well from what i know the KA's are not as strong as the SR's, as far as internals go... plus its a "truck" engine and not as fun to drive as an SR or RB from what i hear, ive never driven an SR or RB so i can't say first hand... plus the SR is turbo from the factory, its made to be a turbo engine, its a sports car engine, i would go with the SR, but KAT's are getting more and more popular, i think 4,000 for a turbo kit is rediculous, so if you wanna turbo it buy the parts separately and i think you'll get a better deal... maybe not ... im still on the rocks about an SR or RB25det for my 95...

 

well it doesn't matter to me what the engine was originally meant for. All engines are basiclly the same. What makes the SR a sporty motor? Other than the turbo? Maybe dohc, but that available in the KA24DE. SR might come from the factory with more sporty cams, but there are sport cams out there for ka's.

Turbo kit from RealNissan.com, *89-90 240sx KA24E $2,499.00 http://www.realnissan.com/faq.asp

SR Engine from Heavy Throttle, S13 Red Top SR20DET complete $2500 plus shipping. and S13 Black Top SR20DET complete $2850 plus shipping.

Damn near same price, and (even though I'm not real knowlegable on all this) adding a turbo sound much easier than doing an engine swap.

Back to the KA 2.4L vs SR 2.0L, everything else being the same, more cubes=more power/torque. So why not stick with the bigger engine? If i could I'd put a VG30DETT in there, (if i could )

 

not all engines are the same. any engine that comes factory turbo will accept higher boost pressure than an engine that came n/a from the factory. read maximum boost by corky bell and you will learn this.

 

Well then, and this might be a question only answerable by the true SR geeks. What would make the SR the better candidate for a turbo? What internally is so much better??

 

the reason why the sr is better from factory for boost is that it has lower compression piston which allow more boost to be made saftfly , the kade24 has higher compression piston which will only allow a certain amount of boost like 6 to 8 pounds and even 8 is pushing it a little i am a candidite for the ka turboing but not stock if you throw in some lower compression piston from Je pistons and get the heads ported and polished and inbtake manifold match ported add bigger fuel injectors your ka will be insane with a turbo and that not even including your electronics
and it more fun to take what your already have and make it insane. last year i had a 91240sx turbo that layed down 440 hp with the kade24 for a mounth until a drunk driver drove into meat 60 miles an hour the motor could take that kind of boost now i am biuld a 98 240sx that will be even crazier with the kade24

 

I'm glad you asked the question because it was on my mind also. I've pieced together many turbo kits for Hondas in the past and have come out at least a grand ahead of what most kits are going for. This includes everything from a FMIC to engine management. I'm expecting to get two 91 240sx next week or so. I can't wait to build it I plan on building the KA with full internals, port and polished head. I think the same way you do why spend the money and time on an engine swao when you can have everything you want for the same price. It's probably the over hyped JDM thing I guess. I built many turboed D-series Hondas that whoop up on a lot of the B-series engine swap guys who paid twice as much for there engine swap then I did for a turbo set up.

Thanks again for asking

 

compression ratio can easily be modified by the head shop when i take it in for port/polish. Also the addition of an intercooler will allow more boost. So I still believe I can achieve the same or more power with the KA. Also that extra .4L will give me more low end torque before the boost kicks in. Correct?

 

Both the SR20 and KA24 have sturdy internals. If anything the iron block of the KA makes it slightly stronger. And D240T (and a few others) has already proven that an internally stock KA can handle 350hp/15psi. You'll be happy with either engine, so the decision is merely a matter of personal preference. Given cars with equal characteristics and power levels, a turbo KA will beat an SR just about every time. The KAT torque curve simply overwhelms the SR.

 

Dekand- KA not a "truck" engine first. it was in the 240 before the trucks. and the engine in the 240 is made in Japan and made differently than the truck engine that is built in the US.

S14drifter- you don't need to change compression. it is already at 8:1 and is perfect for a turbo. a guy in my car club is running about 12-17psi in his car daily for many moons. no problems.

to all- the KA is not as weak as all say it to be next to the SR. both engines are great.

