# Newbie needs help with 240



## cavazos (Oct 5, 2008)

Hi everyone Im new to the tuner world and I need some help buying some parts for the my 240sx. I did some homework and bought these parts but not sure where to go from here. 

SR20DET w/ tranny
HKS exhaust w/ down pipe
Greddy boost controller
HKS turbo timer
Blitz blow off valve
VIS carbon fiber hood
VIS carbon fiber trunk
Rims from a R32 Skyline
Skyline brake kit, (rotors, calipers, pads and lines)


Well thats all I have for now, I kind of have an idea of what to do but I know Im missing alot of stuff such as fuel pumps, injectors and other stuff but it's kind of overwelming right now and I could use some help to build this car. As of right now I have a budget of 9K to get this car as close to 300HP and to get it looking nice. Any help will helpfull


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

Some of the items you'll need:
- FMIC
- SR20 engine harness
- SR20 ECU
- Walbro-255 fuel pump


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## Trippen (Feb 21, 2006)

If you have never done a motor conversion and dont have anyone to help you this is going to be a long long road to driving your car.....As Rogo said I would have kept the KA motor for the same amount you have slapped down on an SR20 you could have had a 300+hp troque beast with the KA24de motor. But since you only did SR20 research I sugest you find a forum that can help you with it. Nico or other groups like that have advice for your situation.....If you decide to abandon the project ckeck out KA-t.org....Where panking SR20's is a way of life....


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## iluvmys13=] (Oct 15, 2008)

*for being new to the tuner world he picked up some pretty classy parts lol 
but swapping for begginers is almost impossible if he has no experience*


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## iluvmys13=] (Oct 15, 2008)

*ka parts needed*

will sr20 intake manifolds fit the ka ? thanks


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

iluvmys13=] said:


> will sr20 intake manifolds fit the ka ? thanks


Entirely two different motors so the intake will not fit.


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## Trippen (Feb 21, 2006)

He picked up parts that any of the Imports mags list as a parts list for an sr20...and few Fast and furious parts...


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## 180SX-X (Sep 21, 2003)

R32 Skyline wheels? So your planning on a 5-lug conversion also? do you know what you'll need for that?


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## redtoprps13 (Feb 12, 2007)

go easy on the guy. but like was suggested get a fmic and a fuel pump. also get your shit tuned. get a daughterboarded ecu. where are you located? my boy does sr ecu's really cheap and also tunes them to have launch control. i build up to 7 psi in neutral now. great for launching


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## trmn8r (Apr 16, 2005)

oh lord, i pray for u young grasshopper


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## Thrasher068 (Oct 26, 2008)

He needs a lot more then you think. Hoses, harness, ECU, Piping, & then he needs to mod the harness with the KA. Enjuku Racing in Orlando can build you a new SR20 harness but it gets $$$ but you don’t have the extra bundle of wire against the firewall. And you have to e-mail them and ask if they can do it. it isn’t a normal service. Then replace all the hoses. Not necessary but highly suggested because some hoses are a pain to get to when in the car. Re-Locate the heater hoses to the passenger side because the hoses with go around the block to the driver if not done and then you have a problem. Then get the EGR fitting out and replace it with just a regular fitting that sits flush with the extension. Sometime the steering column hits and binds.

If you have the motor take the valve cover off!!! If there is sludge then now would be a good time to rebuild. Also drain the oil pan. It ships empty but that doesn’t mean there’s anything there. Check that for coolant and metal shards. Easiest way is use a magnet. If there are a lot then rebuild is highly suggested… unless you like taking the thing apart multiple times. It is a great experience to know what you have if anything else.

Things you need assuming you didn’t get the exhaust manifold and intake manifold due to needing Injectors and fuel rail

Fuel Rail
Injectors
Fuel Pressure Regulator
Intake Manifold
Exhaust Manifold
Turbo
!!!BOLTS!!! Some come with the parts some don’t
Clutch it is all ready used so replace it now while it is there
Pilot Bearing suggested
Throw Out Bearing Suggested
Transmission Seal Suggested
Clutch Pivot Suggested
Turbo Extension
AAC Valve
More I cant think of

This is there I am with mine








*!!!OH AND DONT FORGET THE SHARPIE!!!*


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## redtoprps13 (Feb 12, 2007)

that's a pretty motor. wish mine was that clean


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## Thrasher068 (Oct 26, 2008)

redtoprps13 said:


