my firs motor swap. please help!!!

[newtothis]

so I just got my first Nissan. 98' 240sx. I want to do my first motor swap so I was looking around at cheap and common swaps. what I want to do is swap for an ls1, but im not quite sure what im doing. Ive always wanted to know more about cars so I figured the best way for me to do it is to get a project car and dive into it. only problem is, ive never done a swap before. I can get my way around a motor no problem, but I need help planning everything out. I don't know anything about the transmission im going to need, I keep hearing that im going to have to "replace the rear end", but I don't know what they are talking about. if anybody has any kind of advice for an aspiring mechanic, that would be really nice.

[daemonyk]

First off, welcome!

Secondly, define "cheap" and "common". Someone broke like me considers anything over $1000 expensive. OTOH some ballers in here might say that $10K is nothing to spend on a swap. How much do YOU plan to spend, I think, is a better question. Insofar as "common", most of the more reasonable swaps seem to have been done enough times that there's enough information on how to do them available. Even a few of the more exotic swaps have documentation of how what was done.

There's a few people on here doing V8 and LSx swaps, try looking them up on the build page sticky s-chassis-build-thread-list-t441933.html. Those would be good places to ask about such things.

Also check out the tech pages http://www.240sxtech.com Always useful.

Good luck

[newtothis]

thank you, daemonyk, for the references. I will defiantly check them out.

I don't really want to spend more than I have to on this swap. im with you, im not made of money and it is something that is going to take some time. honestly ill probably have to buy all the extras a month at a time. I just want to get the swap done and on the road as quick, cheap, and easy as possible. once I have that, i can take care of everything else when i get the money saved up again. but before i just start ripping stuff out and trying to play Dr. Frankenstein, i would like to have a general idea of everything that is going to come into play and some of the things i need to look out for.

[pepesilvia]

i wouldnt think of an LS1 as a good motor for someone who's never swapped one before. the cost is around 10k to swap into yur car. then you have tuning issues and parts and space issues. its not a novice engine. If you really want to swap a motor, id say go with a classic SR20 swap. why? its simple, straightforward, a lot cheaper and made specifically for yur car, ya know? so there wouldnt be much tuning problems. also, when sh*t hits the fan, youll be able to find more info on here about an SR20 then an LS motor. and LASTLY if you spend half as much on the SR as the LS, you'll still end up with a hella fast, and super fun daily driving motor.....

good luck! and post some pics of whatever you do!

[newtothis]

hey i appreciate the advice, pepesilvia. i have heard the same thing, but i cant haven't found any sr20's that are any cheaper than the ls. i know the pull-a-part up the road has a few ls's for really cheap and they are all together with the transmission and drive train, but i cant find any sr's for cheap. that was kind of my problem, is that i cant find a reasonably priced sr.

[240sxcl50]

The sr is a direct drop in the ls motor is far from it.

[Nesquick]

I agree with an SR swap for a beginner swap. You will get your foot in the door and learn what to do. Wont need to swap anything, direct out and in. Just because something is cheap and close by doesnt mean that it's the right option to take, spend a little extra cash/time early in the game to save even more down the road. Learned that the hard way with my rb26 swap...

[pella]

Sorry to thread jack, but this may be useful to OP as well as myself. I too am exploring my first engine swap. No longer needed to DD. Have you thought about the Ford 5.0? Anybody who knows and would care to offer up some info on that swap, please do.

[daemonyk]

@ pella - I think there's a guy on here named killernoodle doing a ford 4.6 v8 swap, look him up, I think he has a build thread.

@ newtothis - Of course, you're free to do as you wish, but keep in mind - while the v8 swaps are cool and all, because v8 240sx hell yeah or w/e, they are among the more expensive swaps, as well as the more difficult swaps, as has been stated. For a quick cheap easy build like you mentioned you were looking for, V8 is kinda the exact opposite of that.

While you may be able to find a LSx motorset for less than an SR20 motorset, don't forget the hidden (install) costs. There is a big difference in the cost required to get those engines into the car and make it work. Lets assume both motors are in working condition, and require no maintenance.

An SR20 requires very few additional parts to actually get it into a 240sx. It's like ~98% direct fit, and there's not a whole lot to it.

However, even if you can get a lsx motorset "for cheap" from a yard or w/e, and maintenance aside (engine may need work or have problems, things may / can break or already be broken) don't forget that rear end swap nonsense which you will need to buy, and after that you will need to either buy alot of adapters and conversion parts or be really good at fabricating and wiring and stuff to make it fit, get it mounted, and make everything work right.

I learned that lesson the hard way. Sure, I got my RB25 for the same cost as an SR20. But it's costing me 3x as much and seems to be at least twice as annoying to actually get it into the car. Not to mention the difference in the price for parts. Overhauling the RB is def more expensive than an SR would have been for the same parts. I have a sneaking suspicion that it costs more to do maintenance on an LS than an SR... Someone correct me if I am oddly mistaken about that .

