ca,rb,sr,ka engines in a 240z

[Guest Anonymous]

ok im going to start working on a 240z and i was wondering what would be the best motor to swap, and how hard would the swap be?the engines are ca18det, rb20det,sr20det and the u.s.d.m ka24de thanks.

[fl327]

rb20

[BRAD D]

what are you looking to spend??

[Guest ON3GO]

ya can make a KA24DE make big ass power.

Turbo it, and build it up and lots of power!!!!

if you want the cheap way go KA2424SE-T

 

 

mike

[Guest Anonymous]

SR20, 4 banger with balls.. excess of 300 hp with a turbo up grade 600hp can be achieved but that will cost some hard hard cash hehe i've seen a dyno vid of it but i doubt you want flames coming out your exhaust WEEEEE

[Guest thinkmonkey]

I've done some extensive research into the USDM 240sx engine swaps and upgrades. I'm building up a 240sx as my drifting/throwaway car. I'll add more about that at the end of my post. Anyway, here are my thoughts on the Engines.

 

KA24 - A good, torquey, strong truck 4 cylinder. OHC, iron block. Not much power, has potential but it involves way too much fabrication and doesn't have the same aftermarket support as the other JDM engines. Akin to the 200ci mustang motors, why bother when there is bigger (actually smaller in the SR/CA's case, but better) motors out there.

 

SR20DET - Ah yes, the SR20 motor. Most popular drifting car in Japan is the Silvia/180sx because it is cheap and comes with this engine hook to the rear wheels. So popular here due to the mystique/FATF that it is now costs more than it is worth (free market economics and ideology aside). You used to be able to pick these up for less than $1500. Thanks to SoCal's rice scene they never sell for less than $2k (front clip). Upper limites on the internals is around 400hp. Aluminum block, not my favorite for a turbo engine but hey. Can be had with VVT.

 

CA18DET - Predecessor of the SR20. Sr20 was a cheaper mass market version of the CA. Very strong and reliable motor. I would choose this over the Sr20 anyday. Iron block. Same swap procedure as the sr20. As good aftermarket support, at least in Nihongo.

 

Rb20DET - One f-ing bulletproof motor, much more so than the RB25. The added benefit of 2 cylinders. HUGE japanese support for these engines, legendary. Again internals tend to max at around 400hp but if I remember correctly the bottom end can take the beating and all you need is some head mods and a bigger snail. The biggest benefit of this engine?

I HAVE A SKYLINE ENGINE UNDER MY HOOD! Would you believe that this motor is cheaper than the Sr20? A good place to buy them (not the absolute cheapest though) is http://240skyline.nissanpower.com/catalog.html I've talked with the guy and he seems to know what he's talking about.

 

I would say those are in reverse order in which I would choose. Go with the RB20. you'll appreciate the added torque and sound that it makes. Easier than the KA, cheaper than the SR, better looking than the CA.

 

 

Now about the 240sx car. All my other cars I care about, take care of, and like the looks of so I don't want to scratch them. What I want is a crashable car that performs well and can be modded easily and have it's parts swap if I drift into a ditch or crash it on a trackday. That is where the 240sx comes in. Buy an S13 with a shot motor for $500, swap engine and tranny from a skyline front clip with an RB20, suspension, wheels/tires, momo wheel (gotta have the momo), two buckets, stripped interior, roll bar, and have some fun. The car as sold in the US is pretty domesticated in that it comes with the skyline/300zx rear suspension with the antisquat geometry and passive rear steering and bulletproof rear diff, but is spoiled by the KA24 motor and mushy suspension setup. So buy it, mod it, rattle can it flat black (oh yes, feared by those who know), and fling it around. Save the Z's nice new paintjob.

 

-David (did I really type all that)?

[karay240]

If you level the playing field (turbo the KA to about 200ish hp) the KA will have the most torque. Lowend torque is mainly determined by two factors--Displacement and Stroke. The KA is obviously the winner here sine it has the most displacement AND a heck of a long stroke than the RB20. Next is the SR20 since it has less cylinders, in order to make up the same displacement, it has a longer stroke and a bigger bore.

 

I'm guessing the RB20 comes in 3rd since the CA has the lowest displacement (and I'm really not in the mood to look up the stroke on each of these motors). The RB (w/ the right mods) is more of a free revving motor than the SR or especially the KA, but it definately does not have the most low end torque.

 

If you feel like I'm talking out of my butt about this "stroke thing," ask any motorcycle rider the difference b/w the inline fours and the V twins.

 

My take on swapping a JDM Nissan motor is this: Why get a heavier I-6 w/ the same displacement from a 4. The MAIN (I'm not saying only) reason ppl put the RB20 is to say "I have a Skyline motor in my car", just like thinkmonkey mentioned.

 

Choosing the motor of your choice is dependant on your goals w/ your car. If you're wanting torque, get a V-8; If you want to keep the weight down, get an I-4; If you want to maintain I-6, but want more modern than the L series, then get the skyline motor.

