I am also doing research like you. I have my car already but I am researching and saving up for my swap.

I have seen that most people have less problems when they swap an engine out from a front clip. You will have all associated hardware there, unlike when you purchase a motor and trans alone.

I don't think you will have more problems than anyone who is modding their cars. I think we all run into trouble. I am just working my suspension and I keep finding problems.

I think you should be alright if you get a front clip that is in good condition and from reputable source.

It seems that getting parts for the SR is getting easier with everyone doing so many swaps and so many shops support the parts.

You are also in California, I don't think you will have any trouble finding a shop that will do the swap for you and support your ride after the work is done.

 

One of my best buds here in my home town has a 200SX SER with a SR20DET motor in it. To my knowledge from what he has told me... The only problems he has had is... during shipping his fuel rail was crushed, he has had I think 2 broken axles, and has gone threw a clutch because of the extra power in the car. Hope this helps out some.

 

O yea I forgot to mention... This is his daily driver and race car. But his daily drive is about 45 min. a day to get to work down the interstate. So who knows? That might have a lil to do with it. But his car is fast as hell tho! So I say it's worth it. That's why I'm saving up my money to do a S14 or S15 Silvia motor swap.

 

If it is installed properly and maintained well then it will be just as reliable as the KA was (in that they were both Nissan motors). However, whenever you mod any motor your reliability goes down but your performance goes up. Its a trade off. StanBo made a good point. If you bought a front clip and ran completely stock then you would have an engine that would run for 100+ thousand miles. But if you dont change the oil, overheat the motor, etc. then it may not last long at all. To give you an example of a modified motor that ran strong for an extended period of time i would like to bring up Derek Greasers car. He has a SR with a HKS GT3037 on it and ran it with stock internals for 2 years. He ran at the track every other weekend ( 12.2 1/4 mile) for this whole period of time. The motor was still running strong when he took it apart for a full engine build. Since then he ran a 11.4 but had some problems with the motor. Like i said, the more you modify, the more problems you will experience.

I am done blabbing.

-Aubrey

 

I would also watch out for builds that you see in magazines. I have many co-workers that are car guys. One of which is a Mopar man. He had a muscle car it was a Charger if I am correct. He bought it stock and worked it according to a buildup article than ran in a magazine.

He always warns me that the car ran fast and hard but was a maintenance pig. He changed plugs, oil and filters monthly. He is now looking for a convertible where he will install a crate motor and run it stock.

There is going to be a point you hit where you will have to stop to keep the car streetable or continue and keep it a track car.

When I do my swap my upgrades will not be for raw horsepower. They will all be protective mods. Everything will be done to keep the horsepower where it is stock. My goal is a lowly 270 to the wheels. I just want that car as bulletproof as I can get it.

 

I agree with StanBo, reliability depends on how far you modify it. I'm running 12 psi boost, and several mods. I've put over 10,000 miles on my engine since I've gotten it installed in February, took it on several long road trips, haven't had one mechanical problem. I keep my oil and filter changed often. Then bottom end is supposed to handle in the 450hp range quite easily, so if you stay under that range, and keep it well maintained, problems should really be at a minimum. I've had some electrical problems, but nothing mechanical so far.

 

Also, with a decent amount of horsepower, you're going to be excited enough when you drive the car. Even 250+ hp to the wheels is some serious power. Hell, I'm giddy enough with 140. Sometimes.

 

if your not really good with cars and cant work on them yourself where do you take your sr20 engines to get fixed? Will regular mechanics fix the engines? And how do you smog them? Im going to learn how to work on my silvia when a i build one but you know worst case scenario.

 

if your not really good with cars and cant work on them yourself where do you take your sr20 engines to get fixed? Will regular mechanics fix the engines? And how do you smog them? Im going to learn how to work on my silvia when a i build one but you know worst case scenario.

The SR is not a complicated engine. If you did run into any problems any knowledgable mechanic would be able to figure it out. In a lot of ways its very similar to the 200sx (Sentra) SE-R motor (SR20DE) so they can use most of the info in the manuals from that.

 

I'm copying this to the FAQ forum because there's some pretty good info here that a lot of people might wonder about when they first get into the 240 scene.

 

what if something breaks on the engine, where would you be able to find the part to fix it?

 

in my opinion a jdm engine is the best you can get for reliablilty purposes. I have a 95 gst eclipse with a stock bottom end, super 20g turbo and 19psi of boost and it has ran strong for over 9 months and I drive the shit out of it cause I care more about my sr20det in my s13. I bought my eclipse 4 years ago and the only problem Ive ever had with it was when the clutch went out when the entire car was bone stock. I also have a 97 chevy blazer and ive poured more money into that piece of shit just getting shit fixed on it than I did building my 240. I have also not had one problem with my s13 so far, they are great cars.

 

yea i wanna put in a s14 in a 240 but also with my experince having a FSM could save you alot of trouble.

 

Yeah, the S13 is an excellent vehicle and the KA24E/DE just a juggernaut of an engine. It can take a beating and keep running. I love Japanese motors. But the only problems I have run into on the S13 and from what it seems everyone else has, is electrical problems and that damned dash.