> that's a pretty motor. wish mine was that clean


When the motor is out if the car just get a good engine degreeser spray it on and let it sit for a while then get some wire brushes ( i got 3 ) but a toothbrush works great for the small areas and scrub. Then place your brothers toothbrush so he doesnt know j/k Use brake clean or a hose to get the degreeser off.. And brake clean before u paint. It looked like shit before the machine shop and looked even shittyer after. so i had to paint to make it look better lol


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## matt_101 (Feb 5, 2007)

Trippen said:


> If you have never done a motor conversion and dont have anyone to help you this is going to be a long long road to driving your car.....As Rogo said I would have kept the KA motor for the same amount you have slapped down on an SR20 you could have had a 300+hp troque beast with the KA24de motor. But since you only did SR20 research I sugest you find a forum that can help you with it. Nico or other groups like that have advice for your situation.....If you decide to abandon the project ckeck out KA-t.org....Where panking SR20's is a way of life....


+1 i can take moderatly modded SRs with my single cam ka running 8psi though your average sized t3. 

wish people wouldn't be soo quick to jump on the SR band wagen - althought i almost did; i think its because the swap it portraied to be more easy and cheap than it actully is. And.... it seems like turbochargeing the ka is considered to be realy hard - its not. there is alot of reading before your ready to start buying parts though. Tuniung? Emance will do you a custom tune for $150 or less - IMO, he's just as good as JWT. hardest part about doing the ka is removing the oil pan. 

If ur gonna do a swap drop an RB25 in there, 250 hp right out of the gate. Shoudln't be very hard at all to hit 300. I think thats the way im going to go when i pop the ka.... then i wanna rebuild the ka and make a ka-t powered go cart lol. one seat, low, wide, welded diff.


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## Thrasher068 (Oct 26, 2008)

Well the KA would be cheaper to build and easyer because it is an all ready wired up and parts can be found at any nissan dealer and autoparts store. The KA is a stronger block IMO because it is cast iron build it right and it will be able to keep up with the SR without spending the 2000+ on the SR motor and everything to go with it. Finding parts can be a pain in the ass.


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## Trippen (Feb 21, 2006)

PARTS for a KA are easy...JGS Turbo has all you need to Turbo your KA...A true KA turbo kit...even just the exhaust manis which can be a pain to find for the E. But JGS is a good company...I have their mani on my 95 and BOV good stuff.


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## matt_101 (Feb 5, 2007)

Hard to find parts for a ka-t? 

Turbo: ebay or junkyard
Injectors/fuel pump: Deatchwerks
Tune: Emance and/or SAFC I or II 
Intercooler + piping: ebay (an intercooler is an intercooler IMO)
Manifold: difficult if its a single cam.... (gladman prefrably) if its dohc, np theres lot of them around.

every other non turbo part for the ka ---> napa/autozone/canadian tir

you can your stuff cheap... or you can pay though the @ss, that depends on how much research you do. I will say this, stay away from venom injectors. ("TLF supra" on ebay)


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## Thrasher068 (Oct 26, 2008)

no not the KA the SR20 engine KA are easy to find


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## redtoprps13 (Feb 12, 2007)

Thrasher068 said:


> When the motor is out if the car just get a good engine degreeser spray it on and let it sit for a while then get some wire brushes ( i got 3 ) but a toothbrush works great for the small areas and scrub. Then place your brothers toothbrush so he doesnt know j/k Use brake clean or a hose to get the degreeser off.. And brake clean before u paint. It looked like shit before the machine shop and looked even shittyer after. so i had to paint to make it look better lol


i'm a broke college student who doesn't have time or money for that right now. i actually got my car off of ebay 3 years ago and "knock on wood" she's been running strong ever since. she came with the sr installed with aftermaret suspension and internals with greddy exhaust and fmic. i payed under five grand for her after taxes. this is why i don't know why all the KA guys have to talk shit on sr swaps. they had a point 5 years ago when sr swaps still cost 6 grand not including the price of the car. but now they can be had for dirt cheap not to mentions parts are far more abundant and both motors have the same potential for performance it's all in the owners preference.