 

I don't really understand this facination w/ the "Skyline motor," though. . . The RB26 is a FANTASTIC motor that can handle a LOT of power, but the RB20 & 25 is no better than the VG30 or the SR. I'm not trying to sling poo, but there's just too much hype about those motors just because they are in a skyline. I've seen a lot of R32 GT-Ss w/ an SR swap b/c they wanted to eliminate the front heavyness and increase the torque.

[fl327]

Changed my mind on this issue. I would go with the sr20 for a car that sees a lot of driving, and the RB25-6 for a car that sees a limited amount of driving and the POWER. Sr because parts for them are readily available and some of the more important parts are interchangible with the non turbo sr. In a z for me Im staying with the L series Turbocharged, for old times sake.

[Hugh]

Of all the chosen engines in the original post, the SR20DET will give the most power reliably and for the least amount of weight.

 

You can't go wrong.

 

I'm going to try to keep my opinions to other responses out of this... but I will say I've raced/driven/owned/worked on many different cars with every engine in the original question. (seriously)

 

Which engine will be going into my Z? Check my signature.

 

My last motor was 395rwhp/362ftlbs with completely stock internals. No cams, porting, or anything. It did so reliably until a blown turbo ran the motor out of oil and blew it up. (I could've caught this) Point is, the SR will take a heinous beating. I put over 18 months on a stock motor at these power levels... with a lot of drag racing.

[Guest PROJECTRB240SX]

THIS IS A QUESTION OF BUDGET AND PATIENCE.....

 

I TOO HAVE DRIVEN, SWAPPED, WORKED ON, AND BUILT THOSE MOTORS IN QUESTION. I SETTLED ON A RB.

 

I'LL START SMALL TO LARGE:

CA18DET: HIGH REVVING, POWERFUL LITTLE TYKE. WITH 2L STROKER FROM THE CA20E AND THE SR20 TURBO YOU'LL HAVE MORE POWER THAN A SR, A 8500 RPM EFFECTIVE REDLINE, AND A LIGHTWEIGHT IRON MOTOR. CHEAP INITIAL INVESTMENT.

 

SR20DET: ALL ALUMINUM (GOOD AND BAD QUALITIES), LIGHTWEIGHT, DECENT POWER W/ HUGE AFTERMARKET, HAS A FEW QUIRKS THAT HAPPEN TO 80% OF THE MOTORS UNLESS YOU CATCH IT EARLY. EXPENSIVE INITIAL INVESTMENT.

 

RB20DET: INLINE 6, IRON BLOCK, COMPLETE ASSEMBLY IS ONLY 65 POUNDS HEAVIER THAN THE SR. HAS MORE POWER AND TORQUE THAN A COMPARIBLE YEAR SR20DET, INLINE 6 MAKE ALOT OF TORQUE WITH A GOOD TUNE, HAS A HIGH REDLINE STOCK (7500 - COMPUTER LIMITED) WITH A COMPUTER TUNE THE INTERNALS STOCK ARE GOOD TO OVER 8500RPMS. AFTER MARKET IS ALOMOST NIL BUT IF YOU SEARCH AND HAVE THE MONEY YOU CAN MAKE A REALLY POWERFUL BEAST. PARTS AVAILABILITY IS ALMOST NON-EXSISTANT IN THE USA. AVERAGE INITIAL INVESTMENT.

 

KA24E(DE): DECENT POWER STOCK, SMALL RPM/POWER BAND, HUGE AFTERMARKET NOW THAT THE DRIFT SCENE IS EXPLODING, WITH A GOOD TURBO AND GREAT TUNING YOU CAN HAVE OVER 500WHP (THERE IS A GUY HERE IN AZ WITH A T66 TURBO PUSHING 520WHP ON STOCK INTERNALS). CHEAPEST INITIAL INVESTMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR FREE HERE IN THE US.

 

RB25DET: GREAT POWER, SMALL RPM BAND (LIKE KA) BUT HUGE POWER BAND, DECENT FLOWING HEAD BUT NEEDS WORK, AFTERMARKET IS HUGE NOW. EXPENSIVE INITIAL INVESTMENT (SIMILAR TO SR)

 

RB26DETT: GODZILLA MOTOR, SOLID VALVETRAIN, HIGH RPM CAPABLE, HUGE POWER, HUGE AFTERMARKET, WHAT MORE IS THERE TO SAY? REALLY EXPENSIVE INITIAL INVESTMENT.

 

RB30DE(T) OR (TT): THIS IS A HYBRID OF RB MOTORS (IF YOU WANT DETAILS JUST ASK), MAKES HUGE AMOUNTS OF POWER WITH A HUGE TORQUE BAND. THIS MOTOR CAN BE SETUP TO HANDLE OVER 9K RPM BUT AFTER A BASIC BUILD YOUR GOOD TILL AROUND 7500. MAKES OVER 400HP AND 400FT-LBS WITH A GOOD T3/T4 TURBO ON A LOW BOOST SETTING OF 18PSI. EXPENSIVE TO REALLY EXPENSIVE INITAL INVESTMENT DETERMIND BY CERTAIN FACTORS.

[Guest Zcarsmakemyheadhurt]

Put a small block in it.