 

The SR is made to withstand allot of boost and HP on the stock internals. Phase2 has an SR with 500HP on stock internals. I don't think the KA could even get up to 250HP on stock internals before it blows. Now if you build the KA then that would be a different story, but we are talking about which would be the better buy, and to me I wouldn't even have to think it out. I would go with the SR or RB if I were you.

 

My thoughts exactly DETurbine. Any time you have a factory turbo engine vs a factory NA engine if you're looking to go turbo the factory turbo will be the better choice unless you're looking to rebuild because it's made from the factory to handle more stress than you would probably throw at it in your life. Plus you have to think, if you're going to rebuild your KA and buy a turbo kit for it why not rebuild the SR to handle insane power for around the same price? Something to think about.

-jon-

 

You guys aren't listening. The KA24 has been PROVEN to hold more than 300hp to the wheels on numerous occasions, internals stock as a rock. BOTH motors have forged rods and crankshaft, both motors have cast pistons, both motors have piston oil squirters. The only real difference is the block, which is stronger on the KA. It's a matter of preference. Prefer high revs? SR. Prefer displacement and a beastly torque curve? KA. But i guess if you believe everything you read in sUpER StReEt........

 

No actually I was listening and I don't believe everything i read in Pooper Street, I don't even read that mag. I was just trying to give my perspective on this whole thing.

But how about this, SR from Phase2 as mentioned, 526rwhp on stock block...where's the Ka's 500+rwhp on stock block, huh?

-Jon-

 

Give a KA the same compression ratio as what a SR has and I wonder how long it could hold up. I think it would be about even. Cast Iron is stronger than aluminum. An the KA is a 2.4, the SR is a 2.0. It would be interesting to see that a KA with the same compression as a stock SR with the same turbo setup. What each could do. An how well or maybe even better the KA would do against the SR?

 

Yes cast iron is stronger than aluminum, but then it's also allot heavier. Strength is not a problem for the SR. I have never heard of people having problems with the stock aluminum block, sleeve it and it could handle a numerous number of HP.

 

sorry the compression ratio is 9:1...my bad.

uh...you can handle 300+rwhp and be ok. hell Ty has had that setup for a couple years now and even drifts the car and drives it all around town. you guys over rate the SR and under rate the KA. i am not saying the SR is a weak engine but i am saying the KA is a better than what most think.

and how much did it cost to get that much power to the ground? cuz i bet you could get that much power and more with a KA and have a stronger bottom end if you upgrade that.

 

Notice that power curve? It's kind of weak. It's a smooth powerband. But if you look at a dyno from the other thread of a KA making 500hp+. It has a way better power curve. An you have more power at your disposale lower in the RPMs.
Besides a car from Japan. Do you know of any US 240's with the SR motors in them running 10s or even 11s? I know of one SR powered S13, and it ran a 11.

The facts are right in front of you. An it's even a bigger turbo setup than what the Phase2 500hp S13 is running. An it still makes more power at 4000rpm than the Phase2 car. Why does it make more power sooner than the Phase2 S13?
An a KA is only 50lbs heavier than a SR. 50lbs.=half a average car length-.05 in the quarter mile.
[for people that don't know, for ever 100lbs lost, you will gain about an average of a .10th of a second in the 1/4 and every .10 of a second is about 1 average car length]

 

graciejj_82-To answer your question before this turns into a my dick is bigger than yours contest.

ok, ive been researching for a bit, and from what i can tell turboing the KA24E is about the same, if not less money than an SR20DET swap. So why spend more money to swap a smaller engine into your car?? You're bound to run into more probs with an engine not originally put in the car than you would by adding a turbo to the existing engine. (as far as I can figure, let me know if i'm wrong.) But it seems to me that turboing the KA is more practicle than sr swap, made even better so with a ka24De.

tell me if im right, wrong, hmm,? just tell me anything

thanx, mike

I think if you can find a SR for a good price from someone selling it to get a RB or whatever. Then go with that. ONLY if you know how to wire it all in. An know what you are getting yourself into.
On the other hand I think turboing a KA would be WAY easier to do. If you are just talking about turboing it and not building it up at all. Just slapping on a turbo kit or a pieced kit of your own would be way easier than swapping in a whole motor. An look at it this way. When you blow your KA motor. It's only going to be $250-500 for another one. An you can swap all those turbo parts back over the new one. Rather than having to buy another $1200-1800 for a new SR motor.

