how much was your sohc to dohc swap?

[sclay115]

i'm looking at a few s13's in town, and i'm trying to decide if it's worth starting with a single cam... there are single cams in town for like 800 bucks, and twin cams starting around 1500. is it worth it to get the single cam and then do the swap later? i'll inevitably do it anyways, and i need to get out of involved motor swaps for a while, so no ca or sr yet. i just want a nice clean running KA, a/c, p/s all that crap. and i'm just trying to figure out which avenue i should go down...any opinions would be appreciated...

thankssteve

[TrueSlide]

The single slammer is a great motor. Dont let all the DOHC magazine hype fool you. The SOHC also has a great performance bg. And has been proven to make just as much if not more then the DOHC. SOHC is also cheaper to rebuild, build and work on.

[240DRFT]

just get which ever one is nicer, both motors are good.

[S13 240SX]

HEH, well my DOHC to SOHC was about 230 dollars and the sohc runs 20 times more faster and better than any dohc will ever run, I"m up with the KA's but i'm down with the DOHC ka. I don't like the dohc ka at all.

[Aries]

HEH, well my DOHC to SOHC was about 230 dollars and the sohc runs 20 times more faster and better than any dohc will ever run, I"m up with the KA's but i'm down with the DOHC ka. I don't like the dohc ka at all.

uh...you're either on crack, or had a complete turd of a DOHC.I've done a TON of swaps and NEVER has ANYONE asked to go to a lower horsepower, lower torque, slower revving SOHC from the DOHC.

[All_Motor_KA]

I have an 89 Fastback. I have a 96 KA, 91 intake manifold, distributor, wire harness, ecu, pacesetter header, b & m short throw, electric fan and I put on new battle tension rods, tein tie rods and new LCA's and I have only spent roughlly 2000 dollars. Add in 500 for the car and I say i got a deal. If you can find a good newer s14 KA then I say go with that. It ups your ponies and the engine should be more reliable. Mine single cam had 117k miles and the chain needed to be changed and a valve was ticking. Now I have a DOHC with only 60k miles, but I still need to replace my guides and tensionor. Damn KA's. Either way you go you should just make sure you end up with a motor that you trust will take you from point A to point B in a smooth and reliable fasion.

[VinceSez]

$1000 total from what they quoted me... that's including parts and labor. swapping out my old 91 dohc with unknown miles for a 93 dohc w/78,xxx miles

[slpr240]

i bought a 91 dohc for $400 and bought about $800-$1000 in parts and i love the swap. A lot nicer than a sohc imo

[cwalke32477]

Is it possible to just change the head and timing chain on a SOHN to make it a DOHC? Or does it require changing the entire engine out?

[S13 240SX]

uh...you're either on crack, or had a complete turd of a DOHC.I've done a TON of swaps and NEVER has ANYONE asked to go to a lower horsepower, lower torque, slower revving SOHC from the DOHC.

wait, are you sure your not on crack? lol the sohc is more revy than the dohc, the sohc has a better compression raito, the sohc ka can handle more abuse, the sohc with the way its compression raito is, it can easily out hold more PSI from turbo on stock internals, more than the crappy DOhC ka can. I had 3 DOHC ka's all of them were fine but for one, and when I dropped in a SOHC it feels a whole a lot stronger, better to me, and it feels like it can have way more pontential, with the DOHC ka's i had I couldn't see or feel any of that.

[S13 240SX]

Is it possible to just change the head and timing chain on a SOHN to make it a DOHC? Or does it require changing the entire engine out?

yes you can have a sohc and swap dohc head and timing chain on it, but its not really worth it, unless you want sooo high of compression raito that you can't turbo with.

[youngmanvr4]

I just did mine (only I started out with a 90 shell car and put a DOHC in).

Engine with 11:1 compression, transmission with ACT 4 puck clutch, ECU and engine harness for $600 picked up.

OBX header $50 picked up at same place.

Injen intake used $30 picked up at same place.

DOHC PS resevoir Free (most of the time $30+) picked up at same place.

My car nor engine did not come with a PS pump so I had to get that $35 shipped.

