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Swap Guide!!!

11K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  RalphCare 
#1 ·
wussup guys...i was wondering if anyone had a full swap guide..the one from heavythrottle.com is good..but i would like something is little more detailed..(vaccum lines, hoses, label plugs... hydraulic lines etc.) please help...thanx guys
 
#2 ·
I'm not sure which one they have on HeavyThrottle, but here's one written by Jeff Holden which is pretty good....

SR20DET Engine Swap Guide
By Jeff Holden

--------------------------------------------------------

Prepare Tools, Garage & Parts

A good complete set of tools is a must for this swap. There are not a lot of
special tools required, engine hoist and stand, jacks and jack stands, some larger
metric sockets for the crank bolt and power steering line. You will need some Speedy Dry
to soak up the many fluids that will drain out on the floor. A good flat floor and
plenty of lighting is always a plus.


--------------------------------------------------------

Prepare SR Engine

Inspect and decide which motor mounts to use, KA or SR. Use whichever ones are
in better condition - they are identical. Remove the AIV assembly bolted to the
head above the turbo, and remove the pipe running down to the exhaust, which
will hit the steering column on USDM cars. Remove the lower turbo shields - these
also will hit the steering column. Inspect and replace the O2 sensor, if necessary.
Remove the old clutch and inspect the flywheel, have the flywheel turned if there
is significant scoring or roughness or distortion. Inspect the turbo and spin the
compressor by hand, look for shaft play or leaking from oil or coolant lines. Remove
the power steering pump and AC compressor.

Inspect the oil pan for dents, bang them out or replace the pan as necessary.
Thoroughly inspect and test all belt adjustment assemblies and install the alternator
belt. Check all the rubber hoses under and around the intake ? these are especially
hard to replace once the engine is installed. Install any oil pressure gauge senders
at this time, also any other gauges and control devices that will be inaccessible
once the engine is in.

On the back of the engine, the heater hoses need to be modified since the JDM
car has the heater on the opposite side. Remove the L shaped backing plate and
trim the turbo coolant rubber line to enable the bracket and line to be pushed
slightly towards the passenger side to bolt into the next bolt hole over. Attach
a U shaped heater hose to the steel outlet on the back of the engine, this will
be connected to the rest of the heater hose up near the top of the valve cover.
This cannot be done when the engine is in place due to firewall clearance ? make
sure the hose is tight and everything is secure back there.


--------------------------------------------------------
Clutch & SR Transmission Preparation

Remove the SR shifter. This could be tricky if you haven't done it before due to
the pair of C Clips holding the shifter in. Using two screwdrivers, begin prying
the upper square C ring in and up from one end, and use the screwdrivers to walk
the ring out of the channel. The lower clip will then pop out along with the shifter.

Remove the dust collar from SR transmission. The black collar is located on the
end of the transmission where the drive shaft meets the transmission. Just take
a piece of wood and a hammer and knock it off. You will not be reusing it. In
its place you have to insert the KA dust collar. Use a flat piece of wood and
tap it on. It is tight but will go on with some patience.

We always loosen and clean the gear oil filler and drain plugs. It is much
easier to get a stubborn plug out while the transmission is not installed in the car.

Replace the throw out bearing with the new one, use a large socket, piece
of wood and hammer to knock the old bearing out of the carrier and install
the new one. Be careful to not apply force to the actual bearing, only tap
on the solid center of the unit. Replace the TO bearing / Carrier assembly
back onto the input shaft, and replace the shifter fork. Make sure that the
shifter fork is in place securely, held on by the wire clips.

Using the clutch alignment tool, bolt the clutch pressure plate and disk
onto the flywheel, using proper tightening techniques. Pick up the transmission,
and install it onto the engine. A helper is good here. Attach the transmission
using the bell housing bolts, and then bolt the starter on. Connect up the starter
, alternator and oil pressure sensor wiring, and secure the lower engine harness up
and out of the way of the passenger side engine mount.


--------------------------------------------------------
Prepare Car

Here are several things to do that will make the swap easier. Start with an
almost empty fuel tank that has ONLY Premium 92 or higher octane gas in it.
If you have electric windows, put them up or down as you like before you remove
the battery. Jack up the car and remove the front wheels. Disable any alarm system,
you may want to remove it completely and make sure the car will start without
it before beginning the swap. Remove interior trim panels ? radio, under steering
column, passenger kick panel. Removing the driver?s seat gives plenty of room
to work under the dash for timer and gauges install, as well as the clutch pedal
install. Remove the front fender liners, and remove the front bumper and main
bumper core.


