sr20 or no?: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Aug. 23, 2009 1:56 p.m. krob749 None

Hi, I am new to the forum so please keep that in mind. Yesterday while commuting to work in my 1991 Nissan 240 SX(all stock.). My stock motor blew. Now i am faced with the decision of purchasing another 240 off of ebay, craigslist, classifieds ect. and swapping out parts to make a running model again or i have been trying to get information on the SR20DET motor. My question to you all is, what would you do? I have the money for the motor saved up, but i am: A college student, full time employed, living at home with parents, and this vehicle was my daily driver. Currently i am using a parents vehicle so i do have transportation.

What are some reliable sources for the engine? Will i need a new wiring harness? Will i need to modify anything in the engine compartment?

My dad is a mechanic and has offered to do it for me for nothing, but i have to do the research on my own and bring him all the necessary parts.
Aug. 23, 2009 2:06 p.m. Salanis UltraDork

Welcome to the board!

If you don't live in California (where it isn't smog legal), I would do it.

Moronic drifters who attach everything with zipties drop SR20 engines in their cars. It's really supposed to be very simple, and gives you a much better engine. A guy with half a brain and a dad who is a mechanic to help him shouldn't have any real trouble.

Plus, it will be good bonding experience with your father.
Aug. 23, 2009 2:08 p.m. krob749 New Reader

Thank you! Currently i am located in Kansas and no, my dad would flip a bitch if I even tried to pull that one... do you know where a reliable place would be to get the engine?
Aug. 23, 2009 2:10 p.m. 4cylndrfury Dork

depending on whats wrong with the motor you have now ("blew" is a relatively generic term) theres any combination of issues to deal with...if its simply a head gasket or any other seal issue, unless you overheated dramatically, it may only be a few hundred to fix depending on your skills. IF youre going to need a lot of parts, look at scrap yards - The SR20 was not only in the 240s but also sentra SERs, the NX line, and Infiniti G20s...those are all FWD, but most of the guts match. Finding a new SR20DE in RWD trim may be a bit of a hassle given the drift tax that has been placed on that chassis, but its not entirely a lost cause. Search enthusiast forums for the for sale sections. A lot have complete or mostly complete engines for sale...

www.SR20forum.com www.G20.net www.sr20-forum.com www.b15sentra.net
Aug. 23, 2009 2:15 p.m. thatsnowinnebago HalfDork

I don't think the SR20DET ever came in a car in america. The SE-Rs, NXs, G20s, etc. all have the non turbo version.
Aug. 23, 2009 2:34 p.m. 4cylndrfury Dork

thatsnowinnebago wrote:

I don't think the SR20DET ever came in a car in america. The SE-Rs, NXs, G20s, etc. all have the non turbo version.

correct, but the internals are all forged and really its just a matter of a few bolt ons and youre ready to go. You can even run ~2lbs of boost without having to modify your ECU, just manually retard the timing a bit and run 93 octane. not too bad for HP on the cheap
Aug. 23, 2009 3:24 p.m. Appleseed HalfDork

I've read that you need to be careful with the oil pan. Its very close to the pick up and, in the very careful manor the importers deliver things, can be dented enough to cause oil starvation.
Aug. 23, 2009 4:22 p.m. thatsnowinnebago HalfDork

4cylndrfury wrote:

thatsnowinnebago wrote:

I don't think the SR20DET ever came in a car in america. The SE-Rs, NXs, G20s, etc. all have the non turbo version.

correct, but the internals are all forged and really its just a matter of a few bolt ons and youre ready to go. You can even run ~2lbs of boost without having to modify your ECU, just manually retard the timing a bit and run 93 octane. not too bad for HP on the cheap

Really? Learn something new everyday
Aug. 23, 2009 5:02 p.m. RexSeven HalfDork

This is a bit dated, but should give you an idea of what's involved:

http://www.modified.com/tech/0205scc_s13_nissan_silvia/index.html
Aug. 23, 2009 5:19 p.m. Taiden Reader

You can find another KA24DE for cheap. A lot of wannabe drifters swap them out for the SR20DET and just have the KA sitting around in the garage.

