Nissan EXA 1.8T: Running

[mazikowski]

My CA18DET 87 EXA/Pulsar lives.

The engine started up without a second thought.

It's still running kinda funny, and has a small coolant leak. That can be fixed relatively easily tho

[boost_boy]

My CA18DET 87 EXA/Pulsar lives.

The engine started up without a second thought.

It's still running kinda funny, and has a small coolant leak. That can be fixed relatively easily tho

Congratulations! Don't try and drive the thing until you have sorted everything first.

Dee

[Natrix]

Mazikowski, What do you have planned for you ride? I've got an 87 and 88 exa that I've had sitting around for a while and am just getting around to putting them back together. Finally have them stripped down to metal dropping the engines out and going to the body shop next month. I've been bouncing around the internet for a few months getting ideas. Boost boys' nm came up on a few threads in regards to the ca18det engines. And you may already know there are a lot of mods for this car out of australia just a little expensive to ship. Good luck with everything.

Also, I had a question for boost_boy. Do you have a website? Do you build ca18de engines and do you have any for sale. Do you know what mods I should use for a dependable ca18det that could safely push 325hp in a nissan exa. I looked up the mods on the dyno thread for this engine... stock and modified most of the dynos are for the rwd nissan sr not sure if it makes a difference. I also think I need to get a diff gear box for the higher hp. In australia they mention one by the name of LSD and possibly stronger axles not sure if you know what to use here in the usa. Both engines in my exas are the ca16de and any info or direction in what mods I should purchase would be greatly appreciated. I just want to make sure I do it right the first time. Thanks, N

[mazikowski]

A great place to start would be NissanEXA.com. That club is mainly Aus based but we have a growing number of US member (such as myself).

I don't have anything insane planned for it right now, just want to get it running good and pretty up my install. After that, I will probably go for a bit more power and get it painted (what a sleeper tho... a ratty looking EXA Sportbak :P)

@Dee: I don't plan on it... In fact it's on jack stands at the moment to prevent my doing so.

Right now, the engine idles funny. It will barely stay alive, puttering around 400-600rpm. Other times it will keep itself nice and alive by bouncing from 1800-2100rpm, then back to a steady 800-900rpm and back to the high idle.

I checked the ECU codes. Mode III kept throwing a code 11 (CAS circuit) and Mode V threw a long red pulse (CAS fault). This leads me to believe, as strange as it may sound , that there's something up with my CAS.

I also believe that I have a boost leak somewhere along my hot pipe. When the car's running (mainly higher revs like 2k+) I hear a tiny whispy noise. This noise continues for a few seconds after the engine has been shut off. It sounds like air being let out of an air compressor tank (I know, it's the same concept). My boost/vac gauge reads from about 28inHg to 10inHg, but never above that. Could a leak cause that? I hear the turbo spooling up and I hear the flutter when I let off the throttle, but it refuses to boost.

My oil pressure seems to fluxuate extensively. Upon a cold start, it will be around 90-100psi and then do one of 2 things: it will either A) drop down to between 50-70psi and stay consistant or B) range from 20-100psi, revving along with the engine (at idle, it's low as but as the engine speed increases, it moves up accordingly). I'm thinking this could be my sender or something. The oil is flowing thru the engine and the dipstick is reading a hair above the hatchd portion (just touching the letter H on the bulb thingy).

There's no smoke coming from the exhaust (which ends abruptly in front of my gearbox, being the S13 dump pipe and no more). The engine also sounds nice and strong. It runs and revs smoothly from about 1200rpm on. I think there may be an issue with my butterfly setup, as I had it revved to about 4200rpm and never saw the actuator flip them open/closed... I know I ran the vac lines fine, and can feel a slight sucking from the line coming from vac tank to the solenoid. When they are closed, should the actuator get vac or atm?

Thanks-MAZ-

[boost_boy]

Also, I had a question for boost_boy. Do you have a website?

Here is where you can find me most of the time or via email.

Do you build ca18de engines and do you have any for sale.

I do build them and can provide one if needed. But the last one I had was rebuilt by myself and sent to one of our members in Arizona.