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## redtoprps13 (Feb 12, 2007)

matt_101 said:


> Hard to find parts for a ka-t?
> 
> Turbo: ebay or junkyard
> Injectors/fuel pump: Deatchwerks
> ...



when talking "quality" parts. all the parts you listed are hit or miss. i woudn't run a setup trying to make more than 230whp on the stuff you listed. any real turbo for your motor shouldn't come from junkyard, who knows what condition it's it. 

and emanage or safc? are you serious? that shit is garbage. you can't even modify injector pulswidth. it just lies with a modified signal to the ecu. i ran that shit for 2 years and i'll never do it again. complete garbage. get your ecu daughterboarded and tuned. much better alternative. 

ebay intercooler? not if you want to make real power reliably. for a low hp budget build then. yes. but to me building your ka to be a halfassed turbo motor is just pointless. 

i've raced two ka's that were built similarly to the stuff you listed and both of them lost to my stock sr which was pretty much at stock power level with the exception of an fmic and exhaust at the time.

if your gonna boost a ka atleast buid it to some decent potential. ebay parts do not equal fast and reliable




Thrasher068 said:


> Well the KA would be cheaper to build and easyer because it is an all ready wired up and parts can be found at any nissan dealer and autoparts store. The KA is a stronger block IMO because it is cast iron build it right and it will be able to keep up with the SR without spending the 2000+ on the SR motor and everything to go with it. Finding parts can be a pain in the ass.


a ka isn't cheaper to build than a sr. they are about equal in price. the sr definitely has better quality aftermarket support simply because it's more popular. that's a fact. and you definitely are smoking something any time you think going to a nissan dealer is cheaper and that you're gonna get "quality" parts to build your ka from at a generic autoparts store. 

the ka block is a 2.4 liter iron block motor and the sr is a 2.0 aluminum motor but the weight difference is around 60 lbs. that's alot of aluminum not to mention sr's have held 700+whp on the stock bottom end. so unless you're trying for 1200whp out of the factory block i wouldn't worry about it. 

and how are you having trouble finding sr parts? just get basic parts from a 91 sentra se-r or infiniti g20. you can get them from the same generic auto parts store you get ka parts from





matt_101 said:


> +1 i can take moderatly modded SRs with my single cam ka running 8psi though your average sized t3.
> 
> wish people wouldn't be soo quick to jump on the SR band wagen - althought i almost did; i think its because the swap it portraied to be more easy and cheap than it actully is. And.... it seems like turbochargeing the ka is considered to be realy hard - its not. there is alot of reading before your ready to start buying parts though. Tuniung? Emance will do you a custom tune for $150 or less - IMO, he's just as good as JWT. hardest part about doing the ka is removing the oil pan.
> 
> If ur gonna do a swap drop an RB25 in there, 250 hp right out of the gate. Shoudln't be very hard at all to hit 300. I think thats the way im going to go when i pop the ka.... then i wanna rebuild the ka and make a ka-t powered go cart lol. one seat, low, wide, welded diff.


what's your definition of a moderately modded sr20? a stock sr20 would obviously be at a disadvantage to your 2.4 liter with a higher comp ration running a bigger turbo than the sr20. i'm not being a fanboy but i like to make comparisons fair. what do you consider an average sized t3? and yes you are right the ka has plenty of potential and i don't know why people hate on either motor. it's easy to turbo charge. people are just scared because it's an old motor that was never meant to be boosted and doing it the right way will equal or exceed the price of a stock sr swap. it all depends what you want. if you want a 300hp or less car and you're on a budget than the ka can be tempting considering it comes with the car for us u.s. people. in the end the sr will almost always have the top end and the ka will almost certainly have the midrange, but that's why god gave us gearing hehe. in the end it's up to you what you want


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## Thrasher068 (Oct 26, 2008)

I have gotten parts from both the dealer and parts stores. I Have never had to pay full price but then again i am a mechanic so i pay cost. But the dealer just go with a part number and tell them what you need and some places will give you a great price. I was at 2 nissan dealers and wanted 555cc Nismo injectors one dealer quoted me 125 per injector and the other said 275 so you see how much BS comes to play when finding parts. If you know the price then u can talk to them about that saying this place said this price and what can he do it for. They are in the here to make money so they will try to get the most for the parts because in some cases they know you need more then one.


