# My 1st B12



## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

OK, My parents decide to give me an 88 B12 as my 1st car. Its an 88" Sentra Xe Sport Coupe w/ the E16(carburated i thnk ?) and its 5spd with only 120,000mi on it with all original manuals and evreything. The car is SLOW. What can i do to it to fix that. Keeping in mind that im 17 and get paid 5.80 an hr. Or should I sell and get somthing else? I need feedback......


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

Congrats, you have a nice little car that will save you money on gas.

Your car has TBI (throttle body injection).

Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go? Your budget will determine your options, the possibilities are endless. Some guys have 300+ HP B12s. Search around, read what others have done, that will give you an idea of what you can do.


Here's a good place to start.


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

Throttle Body Injection, I knew that it didnt look like a carb but wasnt sure. But mean i would like around 150hp or somthing. I already have a few hundred set aside, but i dont know whats out there for it, this forum should help.


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

You're looking at upping power by a little over 100%, that's not going to be cheap. Turbocharging or an engine swap, but neither is going to be cheap. If you want a quicker car that will be a hoot to drive, focus on getting good rubber (you probably have econo-dogmeat wrapped on your wheels). Azenis in So Cali are about 30-40 each, so not an unrealistic upgrade. (You will have to have another set of winter tires, no good on the wet or snow)
There's plenty to work on suspension-wise, a sway bar from a pulsar, astreamk1 had some polyurethane bushings, they'll help. Tokico still makes blue struts (HP), they're really good. Sprint, B+G, Eibach, they all make spring that will fit (B+G are for B13, but they'll fit). There's a short shifter too. Get an exhaust bent with a high flow muffler, there's a header out there. Read the e-series forum, search the b11/b12/kn13 forum as well.

Power is a powerful drug, and any addict will tell you the more you get, the more you want, it will consume you, ruin your life. Focus on the handling and you'll be ready for twice as much power as stock.

The project B12 of NPM (NissanPerformanceMag.com) will give some idea of what having a truly powerful B12 is like.


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## mille-16i (Jun 16, 2004)

Well I have jsut about the same car as you and yeah they are not fast I am located in the pacific northwest so pricing is different but I am sure not to far off. I would get your hands on a totaled 91-94 sentra base model look at towing company auctions and other auctions I say get a whole car cause you may be able to get a whole wreck for the cost of the engine & tranny out of a wrecking yard. I would expect to pay around 3-400 what you get is the GA16DE and all the stuff you need and you won't have to make many trips to wrecking yard to get forgotten parts. The GA makes decent power and the aftermarket parts headers and intakes are more readly available and you can get cams and other things that are getting hard to find for the E series. The Ga gives 110 hp which is 50%+ better then the 70hp your E dose.


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## Slacky (May 31, 2004)

agree with gettin the parts car b13 model u will get everything u need for the swap and um to over a hundred hp from i think the stock 70 plus then u would have dohc and there are a lot more common upgrade products out there for the newer engine like cams or header


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## mille-16i (Jun 16, 2004)

Also you will start out at 110hp not have to build up to it I am pretty sure with bolt ons that the GA16DE is capable of close to 150hp, headers intake under drive pulleys and what not correct me if I am wrong I may be.


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

The GA16De swap sounds very nice. But how hard is the swap? Is it to hard for me and a few buddies to put it in, or dose a performance shop have to put it in? would it be better just to find an wrecked or used B13 with the GA16DE and tranny already there than finding one w/ a tranny by it self?, what about the miliage? could an SR20DE fit?.Im 17, and the issue is time with an swap or somthing. so many questions lol.i'm kinding brainstorming now,before i decide to sell it or somthing and find an 180/240sx. I need input from anyone.


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

No engine swap is easy. Yes, you'll need a donor car, or grab everything from a car at the junkyard. IIRC, there's fabrication involved too. The wiring's going to be a bitch for sure though. use the search button located above (in between "new posts" and "quick links") there's plenty of info. Also spend some time reading and searching the engine forums (e-series). Honda swaps aren't very easy, and this is harder than those, most speed shops aren't going to know what it's going to take to put this together (again, this ain't no B18 swap). I don't know your skill level or your buddies' skills but obiviously you've never done a swap to a B12, so research is your first step.


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## Osirisdudeman (Oct 19, 2004)

" truly powerful B12 "
i just read that hOLE site
along with http://www.sentra.net/

see i too have piced up on a sweet b12!


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## Slacky (May 31, 2004)

u nee a mechanics tool set, a jack and some jack stands, and a soldering gun, that should do it, and a few little parts that u might break on the way but u will find out when it happen


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## mille-16i (Jun 16, 2004)

Matt64246 said:


> The GA16De swap sounds very nice. But how hard is the swap? Is it to hard for me and a few buddies to put it in, or dose a performance shop have to put it in? would it be better just to find an wrecked or used B13 with the GA16DE and tranny already there than finding one w/ a tranny by it self?, what about the miliage? could an SR20DE fit?.Im 17, and the issue is time with an swap or somthing. so many questions lol.i'm kinding brainstorming now,before i decide to sell it or somthing and find an 180/240sx. I need input from anyone.