Bent/remove some of the PS lines for DOHC Free.

I also did a auto to 5spd swap at the same time I had to get a 5spd Crossmember $35 shipped if I remember right.

Master Cylinder and Slave cylinder from Advance Auto Parts $40.

Rubber shift boot and metal plate $25 shipped

Leather shift boot and leather e-brake boot (thanks to Redline Goods) $60 shipped.

Clutch Padel $45 shipped.

Mallory Tachometer Free for friend. Still need to get a DOHC cluster tach.

SSauto chrome dual 3" Cat back around $360 shipped.

Megan 3" test pipe $75 shipped.

New belts $35 shipped (Thanks to Courtsey parts).

Make sure you have a SOHC or DOHC Alternator.

A couple little things but not to much money.

Total $1390 give or take. But thats with the cat-back, header, test pipe and intake which are a extra $515 bucks. But also I spent alot and I mean alot of hours researching. The two swap them selfs weren't to hard.

Read this thread, it will help you alot. The wiring in this thread will help the most. http://www.240sxforums.com/for...+DOHC

Even though I never drove the car with the SOHC its way worth it.

[240DRFT]

wait, are you sure your not on crack? lol the sohc is more revy than the dohc, the sohc has a better compression raito, the sohc ka can handle more abuse, the sohc with the way its compression raito is, it can easily out hold more PSI from turbo on stock internals, more than the crappy DOhC ka can. I had 3 DOHC ka's all of them were fine but for one, and when I dropped in a SOHC it feels a whole a lot stronger, better to me, and it feels like it can have way more pontential, with the DOHC ka's i had I couldn't see or feel any of that.

no. dohc ka's have a lower compression ratio which is better for turbos.

[pancho y onions]

I thought sohc had a lower compression than dohc.

[240DRFT]

no. sohc had like 11:1 and dohc had like 9.5:1

[KADreams]

Oil Squirters>No Oil Squirters2 cams>1 cam4 valves>3 valvesDOHC>SOHC

[KADreams]

You are confusing a few things. You get around 11:1 compression if you put SOHC pistons in a DOHC motor. The SOHC motor DOES have less compression than the DOHC.

[KADreams]

Not to mention the fact that the DE valvetrain is freaking bulletproof.

[240DRFT]

You are confusing a few things. You get around 11:1 compression if you put SOHC pistons in a DOHC motor. The SOHC motor DOES have less compression than the DOHC.

thanks for clarifying that. i guess i just assumed that since its 11:1 when in de motors, thats what it was in the e's.

[youngmanvr4]

You are confusing a few things. You get around 11:1 compression if you put SOHC pistons in a DOHC motor. The SOHC motor DOES have less compression than the DOHC.

Really? I didn't know that. So what the SOHC's stock compression? All I know is I like my 11:1 DOHC I have Redline pistons not SOHC though. Though it sucks that I wont be turboing it. My plan is to get good a drifting with this engine. Then when I'm pretty good I can upgrade to either a stock DOHC then turbo it or SR. Which by that time all the reasons why people say "turbo the KA" will be gone. I'll have to pull the engine and put another in which is one of the things that they say. Cost wise its going to end up pretty close to the same numbers to but another KA, turbo it as to getting a SR. So I'll most likely get a SR since their lower miles most of the time.

[glacier985]

no. sohc had like 11:1 and dohc had like 9.5:1

89 E's had 9.1:1, 90 E's had 8.6:1 and them DE's have 9.5:1

[Veriest1]

Are the oil squirters really that beneficial on an NA motor?

The BMW community is against them on NA applications. I've heard claims of the extra oil being splashed on the piston robbing a slight bit of horsepower.

What's the take on this here from those with experience concerning engine building?

[GreatGreddy88]

i'm on the same boat, but i have the 91 dohc hooked up, and i'm stumped on wiring. the plugs for the dohc harness doesnt match up under the dash of my 89.....plz help

[youngmanvr4]

http://www.240sxforums.com/for...+DOHC Again this thread will answer all your wiring needs. I wouldn't do it anyother way than this. If you cant figure out it doing it this way then you should be doing the swap itself. Its really easy is you just read and do.