# E16 to CA18 "swap manual"



## Guest (May 1, 2003)

Guys,

Over the last while, I've been going through this forum, and looking for other info on the net for doing an E16 to CA18DE (not DET) swap in a B12. It's clear that alot of people are interested in doing this swap but it also looks like only a few have actually done is. There are tons of questions being answered by boost_boy and a few others that have either done this, or know lots on the subject. Thanks for the great effort guys, you keep this site honest on the technical front.

Since I will be doing this swap in the next while, I am offering to put together a "swap manual" that will detail the steps involved and offer it up to anyone interested. In return, I'll probably be looking for more info myself, and people to augment and/or check the manual for accuacy. 

So, anyone interested in helping out? The only prerequisite is that you have done, are in the process of, or know enough about the subject to offer "accurate" help.


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

*i concur*

damn a great idea. im in the SAME EXACT boat as you brother. i second this motion!


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

I'm game, but I don't want to spit out valuable knowledge and time to an unappreciative audience. I mean, there are guys from tercel online.com coming down here to florida from all over the country to get their projects done by my friend "GT REVVA" at B.Y.P. racing (www.back-yard-productions.com) to get their swaps done using a toyota starlet 1.3ltr turbocharged motor. They spend on the average of $2200-$5000 depending on their mods and I am very impressed with the way that crowd responds to awesome deals like that. I mean, last weekend a kid from Illinois left there with his car boosting and happy! Drove all the way from Illinois to have his swap done? That's dedication and desire. I mean they come from all over the country for this swap because they want it done right. So why can't the nissan camp be so dedicated? A CA18DET swap will over power a swap like those easily and for nearly the same money with much more work involved. Even the folks in the honda camp will spend big $$$ on a B series swap, but yet guys in the nissan camp haggle them about their riceyness! They may be ricey, but they pay the cost to do whatever the hell the want. This information is just way to valuable and it is very time staking to sit here and write a step by step method of doing a conversion like this only to turn around and find out it was all in vain? I don't know guys.......You tell me!


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

I say this, performance costs so be prepared to spend some $$$ or just keep your little E16 or GA16's and call it a day. The Nissan camp has to be the cheapest of them all. Even the hyundai guys got the hook-up. Talk is cheap guys as we can sit here and talk about swaps till we're blue in the face. I will be more impressed when someone other than the bunch that has already done the SR20 swaps and they know who they are, do something spectacular or pay someone to get something spectacular done to their car. We B12 owners have a bunch of options, but are we B12 owners the brokest of all the car enthusiast. Even the B13 guys spend crap loads of money to build a wicked ride. Come on guys, stop being cheap because I know none of you are making payments on your cars and if you are, that is so sad.........


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

boost_boy said:


> * I know none of you are making payments on your cars and if you are, that is so sad......... *


That is too funny  

BTW, I'm on board with the CA18DE swap manual. Not too much difference btwn B11 and B12. I'll contribute what I can.


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

*yep*

well, i for one am not going to wait, like i said its just a matter of getting the "extra" cash compiled. i got another car to which i dump alot into (the civic) and liek i said im also saving for my fd3s by the end of the summer. any help anyone can give to make this project as cheap as posiible or save headaches would be doing a great service for the nissan camp. as well as me personelly. but, regardless, im decent with wrenches, if nothing else, ill document the sh*t as i go along and post it somewere. anyways, thanks guys in advance for anything you contribute.


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## Guest (May 2, 2003)

Some good points guys, and thanks for the positive responses, I was hoping you guys in particular would be interested. I think I understand where you are coming from Boost. If you are wrenching for an income (even just to pay for toys as you stated in another post) then this info is of great value to you, an edge over the competition. And here I am assuming that this is your real point re giving this info out to potential competitors. I'll assume this for the rest of this response and sorry in advance if I missed your point.