People also burn through the clutches after they do an SR20DET swap, but that's not too big a deal if you don't drive it too hard and know when to shift and other crap like that.

 

i live in so. cal and was wondering if i swaped in a sr20det would it be street legal? i've heard from some that its not legal and from some that it is legal

 

The SR is not a complicated engine. If you did run into any problems any knowledgable mechanic would be able to figure it out. In a lot of ways its very similar to the 200sx (Sentra) SE-R motor (SR20DE) so they can use most of the info in the manuals from that.

lucky 4 me...there is a shop by my house where they build and tune every engine imaginable.....and they are all fast...check out sfp.net. i ahve seen them do a few sr2-det swaps, among many other swaps. chekc em out. they did work on our corvette and damn......what an engine. 540whp out of a small blcok chevy naturally aspirated. and we have alot more we can do to the car to make it faster. but its a show car, so we dont want too much power in it.ive seen hondas, chevys, hennesy vipers with over 1000hp, drag mustangs(freakin loud on the dyno), supras, 240's, evo's(featured in modified mag....450whp on pump gas, daily driven, and reliable...hot damn!), eclipses, jeff gordons nascar engine for the homstead race, and many others.


www.sfp.net
dont miss out on a great opportunity!

check them out, you wont be sorry

 

Ok... I am also new to the 240 scene, and the one question that I have yet to get an answer on is the smogg legal issue of the sr20 motor in a 240. I wrote to Sport Compact Car when the article first came out about the silvia swap. I have also been following the upgrades on the car ie. Disco Potato turbo upgrade. The car seems to be a daily runner from what I can gather from the articles, and I know Dave Coleman talks about running the Silvia around the streets of San Diego. I also live in California land of the smogg Natzi's and I am wondering how are you guy's getting your cars smogged and licenced.
I am not new to motor swapping, I have several successful swappes under my belt. Some had to be sold off due to loophole closings by the ARB ( air resources board).
I am now in the market for a 240 to do a S13 conversion. I want to install a sr20det, but this will be a daily runner and I want to do it legally.
Any help would be great Thanks in advance

 

ive recently finished my swap at home. already have about 3k miles added 2 the motor. as long as u do everything right u shouldnt have any problems. what ive learned during my swap is 2 replace everything u can. new hoses, lines, belts, clutch, flywheel, etc. u might wanna also have the alternator rebuilt and also change the thermostat. other than that good luck and have fun getting sideways!!!

and yeah the sr is NOT legal in socal. but pretty much if u dont drive like an a55hole then the cops wont hassel u.

 

South Florida Performance is awesome...I remember seeing their 2000 honda civic SI running an 11.60 with their off the shelf turbo kit.....dont like hondas very much but wow that was quick...their turbo manifolds are next to none too...a DSM friend of mine had one on his 91 tsi..he sold it to someone,liked the manifold so much that he tracked the guy down and bought it back lol!!.....thick flanges,no melted candybar welds and dont crack...well had to chime in for sfp.

 

some 240sx' came stock with the sr20det, or at least the japanese model (silvia) did, so there shouldn't be any troubles

 

i live in so. cal and was wondering if i swaped in a sr20det would it be street legal? i've heard from some that its not legal and from some that it is legal

I live in So cal too..
The answer to your question is NO...
SR20DET swaps are illegal... Those motors cannot pass smog...
You may be able to attach somethings to them so they can pass a sniffer. But its highly unlikely that it will pass... The fines for being caught can be costly but honestly most cops cant tell the difference between the KA and teh SR20. HINT HINT- tell him your red top valvr cover was a factory replacment...LOL
What you can do is make friends with a guy who does smog testing and have a friend go with you with the same kinda car only with KA motor stuffed under his hood and he may be willing to pass your car for a small fee to put in his pocket... This is more costly but worth it if you like to stuff JDM motors under your hood...

 

i live in so. cal and was wondering if i swaped in a sr20det would it be street legal? i've heard from some that its not legal and from some that it is legal

Nah sorry bud. In california the swap is illegal. Not to mention you cant get it smogged (legally....) and a bunch of other bs legal red tape. However there are some loopholes. You could say, register the car in nevada or new mexico, provided that the swap is legal there. Or you could just go nuts like my friend did and do the swap and drive the thing around and hope not to get caught.

One thing though most cops dont notice the difference between a sr20 and a ka24. The stock sr20 is rather sneaky, since the turbo is hidden under the heat shield and the intercooler can be side mounted in the front fender (if your worried about getting caught this is a must since fmic's are very illegal and easy to spot in cali) and be very hard to notice. So basically you shouldnt do it in cali but you could and the chances of getting caught are low.

 

Smog = OUTLAW
lol

just get it passed and pay the guy $150-$200.

 

i bought a 240sx recently and it has 170k miles,i want to swap a sr20 but it wouldnt pass smog. Im just wondering what you guys do for smog if you have a sr20

 

does anyone know if an sr20 will pass the smog test in Illinois?