--------------------------------------------------------
Remove KA Engine & Transmission

This is a straightforward removal. Disconnect all hoses, wires and cables in
the engine bay, and remove the two motor mount nuts. Detach the AC compressor
(you will probably have to remove the power steering pump to do this) and
secure the compressor out of the way up by the driver?s side stock air box
location. Remove the radiator, mechanical fan, and fan shroud, and flip the
main engine harness over the fender so it is out of the way.

Remove the KA shifter, drain the gear oil out of the transmission, and remove
carrier bearing bracket and the driveshaft. Jack up the transmission and remove
the 4 cross member bolts. Detach the downpipe from the exhaust manifold, and
remove the transmission mount bracket from the cat as well. Remove the entire
exhaust and get it out of the way.

Using an engine hoist, attach the chain to the head using suitably strong bolts.
Drop the transmission using the jack, and pull the engine and transmission out
as one unit. Be careful not to damage the power steering rack lines when removing
the engine.


--------------------------------------------------------
Engine Bay Work

Now is the time to completely clean and paint the engine bay. Use a couple of
cans of good engine degreaser, and follow environmental warnings for runoff.
Rust fix, painting, and brake fluid drip fix, power steering lines removal ?
all should be done before the SR engine goes in.


--------------------------------------------------------
Auto to Manual Transmission Swap

Intimidating as this seems, the conversion from automatic transmission to
5-speed manual is not that difficult. Replace the auto brake pedal and add
the clutch pedal ? both bolt right in. Cut a hole for the Master Cylinder
and attach it to the firewall and clutch pedal, then run the hard line across
the engine bay and down to the slave cylinder. You can eliminate the ?bleeder
block? or distribution block bolted to the frame rail with no ill effects. Bolt
the slave cylinder to the transmission, and bleed the hydraulic system thoroughly.
Remove the automatic shifter, and replace the trim piece with the 5-speed version
with a boot.

Electrically, you need to disable the ignition key capture system by removing
the steering column lower cover and simply unplugging the module. In the engine
bay, one plug from the car main fusebox has two thick wires that have to be connected
for the starter to work. It is plugged into a 2-wire harness section that runs
down to the auto transmission.


--------------------------------------------------------
Install SR Engine & Transmission

Attach the hoist chain to the head properly, and lift the engine/transmission
up off the ground. Position the chain to lift at an angle with the transmission
pointing down at a 45-degree angle to ease install. A helper is beneficial here.
Move the engine into the engine bay, pushing down on the transmission end to clear
the firewall. You will have to reposition the chain several times while jockeying
the engine into the motor mount holes ? make sure you do not damage the power
steering rack lines by resting the engine on them during the chain adjustment.

A jack under the transmission will be needed to help get the engine totally
in place. Once the motor mounts are in, you can attach the transmission cross
member, bolt everything in place and remove the hoist chain. Replace the driveshaft,
fill the transmission with 2 ¾ quarts of gear oil, and reinstall the shifter,
boots and trim.


--------------------------------------------------------
Install Intercooler & Piping, BOV, Replace Bumper

Once the bumper and metal bumper core are removed, bend the horns in and
the intercooler core bolts right up with no complications using the supplied
brackets and hardware. There is a template included with the kit that details
the exact location and diameter of the hole you need to cut in the battery tray.
A large hole saw works great, if you do not have this then drill a series of
small holes in a circle and bash the center out with a hammer, then file down
the rough edges.

Most FMIC kits include several brackets and paragraphs of Japanese
instructions to relocate the windshield washer reservoir a few inches
to clear the IC pipe. We have found this to be a bit of overkill. Simply
bend the brackets and drill an attachment hole an inch farther down on the
plastic tank, and you can avoid learning to read Japanese!

IC piping is assembled with the supplied clamps and silicone couplings.
Be careful to align the hose clamps to allow access to them once the bumper
and fender liners and other parts are back on. The hot pipe with the BOV
flange attached connects between the IC pipe and the turbo outlet using supplied
clamps and couplings. Attach the BOV to the flange, attach the stock rubber
intake tube to the turbo inlet and MAFS, and use a bracket to secure the cone air
filter to the fender. Use some rubber hose to isolate any piping or other
metal-to-metal rubbing, which can lead to holes and vacuum leaks.

