im thinking boost designs is a better deal, but they are a shitty company. phatka-t really only gives you a head with a decking and a 3 angle valve job for another 1,5K.

 

When I got my valve seats opened up, my machinist told me there wasn't even room in the head for a three angle so he had to just cut them wider.

As far as prices go I got my head decked, my valve seats opened, my head clearanced for a bigger cam, half my valve guides replaced, and the whole thing tanked for around $500, and hes a very talented machinist...he worked for a local nissan dealer, so, call around to dealers and local machine shops to get pricing, I also know that napa does decent machine shop work at reasonable prices.

 

http://www.tophatperformance.com/service.html

 

Thanks 14.5

 

Anybody else bulid KA's? it can be both DE and E

 

Your basic machine shop can do it, just buy the pistons rods. :thumbsup

 

DIY is the best way with a KA-T.....BUT....

http://www.abacusracing.com/

They have a 230HP SOHC N/A 240sx they race (road race) And one of the guys who did a lot of the work to the record holder for power in a KA-T (With Ivan at Phat ka-t) now works at abacus racing...(His name is forrest and he's a genius......!!!!)

 

http://www.handcraftedracing.com/engines.html built to your specs. i am having some head work being done there. very good prices and they are a sponsor of www.ka-t.org

 

i think thats great that they offer rebuilt sohc. you probably would've paid as much buyin parts to rebuild your sohc than just getting a rebuilt sohc.

 

$700 for a bareblock? thats no internals or anything right, just cleaned/prepped an what not? $2800 seems a little expensive for a sohc longblock, but thats just my opinion.. im for sure these guys do some awesome work tho!!

 

As a small business owner myself, I hope that PJ can get BoostDesigns back up on it's feet and repair it's reputation...with that being said, I will never do business with him or BoostDesigns again.

I had my built KA completed by Top Hat...put on your shades, my valve cover will blind you:

The pic was taken just after the motor was mounted in the engine bay, prior to completing the turbo kit installation. I've had the car about a month or so now and I've put about 750 miles on the new motor. The car drives great and pulls hard...only problem is PJ included the 1 Bar spring in my wastegate. And I'm starting my Stage I system out by running a 12:1 FMU. So, I really can't get hard on the throttle at the moment because if I don't watch it, I'm at 8 PSI in a hurry...I haven't even been able to hit a WOT yet. :tears

I'm data logging my driving sessions by way of a Innovate LM1 Wideband O2 w/ Auxbox...A/F ratios are staying on the rich side, even when I accidentally hit 10+ PSI a couple of times by accident. I've got a 0.4 Bar WG spring on it's way so I can run safely until I upgrade the fuel system in a couple months or so.

The guys at Top Hat will bend over backwards for you...so I would recommend them if you're looking for a quality crate motor at a reasonable price.

 

Here's the crate engine info from Barnettpandd.com


Included with all motors are CP Pistons, Crower Rods, ARP Head and Main Seals, Cometic Head Gasket and 3-Angle Valve Job


CA18DET $1750 (without manifold and turbo)

+$225 for a stainless steel tublar manifold with T2 Flange
Choice of Turbo
+$925 GT28RS or +$1100 2871R

KA24DET $2700 (without manifold and turbo

+$225 for a stainless steel tublar manifold with T2 or T3** Flange

Choice of Turbo
+$1100 GT2871R (T2 Flange)
+$1175 GT30R (T3 Flange)

SR20DET(Redtop) $2500 (without manifold and turbo)

+$225 for a stainless steel tublar manifold with T2 or T3** Flange

Choice of Turbo
+$1100 GT2871R (T2 Flange)

+$1175 GT30R (T3 Flange)


**T3 Flange will need external wastegate Tial 38mm $275

 

I take it this place doesn't exist anymore.

 

savatoge, did you do the swap yourself after buying the motor? I'm thinking about buying a crate motor, but I think it would be cheaper to buy the parts myself and get a machine shop to do the stuff I can't. Did you go with the stock rods, or upgrade them to? I'm curious about your setup. Also, where are you located? I'd be interested to see the motor in person.