Do you know what mods I should use for a dependable ca18det that could safely push 325hp in a nissan exa.

A good solid/engine is the start for that kind of power. Also, the engine management, injector and turbo selection makes this goal all the more simpler. The cheaper you are, the more difficult this quest will be. And being a FWDer like myself, you don't want to be trying to be experimenting.

I looked up the mods on the dyno thread for this engine... stock and modified most of the dynos are for the rwd nissan sr not sure if it makes a difference.

The mods doesn't matter aslong as you can get them to function the way the engine needs them to function to be at optimal or near optimal performance.

I also think I need to get a diff gear box for the higher hp. In australia they mention one by the name of LSD and possibly stronger axles not sure if you know what to use here in the usa.

You can take the CA18's gearbox and add a phantomgrip piece to the diff and it should work. But if you want the real deal, it's gonna cost you unless you're doing the work yourself which isn't easy. My gearboxes are custom with custom axles. It's my own special brew and I don't talk about them much at all.

Both engines in my exas are the ca16de and any info or direction in what mods I should purchase would be greatly appreciated. I just want to make sure I do it right the first time. Thanks, N

Definitely don't want to use the CA16 unless you want to be different. The CA16's gearboxes mated to the CA18DET will equate to plenty of street cars getting smoked by you, but the cost is catastrophic because those trannies are weak and they will fail. They are in the same family as the SR20 FWD family and you should know by now that those are Junk-ola.

Dee

[mazikowski]

I fixed my coolant leak and swapped out the CAS today. The ECU no longer gives me a code 11 or long red pulse, so I'm guessing that fixed that.

The oil pressure is still reading really screwy, and that concerns me a bit. What would be the best way to check and make sure that the oil is getting circulated properly? I know the coolant is flowing because the thermostat opens and my upper radiator hose gets hot. The fans also come on when triggered by the temp switch on the radiator.

I'm still not seeing boost, only vacuum from the manifold. I was told this could be related to my AFM. I don't think this is the case as I am using the S13 DET meter and the engine doesn't bog under WOT. I haven't pinpointed the boost leak, but could a small leak (pinhole sized) cause an all out loss of positive pressure?

[float_6969]

You won't see boost until you're driving it. Trying to get boost with out any load on the motor is next to impossible.

[mazikowski]

Oh... well that makes me feel a lot better

I'm thinking my oil pressure is about standard, because my dad's truck runs the same way (idle yields ~20psi, higher revs yield up to ~80psi, average is ~40psi). Does that sound right for a CA18?

[Natrix]

boost_boy Could you get me a qoute on an ca18det engine? I'd email you but you are set to private.

[mazikowski]

I drove the exa for the first time today since the swap... it runs pretty smooth but i have to be careful as one of my couplers along the intake likes to pop loose (****ty rubber one... will be replacing asap) if i get on boost. This limits me to running no higher than 3500rpm for any period of time.

My APEXi pen TT is showing a 14.x AFR for the most part but sometimes it will spike either really high (20.0) or really low (10.0) for no reason as i'm driving. Occasionally i will get a puff of white-ish gray smoke from the exhaust. My oil pressure looks decent (what should it be like pre-boost? mine goes from about 25-75 as the revs go up). The turbo is also spooling fine (slight whine about 2500, full whine about 3500) and flutters, as expected, upon a closed throttle.

Any ideas guys? This car is my daily driver now so the quicker I can get it up to snuff, the better.

[mazikowski]

I replaced one of the 4 tiwan monstrosities today with good ole silicone. good thing too because the rubber was actually bulging out between the pipes and ripped clean thru along one of the clamps! I have the other 3 couplers on their way to me (good ones thru ebay... a store i've gotten quality stuff from before). By replacing that my extreme rich condition under load is gone... never drops below ~13 on a hill. My only problem now is it running horribly rich under closed throttle. It balances back out quick when I open the throttle just a hair, but if it's closed the TT reads 20.0 and flashes green (lean warning). I'm thinking this is my idle control stuff messing up, maybe sticking open? It is open to the atmosphere still. If it's getting air in that way, it would mean it gets quite a bit of air it isn't seeing via the AFM. Does that seem right?