The bumper will have to be trimmed. Use a sharp utility knife for clean edged
cuts on the painted urethane. Test fit and keep trimming until the bumper can
be reinstalled without it applying much pressure against the intercooler
core. The size and shape of the opening created can vary with personal
preference and core design and angle.


--------------------------------------------------------
Battery

For most front mount intercoolers, the cold IC pipe goes directly through
the battery tray. Relocating the battery to the trunk is one option, we use
an SVR sealed battery turned on its side. This fits nicely between the cold
IC pipe and the windshield washer filler neck.

The stock positive terminal is a bit small for the SVR, so it was expanded
and an extra hole drilled to allow it to fit properly. These ends are fragile
and often break, so don?t be surprised if you have to buy a terminal end to
replace it. Be sure to use a good, secure battery tie down, as this is required
at most Autocross and Drag Racing events.


--------------------------------------------------------
Power Steering

If the KA engine was DOHC, the power steering bolts right on with no modifications.
If using a SOHC chassis you will need to buy the DOHC lines and reservoir to
make the power steering work.


--------------------------------------------------------
Air Conditioning

Remove the KA engine without discharging the air conditioning gas. Pull the
compressor off to the side and tie it up. You have to use the KA compressor
wire from over by the MAF NOT the SR harness one.

SOHC KA compressor requires a simple custom bracket to mount to the SR engine.
DOHC KA compressor usually bolts right on, using 2 of the 4 SR bracket bolts.
Dealer installed AC may or may not line up correctly.


--------------------------------------------------------
Exhaust

Many exhaust systems are available, we like Apexi N1 Dual and Single,
Apexi GT Spec, Bee*R and GP Sports cat-backs. Use a full 3 inch cat or
test pipe, and a 3 inch SR downpipe, smaller piping may cause power loss.


--------------------------------------------------------
Gauges & Controls

An Apexi AVC-R Boost Controller was installed. The harness must be
run through the firewall, we used the ECU harness hole to route the
wires into the engine bay, then around the back of the valve cover
and over to the side of the drivers side shock tower where the stepping
motors are mounted. The control unit is mounted just under the radio in the dash.

The Apexi Auto Turbo Timer was mounted right under the AVC-R on the dash
trim piece. The timer harness runs over to the main ignition power wires
directly under the steering column.

Apexi EL Boost and EGR gauges were mounted in a dual drivers pillar pod
from Autometer. The pod was trimmed to fit the larger Apexi gauges.
Wiring the gauges is a simple task, power, ground and illumination power
are run from the main radio harness. The EGT probe and boost line are
routed through the firewall using the throttle cable hole and up into the
pillar to the gauges. The EGT probe is installed in the exhaust manifold
before the turbo.


--------------------------------------------------------
Radiator & Electric Fan

The SR engine mechanical fan does not line up with the KA radiator shroud,
so you will need an aftermarket electric fan unless you have the JDM radiator
and shroud. Install of the KOYO radiator was simple; it is a direct replacement
for the stock unit and uses the same mounts and lower radiator hose.
The Permacool 14? electric fan was attached to the radiator using the supplied
tie-wrap type hardware that pokes through the core. The adjustable thermostat
was mounted just behind the passenger side headlight, and its temperature probe
was attached to the core. Wiring the fan / thermostat is very simple, just run
power and ground wires from the battery terminal and chassis.


--------------------------------------------------------
Engine Harness & Electrical Connections

The engine should come with a complete, uncut harness and lower engine harness
that includes the transmission sensor plugs and the starter, alternator and oil
pressure sender wiring. Common places to have the harness incorrectly cut are
where it runs into the firewall to the ECU, and right at the back of the valve
cover, keeping the injector and plug harness, but usually missing the ECU, MAFS,
igniter chip and their wires.

There are 3 plugs on the end of the KA and SR harnesses that run up behind
the stock battery location. Although the plugs do initially snap together,
the wires do not line up and you have to cut 2 of the plugs off and connect
the wires using the table below. Cut the 2 main KA plugs off the KA harness
and splice them onto the SR harness.