However, for those of use that just want to do the swap for the "fun of it", this info is also a great help in reducing frustration and ultimately the amount of money we need to fork out. The people that will do the swap themselves also fall into at least two camps, those with lots of bucks to spend, want it all, and want it done their way, and those that want/need to it on the cheap. I'd love to have a $4000 budget but I don't so I'll do what I can to save some bucks. I guess that's one thing that Nissans have going for them is a lot of commonality in the parts bins. This allows junkyard swaps at reasonable prices. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think some of the Honda/Toyota guys are used to paying more from the start due to the high demand of their products. I'm a die hard Toyota fan, I have 3 right now (2 Camrys and a truck) and have owned almost nothing but, and I know toyota stuff plain costs more than Nissan (I had a 88 Celica GT4 too!). 

None the less, getting back to the point, the guys that pay to get the swap done I suspect would do their homework and look for a reputable shop with experience in that particular swap. In this case, you would have a definite advantage over the others. I don't know the percentages but I'm guessing more people would pay than do it themselves.

I personally would like to make this available to other interested parties, in a sense, just like Sport Compact Car does with their Honda swap articles. I wish they did one for use.. it would save a bunch of work. But alas, we are just the lowly B12 crowd, not the fancy VTEC guys, and the aftermarket suppliers pay their bills via advertising, so you know we'll never see one.

I suggest that the manual be done outside this forum, I wouldn't want to release it till it's done anyway. That way, we control the information but to be fair, I'd want all to agree on what we will do with it in the end up front so no one gets burned by investing time and energy into something that ultimately doesn't go the way they want it too. One option might be to "publish it" in NPM and you could link in your shop as a means of advertising. I suspect that would buy alot of credibility, and you would need that to get guys driving down from up North to swap in a CA18DET.

Anyway, enough of me rambling. What do you guys think?

Alex


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## Guest (May 2, 2003)

Just another thought too Boost. If some of the key swap bits like harnesses were available to buy, I'd seriously consider that over making one, even if I had all the schematics. Time is money and that's one area where like you said, it's a bunch of time. That might be another option to consider. Who knows, maybe there is a HASport equivalent to be borne in the Nissan world!


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

Hey boost, to make my life more simpler, I am willing to pay for a 'swap manual' from you. GA16i powered vehicles are dirt cheap, so a GA16i to CA18DET with buying the vehicle is actually cheaper than taking a CA18DE powered Pulsar and converting it to DET. I plan on getting a 90 B12 Sport Coupe soon.


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

> What do you guys think?


i think that i fall into that catoagory of too many other projects. with the civic now taking priority again(as of late last nite honestly) and still pinching every dollar for the up comming FD3s, i think that......all i need is the 400 bucks to spare and the motor will be in within a week or 2. ill take pics and document headaches as i go along. keep in mind tho this will be a NA swap, so all you turbo boys are on your own with that


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## AVERAGE (Aug 9, 2002)

boost. take it easy man. i know some of us ask alot of questions about swaps but there are only a handful of us that can actually do it. thats why i try to keep my post limited in the threads containing ca an sr info. I CANNOT AFFORD IT. there i said it. at this point, which i think ive mentioned before im only interested in keeping the e16 in tip top shape unless i come across a deaL LIKE myet did which im sure that i wont. i am know the proud owner of 3 b12s. 2 that are running and one that i can legally drive . i hope to get the gxe up and running with a jdm e15 that im working on getting . after my wheels , and other things that ive purchased , i have not spent a DIME except for bigger parts such axles and such. im one of those guys that does alot of trading because cash is not something that i see alot of. would it be great to do a ca swap.... SURE! But with my limited time and budget i know that it would be hopeless. i could get my roommmate to help but his juggling his katana, zc crx, and a fully custom prizm with a jdm 4a( i know classic ,not much of a diff from the usdm)fe. i understand were ur coming from but not all of us have the skills the time nor the dough . so be gentle


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## AVERAGE (Aug 9, 2002)

hi my name is average and im a nissan gumshoelol


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

> i think that i fall into that catoagory of too many other projects. with the civic now taking priority again(as of late last nite honestly)


 I feel you man! I just destroyed my 4G67 motor in my Elantra last night by cruising at 110mph with my radiartor cap off (Stupido). I purchased an engine and tranny combo (again) and now I have to go to ft. lauderdale where the car is at to change the engine. Can you say "Mo' money"/ wasted money, dumb-dumb boost_boy (Dee). I feel like a jack-ass (really).


