FWD CA drivetrain

[mazikowski]

Hey guys, as some of you know, I'm running a CA18DET in my 1987 KN13 Pulsar. I'm trying to figure out what I should do about my transmission as the stock CA16DE gearbox just isn't cutting it. I've already killed 5th in one gearbox and am beginning to suffer 5th gear pop-out in the other one. I know that this box was not meant to handle the power the CA18 is putting out by any means, and I'm after some suggestions and/or information on what I should do.

I've been told that I should use the transmission out of an '88-'89 Pulsar (which came with the CA18DE stock). The only problems with this solution are that I don't want to have to completely swap over to a hydraulic clutch system and really don't want to have to buy a new clutch, seeing as I just dropped money on a SPEC unit for my CA16 box. Also, I still fear that the CA18DE box will be just as weak as the CA16 one. I have been told that I could swap over the CA16 bell housing onto the CA18 gear case and keep my cable clutch, just have to get the CA18 fly/clutch kit. I have also heard about guys using a maxima transmission and custom drive shafts. Does anyone else know what other options I have for my little FWD CA?

I know most of the guys on this board won't have any ideas/suggestions seeing as most of you run RWD S chassis cars, but I know there are a couple FWD'ers out there. Any constructive input would be greatly appreciated!

[boost_boy]

Hey guys, as some of you know, I'm running a CA18DET in my 1987 KN13 Pulsar. I'm trying to figure out what I should do about my transmission as the stock CA16DE gearbox just isn't cutting it. I've already killed 5th in one gearbox and am beginning to suffer 5th gear pop-out in the other one. I know that this box was not meant to handle the power the CA18 is putting out by any means, and I'm after some suggestions and/or information on what I should do.

I've been told that I should use the transmission out of an '88-'89 Pulsar (which came with the CA18DE stock). The only problems with this solution are that I don't want to have to completely swap over to a hydraulic clutch system and really don't want to have to buy a new clutch, seeing as I just dropped money on a SPEC unit for my CA16 box. Also, I still fear that the CA18DE box will be just as weak as the CA16 one. I have been told that I could swap over the CA16 bell housing onto the CA18 gear case and keep my cable clutch, just have to get the CA18 fly/clutch kit. I have also heard about guys using a maxima transmission and custom drive shafts. Does anyone else know what other options I have for my little FWD CA?

I know most of the guys on this board won't have any ideas/suggestions seeing as most of you run RWD S chassis cars, but I know there are a couple FWD'ers out there. Any constructive input would be greatly appreciated!

Make the transition and stop playing with that CA16 garbage box. Somethings in life that are worth having will come with an expense and this is one of those things whereas you should just take the hit to save yourself the continued dramas. MAKE THE TRANSITION.

Dee

P.S. I have been at this for a long time and can honestly say that I've never busted-up a CA18 FWD gearbox. I did however break a fork in one of my hybrid trannies, but that's all..no gears or syncros. Power output of my cars were between 300 and 400+whp of daily power.

[mazikowski]

Make the transition and stop playing with that CA16 garbage box. Somethings in life that are worth having will come with an expense and this is one of those things whereas you should just take the hit to save yourself the continued dramas. MAKE THE TRANSITION.

Dee

P.S. I have been at this for a long time and can honestly say that I've never busted-up a CA18 FWD gearbox. I did however break a fork in one of my hybrid trannies, but that's all..no gears or syncros. Power output of my cars were between 300 and 400+whp of daily power.

Having worked with the FWD ca trannys, would you be able to confirm or deny the bit about swapping the bell housing? I simply won't have a chance to go about installing a whole hydraulic clutch system on my daily driver anytime in the remotely near future.

I'm aware of your deep experience into the realm of FWD CA's, which is why I was praying you would reply to this thread .

[boost_boy]

Having worked with the FWD ca trannys, would you be able to confirm or deny the bit about swapping the bell housing? I simply won't have a chance to go about installing a whole hydraulic clutch system on my daily driver anytime in the remotely near future.

I'm aware of your deep experience into the realm of FWD CA's, which is why I was praying you would reply to this thread .

Dude, swapping to the hydraulic set-up is not the big issue here, but the mere fact you're not quite ready to let go of your fairly new clutch set-up. You cannot swap your CA16 casing for CA18 gears. Your casing is more set-up for the SR20DE's stuff and even that thing has an LSD (not all of them), so again it won't work and it's not financially worth the effort. So the swap over you speak of is a no-no ...Final Answer! .

Dee

[mazikowski]

Sorry if I'm just misunderstanding you, but I'm not talking about swapping the CA18DE gear set into the CA16DE gear case. I'm talking about leaving the gears where they belong and mating the CA18DE gear case to the CA16DE bell housing. This way I have the CA18 gears (and proper case) but still have the CA16 bell housing (and therefore the cable pedal setup). True, I don't WANT to let go of my clutch disc/pressure plate combo. I'm willing to do so, and get the CA18 clutch disc/pressure plate, if I go over to the CA18 transmission (or as per the potentailly misguided idea I have in my head, the CA18 gear case).

I've been told by some of the guys over on the NissanEXA forums that it is, in fact, possible to swap over the bell housing to prevent a full swap to a hydraulic pedal setup.