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## matt_101 (Feb 5, 2007)

okay, an intercooler is a heat sink - any one of them made from the same materials WILL preform very similarly.

i said EMANCE not emanange. Jason of emance does custom rom tunes for ka's and sr's. Mine runs perfect with his tune. You could fine tune your setup with an SAFC as well as running one his tunes if you want - many people do.

The sr i ran with has a 3 inch turbo back exhaust, 550cc injectors, rom tuned ecu, turbo upagre (runs a t28 instead of a [email protected] 10 psi). 

ebay is fine for exhausts as well, its just pipe - end of story. most of them mimic the bends on the "big" brands anyways. 
*
I turbo'd my ka24e for $1200. try to swap an sr for 1200, i bet you can't do it for less than 3 grand. *

A junkyard turbo is fine, lots of people run them without problems. New brand name turbos are very expensive($600+++). Go look at how many people run used holset turbos without problems.

final note on ebay parts, if it doesn't have moving parts - buy it on ebay. i did buy an ebay turbo for my build, i don't know how long it will last. but for 250 shipped with every oil fitting know to man, i'll be happy if i get a year or 2 out of it. 2 months daily driving on it now, zero shaft play. Some ppl have luck with ebay turbos, some don't. it is a chance you take.
*
I don't hate sr's but ka-t are defantly the cheaper way to get to 230-260 rwhp. *

as for parts, i said you can get them at the dealer or a parts store. yeah you pay for it at the dealer. But some parts should be OEM, timing chains/guides for example.

lol.... and your stock/moderatly modded SR will never touch my turbo single slammer. 

KA> SR...... IMO


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## redtoprps13 (Feb 12, 2007)

matt_101 said:


> okay, an intercooler is a heat sink - any one of them made from the same materials WILL preform very similarly.
> 
> i said EMANCE not emanange. Jason of emance does custom rom tunes for ka's and sr's. Mine runs perfect with his tune. You could fine tune your setup with an SAFC as well as running one his tunes if you want - many people do.
> 
> ...


yes an intercooler is a heat sink i said ebay is fine for low hp applications. if i'm pushing 400whp+ i'm not using an ebay intercooler. build quality comes into play with equipment like that. 

read my post where i said they are hit or miss. some people have success others don't. why chance it when you can build it right. exhausts are fine manifold are "OK" if you don't mind rewelding every so often

i have a rom tune so i know what you're talking about but safc's are still garbage. if he knows what he's doing why do you need to "FINE TUNE" safc's can short out and depending on how you change settings you can on the unit will affect how your ecu reacts with things like timing etc. 

and i'm talking upgrade parts shouldn't come from the dealership unless you mind paying which is the point. we are talking about improving your motor and not killing your wallet. of course basic maintenance parts should be oem . but if you're "BUILDING" your motor you ebay brand parts and autozone type parts are just stupid. hence why i said if you build a ka for an excess of 300whp reliabliy the right way it'll easily equal or eclipse an sr swap. 

and as it stands my virtually "STOCK" sr wouldn't out run your t3 powered ka. but to say never is just a stupid remark. your whole argument is kinda biased. what happens when you give both motors equal comp ratio and the similar turbos and a good tune....aka equal playing field, then i doubt you could talk any shit. it'd be a drivers race at that point. ka> sr=bullshit and sr>ka = bullshit. i wish people could see that. what the motor costs you depends on your connection. i got a good deal on my car. if i had bought a ka powered car i'd prolly boost that instead. to say either motor is superior is just a stupid fanboy statement. ka will almost certaintaly make more torque, the sr will almost certainly make more hp in the topend, but that's what gearing is for. it's power under th curve that matters and net power. sr has better rod/stroke ratio etc but the k/a's displacment helps for transient throttle response. In the end you have no argument, only your personal preference. the ka's i raced were running similar setups to me. yes ka's are cheaper to get to 230whp but sr's are cheaper to get to a reliable 400whp. this is pointless.


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## matt_101 (Feb 5, 2007)

it is personal preference.... i said IMO ka>sr. 

