Why the CA over the SR?

[rynxprs]

What made you decide to get the CA over the SR?

I have an 89....what about Power Steering and AC? Will I need to get that stuff off a 91+?

If there is a site that i can goto with all this info, i'd appreciate it.

thanks.

[Movingviolation240]

aluminimum is for cans not blocks

[CA18 RS13]

i could spout off a lot of little things as to why i think the ca is better, the intake manifold design, the head, the block, etc etc. but what it really comes down to is preference. i didnt want an SR because i wanted an engine that could rev, i didnt want an engine that everyone else and their mom's were swapping, and i love the way the CA sounds. on another note they should make a "YES! power steering will work with the CA, here's how" thread a sticky at the top of the page. and on another note i dont see any real reason someone would NEED powersteering unless you are autoxing or drifting.

[rynxprs]

Quote »on another note they should make a "YES! power steering will work with the CA, here's how" thread a sticky at the top of the page. and on another note i dont see any real reason someone would NEED powersteering unless you are autoxing or drifting.[/quote]

Or if the car is your daily driver. Which mine is.I drove a CRX for a month with no Power steering and it sucked! So i definitly want power steering.

But thank you for the info.

[CA18 RS13]

my 240 hatch is my only car, which i drive daily and i have had no power steering for about 5 months now and have not had any problems with drivability whatsoever except if i try to drift. the car is light and does not require much muscle work getting in and out of parking lots, infact i drive most of the time with only my right hand for shifting and steering. not the most safe thing in the world i know but it demonstrates how easy it is to turn.

[rynxprs]

Would the fact that it is Rear Wheel Drive make it easier to steer compared to the CRX which is front wheel drive...and i'm sure the CRX is lighter then the 240sx.

[CA18 RS13]

im sure the CRX is lighter too. it only weighs 2200lbs while the 240 hatch weighs in at 2600. ive never driven a any other car other then mine and my friends 2nd gen mr-2 that had no power steering so i cant tell you how it compairs to a FWD car but imo its definately not a burden like most poeple make it out to be. i actually enjoy it and when the chance came around to get a KA24DE reservior for free to make mine work i opted to keep without p/s. driving cars with powersteering seems very akward to me now

[Goodbar6]

Autocrossers should definatly keep the P/S unless you can find a manual steering rack for the 240. Much easier to make quick turns. Although, i do like the way manual steering lets you feel the road!Tyler

[paul_s13]

What made you decide to get the CA over the SR?

I didn't have a choice, my car come with one as standard :pface

[Repo Man]

I didn't have a choice, my car come with one as standard :pface

Lucky bastard...

[JiNuDaVe]

because you can tell everyone you have a californian engine.tell them you have a sr, and they'll go, "wtf!? SR is a state?"

ho ho!

(that and it's smoother, revs higher, and built really really well. it was discontinued cuz it was built too well and was expensive to make. Plus, chicks dig ca18)

[Movingviolation240]

(that and it's smoother, revs higher, and built really really well. it was discontinued cuz it was built too well and was expensive to make. Plus, chicks dig ca18)

Chicks dig anything expensive....... this is a general rule much like the rules of physics..... no matter if you like it or not that's the way it is.

hehe

[Jenson]

I have been trying to figure out which one I want to do. The SR seems to be harder to put in along with more expensive. Not to mention every one is doing it. I have not been able to find much on the CA as far as how hard it is to put in, I think it would be easier just cuz it is older. My 240 is an 89 hatch and I would be doing the work in my garage. Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

[SilviaJunkie]

I also dont know what to choose, the SR I found soooo many aftermarket parts for, but the CA I havent found that many parts. If any one can help on Links, please do..

[kilipo4]

Read some of the other posts in this forum. Apparantly, between CA18DE stock parts and matching parts from other engines, its pretty easy to get stuff for the CA...mostly in the US too.

[Ceptos]

heh, i dont see anything wrong with an aluminum block, but i guess if the heavy and corrosive iron block makes you feel better... =) i personally do not have a preference because i doubt that i will ever own either one, i plan on keeping my KA n/a. i suppose the SR would provide more hp and definitly a little more torque potential than the ca because of the slightly larger displacement? thats just an observation on numbers, if anyone knows otherwise please prove me wrong =) if you are going for top end power and top speed i guess the ca would be better because the of higher redline.

i think that if i ran into someone who had the ca swap i would be more impressed than if i saw the sr, just because of how popular the sr swap is and the abundance of information available on it.

crap, is no power steering really that hard to drift or autocross with?? i want to build a stripped version of a s12, gutted with only the driving neccesities, no a/c and whatnot, and was hoping on no power steering. is there anything that u can get to make powerless steering easier, like lighter steering components or something?

