What's the most you can expect?

[dmscd]

Without major engine mods, what's the most someone could expect from a 16 valve 240sx engine? Is the power gained from installing header/exhaust and intake noticable enough to warrant the cost? How much more HP can I get with these bolt-ons?

I've got a great-running box-stock 93 240sx. Damned boring accelleration, though.

[APEXi240]

10-15hp

[nnkfws333]

With those mods you could be able to run mid to high 15's if you have a manual. Want something fun? Try an engine swap or turbo the KA motor.

[raging panda]

The only problem that im seeing with the turbo and engine swap is legality and emissions. Is there anything that you can do without having to get your car impounded if the popo decide to take a peek under the hood? I would love to make like 200-230 hp, could i do it with the same amount of money for an sr, spent on my ka?

[Aries]

It is possible, but the work tends to be more tedious and leave the car down for longer periods than a swap would.

[dmscd]

Wow. only 10 to 15 hp?

Lets see, thats:

$250 for the header$400 for a good cat-back exhaust$150 or so for a decent intake

$800 total, give or take a few bucks

That's $53 to $80 per hp.

Is the increase in power noticable? Is it worth the expense?

[nnkfws333]

Well....I noticed small changes when I have an intake an exhaust. I mean it brought me down from the 16's to the 15's. I sorta wish I left it bone stock so I could save money to do an engine swap instead. exhaust = 400-500/ intake = 100-200/ headers = 350 that is close to 1 grand. It depends on your future plans to me because if you buy intake/exhaust/headers most of this stuff can't be used when you go turbo or do an engine swap. If you just want the car to be just a little more agressive and fun to drive and dont care about hitting 13's than I would say why not and have some fun.

[daniel240]

you will probably notice the biggest power gain from headers ( i recommend Hotshot) about 12 hp. next would be the intake (recommend injen or hs) another 6 to 8 hp. and last the exhaust prob 5 to 7 hp. with these 3 things you will notice a big difference

[I am Technoman]

I got a solid 20 RWHP gain with the following.

cams 300header 300intake 100electric fans 100star spec clutch 250ehxaust 250

Total 1300

[Structure240sx]

my 95 auto with I/H/E runs mid 15's 5spd should be in low 15's

[Dattebayo]

you know i want to understand something right here. you are not iactually increasing much hp with headers. i understood the headers really only affect your powerband, which was the reason for my pervious post about that. I know that it will affect overall hp compared to rpms but seriously the powerband change is far more noticeable than any hps gained...

[apzak]

nnkfws333 - the link to your car in your sig doesnt work. I think you don't notice anything from the intake because you have a short ram intake, your still sucking in hot air. My sister got a short ram intake her integra, and It actually feels like she lost power I guess because it made her engine smoother, and it's missing the wild feeling where it would kick, but it got more responsive according to her. I didn't notice any gains, but then again I don't drive her car all the time just once in a while. She got an AEM Short ram intake btw, not the cheap crap, and I told her to get that instead of a CAI because theres a risk she would flood her engine with the CAI, (I heard 240sx's don't have that problem) and she didn't want to spend $180 on the CAI and got the short intake for $80, she's mostly intrested about sound I guess, not a performance freak.

Your numbers are realy impressive for 178,000 miles, says alot about nissans especially if your racing an engine with so many miles. These cars realy last. I'm going n/a because I have a fresh engine with 40k miles, swapping an sr would be a waste of a perfectly good ka and a ka-t is too much $$ and work for me, I'm not that mechanically inclined.

[Syntax360]

that's the problem....spending money on the little things give u little now, but it is something. I doubt u'll hit the numbers u want w/o major mods. but then engine swaps, etc. are $expensive$ when ur a student [me :-( ], so ur left w/ a distant goal u could make, maybe, or just gaining a little more horsepower over stock. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Even if u do all the things Technoman did, ur still left at what, 175rwhp? That's a *stock* CA and the money u spent to get there would take a piece out of the total cost of a swap.

[apzak]

Quote »That's a *stock* CA and the money u spent to get there would take a piece out of the total cost of a swap.[/quote]

Not realy, swaps need alot like exhuast, downpipe intake, fuel pumps, it's not just the cost of the motor. There's also installation if your not doing it yourself, the risk the motor is bad, and a greater risk the clutch is fried. If it ain't broke don't swap it;)

[bruinbear714]

OR you can buy parts for the KA that you can use for turbo later on down the road such as Pulley, the n1 exhaust, electric fans, cams, flywheel, clutch, etc etc. That's the route I am taking, although I have a HS header and intake. I got those for cheap so I figured might as well purchase it and toss them on, then sell it later.

NSPORT HERE I COME!

[Syntax360]

i'm not saying he can get a $1300 CA, just that the $1300 he spent could have been a significant portion of the total cost. And Dauntt's package comes w/ all that necessary stuff, and i'd bet my *** u'd put more than 175 on the ground w/ the things his package comes w/. Maybe not a lot more, but eh.

