so.e good numbers on dsm's. I just need to find the right size exhaust housing.

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cbh148
Posts: 340
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:53 am
Car: 2000 Civic Si, 1993 240sx Hatch CA18
Location: Huntsville, AL

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Man, I'm jelly of that reliability.

I hope mine turns out like that.

boost_boy
Posts: 7051
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 7:28 am
Car: B12 sentra w/built CA18DET, B12 sentra w/fully-built CA18DET, S13 coupe w/ CA18DET, S13 hatch w/CA18DET, 2002 maxima SE
Location: Miami, FL.
Contact:

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I'd go with the .55 DSM housing. I don't know what you want out of your car, but enjoy the lag then the power. And if the nistune set-up is not tuned correctly to accomodate the turbo and the other added accessories, you won't enjoy it.

beans33
Posts: 908
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:51 pm
Car: 1993 ca18det 240sx

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I'm either gonna do the .55 dsm housing or the .63 4 bolt. I have heard that nistune can be a pain to tune with such big injectors. Luckily I have a friend, Andy Vaughn who is a authorized nistune dealer he has found that nistune works fine with injector dynamics. He has a partner that tunes with them on e-85 and has had really good results. Ill post some pics later on. By the way Dee, do you still have those cams ?

boost_boy
Posts: 7051
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 7:28 am
Car: B12 sentra w/built CA18DET, B12 sentra w/fully-built CA18DET, S13 coupe w/ CA18DET, S13 hatch w/CA18DET, 2002 maxima SE
Location: Miami, FL.
Contact:

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beans33 wrote:I'm either gonna do the .55 dsm housing or the .63 4 bolt. I have heard that nistune can be a pain to tune with such big injectors. Luckily I have a friend, Andy Vaughn who is a authorized nistune dealer he has found that nistune works fine with injector dynamics. He has a partner that tunes with them on e-85 and has had really good results. Ill post some pics later on. By the way Dee, do you still have those cams ?
Indeed I do my friend.

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float_6969
Moderator
Posts: 17366
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2002 1:55 pm
Car: CA18DET swapped 1995 Nissan 240sx (too many mods to list)
2015 SV Leaf w/QC & Bose (daily)
Location: Topeka, Kansas
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I thought the bullseye housing was divided? If so, I would stay away from it if due to your log manifold. If not, then that is the route I would take as well. If it is divided, then go with the smalllest single scroll housing you can find to work.

blownhemi
Posts: 296
Joined: Tue May 19, 2009 3:39 am
Car: S13 200SX CA18DET HX35
Location: Hungary, Eu.

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If you know how to weld, and it most certainly seems like you do, I'd keep the original divided housing (if it's the right size, 12 cm2 is about right from what I found), and fab up a true divided manifold. Like this, for example:
http://www.bilgalleri.dk/alb_vis.aspx?albumid=68720
Or this (slightly more complicated runners):
http://www.vems.hu/wiki/index.php?page= ... ttisNissan

Does not look like it's terribly complicated, and it is THE way to minimize lag on this turbo. And if you want to have "just fun" with a 500+ hp turbo, you'll want to minimize lag.

beans33
Posts: 908
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:51 pm
Car: 1993 ca18det 240sx

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I went ahead and got the .63 4 bolt housing just to keep things simple. Here are a few pics

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float_6969
Moderator
Posts: 17366
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2002 1:55 pm
Car: CA18DET swapped 1995 Nissan 240sx (too many mods to list)
2015 SV Leaf w/QC & Bose (daily)
Location: Topeka, Kansas
Contact:

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That should work nicely.

beans33
Posts: 908
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:51 pm
Car: 1993 ca18det 240sx

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Did a little more work on the CA, I got my tensioner, oil pump and head gasket in. Here are a few more pictures. Oh and Im not using this turbo manifold in the pic just getting a idea of what its gonna be like. Input ? Opinions ?
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240Clarke
Posts: 81
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:00 pm
Car: 1992 Nissan 240SX coupe

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Please update this post. This setup, minus the E85, is nearly identical to mine. How did you like it?

Old thread revival at its finest.

beans33
Posts: 908
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:51 pm
Car: 1993 ca18det 240sx

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Actually I'm parting it out as we speak. I just don't have time to mess with it. Do you need anything?

240Clarke
Posts: 81
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:00 pm
Car: 1992 Nissan 240SX coupe

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Need anything? No. But I want lots of stuff. Do you have stock or aftermarket cams?
How much for the 1000cc injectors? I have 650's now and Im not sure if they will be too small or not for mid 400's.
I do need two washers that go on the head studs... I somehow lost two as my motor has been sitting for the past few months...

blownhemi
Posts: 296
Joined: Tue May 19, 2009 3:39 am
Car: S13 200SX CA18DET HX35
Location: Hungary, Eu.