SR Wire Color.........Use.........KA Wire Color
--------------------------------------------------------

Black / Pink stripe........ Fuel Pump Relay..... Black / Pink stripe
Green / Orange stripe...... Transmission Neutral Sensor...... Green / Orange stripe
Red / Black stripe......... ECU Relay Red / Black stripe.....
Green / Yellow stripe...... AC Relay Green / Yellow stripe.....
Red.............. ECU Backup Power........ Red
Black / Red & Blue / Red (Note: connect 2 wires to 1)... Main Ignition Power........ Black / Red stripe
Black / White stripe....... ECU Power.... Black / White stripe
Blue / Green stripe........ AC Relay.... Blue / Green stripe
Black / Yellow stripe...... Idle Air Control Valve Power..... Black / Yellow stripe
Brown (to O2 sensor)....... O2 Sensor Power...... Any 12v switched source

The MAFS and power steering sensor wires need to make it over to the front driver's
side of the engine compartment, use the MAFS and PS wires from the KA harness to
extend these wires.

The AC compressor wire from the KA engine bay harness should be used NOT the SR
harness AC wire (even though it fits). The starter and alternator plugs to the
fuse box are all the same and plug right in. There are several unused and leftover
harness plugs, anything not mentioned here does not need to be connected.


--------------------------------------------------------
ECU & Dash wiring

The colors on the wires that run from the ECU up into the dash matched up perfectly
on both the SR ECU harness and the KA dash harness:

Wire Color................. Use
------------------------------------
Yellow / Red stripe........ Tachometer signal
Yellow / Green stripe...... Speedometer signal
Orange........................ Ignition start
Black........................... Ground
Blue / Green stripe........ AC signal
Blue / Black stripe........ Water temp signal


On the KA, the rest of the wires are listed in the KA FSM as going to the
'check connector'. It is not necessary to connect any other wires to get the
SR to run properly.

The Apexi turbo timer is connected to the O2 sensor wire at the ECU to provide
auto countdown functions. The Apexi AVC-R is also attached to the ECU harness
for tachometer signal, speed signal, and throttle position. Apexi products come
with a very good ECU pinout diagram that is extremely useful.

Remove the brackets from the SR ECU to make it easier to mount.


--------------------------------------------------------
Fuel System & Vacuum lines

The SR20DET uses 370cc / min side feed injectors. Apexi makes 550cc and 740cc
injectors for the SR that drop right in. The project car is now using Apexi 550cc
injectors in the stock fuel rail with the JWT tuned ECU. Use hi pressure fuel
injection lines and good clamps with a new fuel filter to ensure reliability. When
attaching the fuel lines, do not mix them up or the engine will not run right. The
fuel pressure regulator end of the fuel rail is the return side; do not attach it
to the fuel filter, which is the supply.

The Walbro hi pressure fuel pump is installed through the trunk. Lift up the
carpeting and remove the 2 access covers and unplug the wiring harness. Remove
the fuel pump / fuel level assembly from the tank, being careful to not drop dirt
or the O-ring in the tank. Rotate the assembly around to make the level gauge float
line up. Sometimes the float has to be bent a little to get the assembly out of the
tank.

Move to the bench, and remove the old pump body and hoses. The Walbro pump
comes with a new pickup sock and hoses and clamps, so the switchover is
straightforward. Replace the assembly back into the tank. You may have to cut
a small piece out of the O-ring to make it fit properly ? it seems to expand
and is too big unless this is done.

The vacuum lines are simple: 3 lines start at the throttle body. The bottom
one goes to the canister, block it off unless you are using the canister. The
larger one on top runs to the bypass valve (BOV). The smaller top line tees to
the fuel pressure regulator, and runs across the front of the engine to your
boost gauge and/or the boost pressure port on your boost controller.

The wastegate gets its signal from the nipple on the intercooler piping.
The Apexi boost controller stepping motors go in between the IC piping and
the wastegate actuator.


--------------------------------------------------------
Startup, Testing, and Timing

Fill the engine with oil, coolant, fill the power steering reservoir,
and connect the battery. Install the power steering and AC compressor belts.
Disconnect the Crank Angle Sensor plug to prevent the coil packs from firing
to allow oil circulation before the engine is started. Crank the engine over,
20 seconds at a time, 3-5 times, pausing between cranks, until the oil pressure
warning light in the dash goes out. If it doesn?t go out after a reasonable
amount of time, you can start the engine but be very careful ? if the light stays
off, shut the engine off and you will have to prime the oil pump manually by
pouring oil into the lower turbo oil line hole in the block. This usually works
to get a no oil pressure situation fixed.