[apzak]

Technoman - when you upgraded the clutch, why didn't you upgrade the flywheel at the same time and gain some more hp?

[Onizuka]

a flywheel really wont give you any horsepower. it just increases drivetrain efficiancy (which can reduce amount of powerloss from crank to wheels) and and your engine revs quicker.

[98s14inaz]

I have a 98 240sx se s14 auto. I installed cai from injen, ngk wires w/ iridium plugs, hs header, high flow cat, relocated #2 o2 sensor behind cat to keep computer happy, 2.5" catback exhaust. I will have to disagree with the dissing of the ka24de na motor. My car actually feels like it has a set of balls now. The high flow cat completes the set up. These mods are worth the money if you car is a daily driver. You want reliabilty. An sr swap or ka turbo is high maintenance and still reqires quite a bit of expense to get 200+ hp to the wheels out of it. I am not disrespecting the ka turbo or the sr20det, just stating facts. If you want more out of your ka get some cams 248deg, anything much higher will make your engine lopey and have no bottom end. Another option would be a decent clutch, lightened flywheel, aluminum one piece drive shaft which can all be purchased through http://www.enjukuracing .com. Don't foget good tires, what good is power if it never makes it to the ground. My goal is to build a bullet proof na motor that will run on pump gas and still be street legal. Passing emissions is a must. I will do a turbo after I have a better understanding of the engines and tolerances. Turbos and nos are not for novices, take the time and learn how to make real reliable power and then turbo or nos. just my 2 cents, sorry for going on and writing a novel;-)

[Structure240sx]

:withstup i agree jsut the few things i did i/h/e really does have a noticable improvement. its nice beatin up V6 camaros but now i want to go after V8's. just brought home my daily driver tonight so i can tear out the ka and go sr. i would love to keep the ka for the power band but for my goals the sr will be cheaper.

[apzak]

Well, roughly I thought ofStock 240sx - 155hp$320 HS Headers - 9hp$250 Used 2.25inch exhaust - 5hp$100 Used Intake - 5hp$100 ASP Pullys - 8hp$350 Cams - 9hp$600 Chip - 9hpTotal - 200hp (Crank numbers, equal to S13 SR's)$1700, (Almost $1000 without chip) and as powerful as the S13 Silvia in Japan without turbo lag and a larger torquey engine. Ofcourse your preaty stuck after that, and with the S13 SR engine your just getting started, but 200hp N/A, less than an SR, less work, and reliable as $@#$? I'm not rich, don't have $4000 for an SR and I want to have the power they have in Japan, I'm just building up my motor. IF I get to the point I want more power after that, there's always port polish, compression, but that just adds more money.

[TrunkMonkey]

Total - 200hp (Crank numbers, equal to S13 SR's)

not even close. you can't add up hp figures like that. different mods will make power at different rpms. with all those mods, you might add 15-20rwhp which would put you close to 150rwhp.

a stock SR will walk on a KA with bolt ons.

-demetrius

[apzak]

I read somewhere someone got 170 RWHP with those kind of mods. I thought it was technoman but then I checked his website and technomans got a 97-98... the person I read about has a 95-96. Anyways, isn't that like every bolt on for the ka? I thought every bolt on for the ka is good for 170rwhp, bout 200 crank? plugs and fan I dont think do anything so I didnt count them.

[I am Technoman]

I started out with something like 126 RWHP give or take, and now I’m somewhere around 160 RWHP. On a cold night with my motor breathing in 40 degree air. I might hit 170RWHP. With a G-Tec pro I did 176 hp one night but it varies.

Hey check out my new pics.

[98s14inaz]

Well friend I have a 98 s14 w/ 38k on it with a babied motor, oil change every 3k. This is what I dynoed with Injen CAI, hs header, high flow cat, 2.5" cat back, ngk wires/ iridium plugs. 137.7 at the wheels and 155.6 torque. My car is an automatic but the point is all that money for 15hp!!! I might have hit 140+ with a 5 spd though. I hope I answered your question. Save your money and buy a turbo.

[apzak]

how did you get a highflow cat with the headers? you cut and installed it to the catback?

Because you have and auto it would have been better to dyno the car stock so you could see how much power was lost.

[I am Technoman]

Well friend I have a 98 s14 w/ 38k on it with a babied motor, oil change every 3k. This is what I dynoed with Injen CAI, hs header, high flow cat, 2.5" cat back, ngk wires/ iridium plugs. 137.7 at the wheels and 155.6 torque. My car is an automatic but the point is all that money for 15hp!!! I might have hit 140+ with a 5 spd though. I hope I answered your question. Save your money and buy a turbo.

Man, everything you listed exept for the header can be used in your turbo set up. Just sell the header.