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240Clarke wrote:Need anything? No. But I want lots of stuff. Do you have stock or aftermarket cams?
How much for the 1000cc injectors? I have 650's now and Im not sure if they will be too small or not for mid 400's.
I do need two washers that go on the head studs... I somehow lost two as my motor has been sitting for the past few months...
Here's his partout. ca18det-part-out-good-stuff-t571648.html
650s will not be enough for 450 with E85.
240Clarke wrote:Please update this post. This setup, minus the E85, is nearly identical to mine. How did you like it?
I'm running something similar as well, thought I'd share it. As for the HX35 experience, it feels laggy. "Feels", because I have nothing to compare it to, I have yet to ride in a small, ball-bearing turbo'd CA to see what a quick spool is like. I have a divided manifold with the smallest divided housing. Still have to fine tune turbo oil feed pressure, just to be sure, and retard the ignition in some cells to help spool, but I don't expect much improvement from either.

Power-wise, though... I switched from an ebay T3/T4. Even after upping the injector constant from 500 to 600 in Nistune, we still had to add loads of fuelling on the upper end of the tune, so the efficiency is already better, and the turbo is not even in its best efficiency area, running at just 15psi. So I have no doubt that the power will be there, especially after I convert to E85.

With an undivided manifold, but an 8 port head,I reckon it will behave very similar.
Last edited by blownhemi on Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

240Clarke
Posts: 81
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:00 pm
Car: 1992 Nissan 240SX coupe

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Do you have any official numbers with your setup?
And I am not running E85, its not av available within an hour of where I live so its just not a viable option.
Do you think 650's will be enough, running straight 93? Or should I look at upping them as well?

And feels laggy would be an obvious statement, I would think, with this setup. I dont expect to hit full boost (15-18psi) until about 5100rpm or so. I am currently using a 12cm^2 exhaust housing, but I know BEP makes smaller setups, which Im still considering. I have heard of ppl using 9cm^2? Though I havent seen one for sale anywhere. Which one are you using? And when do you reach full spool?

beans33
Posts: 908
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:51 pm
Car: 1993 ca18det 240sx

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Sent you a pm

blownhemi
Posts: 296
Joined: Tue May 19, 2009 3:39 am
Car: S13 200SX CA18DET HX35
Location: Hungary, Eu.

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240Clarke wrote:Do you have any official numbers with your setup?
And I am not running E85, its not av available within an hour of where I live so its just not a viable option.
Do you think 650's will be enough, running straight 93? Or should I look at upping them as well?

And feels laggy would be an obvious statement, I would think, with this setup. I dont expect to hit full boost (15-18psi) until about 5100rpm or so. I am currently using a 12cm^2 exhaust housing, but I know BEP makes smaller setups, which Im still considering. I have heard of ppl using 9cm^2? Though I havent seen one for sale anywhere. Which one are you using? And when do you reach full spool?
No official numbers, but my tuner says it's doing similar to 230hp cars, once on boost. Forgot to mention, I still have the stock ~55mm exhaust w/cat after the downpipe, it's probably holding back both spool and power.
I have the smallest divided housing, which is the 12cm^2. The "when I reach full boost" is a bit tricky in general and even a bit trickier for me (let's just stick to 3rd gear). I reach my current *TARGET* boost of 1 bar (15 psi) at 3800. It builds slow to 8-10 psi, but then it gets much faster. Of course, it stops at 15 psi, but by that time, it's moving relatively fast. I think if I let it, it would jump quite quickly to 18-20 psi, or higher. I've looked at possibly every video on youtube with HX35s on 1.8-2.0 liter 4 cylinders, and they all behave like this. Been wanting to record mine forever as well, I just don't know how to mount a camera properly.

I have no doubt that my setup would reach 20 psi much earlier, than 5100, low 4000s is more likely. How similar it would be though, with a 9cm^2 undivided, or a .55 BEP, I have no idea. I was never really interested in those, I was hell-bent on going for a full twin-scroll setup.

240Clarke
Posts: 81
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:00 pm
Car: 1992 Nissan 240SX coupe

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Wow, that's a lot earlier than I expected boost. Not a bad setup! Though I'm curious as to how those numbers, even though just guestimated, are so low. I figured you'd have at least another 100hp with 15psi from an hx35...
I'm currently trying to sell my 650cc injectors to pick up a set between 800-1000cc. I would like to settle somewhere in the 400's.

blownhemi
Posts: 296
Joined: Tue May 19, 2009 3:39 am
Car: S13 200SX CA18DET HX35
Location: Hungary, Eu.

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240Clarke wrote:Wow, that's a lot earlier than I expected boost. Not a bad setup! Though I'm curious as to how those numbers, even though just guestimated, are so low. I figured you'd have at least another 100hp with 15psi from an hx35...
I'm currently trying to sell my 650cc injectors to pick up a set between 800-1000cc. I would like to settle somewhere in the 400's.
I expected a bit more, too, but not nearly 300+ hp, just some high 200s. Stock exhaust, stock cams (well, exhaust @ intake with +1 tooth advance). And I also have a small exhaust leak, no idea where. That probably doesn't help, either. And don't forget, the turbo is not a GT28R, which would be right at home in this territory. This thing is off a 6.0l Iveco diesel medium truck, where it boosts 30 psi. The same flow rates would roughly correspond to a 3.0l gasoline engine, or a very well breathing 2.0l+ at the same pressure ratio, not a stockish, puny 1.8. It is way out of its efficiency range, but I'm getting it back into it this year. :)


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