S13 NOOB!! HELP!! NO HABLA NISSAN!!

[The Family Judas]

I NEED HELP! I have 4 problems 1- I live in California- i.e. CARB sucks A$$!!2- Gas is now $4.30 - The Camaro has a slight drinking problem.3- All my friends do is whine about how honda's and acura's DONT DO 600whp- legally anyways.4- When my Dad and brothers find out I'm retiring the SS for the S13. I might die fast. Really Fast

So now that we have that out of the way, I just just bought a 89 that is seriously hurting. she's got about 230K on the block and needs a whole lot more than what I'm going to bother you with today. Here's the problem. Its my first import!!! Ask me to build to a 350 smallblock- no problem. Or how about a 383 that'll get you 450 to the wheel. HA!! Easy!! Now ask me where the ignitor chip on a sr20det is and you might just get that deer in headlight look. Ask me for an up-pip/ down pipe and I'll get you my brothers bong. A little import clueless here.W hat I was thinking was keeping the SOHC and rebuilding it. Heard they get more torque when you build them. Basically I want to put a turbo on it. Is it worth it to even rebuild this motor? I wanted to save this motor so I could at least be legal for a little while. Can I just port and polish the bejesus out of this thing and it'll be ok?I know, I KNOW compression check right? I was looking at starting with the perfect engine rebuild kit. ANY idea's or comments would seriously help. Just tell me where I need to start. Or point me in the right direction. SHOW ME THE LIGHT!! This thing needs to get fast quick to avoid the massive family riddicule I am about to endure. Oh and in case you were wondering. No I don't hate imports. Just honda's and acura's. Thanks guys!!- The Family Judas

Modified by The Family Judas at 1:45 PM 5/27/2008

Modified by The Family Judas at 2:24 PM 5/27/2008
Modified by The Family Judas at 2:26 PM 5/27/2008

[silpena]

sooo u got a ka or sr20det? are u planning on swapping in a sr20det? First i would do a check up. basic maintenance. compression check, plugs/wired/fuel filter/ air filter(u can put on a k&n for now) check ur cat to see if it works/ de carbonize ur engine of carb build up with some seafoam/ maybe check all ur vaccum hoses for leaks/ flush ur oil/filter/ flush transmission/flush ur coolant/ maybe change water pump and thermostat/ check oil pressure to see if pump is dieing since i heard ka24e oil pumps die quick./ oh yeah brake check and stuff. After that i would go with simple bolts ons but ur not gonna get very far and staying legal. As for the rebuild you could put in some slighty higher compression pistons/ regrind ur cams/ some porting and polishing/ port out teh intake manifold/ some headers. I highly doubt it u can stay legal since there arn't many parts that are carb'ed. YOu might have to retard ur timing a bit to pass smog and take off ur headers also depending where u live but ur in cali so ur screwed.

[The Family Judas]

Right now it has the KA. Keeping the KA. I'm not planning on keeping it legal for long, only long enough to pass the smog test. After that I guess two years is long enough to figure out how to make it pass. Going to keep the KA but I need to know where to start, since I'm planning on doing all the work myself. Thanks for the help!!

[Vegascorbin]

Like silpena said, start with the basic end to end once over and replace those parts that wear out over time. This assumes that you r compression check shows that the engine is ok for now.

The only thing I would add to his list is the timing chain.

[831_salinas240sx]

check this out: 1989 nissan only has a single cam which means u are driving at about 1/2 the power the camero is. yeah smog sucks but hey u gotta do it. so heres what to do. u take it to a mexican smog shop who has those signs that say " if u dont pass smog u dont pay" find the problem that the bull shet machine gives you (if any) and solve it so u can pass go and collect ur 2 years sometimes u spend way more to rebuild than to just pass smog. now if u go turbo on that sucker the lowest u will me pulling is at 170/175 hp which isnt much difference from the twin cam ka24DE stock. NOW, if u buy the twin cam and go turbo, u get hp starting at 225/235 hp. which is way higher that usual. u gould even compete against sr's easily. so, take a look at what it is u want and what u need to do to get there. too bad u dont live near the monterey bay otherwise i would take you to a smog shop that would help u a lot.

[The Family Judas]

To be honest I really want a 24de but I have no idea where to find one. Thats why I just decided to keep 24e. Either engine as soon as I put a turbo on it, it isn't going to be smog legal anymore anyway right? I've found a thousand sr's and a two thousand different kinds of sr's but I cant seem to find any place to find a KA24de. Am I just not looking hard enough or what? Is there any place you can find the whole setup for sale? Engine, transmission ecu & harness? Sorry I'm such a noob, but I need your help to edumacate myself guys.

[silpena]

hit up ka-t.org someone there should have one for you or a spare block to build for cheap if your gonna boost.

[RCA]

If you are open to the idea of swapping your S13 then go with what you know.

There are plenty go guys out here rolling LS1/2/6/7 under there hoods.This way you won't have to relearn everything you allready know.Plus you can have an S13 with a V-8 so this way your Dad and friends won't kill you

EVERY BODY WINS!