But seriously it's your money. I would just get what you like more or have more interest in. If you're into KA's then turbo your's or get a DE and turbo it and drop that baby in. If you into SR's get a SR, and slap a even bigger turbo kit on it down the road after the SR is in your car.

 

graciejj_82-To answer your question before this turns into a my dick is bigger than yours contest.

I think if you can find a SR for a good price from someone selling it to get a RB or whatever. Then go with that. ONLY if you know how to wire it all in. An know what you are getting yourself into.
On the other hand I think turboing a KA would be WAY easier to do. If you are just talking about turboing it and not building it up at all. Just slapping on a turbo kit or a pieced kit of your own would be way easier than swapping in a whole motor. An look at it this way. When you blow your KA motor. It's only going to be $250-500 for another one. An you can swap all those turbo parts back over the new one. Rather than having to buy another $1200-1800 for a new SR motor.

But seriously it's your money. I would just get what you like more or have more interest in. If you're into KA's then turbo your's or get a DE and turbo it and drop that baby in. If you into SR's get a SR, and slap a even bigger turbo kit on it down the road after the SR is in your car.

good point...i don't hate the SR. all i wanted to point out that the KA is an under-rated engine. you can do huge numbers with either engines. that is why when i get my other car i am going SR. so it just boils down to what you want to do and what you like. i will also own RB25DET so as you can see i will have a great little setup of cars

 

now it looks like you're just trying to out do us all

how many of these things you plan on owning?

 

I am not talkin sh*t about the KA, I'm just saying that the SR is second to best motor in the Nissan family. Hell if the SR wasn't their I would tune my KA. They can be brought to suprizing numbers. There are allot of SR powered 240's that run 10's and 11's, just because you don't see them in the magazines doesn't mean that there not out there. I know of one in town that will be in the 10's by the end of this summer. It has a T66 and allot more.

 

i will own 2 240's for sure...mine right now which is going to be KAT...a S13 convertable with the SR in it...then maybe a 240 with the RB25DET or just get a real Skyline

 

I am not talkin sh*t about the KA, I'm just saying that the SR is second to best motor in the Nissan family. Hell if the SR wasn't their I would tune my KA. They can be brought to suprizing numbers. There are allot of SR powered 240's that run 10's and 11's, just because you don't see them in the magazines doesn't mean that there not out there. I know of one in town that will be in the 10's by the end of this summer. It has a T66 and allot more.

Sure, they can make some peak power. It will never, ever have the big broad powerband the T66 KA puts down... Never. Oh, did I mention never?

 

I am not talkin sh*t about the KA, I'm just saying that the SR is second to best motor in the Nissan family. Hell if the SR wasn't their I would tune my KA. They can be brought to suprizing numbers. There are allot of SR powered 240's that run 10's and 11's, just because you don't see them in the magazines doesn't mean that there not out there. I know of one in town that will be in the 10's by the end of this summer. It has a T66 and allot more.

Yeah but his is a RB. Not a SR dawg.
I know of a couple other people that will be running 10-11's as well. This summer most of the top domestics are going to go down. hahaha :aka47

 

How many threads on this topic are necessary?
http://www.240sxforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5738
Basically what we have here is the anti SR people and the anti KA people...both with fairly valid points.....but I think most of the anti SR people are just anti SR because they don't have one.

The KA was just not designed for a turbo. The SR20DE is not a turbo engine either and one would be hard pressed to put a turbine on one. The best bet is to get an engine designed to be turbinated. Then you have a strong engine.