# CA18DET Crankshaft



## Pulsar-NX-SE (Mar 23, 2005)

I recently purchased a 240sx with a CA18DET and 5sp Manual Trans. The previous owner had a clutch installed and apparently when the Transmission shop installed the flywheel bolts they only put in 3. Needless to say ( But I will ) within a few days the flywheel sheared the bolts off. The Crankshaft is trashed now and I need a new one. Is their any difference between a CA18DET and CA18DE Crank and if so what would be the best source for a CA18DET crank kit.

Thanks


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## bridrive55 (Aug 26, 2004)

Pulsar-NX-SE said:


> I recently purchased a 240sx with a CA18DET and 5sp Manual Trans. The previous owner had a clutch installed and apparently when the Transmission shop installed the flywheel bolts they only put in 3. Needless to say ( But I will ) within a few days the flywheel sheared the bolts off. The Crankshaft is trashed now and I need a new one. Is their any difference between a CA18DET and CA18DE Crank and if so what would be the best source for a CA18DET crank kit.
> 
> Thanks


It should be the exact same crank. I'd find a core motor at a junkyard and pull the whole bottom end. What, you can't just weld the flywheel in place? :hal:


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## Pulsar-NX-SE (Mar 23, 2005)

bridrive55 said:


> It should be the exact same crank. I'd find a core motor at a junkyard and pull the whole bottom end. What, you can't just weld the flywheel in place? :hal:


Weld the Flywheel in place. Is that really possible wouldn't the heat melt the rear seal?


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## bridrive55 (Aug 26, 2004)

Pulsar-NX-SE said:


> Weld the Flywheel in place. Is that really possible wouldn't the heat melt the rear seal?


It was a joke. My flywheel bolts were torqued to over 150lb/ft. But at least all 6 were there. Yeah, pull a CA18DE bottom end. Good luck with the crank bearing!


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## Pulsar-NX-SE (Mar 23, 2005)

bridrive55 said:


> It was a joke. My flywheel bolts were torqued to over 150lb/ft. But at least all 6 were there. Yeah, pull a CA18DE bottom end. Good luck with the crank bearing!


What problem with the crank bearing? Since I can't remove the crank in place I intend to get the crank and send it and the block to the machine shop. I will be replacing all of the bearings Mains and Rods. If you have any insight please let me know as I am new to the CA engine family. I am following some advice from a friend that thinks very highly of the CA18DET.

Thanks
Steve


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## Pulsar-NX-SE (Mar 23, 2005)

I was searching for sources for Bearing and Gaskets for this CA18DET Engine ( I'm Currently pushing 11.5 lbs of Boost ) and have a few questions about some parts I have found and many more about parts I simply can't find.

First off on importperformanceparts.net I can only get a Re-Ring kit and I can upgrade the bearings to TOGA HP Rod and Main bearings and an Oil pump as well. Is anyone familiar with TOGA and if so would it be a good choice or
is their something better out there.

Second I understand that at least at one time HKS carried a metal head gasket for the CA18DET but when I search their WEB site they list pretty much nothing for the CA18DET ( For that matter the CA family as a whole ).

Third I know that the CA18DET does not have a lot of aftermarket support but does anyone know if the stock pistons are cast or forged. Also does anyone know of anyone who carries replacement pistons (Especially if the block needs boring I'll need oversized pistions ), valve train parts (Springs Keepers, Camshafts and lifters.)


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## bridrive55 (Aug 26, 2004)

Rebuild kits aren't that rare for the CA. Japanese companies carry them. Brush up on your Nihongo, and send an email to a 180SX performance shop. There's a really good one just south of Chiba city. As for metal head gaskets, you can easily have one machined for you when you're getting your engine rebuilt.
Yeah, about the crank bearing, mine was torqued to over 300lb/ft. Ouch. Glad you're having a shop do it!