Once the engine starts and runs the idle should settle down very quickly if
all the wiring is correct. Let it idle for a minute and then shut it off. Check oil,
coolant, look for leaks in heater, radiator and fuel lines. Start it back up and
set the timing to 16 degrees using a spark plug wire on the 1st cylinder. Dust
and oil from transport will burn off the engine for a while. Time for a test drive!


--------------------------------------------------------
Big Brake Upgrade

The 300ZX Brembo rotors swap on easily, as do the Z32 26mm Aluminum calipers
fitted to the project car. The 26mm calipers will clear the stock 7 spoke alloy rims.
Stainless steel custom lines are a bit harder to install, but no surprises here.
Bleed the system and you have a reliable way to repeatedly stop from 100mph without
brake fade.


--------------------------------------------------------
Common Mistakes

Here are some of the most common problems:

Problem............................. Check
Low Oil Pressure / Oil starvation....Check the oil pan for dents before starting your engine.
No Oil Pressure / Oil pump frozen.... Manually prime the pump thru the turbo oil line into the block if you don't get immediate oil pressure.
Fuel pump not coming on.............. Plugs by Battery wired incorrectly, they plug in but won't work without rewiring. Should run for 3 seconds then stop if flywheel not moving.
Cranks, has fuel but won't catch / start at all........ Main ignition power wiring by battery or ECU incorrect.
Odd electrical behavior in dash, interior lights....... ECU plug not tightened all the way down. This causes all kinds of weird different problems.
Cranks, catches but won?t run........ Crank Angle Sensor 180 degrees off. The shiny link on the timing chain can be hard to see.
Runs OK, but no power....... Timing way off.
Drivable but can?t give more than 20% throttle......... Leak in intercooler piping, even a small leak will make the car sputter and buck with any significant throttle.
Idles OK, but can?t rev past 2500 rpm......... MAFS or MAFS wiring problem.
 
#3 ·
Here's another one that I found. I'm not sure who wrote this one. *Please Note - I am not the authors of these 2 write-ups...*

There are allot of posts in this forum asking pretty common and basic questions about
SR20DET engines/swaps. Just like some of you get tired of searching the posts, some of
us get tired of repeating ourselves all the time, but still want you all to be as informed
as possible. So as requested, I am posting up this FAQ and hopefully it will answer a lot
of the common questions you have. I also am giving some general “approach” advice based
on my own and others’ experience. This is not supposed to be be an all encompassing
manifesto of SR engines, it’s just a rough guide. I am far from the most knowledgeable
individual on this subject, but I did my best to be thorough, and I encourage anyone to
make constructive additions to this thread. It may seem like there is a lot of long boring
stuff in here, but I assure you it’s all very important so you don’t waste time or
money or end up with a car you don’t like, or crashed or hurt or killed. I took the
time the write it because I want you all to be safe, dedicated, and respectable
motorists/racers/tuners/mechanics/enthusiasts, so you should take the time to read it.
I hope this helps you guys!

So you have decided you want an SR20DET. Hopefully you have reached this decision by
assessing what you general goals are as a driver, and are at least somewhat familiar
with all the basic automotive systems, terminology, technology, etc. Assuming these
to be true, congratulations! Here are a few of the factors you should consider while
making decisions about your SR:

-What are you going to be using the car for primarily? drift, drag, commuting, auto-x,
road race, show, etc. Spend, build and tune accordingly. Every part serves a specific
purpose, so get what you NEED and will USE.
-What are your main criteria for this type of use? Horsepower, low end vs. high end hp,
keeping your engine cool, flexibility, etc.
-Do you have another reliable means of transportation? Second car, parent’s cars, don’t
even really need a car, etc.
-How much money do you have to spend on your SR swap alone as of today? Will you have
more money flowing in over time? If you are reading this with $900 you’ve saved over
a year and can barely make rent this month, don’t give up, because in time you will get
the right thing for you if you’re patient and work hard.
-How much time and money will you have a month to maintain and tune your engine, spend
on insurance and gas, deal with emergencies? Again, if you are serious, you will be
willing to make some sacrifices to meet your wants and needs.
-How knowledgeable and experienced are you as a mechanic? How comfortable are you
working on your own car? How familiar are you with the car this engine is going into?

