180sx conversion

[Spectraeon]

hopefully this will be my last noob thread for a while... I know its long, but please try and answer my questions.
also, please don't flame me for expecting too much from a small n/a engine, or wanting to put a pulsar/sunny engine in my engine bay-
I know this is possible, its just a question of time and money.
how hard would it be to get a SR16VE, harness and ECU with a SR20DE or CA18DE front clip?

will the rwd tranny fit the fwd engine, will it bolt on and wire up easily?
I want the SR16 because of its high stock redline, aftermarket support, and I know its good for n/a tuning, because the SR16VE N1 makes 197 hp while still keeping the stock 8200 rpm redline, and only raising the compression to 11.6:1 (normally 11:1), and having cams mild enough to pass smog and give a streetable idle...
if I can make a N1 clone, but with race cams, a higher redline and 13.5:1 compression I would have an awesome engine... a lot of all-motor people make a big deal about all-motor class Honda engines that are making 230-250 hp with like 2000-2400 CC (after boring and stroking)


My other choice is the CA18DE, which is a nice engine stock, but I don't know how much aftermarket is dedicated to it. I've been looking for the engines, and they're a lot harder to find than SR20s... If you're to lazy to find a SR by searching, you can always go to ebay, and pay $500 too much, and get some random ass SR that you know nothing about... anyway, the only place I could even find a CA was ebay... it was $800(for clip), which seemed like a good price, but it came w/ an auto tranny. My favorite JDM supplier, always has the widest selection and best prices on SRs and clips (venus-auto) is closed for inventory 'til the 11th...



So it pretty much boils down to this:
How much will the SR16 w/ SR20 clip cost me?
Can I get it?
Can I get racing cams that still use the VVL? I know a lot of SR20VE guys remove the VVL- could I get cams that have like 260 degrees of duration, 0.450" lift, and 30 degrees overlap before the switchover, and around 310 degrees duration, .550" lift and 110 degrees overlap after the switchover? could I get them custom made? I don't really know that much about VVL

Can the CA18 be built to high hp levels as easily as the SR16?
What are my chances of getting a destroking kit for the CA18? There wouldn't happen to be a smaller engine with a crank that will destroke the CA18? I want to add at least 1500 rpm, so I can actually make use of the powerband that racing cams and too big ports provide. I know destroking will only add about 800 or so, but I can come up with the rest.

I'm probably not going to be driving this on the road very often, but will I get pulled over for right hand drive?

I'm going to be drifting in it, until I get it built enough to start using it in road racing and drag racing... I might still use it in drifting afterwards, just think, that light of an engine, making S13 power without a turbo anyway, I'm a beginner at drifting I'm used to weight transfer, as my first car was an auto, and that was the only way to do it...(no, I'm not one of those ricers that e-brakes around a corner and calls it drifting) someone told me that the best way to learn is in a car with not very much hp, as that makes you really smooth. is that true

Thanks

[MX500]

DAMN!!! You are quite the Honda boy arent you? Go do some searching. FWD will not work with RWD transmission. High RPM= GAY Honda status. My 240 hatch has a stock rev limiter, 255,000 miles on its stock engine and BLEW THE DOORS off a "built" Civic with a "B18, CAMS, Intake, exhaust, chip... etc...etc..." Honda guys don't know shit. RPM sucks, don't let stupid things such as a retarded RPM goal stop you from using a good engine. Keep it KA or get the fawk out.


What are you talking about regarding RHD?? You can not legally register ANY RHD japanese imported vehicle in the united states. That would be stupid and makes it unsafe to drive due to being on the wrong side of the car.

I doubt you can drift, you drive a 95 civic, dont you??


Take my advice, Stay in a Honda and never post here again. If you MUST have a 240 because you think it will make your dick bigger, get a STOCK 240SX that is already beaten to shit and learn how to drift it in STOCK condition before you even begin to type another useless post on here.

FYI, I can swing my shit through third gear at ~90 MPH rear wheel speed with over 250,000 miles on my car and a slipping clutch. I use a secret thing I like to call skill. Learn how to drive a 240 to its full potential before wasting your time or anyone elses regarding pointless modifications that you think will make it better. Nissan used the KA24 for a reason.

