ka blows

[triple r]

well after a well maintained 113,000 miles, my ka24de in my s13 started knocking today........looking to pull the thing out and take a look-see. knocks with no load at anything above 1500 rpm. dont knock under load........i believe i have had it. im in a toss up between either a ca or sr.......wanna keep it down to 4......i know ppl put rb's in them all day but im not looking for anything spectacular........just a little power to play

[OutToWinPAHC]

Timing chain guides are known for going bad, and acting that way. I would check into removing the guides on the DE

[liquid_cool]

well after a well maintained 113,000 miles, my ka24de in my s13 started knocking today........looking to pull the thing out and take a look-see. knocks with no load at anything above 1500 rpm. dont knock under load........i believe i have had it. im in a toss up between either a ca or sr.......wanna keep it down to 4......i know ppl put rb's in them all day but im not looking for anything spectacular........just a little power to play

people allways bag on the KA..but in reality...normal damages for a KA series would spell new motor for say an RB or SR...just look at my latest thread about my massive damages..and it still ran...pics herehttp://www.myspace.com/lossoftractiondriftteamin the team dmg folder...

the KA's are full of fun with there torque bro..and add a turbo in the mix..then you have power too...all platforms have there limit...but the KA's limits have not ben fully reaserched yet ..with modified mag making over 780whp with a KA24de..imagine what you can do with a little know how and creativity.

[triple r]

yea i love the torque but i know its a knock.....timing is good. and getting my crank re-done and all, its worth getting a new motor......plus i been looking for a reason to swap it out

[Klits562]

its not your timing that would cause what PAHC is talking about, its the guides around the timing chain that can break apart and cause a noise.try out the ca18 i've heard nice things about them

[triple r]

no.......i meant the timing set is good........and yea i have a buddy that had the ca18det... it is good, its just that i can find the sr cheaper

[rallynutjoe]

Just rebuild the KA its the best motor for these cars !! I think my friend payed 2,300bucks for an SR, ECU, transmission and wiring harness, not to mention all the little nick-nacks associated with a swap which was at extra cost, you could have an awesome KA rumbling under your hood.

[Klits562]

no.......i meant the timing set is good........and yea i have a buddy that had the ca18det... it is good, its just that i can find the sr cheaper

you must have the hook up then cause all ca18 i have seen have been cheaper than any sr20 ive seen

[triple r]

yea, its out of a wrecked 240 one of my dads buddys had.(wife made him sell the car) i have heard it run and i helped put a new timing belt on it. i know its a good engine........traded my 300ex and a little 50cc pit bike for.....well everything i need for the swap, motor, trans, mounts, ecu, harness, absolutely all of it

[OutToWinPAHC]

Before you swap engines find out what the noise is. My bet its the famous failed timing chain guide that causes all of those symptoms. About 1 hour of time and a new valve-cover gasket and your in business.

[triple r]

so a bad guide would cause metal shavings in the oil? .....i put a long screw driver on the block on the exhaust side and i could hear it. it was around #3...........and then, wouldnt the chain be loose if the guide was bad?

[triple r]

its a deep knock at idle and gets worse with high rpm'sit dont do it when im accelerating thoi was just browing and azhitman told someone with the same symptoms that it was most likely a bearing and their pulling a motor out

[Philipio]

The issue is not with the timing chain guard. You would be hearing a marble in a tin can noise at idle and the noise would go away when you revved.

[triple r]

so it is a rod knock...........then i was right.

[triple r]

well i just went and pulled the valve cover off and my timing chain has got some slack in it between the cams

[liquid_cool]

The issue is not with the timing chain guard. You would be hearing a marble in a tin can noise at idle and the noise would go away when you revved.

i beg to differ sire..thats a common noise when the upper guide is left on..the metal tab everyone takes off of there heads..we are talking about the timing chain guides upper and lower...the oem ones are made of plastic with a metal backing..when the plastic desinigrates...the chain will act like a saw shreading whats left of the guide till it breaks free and starts beating things up..like the tentioners....its allso..not uncommon for the parts of the guide to go shooting down the cover into the oilpan rite at the oil sump tube and bust that thing off..then that will allso move around and eventually get hit by sumpin moving like the crank or conrod end....he has to allso concider that there may be a tentioner failing too..and that knock he is hearing is actually his valves smacking the pistons couse he skipped a tooth...further investigation is requierd to find this issue...

[OutToWinPAHC]

Expect the worse but check for the easiest stuff first.

[triple r]

some news....i pulled the injector plugs one by one at idle and it never quit knocking today so..................timing guide?

[liquid_cool]

you are not gona know unless you take the upper cover off...you have to get your hands dirty on this one bro...it may be an engine swapping disaster or just sumpin simple...good luck

[triple r]

i know it man, i wasnt gona swap until it got better outside. now correct me. there are seperate chains for the cams and for he crankshaft. pull the front cover off and see what under there, yo said its an hours job.......dont i have to remove radiator, water pump and the crankshaft pulley?

[Gottoknow]

An hour to replace or something else? Last I checked it was like a 5 to 7 hour job to replace the timing chains.

Edit: Nevermind just checked,and you were just talking about the guide. My bad, it's 4 in the morning I shouldn't be replying to anything right now.

[triple r]

yea oh well..........its christmas f*** it

[jdm_dean]

stop being f***in lazy and just check the damn upper chain guides before you replace a perfectly good KA. takes all of one hour to take the valve cover off then the front upper cover, check the 2 guides and see if they're worn down and has a bunch of slack in them or if the rubber or whatever has worn down. you can even remove them, they're not even necessary.

i think youre just looking for a reason to throw an sr in there. even if the ka is blown you can rebuild it cheaper than the sr swap WITH eagle rods & je pistons which go for 700 on ebay. built FRESH ka > someones used sr

[triple r]

hey be easy......so what if im wanting an sr.........what business is it of yours for me to be lazy............and you have a good point.............in fact im reconsidering the ka............liquid cool is the man.............the fresh ka would be the way to go.....but with no real shop and it being f***ing 10 degrees outside..........im sure you would be lazy too man so dont go saying s*** like that like you know me or something

[OutToWinPAHC]

WE had 2 feet of snow the other day.... And I just pulled my trans and flexplate off. Cold, psst wear layers.

[jdm_dean]

its actually about 35 out now and raining, not quite 10 degrees but Im still gonna go WITH my girlfriend to the junkyard and pull of the rest of my 5 speed swap components. they make longjohns and coats for a reason. wrap up and do work!

[triple r]

well lets just say your better than i am sheesh............i pulled the f***in top front cover off and what do i see.............good timing guides for the cam chain...........all of the plastic was there.....and it was tight..........looked to be in good condition............looked below it and the lower guides on the main chain appear to be in good shape......................so i think im just going to pull that motor and start new with it. get the crankshaft reconditioned and put some oversize bearings on it............... get the head decked and studded, get the block honed and maybe bored and then get some port and polishing done. thanks for all of the "encouragement"

[OutToWinPAHC]

Get the blocked decked, and the head milled you meant.

[triple r]

yeah sorry about that........umm i just went oustide and on my upper guide/tensioner on the left, there is a little hook and a rod that is attached to the guide..............whats this for and is it supposed to be hooking the rod because its just dangling.........and now there is play in my tensioner

[triple r]

but the chain is tight.......i can move the little rod up and down and the tensioner will turn just a little bit............... there is another hook and rod on the lower guide.......im thinking there just there so you can retract the tensioner so you can fool with the chains and stuff