If you put a KA in you will get the experience from an engine swap without any hassle. After that buy a cheap engine stand and tear your motor apart. Determine if it is rebuildable. If you want to go turbo later, rebuild it with some rods and ARP hardware along with anything else you might need and swap the freshened motor in.

That's what I would do in your position anyway. I've seen perfect condition 95+ KA24DE motors go for ~$100. Some people will even give them to you for free.
Aug. 23, 2009 5:44 p.m. ReverendDexter HalfDork

I'd stay away from the FWD motors. Talking to people that've done the swap, they've said that the FWD motors don't work. I don't remember the specifics, but I think the blocks are actually different for the different motor mount configurations.

I do know that it's slightly more involved than swapping the motor and ECU, though. I believe that you need the tach, if not the whole cluster, from an SR20 car.

Considering the number of broke-ass drifters than manage to pull this swap off, I can't imagine that the motors are all that expensive.

+1 for the KA motors being cheap. That's honestly the route I'd take.
Aug. 23, 2009 6:48 p.m. ww SuperDork

In answer to the original poster's question... I say no. Skip the SR20DET.

Find a cheap/free replacement KA and rebuild your own. You can also turbo the KA motor and have torque before your turbo spools.
Aug. 23, 2009 9:46 p.m. wbr911

if you do go with the swap I would get a front clip from japan. this way you have all the parts to swap over its not a bad swap to do the american car are made the same just came with the ka. You could even swap it to a right hand drive
Aug. 23, 2009 10:22 p.m. RexSeven HalfDork

If you do the swap, then +1 for a front clip if you can afford it, -1 for the RHD conversion.

Like wbr911 said, you get all the required parts for the swap in one convenient package. The two questions then become how much you can afford and whether to get the Silvia (fixed headlights) or 180SX (pop-up headlights) front clip. The S13 Silvia front end weighs about 20lb. less than the 240SX/180SX front ends, you can replace the "Silvia" center bar with a grille for extra cooling, and IMHO it looks better, esp. on the hatch. However, if your Silvia fascia gets damaged, replacement parts will be pricey. Hang on to your stock fascia if you go this route. Also, since you own a 1991 car, there's less work involved in an SR20 swap than with the 89-90 cars and some of the KA24DE parts are compatible, so take that into account when weighing engine alone or front clip.

I'd skip S14/S15 front clips altogether. Too pricey up front, too much trouble to do a fascia swap, and S15 motors, while more powerful up front, are more expensive to mod than S13/S14 motors (IIRC, something to do with the turbo being cast into the exhaust manifold?).

As for doing a RHD conversion, I think it's too much trouble for something that won't impress anyone besides JDM fanbois and those who've never seen RHD cars before.
Aug. 24, 2009 2:27 p.m. cwh Dork

Steering wheel on wrong side= total bitch in traffic. If you intend on driving the car, fugeddabout it. I will also chime in on +5 on replacing with another KA24 motor. They may not be as erotic as the SR20, but they are a solid, torquey, engine, and with a turbo can make serious power without much money. You're just getting started here, don't bite off too much this time. Learn a bit, then go crazy. We'll help. Especially with the crazy part. While the answer this time might not be Miata, it could be LSx.
Aug. 24, 2009 3:18 p.m. pres589 Reader

There are yards that give short period warranties on engines they sell, a KA24DE should be cheap and plentiful. If this is something that shouldn't be a drawn out process, make it simple on everyone involved, and replace the stock engine with a similar part.

Then take the old one apart on a stand in your free time, find out what went wrong, and if you are interested in more power, you could use that as a starting point for a few different paths.

What part of KS are you in? I'm located in Wichita, I'm just curious.
Aug. 24, 2009 9:57 p.m. grinch77 Reader

1.A FWD SR will not bolt up to a RWD tranny with out alot of work to where it's just pointless. 2.The DE and DET do not have the same internals totally different compression ratios and head design. 3.Just rebuild the KA and turbo it it will be cheaper in the long run and KA's are pretty stout little motors they can take a fair amount of abuse plus you can pick them up for dirt cheap since every one wants a DET.