> i understand were ur coming from but not all of us have the skills the time nor the dough . so be gentle


 Believe me Average, I'm not trippin' on anyone, but just trying to point out the fact that good performance is going to come at the expense of the pockets. Lord knows I'm not rich Nor well-off, but I've blown up enough motors and tore apart enough harnesses with nothing but a pure desire to succeed at what I was doing until everything came together. I have advantages over most everyone her in the performance ring because everything i need or want can be gotten with a phone "It's all about who you know". Anyway, the motto is if you can't afford it and can't do it, start with something practical and stick with it like the GA16i or the E16s and not something that's going to give you a fat headache and some heartaches to boot. If you have no skills and money to spare, stay away from the SR20 swaps as they are not a bolt-in and plug and play affair and neither is the GA16DE. At least the CA series is a bolt-in affair, but the wiring will be interesting.


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

> but the wiring will be interesting.


im looking at this now. (only major headache i forsee for my project)

btw i forgot to add i also race motorcross and have a 2001 rm125(not paid off) that socks it to me every month to the tune of 140 bucks.....hehe


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

From what I've gathered on this forum the wiring for an engine swap is what intimidates people the most. Once most people get over wanting to bolt up that SR20 and realize what the best option really is...do I need to say it....the wiring remains a mystery to most and is scarey enough to keep people from taking on the project.

All of the engine related stuff is mechanical. Most competant wrench turners can put something mechanical together without too much headache. However, the wiring for the ECU scares the crap outa people. Very few of us have a sufficient background in electronics to approach this worry free. It's no simple task and boost's statement that it takes nine hours of work makes it sound that much more daunting.

I haven't done mine yet but I'm going to be cheating...in fact a fellow forum member...b12racer...is pulling a complete harness from a Pulsar for me as I type this. That is if he doesn't get too frustrated and rip it to pieces  BIG KUDOS to b12racer for offering to help me out!

I'll post what I can about my wiring on my webpage. If anyone followed b12racer's trials and tribulations related to his cluster of a cluster you've got an Idea of what to expect.


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

*wiring harness*

ok, they way i see it(going from expirence with hondas) if i am switching to a ca18de motor, i should get the ca18de wirring harness and ecu...correct? rather than trying to adopt the ecu, and harness from my ga16i(i beleive this is what it says in the manual). this is what seems logical to me, tell me what im missing if anything. the cars are both pre obd-1, they both have simialiar (if not exact) pollution controls..(although i DO need to double check this)
now things like wirring the dash, and all that jazz...yea that IS out of my leage...for now!(hehe)


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## Mervic (May 1, 2002)

Yes, you have to get the harness and ECU from the donor car or a Pulsar SE. CA18DE - MFI while GA16i - TBI. CA18DE also uses coilpack and power transistor rather than a distributor like the GA16i.


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

ok got it thanks that helps.


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

If you're smart, you'll strip the pulsar of it's whole body harness and that's the key. It takes a while and you will see a spaghetti factory, but if you be patient and attempt to tackle one area at a time, you will be successful. The mechanical portion is pretty basic, but like "Myetball" said, the wiring will frustrate you no matter what manual you use. Remember, the pulsar is different from the sentra in the driver's area and this where the problems will arise. You will have to convert from pop-up headlight with multiple realys to the sentra's system and that's another battle in itself. But when it's all said and done and you got your car running, you will be bad----ass and that ain't no joke


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

> You will have to convert from pop-up headlight with multiple realys to the sentra's system and that's another battle in itself. But when it's all said and done and you got your car running, you will be bad----ass and that ain't no joke


yea i was looking at both the diagrams. i can see that the engine wirring will not be too bad. and gettign the hole pulsar wirring harness is a great idea, i will most defiantly do so. luckily i have a few ppl that can help me with the wirring(since this IS not my fortay) thansk for all your guys help!
as far as being a bad ass goes, im still not completly sold of the utter dominance ill be laying down. i know it will be a tremdous upgrade over stock. but were still only talking 125 hp here. 
anyone know the exact wieght of the 89 sentra SE btw? that might help convince me more


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

It should be on the label inside the drivers door frame. I forget what mine weighs but I know it's about 700lbs lighter than a 1G Eclipse. With similar hp and more top end I should give my son a spanking.