[fonix36]

That was way to long for my mind right now sorry cant help unless you sum this shit up a lot

[Spectraeon]

Originally Posted by MX500

DAMN!!! You are quite the Honda boy arent you?... High RPM= GAY Honda status.... RPM sucks, don't let stupid things such as a retarded RPM goal stop you from using a good engine.

You can not legally register ANY RHD japanese imported vehicle in the united states.

I doubt you can drift, you drive a 95 civic, dont you??

Nissan used the KA24 for a reason.

...
First of all, I have two s13s and have been into S chassis Nissans for about 2 years, and a member of this forum for about a year. Read the title, its not a 180sx, its a 240sx converted to 180sx, including right hand drive. It still has the US vin. I won't be driving it on a daily basis, I just wanted to know if I could get away with it for small amounts of time.
Rpm sucks? maybe with a stock final drive ratio. High rpm lets you stay in lower gears longer, but you probably won't notice it unless you replace the diff with a lot lower ratio.
Yes, Nissan did use the KA for a reason. They used the SR20 and CA18 for a reason too. The 240sx was introduced to the US at a time when very few people were enthusiastic about rwd imports, so, realizing that the S-car would never be as popular in the US, they didn't put a sports car engine in it.
They saved money and put a truck engine in it. Your KA is a tq monster, and will blow the doors off of a lot of cars with I4s, and even some with I/v6s... but I hope you don't mind having almost no aftermarket.
As to the drifting, anyone can drift. I said I was a beginner, didn't I? The entire point of me building this engine was so I could have something that would beat Hondas at their own game. I'm not a fan of Honda, but I'm not going to be hating on them just because it makes me feel like more of a Nissan guy. This whole "I drift, and therefore hate all FF cars" (or all musclecars, etc.)attitude is getting really old. Grow up. This is a no-flame zone, not youtube.








I'll condense for the rest of you:

I'm looking for any aftermarket support for the CA18, specificaly destrokeing kits, and stuff to build for n/a high rev application. Don't worry about finding it for me, just tell me, is it available? The crank from a CA16 would actually lengthen the stroke, so that's already out.

I was wondering if a SR16 would go on the SR20 tranny. I know it is common to match the AWD RB26 to the RWD RB25 tranny, so I thought it would be pretty much the same principle to match a SR16 to a SR20 tranny

I was wondering if I could get away with driving a RHD car (not registering) for small amounts of time in the US. It would be mostly highway driving.

[blackrms13]

why would u say theres no aftermarket support for KAs......

plenty of supplies for the KA is out there

and KA-T > SR

FWD SR20 wont even work with the RWD SR20s....
so i duno how would u expect others to work

[Car Crazy Curry]

Read the entire thing...worst idea anyone has ever had. You really should just buy a honda and get it over with.

[dudermagee]

I has both
but seriously it sounds like your trying to recreate the wheel
just stick with the KA or do a SR swap

[Spectraeon]

Thanks for the advice.
The only aftermarket I can find for the KA is KA-T stuff and rebuilding stuff. There's like nothing for N/A power.
besides, KA is a really big engine. The main reason I'm doing a engine swap (besides the fact that I got this car w/o an engine) is so I can make power with low displacement. I'd rather have 200 hp with a ca18 than 400 hp with like a 5.0 or something
I'll stick with the CA18 because it has the high revs I like. No, I'm not even interested in a Honda. The only amazing thing about them is the valve-train, other than that, they're just average engines. A CA18 with an equivilant vlave-train would own a B18 so bad. Besides, there are a lot of S2000s in my area (only Honda I like) and they're all gaudy with loud paint jobs, neons and "look at me" body kits. I'm not really into the boy-racer thing. Yes, I know it is possible to own a Civic or a S2000 without being obnoxious, but those "street racers" really turned me off of Honda cars.

Thanks again, I'll just go with CA18... thats the best for a RHD car anyway, because it was stock in the 180sx.
(I know it was a 240sx that was converted because theres holes in the firewall for the LHD stuff. I haven't checked the VIN yet, but I'm pretty sure I can get it registered)

[abubika]

CAs arent bad but the money you put in for the extra power is kinda pointless