Remember, you are switching to a completely different engine. This should go without saying,
but make sure that the rest of your car is going to be able to live up to what your car is
going to be like after the swap. This means brakes, suspension, tires, etc. Not just
“yeah yo I have springs and rims” but are your bushings/links/arms all in good shape?
They don’t all have to be upgraded, just safe and reliable and suited to your driving
needs. If you fall short in any of these areas, administer to them first.

Getting your new engine running well is priority #1. NOT DROPPING IN A FULLY RACE TUNED
400HP ENGINE! Don’t go all out buying all sorts of power upgrades yet. The bolt on stuff
(intake, fmic, exhaust. Etc) is great though.. Upgrading too much at once along with
your swap will not only increase downtime and costs of the swap, but also can make
troubleshooting a nightmare, as well as magnify the extent of what could have been
minor damage on what could have been an easily fixed stock engine. Make sure it’s
good and reliable first, then you can upgrade over time to your heart’s desire.

Next, choose an SR engine that best suits your needs and budget. People have different
reasons for choosing which SR they get. Most people opt for the S13 red and blacktops
because they are cheaper and after the same amount of modification, put out about the
same power as the S14 and S15 SRs. I chose an S14 SR for the reasons that I don’t need
more than the stock turbo, and the ball bearing T28 is perfect for me, plus I got it
for a decent price in extremely good condition. Some people don’t like the S14 and S15s
low head port design, but there has been absolutely no good proof that this interferes
with making good power. S14 and S15 Silvias making tremendous amounts of power are all
over Japan and Australia, and I personally consider this issue to be of little practical
significance. The same goes for the S14 and S15’s VTC, or variable valve timing.
Supposedly this can be a nuisance when making over 400hp. Aside from these factors
and the difference in the type of turbine; S13, s14 and S15 are pretty much the same.
The S15 SR has VTC in both intake and exhaust. The VTC doesn’t make any more power in
case you were wondering.

The specs for the different generations of engines can be found in the FAQ section here:
(I don’t want to list everything, make a few clicks yourself) www.heavythrottle.com

Now that you know which engine you want, make sure you buy it from a good supplier.
EBay does NOT fit this category, no matter how tempting. Any of the good shops are
well enough established that they have enough demand without having to resort to eBay.
Besides ensuring that you get a clean, high quality, complete engine set, and good
support/customer service, you will also be returning support to some of the people
who made it possible to get these engines and parts over here so easily and truly
live for this stuff, not just out to get a buck. The main ones I recommend are:
Heavy Throttle, Phase2, Enjuku, JSpec, and several other local regional tuning
shops like Secret Services, etc. I am not going to go into this as there is too
many to discuss.

Okay, that being said, here are some of the basic minimum things you will need and
should definitely do along with your swap.

Fuel pump: Some people will argue “your stock fuel pump is okay up to X amount of
boost so don’t waste you money on it.” This is just plain dumb! Think about it.
Sure, it can flow at such and such rate, but chances are it’s already had some
good use on it, and using anything at the peak of its capacity is a great way to
ensure that things will go wrong. You’re not Gilligan trying to get the Minnow barely
running to get off the island; you are going out of your way to swap in a high
performance engine to drive hard, not barely hobble along with no margin for safety.
Do you drive your car all over town all day, constantly at redline? Of course not,
so don’t treat any other system in your car that way. ~$120<

Mounts: You just dropped in a sweet turbocharged engine, take it out for a drive,
and your engine moves around, reducing the power you can put down, potentially damaging
other parts, and now you have to pull the whole darn thing out again because you were
too cheap and lazy to make sure your mounts were good. You deserve it. Make sure your
engine and transmission mounts are in good shape, and maybe even upgrade to stiffer
ones like Nismo, Kazama, Cusco, etc.