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## z31-84 (Dec 27, 2004)

kool so you where that person who got that car on ebay.... i wanted to get it too but i didnt had any resources to get it to where i live.... wish you luck with your car... hope you fix it and fly on it hahaha.... dude did you know that you can switch heads to ca20 and get redline upto 9k that is so crazy about that engine.... welll hope to hear from you about your crankshaft...


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## Pulsar-NX-SE (Mar 23, 2005)

z31-84 said:


> kool so you where that person who got that car on ebay.... i wanted to get it too but i didnt had any resources to get it to where i live.... wish you luck with your car... hope you fix it and fly on it hahaha.... dude did you know that you can switch heads to ca20 and get redline upto 9k that is so crazy about that engine.... welll hope to hear from you about your crankshaft...


 Thanks. As it turns out all of the flywheel bolts were stripped three held on
long enough to get sheared off the rest are still in the flywheel. I'm not sure if the bolts were the wrong ones or somebody decide that an air wrench was an appropiate substitute for a torque wrench.

I found a 1988 Pulsar SE at a PullAPart and spent 5 hours extracting the engine, only to find (After I removed the Torque Converter) that it had a stripped bolt in it's flywheel. I've spent the better part of the last 5 days 
trying to find a Crankshift ( I prefer one that hasn't been turned. ). I managed
to find an entire CA18DE engine for $400.00 at a local import new/used store.
It has a warranty although I'm just going to use it's Crank, Air Compressor and all of it's accessory mounting brackets. The original builder removed all of these items to save weight and I want the Power Steering and Air Conditioning to work. Obviously the remaining parts will be kept for spares.

I also have a 1987 Nissan Pulsar NX SE with a CA16DE that was going to be the basis for a CA18DET swap but it's original intent was to have been my son's first car and when I was 16 the last thing I needed was a Turbo Charged Hot Rod to kill himself with. It runs fine and also has very good compression. I am in the process of chasing down the few pieces that need replacing and will get it painted. But the 240sx will definetly be my next hot rod.

I think I have asked this question many different ways and will ask it again.
I anyone has a good source for parts for the CA18DE or CA18DET please share them with me. I know thru searching the WEB you can find some pieces and parts here and there. Most of the better parts from Japanese based WEB sites ( But on these I can't get pricing or delivery info to the US. ). So answering that I can find parts all over the place is true only in the sense that some of the more common parts like plugs, belts, bulbs and even timing components. I would really like a good source for things like Forged Pistons, Rods, Cams and performance parts like these.

Thanks


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## bridrive55 (Aug 26, 2004)

Removing flywheel bolts with an air wrench is a great idea. The impact factor is what gets them off. I think forged internals are sold for the CA18DET for the British market.


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## Pulsar-NX-SE (Mar 23, 2005)

bridrive55 said:


> Removing flywheel bolts with an air wrench is a great idea. The impact factor is what gets them off. I think forged internals are sold for the CA18DET for the British market.


Maybe removing the flywheel bolts with an impact wrench would be a good idea. However I never mentioned anything about removing flywheel bolts with an Impact Wrench. What I said was *"somebody decide that an air wrench was an appropiate substitute for a torque wrench"* " which would indicate assembly as opposed to dissassembly. I have Build and Rebuilt engines (Mostly Domestic) for 24 years now and have yet to come across a manual that endorses the use of an Air Wrench to Torque down bolts.


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## bridrive55 (Aug 26, 2004)

Pulsar-NX-SE said:


> Maybe removing the flywheel bolts with an impact wrench would be a good idea. However I never mentioned anything about removing flywheel bolts with an Impact Wrench. What I said was *"somebody decide that an air wrench was an appropiate substitute for a torque wrench"* " which would indicate assembly as opposed to dissassembly. I have Build and Rebuilt engines (Mostly Domestic) for 24 years now and have yet to come across a manual that endorses the use of an Air Wrench to Torque down bolts.


Lol, thought you meant removal. Yeah, definitely don't install a flywheel with an air wrench.


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