# 87 Stanza Motor Swap



## Kinsbane (May 13, 2004)

Hi everyone. 

I'm new to this kind of car work, so please bear with me. 

In my family we've had an 87 Stanza floating around. First it was with my grandparents, rarely driven. Then it went to my mom and it's been crapping out off and on. The motor only has 75K miles on it, but you'd think it would have 300K the way it acts. 

Anyways, I was looking at motor swaps and have a few questions, both about engines to consider and the compatibility between a new engine and, say, stock tranny / drivetrain or a replacement for both. 

Firstly, it's a 2.0L SOHC FI engine, code: CA20E. To the best of my recollection (I dont have the manual with me ATM) its a FWD car. A friend of mine recommended I get a JDM SR20DE motor and then went on to suggest a Bluebird SSS drivetrain..  then another friend of mine heard about this and suggested using the JDM SR20DE with a USDM SR20DE drivetrain.. how feasible would that be? Would there be any extra work, as far as fitting, mounting, doing the harness and all that?

Then, I get the recommendation to put in a CA18DE.. or perhaps consider swapping with a KA24E. At this point, I'm considerable lost, because I know it'll require at least one other big component to make it all work. 

Would any of this stuff work with stock tranny / drivetrain? I'm not really looking to make gobs of HP - but I would like it to be more peppy than it originally was. 

Any ideas on what to do?


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

The original CA20E is a good engine but if you want the most compatible engine with more pep it would be the FWD CA18DET. You can do a full SR20 conversion but that means you have to do several mods to the mounts, crossmember and of course all of the engine electrics. You can swap in a KA24 but I would use a DE from an Altima and use a Stanza trans and crossmember.
The thing I would do is get the CA20E running right by going out and getting a Haynes manual for it, looking at all the major tune up components and then considering an engine swap.

Troy


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## Kinsbane (May 13, 2004)

KA24Tech said:


> The original CA20E is a good engine but if you want the most compatible engine with more pep it would be the FWD CA18DET. You can do a full SR20 conversion but that means you have to do several mods to the mounts, crossmember and of course all of the engine electrics. You can swap in a KA24 but I would use a DE from an Altima and use a Stanza trans and crossmember.
> The thing I would do is get the CA20E running right by going out and getting a Haynes manual for it, looking at all the major tune up components and then considering an engine swap.
> 
> Troy


What kind of additional work would I be looking at if I were to swap in the FWD CA18DET?


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

Kinsbane said:


> What kind of additional work would I be looking at if I were to swap in the FWD CA18DET?


It would mostly be the engine, exhaust, harness, and ECU. Everything else should stay.

Troy


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## krusty (Jun 14, 2004)

so ur saying i could use stock drive train (stanza) for an ka24de swap?that would be cool and would help me very much, oppose to a whole new setup! :thumbup:


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

krusty said:


> so ur saying i could use stock drive train (stanza) for an ka24de swap?that would be cool and would help me very much, oppose to a whole new setup! :thumbup:


if your 92 was originally a ka24e then the ka24de wouldn't be hard at all.


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## krusty (Jun 14, 2004)

that's awesome, just waiting for car to brake down err actually cough up the money.but i could save a few bones on a swap considered simple


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

krusty said:


> that's awesome, just waiting for car to brake down err actually cough up the money.but i could save a few bones on a swap considered simple


yeah, as far as i know tranny between ka24e and 24de were the same....i have no idea about wiring harness though, and obviously motor mounts are the same. I really don't know much about the ka24 engine but in general i shouldn't be to difficult.


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

The swap would be staight forward but the harness, ECU, and other electrical would have to be swapped out. But rather easy as you said.

Troy


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

KA24Tech said:


> The swap would be staight forward but the harness, ECU, and other electrical would have to be swapped out. But rather easy as you said.
> 
> Troy


hey you know KA engines i have two question just to further my knowledge (lol) 1...does the ka engine share motor mounts with any other engine...and 2..is the wiring harness for the 24e and 24de similar or completely different?


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

Gsolo said:


> hey you know KA engines i have two question just to further my knowledge (lol) 1...does the ka engine share motor mounts with any other engine...and 2..is the wiring harness for the 24e and 24de similar or completely different?


The mounts depend on the chassis and the year but I am not sure about the Stanza with a CA to KA swap. The harness is not much different on OBD I engines but a large difference on the OBD II KA24DE's. I would try to get a harness and ECU with the engine you are swapping in to minimize problems.

Troy


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