I think its better because you don't have to pay for swap up front, its pretty easy to hit 250whp reliablely, you learn alot along way, you get to be the underdog - yet still have a shot of running with most people, aftermarket support is much better now than it has been in the past. 

its not like your gonna hit 400hp on the cheap with an sr either. im running a single cam... theres a good number of 350whp+ dual cam ka's. IM NOT SAYING THE SR IS CRAP. i would say for the 400hp range, the ka and sr would be of very similar cost, i don't have personal experience to back this up - but i have priced the required parts for both setups in that power range.

agreeded, this is pointless - i retract the never statement. I just enjoy getting the sr's boys upset sometimes. cause they sure shit on us from time to time lol.........

wanna hug it out?

KA>=SR 

:fluffy:


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## redtoprps13 (Feb 12, 2007)

matt_101 said:


> it is personal preference.... i said IMO ka>sr.
> 
> I think its better because you don't have to pay for swap up front, its pretty easy to hit 250whp reliablely, you learn alot along way, you get to be the underdog - yet still have a shot of running with most people, aftermarket support is much better now than it has been in the past.
> 
> ...


sure, just don't group me with those "sr guys" i never talk shit on the ka i acknowledge it's strong points etc. i just look the smoothness of the sr. like i said my car came swapped for under 5k with bolt-ons. couldn't pass that up when stock s13's are going for 3500 these days with sohc's i'm sure if you had to pick between a 3500 dollar stock 240 and a 4500 dollar swapped 240, you'd consider the sr swap. in the end power is power.

not to mention i ended up becoming friends with an sr tuner. got my daughterboard and ecu tune for 200 bucks, all tunes are free for me. does work for me for litteraly a 3rd the price of what it would take at the shop. i can host pics of his 475whp holset powered sr if you'd like. it's pretty pimp


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## matt_101 (Feb 5, 2007)

of cousre i would buy it for 5k... you can't beat that. i paid 2600 for my car 1990 with sohc 96000kms when i bought it. 

lol... total thread jack on our part. i'd love to see that holset sr though.


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## redtoprps13 (Feb 12, 2007)




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## redtoprps13 (Feb 12, 2007)

does his own tuning and mine plus various hondas and mitsu's. does ka's, sr's, rb's etc.










475 rwhp. stock bottom end, full head work and cams. launch control lets him build 7 lbs at the line plus it has anti lag. it's scarey fast haha. ran a 12.9 on a t25 with consistent very low 13's


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## matt_101 (Feb 5, 2007)

nice car, nice turbo... the wing isn't my tatse.


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## Thrasher068 (Oct 26, 2008)

matt_101 said:


> nice car, nice turbo... the wing isn't my tatse.


The wing should look good once it is all painted i believe but it is under the hood with the jumbled wires that makes it look not so great. A little wire loom and electrical tape and a few zip ties here and there it will look good


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## cavazos (Oct 5, 2008)

*Update*

For eveybody that posted, I want to thank all of you for your help and comments. As of now this is the complete list of parts that I have. If you have any further comments or tips please feel free to post them.

SR20DET w/ tranny
HKS exhaust w/ down pipe
Greddy boost controller
HKS turbo timer
Blitz blow off valve
HKS Front mount intercooler with hoses
Electronic duel fan
Koyo Radiator with hoses
Nismo Thermostat
Nismo Fuel Injectors 500cc
Blitz Fuel Rail system
HKS Short ram air intake with new MAF sensor
Walbro 255 Fuel pump
T28 Turbo pulled from a S15
VIS carbon fiber hood
VIS carbon fiber trunk
Rims from a R32 Skyline
5 Lug hub conversion for front and rear
Skyline slotted and drilled brake kit with calipers, pads and lines
Sparco seats Turino style for driver and passenger
Nismo 4 point harness for driver and passenger
Harness bar
Type-V body kit 


I know I am still missing some parts but those will be coming soon. Im sill not sure where is a good place to buy the ECU or where is even a good place to send it to get it tuned. I also read alot of comments wondering if I was going to do the work myself, the answer is no. I found a shop called Maximum Performance where all they do is SR swaps so I already got that taken care of. Here some other parts that I plan on buying with in the next couple of months.

Arias pistons with rings
Kure motorsports H-beam rods
Greddy intake manifold
Greddy camshaft
Hks cam gear
Dc sport two piece header
Toda high power clutch with flywheel
Buddy club light weight battery

If you have any comments on the parts that Im going to buy I would like to hear them. Thank you for your time.


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