Spark plugs: you already know you need the replace these with your swap. Get the right
heat range and your engine will love you. ~$25<

Intake: It’s not all that important what brand, just that it cleans well and helps
your car breathe better. Generic K&N cone is fine. ~$50<

Downpipe: Most likely you will need this anyway, as many clips/motorsets do not include
the stock one. In conjunction with a large diameter exhaust, it will increase hp, and
improve turbo response. ~$120<

Intercooler: hopefully your engine came with the stock one. If not, it’s a good excuse
to upgrade to a front mount unit. You will need to upgrade over the side mount anyway
if you are boosting over 10psi, or you will be risking detonation due to high intake
temperatures. The Japanese FMIC kits are very nice, but are also very expensive, and
are a huge leap above the stock one. Most of the time, you will never need a core that
big, as they are good up to 4-500hp. Keep in mind FMIC kits require you to switch to
a smaller battery or relocate your stock one. ~$400<

Exhaust: Pretty much a necessity. Your car will run with a stock exhaust, but it will
suck. You got this engine to make your car run well, right? You’re better off having
this on you car when it’s N/A than having a restricting little pipe on your turbo car,
so get this whenever you can. ~$400<

Oil pan: make sure your new engine’s oil pan is in good shape. Otherwise you may
deprive your engine of oil, and that’s never a good thing. If not, or you just
want more capacity and ground clearance, upgrade to an aftermarket one.

Clutch: One of the best upgrades you can do for your driving pleasure. Don’t rely
on the one that came with your engine to be any good. And no better time to do it
than while the transmission is out of the car. Select according to you needs. ~$300<


Fuel filter: Keep that high octane flowing smooth and clean. 300zxtt/Z32 is logical
and economical. Cheap goodie =)

Cooling: SRs can produce a lot of heat. It’s a good idea to upgrade your radiator,
cap, fan, and even thermostat. Not always necessary to do all of them by any means.
See what you need, just be nice to your engine in the meantime.

BOV: These can be seriously overrated and are a matter of preference. Atmospheric
or recirculated, you should give compressed air someplace to go when your throttle
body shuts. You can source these from other vehicles, use stock one, get kits, weld on,
or whatever. That’s a whole other topic though.

Boost gauge: Even with stock boost, it’s good to be able to check your boost levels
for spikes, over boost, creep, etc. Having peak hold and warning features is ideal
but not necessary. Vacuum reading is good too, so you can fully see your throttle
response, even before you start building boost. ~$100<

Water pump: It is always a good idea to replace your water pump, regardless of how
new or low mileage your engine is. The reason for this is the seals in the front
can go bad, causing it to leak, and leaking coolant is not good. I replaced mine
and my engine only had 35k miles on it. But who knows how long it sat around.
Better safe than sorry. <$130

Wiring harness: unless you did the dumb thing and disregarded everyone’s advice
to get it from a reputable source, you should have a complete, uncut wiring
harness. Wiring these is not necessarily all that hard if you are familiar
with wiring, but S13 vs. S14 vs. S15, A/C, ABS, accessories, etc. can make this
a hassle. Unless you are confident in automotive wiring, leave this to a
professional. There are plenty of places/people who will splice/convert your
harness for a reasonable fee ~$350

Now that you have a healthy, strong SR installed and running in your car, you will
naturally want to upgrade things. The next steps to take are:
Boost controller
EGT and or A/F gauge
Engine or just fuel management
Larger injectors
Larger MAF
Rocker Arm Stopper-(especially for you revaholic drifters)
Valve Springs -ditto
Head gasket if you plan on upgrading your turbo
Cams
Turbo upgrades
Surge tank or intake manifold
Pulleys
Rebuilt internals, stoker kits, etc.
And on and on. Use your imagination to achieve the results you want.
 
#7 ·
DE240sx said:
And, if you've never done a swap before, you may want to look into purchasing this movie guide:

http://store.driftingshop.com/sh180sswandm.html
the guy who made that video is mike kent. He has a nice sr-240..

i helped him a little on his car during a weekend about a year ago.


he gave me a dvd of his swap video (the one in the URL)... but it doesnt work after a certain point in the dvd.
it just stops, and doesnt fast forward.. and doesnt even have a menu to select scenes.

oh well, it was free.. and we had pizza and beer :)

its a pretty good hands on video though. i recommend it from what i've watched.
 
#8 ·
DE240sx said:
And, if you've never done a swap before, you may want to look into purchasing this movie guide:

http://store.driftingshop.com/sh180sswandm.html
the guy who made that video is mike kent. He has a nice sr-240..

i helped him a little on his car during a weekend about a year ago.


he gave me a dvd of his swap video (the one in the URL)... but it doesnt work after a certain point in the dvd.
it just stops, and doesnt fast forward.. and doesnt even have a menu to select scenes.

oh well, it was free.. and we had pizza and beer :)

its a pretty good hands on video though. i recommend it from what i've watched.
 
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