turbo my KA or swap to VG33ER??

[pjkyle14]

ok, well i got a choice to make and i was hoping some of you guys could help me come to conclusion on this. i have a 97 hardbody XE (4X4 ka24e 5 speed) i was out playing in the snow last weekend,(yes being a dumb a**) and blew my motor. so i was looking into motor swaps cuz i was going to go for more power when i got the chance, just didn"t think it would come so early... i want to keep 4X4 cuz it snows where i am located and i occasionaly like to go out and get the truck covered in mud... well i have come up with 3 different choices of what i would like to do, i would greatly appreciate your input...

1. build my ka,forged int, cams, port heads, buy aftermarket 240 style intake, and turbo the motor, for more power.

2.swap to the KA24DE and do the same type of stuff as ^^^

3. buy a VG33ER and swap this in with some minor boltons

why am i having such trouble deciding? well it would be easiest to just build mine and turbo it, but the reason i am second guessing it is i need the low end torque sometimes, and the turbo lag will not provide that, or am i just totally wrong? also this turbo kit,applied with the built motor will provide the most power over the supercharger.

the supercharged vg is and will come out a little more expensive than turbo and create a little less power, but will give me the lowend torque needed and i want, and i can slowly build this motor up some as i go if needed, it will require the most work also, ecu,wiring harness, transmission swap etc...

i much prefer the supercharged way but the turbo way is easier... is there a semi bolt on supercharger kit for the KA's? which way do you guys think would be the most beneficial to my setup?

keep in mind i have a 2"lift 16X8s and pulling the equivilent of a 32X10 tire... now anyway

thanks for the help in advance. kyle

[rizzobc]

OK I found this in another area here on NICO...I an not sure if the 240 ka motor is the same as the HB but this might help l v

Well unfortunately we don't have a forum dedicated to supercharging so this is the next best bet. Here are the details.Freshly rebuilt m62 eaton supercharger(from a frontier)Thomas Knight adapter platesa) sr injectors + jwt tune ORb) 8:1 FMU .... still decidingWalbro 255 fuel pumpremoval of butterflysAEM widebandPolished the intake manifold(why not?)

Mods already on car...

Injen intakeHotshot headersApexi 3" N1 exhaustTest pipeBrian Crower v2sCompetition clutch + lightened flywheelUnorthodox racing underdrive pulleyz32 fuel filterSAFCII

My goal is a simple 200-220rwhp RELIABLY. With the underdrive pulley I should be starting at around 6psi and don't have any intentions of going higher. After being content with an NA for 9 years I don't think it will take much to satisfy my hunger.

[pjkyle14]

s help but if i were to do this, would i be able to keep ps,a/c etc... i saw some custom jobs like this in the forum, but most of them had to remove one or the other, and the thing is i have minimal, fabskills, i can tig weld like no other but when it comes to cutting and placing the things in the rite spot... something always go wrong, but i do know the intake of the hb style intake is almost like a chevy trucks throttle body injection system where as the 240s intake is similar to a 5.0 mustang style... which is why i would like to swap to the 240 style, if iwere to get the parts and take this to someone and tell them i want this, this this, done would they know or would i be handing this over to someone who can fab but not know the best ways for the truck, if i can keep ps a/c etc??... thanks for the input that does help, lets me know SC the KA is quite possible...

[rizzobc]

Yeah keeping the P/S and A/C would be nice. I don't know alot the boosting of this stuff but like you said at least we know they can be SCed. But one thing that I have learned is if you have the money, any thing is do-able. Good luck and keep us posted.

[pjkyle14]

yes anything is possible with the right price... lol but thank you and if there is anymore input from anyone or if you run across something interesting let me know, and yes i will def keep everything postedup ont the progress, it will be a slow proces though as i am in the air force special operations and i do not have much time to tinker anymore, therefore i may just be taking this to someone and giving them the low down, i do not like doing this but i believe it is my only chioce... i just hope the conclusion of which chioce comes soon so it can get started...

again thank you for your input! that is yet another idea to cosider.

[seang]

Read this thread:zerothread?id=466770

VG33ER won't clear the hood (I think). Truck is already set up or KA24, so abandoning that would only be a matter of you really wanting that VG33ER, which, I admit, would be cool with some nice cams and stuff. But I don't know about swapping it into a 4x4. You need oil pan clearance, hood clearance, and everything clearance, lol.

[moneymike]

right now im working on my hb i pulled my ka cause the timing went to hell and i blew the piston rings and bent the valves(dont ask how)so i pulled it and put the engine from the 240 not the dohc i kept it sohcanyway i paid 380 for it which is pricey for a sohc but i needed it badly so i bought itit came with the 240 intake manifold other then that everything else in the same on the two engines i bought everything i need to boost it (turbo,lines,injectors,manifold,bov,fmic,piping,etc)all im waiting on is my new clutch to come in so i can slap that engine back in.if you say the ka doesn't have torque your crazy ka's are torquey at low end which is why they are great for boost torque at low end + boost at higher end = a monster. since i have a second ka laying around now im going to build it with bigger pistons thicker rods head job shaved crank etc the whole 9 yards my final goal is the 500s which is doable

[rizzobc]

HELL YEAH! You got to post pic so we can keep on that shyt...

[pjkyle14]

@seang HOLY BALLS!!!!!! that is some very very nice torque curve going on there!!... lol

well i haven't been on the past couple of days from doing some research, my buddy just totaled his truck, and i am getting the truck for cheap, it is an 01 frontier vg33er with only 39,457mi, since i am getting the entire truck i will be able to do the entire swap... wiring harness, motor, transmission, ecu, etc, i should have about everything i need for swap... "should" you know how that goes it never fails something goes wrong...

also when i was checking out the clearance problem, ur right, i can get the motor to clear the hood but then it will be a problem with the oil pan, or vise versa... the VG33ER from what i see is not much if any wider than the vg30e, other than the SC, but after looking at it, it will sit northeast of the fender well and have plenty of clearance if i can find a good oil pan that fits. now another question to consider, will the vg30e oil pan from a 95 pathfinder fit these vg33er? i can get one one for $5

as for the choice in the swap... i would much rather do the swap to the VG33ER, mostly for kicks and giggles, it would def be a close first(i think), and would make a great conversation piece, rarity etc... and i can buy this super low mile truck for really cheap... if i can just get the POS to fit in right, and no way in hell am i gonna cut a hole in my hood for this swap, that is a lil tacky if you ask me...

@money mikei was mistaken about the torque, i see this now, i was just thinkin of boost lag and not the entire perspective of the motor... thank you for pointing this out, if you follow through with that 500hp motor, do you realize what kind of a beast you would have!?!?!

[seang]

Just want to say that it isn't my truck, just the same color. The actual truck is owned by JGS Tools, the ones who make turbo kits for our trucks. That truck has 240sx independant rear suspension and is way worse at climbing hills than mine is That torque curve is sweet, though. That is what you get when you boost with the truck manifold and stock 232/232 camshaft.

@money mike if you follow through with that 500hp motor, do you realize what kind of a beast you would have!?!?!

One that would need some slapper bars at least. Wheel hop at that power level = broken FS5W71C.

[pjkyle14]

^^^^^ this is very true!!! lol

good luck holding on to your head...

and i just checked out the JGStools.com site it is pretty impressive, it looks very good in quality also.