 

swwifty,
Top Hat pulled my original motor and replaced it with one of their crate motors. The crate motor was assembled exactly as described on Top Hat's website here:
http://www.tophatperformance.com/cratemotors.html
I also got my downpipe coated with "turbo black" by a local shop that does exhausts for drag and funny cars. And I added an inconel heat shield from atpwrap.com to the turbine housing.
Your profile information indicates that you're in the Atlanta area. My car will be at Top Hat tomorrow for a 1,000 mile check-up on the motor. Conyers isn't too far down I-20 from Atlanta...stop and by and check it out if you'd like. We're also going to fab up an alternate MAF intake tube into the turbo, as I want to replace the shroom filter that came with the kit with a larger K&N unit.

If you purchase all of the components yourself and then have a local machine shop do the steps that you don't have the resources to complete, then you can probably save some money, however, it will obviously take more time to do so (time which I didn't have).

 

swwifty,
Top Hat pulled my original motor and replaced it with one of their crate motors. The crate motor was assembled exactly as described on Top Hat's website here:
http://www.tophatperformance.com/cratemotors.html
I also got my downpipe coated with "turbo black" by a local shop that does exhausts for drag and funny cars. And I added an inconel heat shield from atpwrap.com to the turbine housing.
Your profile information indicates that you're in the Atlanta area. My car will be at Top Hat tomorrow for a 1,000 mile check-up on the motor. Conyers isn't too far down I-20 from Atlanta...stop and by and check it out if you'd like. We're also going to fab up an alternate MAF intake tube into the turbo, as I want to replace the shroom filter that came with the kit with a larger K&N unit.

If you purchase all of the components yourself and then have a local machine shop do the steps that you don't have the resources to complete, then you can probably save some money, however, it will obviously take more time to do so (time which I didn't have).

interesting, well I would come down, but I don't have time today to do that. I've been trying to decide between rebuilding the motor myself or buying a crate motor. I guess I need to price it out, and find out!

 

I think someone should sticky this, it's good info...

 

^^^what he said :rockon

 

bump good find

 

i'll sticky it, just don't flood the thread with useless posts please. Thanx

 

build your own

hey whats up?
I was 240cation a long time ago I guess my reg expired.
I own a 1995 240s turbo setup which I love, Man I have a ton of upgrades , If you need some help ask and i will oblige .

 

i thought that 298 KA was for the NISMO frontier?

ps; i totally want that in my s13

 

www.nomadperformance.com

We do cryo treated and fully built ka's as well as most other RWD USDM Nissan engines......

An entire cryotreated KA (Block, head, internals, etc....) is about 600 plus shipping and we will have them in stock in a month or so.....We also have cryo treated parts in stock as well as services to have your turbo cryotreated and some forged pistons and rods....Cams are in the works for turbo kae-t's......We also have a turbo setup comming in fall to winter (possibly releasing in spring) for the kae-t and we will have a high compression kit for the ka24de as well as the ka24e.....No dyno numbers as of yet but check us out we're up and comming and have some of the best minds in the automotive buissness working with us such as 300below.com and swaintech.com and coatings of virginia shot peening parts as well.....

We specialize in the KA's but we also have much lover for SR's, CA's, RB's and VG's.......

Also in stock in a few months will be complete ported and polished heads with over sized valves for the DE and a complete valvetrain rework of the ka24e...

 

Just wanted to follow up on my previous replies...

Top Hat has updated their website with some photos of their KA-T installs. They have included some pretty good photos of my engine bay, just to give you an idea of how clean their installs are:

http://www.tophatperformance.com/katswaps.html

The current setup shown is my stage 1 setup...just to get things rolling. Stage 2 will include a complete fuel system upgrade, engine management upgrade, and V-mount intercooler/radiator configuration.

 

Anyone ever bought a motor from boost designs? I am not sure I would, but you never know. I wonder what pistons they use for a 94mm bore, that seems pretty large for our motors.

 

Anyone try www.flatlanderracing.com?

 

Savatoge, how much money did the complete swap cost (motor, install, and turbo parts required that didn't come with the crate motor)?