In my head it goes something like this

[CA18DE case][CA16DE bell housing][CA18DET goodness]

Kinda like I've heard of some 240 guys doing with the KA transmission and CA bell housing

[KA transmission][CA bell housing][CA18DET goodness]

Again, this is just how I see it going on in my head and that could very well be terribly horribly wrong... just sayin

[boost_boy]

Sorry if I'm just misunderstanding you, but I'm not talking about swapping the CA18DE gear set into the CA16DE gear case. I'm talking about leaving the gears where they belong and mating the CA18DE gear case to the CA16DE bell housing. This way I have the CA18 gears (and proper case) but still have the CA16 bell housing (and therefore the cable pedal setup). True, I don't WANT to let go of my clutch disc/pressure plate combo. I'm willing to do so, and get the CA18 clutch disc/pressure plate, if I go over to the CA18 transmission (or as per the potentailly misguided idea I have in my head, the CA18 gear case).

I've been told by some of the guys over on the NissanEXA forums that it is, in fact, possible to swap over the bell housing to prevent a full swap to a hydraulic pedal setup.

In my head it goes something like this

[CA18DE case][CA16DE bell housing][CA18DET goodness]

Kinda like I've heard of some 240 guys doing with the KA transmission and CA bell housing

[KA transmission][CA bell housing][CA18DET goodness]

Again, this is just how I see it going on in my head and that could very well be terribly horribly wrong... just sayin

I understand what you're wanting, but the problem is the difference in differentials as the CA18's bigger, has different ratio, just a big headache. Again, the CA16's trann is better suited for the SR20's transmission as they are in the same family. The CA18's transmission is in the same family as the maxima, stanza, and altima RS5F50A or RS5F50V. You want a sick transmission, I can build them, but they require time as well as custom axles and of course some dollars, but the end result is what you want (reliability, LSD, and performance).

Dee

[mazikowski]

Ahh... got ya! I definately don't have very much in the way of dollars for a SUUPAH DUUPAH DEE-SAN TRANSMISSION.

So I'm hearing your suggestion is get the CA18DE pulsar transmission, toss it in there, and run all the hydraulic bits for the clutch?

[campground man]

The transition to hydraulic is not so bad, just change the pedal and add the clutch master cylinder.

[boost_boy]

Ahh... got ya! I definately don't have very much in the way of dollars for a SUUPAH DUUPAH DEE-SAN TRANSMISSION.

So I'm hearing your suggestion is get the CA18DE pulsar transmission, toss it in there, and run all the hydraulic bits for the clutch?

You will need a pulsar's starter, flywheel, transmission, 1988 pulsar transmission mount, clutch pedal, clutch master cylinder, clutch slave, and if I'm not mistaken, the shifter rails are different as well. It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. Just find a donor car and rape it good.

Dee

[Fleemer]

You can't use a ca16de clutch on a ca18de transmission (input shafts are different. I bought a clutch one adn they gave me the ca16 by accident, no dice.

even if you use the ca18de FWD box/gearset and us the ca16 belhousing, the input shaft is different so no dice.

Just use the ca18det flywheel/clutch/starter + ca18de FWD box

[BQ.05.TD]

i am having the same problem. i have striped 5 CW&P in 11 months. and snaped a selector but never broken a gear set 1-5th its always the CW&Pi am useing the VLSD box out of my n13 SSS.when you say ca18 box are you talking about the box out of a exa that isnt LSD?

the 50v box is the lsd one and the 50a is the non lsd one. from wat i know the exa box has better gear set but the tooth profile in the diff is the same as the lsd one

feel free to correct me if im wrongim sick of going threw boxes every 3 months. and i still want lsdi know the pintara TRX box bolts up and is lsd but i dont know wat box it is based off

[NUT-CSE]

CA18 Box > CA16 Box

Afew mates run CA18 boxes on their exas/pulsars, one makes 211kw@w and the other 206kw@w and both drive their cars hard and have had no gearbox issues.

[Fleemer]

i'm making a quaife/torsion diff rip off to fit ca18de fwd gearbox.

i too am tired of 1 wheel spins and torque steer :P

(it pays to have a cnc lab to your disposal and being a mechanical engineer with complete CAD drawings of a helical differential ^_^)

[BQ.05.TD]

CA18 Box > CA16 Box

Afew mates run CA18 boxes on their exas/pulsars, one makes 211kw@w and the other 206kw@w and both drive their cars hard and have had no gearbox issues.

see when people say the ca18 box in aus thats a nissan exa box that is a single pegger and im not going team BOC on my diff lol

@ fleemer. do you have pics and tooth profile measurments for the cw&p for a few FWD nissan cars so i can compare:D

[Fleemer]

yeah i can manage to get that up, i don't know when i'l do but i have to take my EXA box apart and take a look a the diff to make something that'l fit.

in canada, we got EXA ca18de FWD trannies and b12 sentras also had ca18 for some where reason (only in canada, us never got the sentra with the c18.

[BQ.05.TD]

bumping a old threada mate was telling me

Quote » Just been talking to a mate who is a u12 guru he was saying if you buy a ca20 box and put the internals out of a ka lsd box in the ca20 casing you will have no problems with breaking boxes.

Another option is the ca20 bell housing may also fit the ka box but he thinks it may foul and case might have to be machined. [/quote] does any one know if this will work?my motor will be back very soon and i have to sort out this box issue.i wouldent mind theexa box but its not lsd so stuff that