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

> With similar hp and more top end I should give my son a spanking.


 You will definitely be able to use the phrase 'Who's your daddy"


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

> It should be on the label inside the drivers door frame.


ok i looked today, theres three numbers, one i presume is the gross wieght. then two others. 1771 i beleive and then another below that says 1786 i think as well(somewhere along those line)

is this liek dry wieght and then with gas or soemthing? if so...1800lbs!!! holy crap thats light!


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

boost_boy said:


> *You will definitely be able to use the phrase 'Who's your daddy" *


You know it  He's obsessed with building a 400hp AWD 1G. He may be buying a 6-bolt block real soon. I keep telling him he has to start somewhere.

I'll be done with mine long before he ever launches with 4 wheels. Plenty of time to let him know who his daddy is 



WMengineering said:


> *ok i looked today, theres three numbers, one i presume is the gross wieght. then two others. 1771 i beleive and then another below that says 1786 i think as well(somewhere along those line)
> 
> is this liek dry wieght and then with gas or soemthing? if so...1800lbs!!! holy crap thats light! *


I did some checking since I wasn't really sure. The numbers are:
GVWR: (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
GAWR: (Gross Axle Weight Rating Front)
GAWR: (Gross Axle Weight Rating Rear)

These don't actually tell you how heavy the car is, rather they tell you the maximum loaded weight the car can withstand. GVWR tells you the total loaded capacity while the other two tell you the max load you can put on each axle.


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

well shit now i look like an asshole cuz i told that kid that the 89 wieghs 1800 lbs...haha ok what is the curb wieght?


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

*gah ok*

http://autos.msn.com/vip/specifications.aspx?modelid=2141&src=vip
ok check this out. if this is true then damn, there goes my one nite of nissan euphoria. i was so proud last nite that my car could have been under 2000lbs too!!! god damnit!


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## Mervic (May 1, 2002)

Just shed those 150-190 lbs to get to under 2000 lbs. With the CA18DE, your power to weight ratio is 16:1, with a calculating curb weight of 2000 lbs and 125hp. Although the CA18DE and the Civic D16 has the same HP, you will have a 9 ft/lb greater torque than the D16 SOHC V-TEC(106). Not a lot but...some bolt-ons and the Civic D16 can easily get the HP advantage.


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## J89sentra (Apr 7, 2003)

bumb the d16 get a jdm b16a or h22a and will see if the crx or whatever will win


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## Red_Coupe (Mar 20, 2003)

ahhhh? hey guys the big thing i worrie about is wheel spin with the light wt.car and lots of hp .. even with LSD it's going to get a little wild... ?


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

The weight of the car will help you on that, not hurt you. It's just the width of tire you can get on the ground (and the distribution of the weight plus front wheel drive) that's going to hurt you.


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

*engine swap for any car......period*



> bumb the d16 get a jdm b16a or h22a and will see if the crx or whatever will win


ok i have to ask then, if your considering a engine swap, do you consider yourslef knowedgable enuff to do it yourself? 
or are you going to pay someone else to do it. 
my reasoning is that chances are if you already have a 89 sentra b12, your on a limited budget.(like us) EDIT: and now i see that you list "wendy's" as your occupation so this confirms it)

but yes you could "bumb the d16" (or d15b7 in a dx's case) for around 500 bucks. i bleieve that "HASport and Hap recycling in rancho cordova california are doing turn key honda motor swaps. its 5000 for a h22 into a 5g civic( thats 92-95,more for later years)
and charging about 3000 for the b16swap(note it wont be smog legal in california for the b16)


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