Like I said, it's your car and your money, you can do with it what you want. BUT, I do somewhat agree with the rest of them in regards to maybe do the SR20 for a first swap. 200hp on an an S chassis is still wikkid fun, and depending on how you build the motor, its not that difficult to pull out more power later on. Not to mention that it seems like for the cost of a stock LS swap, you could do a really wikkid SR build, and it would still be easier.

Anywho, regardless of what you end up doing, let us know! Use search, ask questions, and most importantly - POST PIX!

[kouki munster]

Sorry to thread jack, but this may be useful to OP as well as myself. I too am exploring my first engine swap. No longer needed to DD. Have you thought about the Ford 5.0? Anybody who knows and would care to offer up some info on that swap, please do.

I will just leave this here.

putting-the-munster-in-kouki-munster-t570820.html

[daemonyk]

Sorry to thread jack, but this may be useful to OP as well as myself. I too am exploring my first engine swap. No longer needed to DD. Have you thought about the Ford 5.0? Anybody who knows and would care to offer up some info on that swap, please do.

I will just leave this here.

putting-the-munster-in-kouki-munster-t570820.html

LOL yes, I forgot about yours when I posted. Duh, I even looked at your update right afterwards . Nice work fitting that huge beast in there.

Anywho, OT, you wants V8's? We gots V8's

[pepesilvia]

hey i appreciate the advice, pepesilvia. i have heard the same thing, but i cant haven't found any sr20's that are any cheaper than the ls. i know the pull-a-part up the road has a few ls's for really cheap and they are all together with the transmission and drive train, but i cant find any sr's for cheap. that was kind of my problem, is that i cant find a reasonably priced sr.

well where are you located? maybe someone on here knows of a JDM engine dealer near you that can cut you a good deal.

[newtothis]

I am located at Ft Campbell in Kentucky. as of rite now, I am in Afghanistan. I will be home before too much longer. when I get home, I want to do the swap. I will have around 2 months before my leave starts and I want to get my car on the road before leave. so I have around 2 months to make it happen. that's why im trying to get the plan rite now so when I get home, I will just jump on it. I have a couple people that can help me out, but they can only help so far. but from whan I can understand from everyones advice, is that I should go with the SR swap. but now the problem is finding one.

[breadbox]

not really. call up JEI, Osaka, J-Spec Auto, or another motor importer.

J-Spec for example is a couple hours from me. I am pretty sure they flat rate ship stuff to KY. They have tons of SRs between them.

[pepesilvia]

not really. call up JEI, Osaka, J-Spec Auto, or another motor importer.

J-Spec for example is a couple hours from me. I am pretty sure they flat rate ship stuff to KY. They have tons of SRs between them.

see? toldja someone would come thru

[newtothis]

ha. well, thank you. but that raises another question. if I do the sr swap, will I still have to swap the rear end and will I have to do anything to the transmission other than the clutch. or does it just kind of depend on what it is that I do to the car?

[daemonyk]

if I do the sr swap, will I still have to swap the rear end and will I have to do anything to the transmission other than the clutch.

Nope, and nope! 98% direct fit. Remember, the SR *actually* came in this chassis, unlike (any v8 ever). Both engines / cars used the same mouting points, drive shaft, rear end, gearing, trans and trans sensors (different bellhousing and clutch) - physically / mechanically, it's practically like removing a KA, and sticking a KA back in. Only with the SR you also have to wire it up and make it go. And a fuel pump, and a few other minor fiddly bits. But yeah, a KA S13 and an SR S13 are basically mechanically identical from the transmission back. The differences don't start until you get to the bellhousing / clutch. Thatps partly WHY the SR swap is so easy / preferable. Get a Wiring Specialites conversion wiring harness, and to my understandting the swap is practically cake - minus any potential problems - as long as you actually know about cars and engines and stuff.

And on that note, I'll also say don't cheap out and buy a questionable SR just cos it's cheaper. There's usually a reason why it's cheaper. If you actually know the person, and know the engine to be good, then it might be worth the risk to buy one for cheap if they're selling cheap. But in the wild, you never know for sure if they're selling it cos they're upgrading, or if they're selling it cos it's about to explode.

Srsly, go read some of those build pages (KA, SR, V8, w/e) - It helps heaps.

[pepesilvia]

http://www.tune2win.com/index.php/diy_t ... wap_guide/

^^^^^^^ read this

all you need is engine, transmission, wiring harness from wiring specialties, ecu, radiator (or radiator hoses converted from KA to SR) and some kind of intercooler with piping.

thats the bare minimum things you need to get the engine running. but it is suggested you should replace the turbo, clutch, spark plugs, oil, air filter, oil filter and fuel pump....

make sure the engine has good compression before you buy it too!

[zacmil]

I am located at Ft Campbell in Kentucky.

Not to pessimistic, but as a fellow Kentuckian, I can tell you that you shouldn't expect to easily find anything for these cars locally, and if you do, you can expect it to be higher than a cat's back. Of course, with Ft. Campbell's proximity to the Nashville area, you may have a bit more luck than I do.

As far as where you could get an SR goes, the nearest place I know of is zerolift in Cincinnati, but I don't know anything about their reputation or even if they're still in business.