[Movingviolation240]

an interesting point, when iron rust's it makes Iron Oxide, when aluminimum rusts it makes aluminimum oxide. Look on a package of sandpaper (the fine stuff) and see what it's made out of...... Aluminimum oxide..... makes you feel good about having that all go through your motor dosn't it

[Ceptos]

heh, true, when aluminum oxidizes it produces aluminum oxide, and when iron oxidizes it prodcues iron oxide. but one thing that you forgot, aluminum oxide forms a very thin layer on top of the aluminum it oxidized from, and prevents the aluminum below it from oxidizing any further. aluminum is also a very reactive substance and forms a very solid bond with the oxide, so this coating does not disolve off and does not flake off under pressure, it is the reason that aluminum stays metallic while metals such as iron turn a brownish color.

on the other hand, iron oxide forms a very flaky coat on top of the iron, and is easily brushed off to oxidize again and cause pitting, also the particles being flaked off.

and if you are talking about a solid iron block, not steel, i am close to certain that aluminum is stronger than iron, ill look into this a bit more and see what the expansion and tension factors are.

im not trying to prove you wrong or anything, just friendly argument =)

[Jenson]

I am a machinist, and all I can say is that an Iron block is the absolute hardest thing I have ever had to cut. That stuff is flat out nasty.

[CA18 RS13]

im sorry.... what material is the RB26DETT block made of? how bout the 2JZ-GTE? hm....

[kilipo4]

I am a machinist, and all I can say is that an Iron block is the absolute hardest thing I have ever had to cut. That stuff is flat out nasty.

Guess you should try oxidizing it next time

[Ceptos]

which engines are still in production??

hehe, i dont even know why im argueing this! ill never own one!

[I H8 UR DSM]

some choose the CA for just the fact of $$.

[RedStage]

SR20DET's will stop there production run shortly

The S15 Silvia is being discontinued and the French guy has cut the Silvia from the roster.

I've had a CA18DE, CA18DET, RB20DET and now an SR20DET.

From first hand experience.....The SR wins hands down. Stock for stock, I like the SR, even though as far as design and engineering goes the CA is an internally stronger engine.

But from everything I have seen the SR will still out perform the CA.

[TrueSlide]

I like that front bumper. It looks like the one on GT3, is that aftermarket or factory? If aftermarket who makes? If factory can it be bought in the states?

[CA18 RS13]

thats factory kouki style bumper... if you really have your eyes set on one expect to pay big $$ to get it here in the u.s.

[Bizz]

Ceptos: You can autocross just as well without PS.....as long as you get all the factory non power stuff. I've driven a s12 with the nonassisted rack and it was great.......made me want to pull my old leaky rack out and use it for a cb antenna.

BTW If you do start setting up a 200sx racer, drop some wisdom at http://200sx.computica.net/phpBB2/index.php. especially if you swap a CA18det.

[nismo 180]

avatar.php?userid=340&dateline=1036792631

[themadscientist]

I pull all power steering out of my cars, the feeling is much better. I drift without PS, you just have to get used to it. Parking sucks bigtime though, I have to admit that! I picked the CA because it is a better design for all the reasons already outlined, SRs are "me-to" motors and I am very rough on an engine. I would disassemble an SR explosively in short order. I speed shift my $300.00 CA18DE at 8000rpms all day long and it just laughs at my futile attempts to destroy it. This is the same reason I drove an L20 Skyline when everyone had FJs and an RB20 Skyline when everyone had RB25s.

[boost_boy]

Quote »I speed shift my $300.00 CA18DE at 8000rpms all day long and it just laughs at my futile attempts to destroy it.[/quote] Don't you just love that! Not worrying about some wimpy rocker arms snapping and destroying your $2k plus SR. I agree with you in the fact that I can destroy an SR in no time as some of my SR20 owning friends have displayed. On the dyno, I grinded mine past 9000rpm in 4th gear and it just laughed. At 6200 rpm in 4th gear, my car registered 130mph and revved way past that afterwards (Can you say very abused, yet extremely durable).