Well yes the SR20 will swap in but you will get into a whole new ball game lots more fabing and the price difference between the two is more cause the sr only came in SE-R's and nx2000's I do believe again I could be wrong but non the less they are alot rarer and will pull a higher price even for a wrecked car. I would say that if you and your buddys are a paitent and somewhat knowledgeable with good books and diagrams should be able to do it in a couple week period maybe more remember nissan did not intend for that engine to be in a B12 so you will run into issues But as a good freind used to tell me there is nothing you can't do to a car if you have the knowledge the time and the money. And from what I have gathered in my searching on the same topic the wiring is the hardest part the rest is relativly simple (as far as engine swaps go that is)
As for selling it to get a 240sx those are nice but let me tell you this from experience they will be alot more work to get up to par cause the parts you will swap in it are not in america so you can't get a donor car at an auction. Get your feet wet with the B12 then step up latter into a S13 that way when you are building your kick ass silvia wannabe you have a nice sentra to get you back and forth and your confidence level will be higher allowing you to try bigger better mods.


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

Yea that sounds like a better idea. I think to start off, i'll just get a short throw shifter, custom piping with a nice muffler, and maybe a header if i can find one. As for the TBi, is there anyway to get more cold air in the throttle body? is there like a free flow filter, or intake adapter or somthing? just curios.


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## Slacky (May 31, 2004)

i still say ga16de, get a sr20det afterwords in something else or maybe even a vet if he has enough money later


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

As for the TBi, is there anyway to get more cold air in the throttle body? is there like a free flow filter, or intake adapter or somthing? just curios.


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

Where can I locate a Header for the E16-i?


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## Spelchy (Jun 24, 1987)

an sr20vet B12 would be crazy but an insane job too..


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## Slacky (May 31, 2004)

pretty sure u gotta get the header for a ga16de and modify your downpipe, but i could be wrong


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## Crazy-Mart (Jul 14, 2002)

Slacky said:


> pretty sure u gotta get the header for a ga16de and modify your downpipe, but i could be wrong


your wrong : not same head and wont fit ... look under pacesetter , there was another brand but cant remember the name ... do a little search it will come up


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## Slacky (May 31, 2004)

i know i saw in previous links that people used the de header because the ports were the same and it was just dohc now but hey if thers a header for the ga16i then get that


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## astreamk1 (Apr 16, 2004)

Slacky said:


> i know i saw in previous links that people used the de header because the ports were the same and it was just dohc now but hey if thers a header for the ga16i then get that


I think maybe you are talking about getting a GA16DE Header and using it on the GA16i. that will work. I don't think there are any headers out there made for the GA16i itself.


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## BeeEyeEye (Sep 28, 2004)

Matt64246 said:


> As for the TBi, is there anyway to get more cold air in the throttle body? is there like a free flow filter, or intake adapter or somthing? just curios.


Someone made something a while ago, basicly cutting the airbox. Search, you'll find it. If you search for e-series header you'll find the outfit that makes one in Arizona, Pacesetter no longer makes thiers. Pacesetter still has a short shifter available, about 72-73 bucks.


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## Slacky (May 31, 2004)

lol o yea just read it again, sorry about that , deff meant the ga16i and ga16de headers bolt up, not sure where to get e16i header


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## mille-16i (Jun 16, 2004)

I will say it this way you will spend more time and money tring to up a E16i then just getting the swap done. 
Pros to keeping the E16 is that you already have it
Cons are it is a rare engine (in tbi form 2 year run and in 87 not all E16's were i's) so when things start to break and they will the cost of repair will go up and up.
It is an old engine and many companys are no longer making performance parts for it and those that do will start charging more cause they are rare.
Its Single over head cam 8 valve's the GA16de is Dual overhead cam 16 valve's that along would/has make me want one.
with the GA you will be able to compair parts and choose the one you want that fits your wants and your budget with the E it will be what you can get.


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

BeeEyeEye said:


> Someone made something a while ago, basicly cutting the airbox. Search, you'll find it. If you search for e-series header you'll find the outfit that makes one in Arizona, Pacesetter no longer makes thiers. Pacesetter still has a short shifter available, about 72-73 bucks.


You can also make/buy an intake plenum and make your own CAI.


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

mille-16i said:


> I will say it this way you will spend more time and money tring to up a E16i then just getting the swap done.
> Pros to keeping the E16 is that you already have it
> Cons are it is a rare engine (in tbi form 2 year run and in 87 not all E16's were i's) so when things start to break and they will the cost of repair will go up and up.
> It is an old engine and many companys are no longer making performance parts for it and those that do will start charging more cause they are rare.
> ...


It also depends what you're going for. Balls-out power is going to be expensive no matter what. Again its what you're aiming for. E-series motor is fine for a lot of purposes, and with a well-tuned chassis you can have loads of fun and if you learn to drive, do well at autoX or RallyX.

Swapping a GA isn't that easy or cheap either, but I guess if you really want to it can be done.


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

Im not looking for 200+hp out this car. I mean in stock form this peice of metal is slow. A GA16DE swap would be nice, i dont have the time since i go to school also. Like somone esle posted, i would be putting more money into the E16-i than its probably worth, since there arent many parts out there for and even with those parts, im probably still below 100hp. I may just sell it, and get somthing else that has an engine that takes Bolt-ons pretty good.I dont know yet. i still have somemore thinking to do.


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

If you don't have time or kowledge or patience, stay away from ANY engine swap. As far as it "not being worth it" to put money in an E-series, that all depends on what you're looking for. A GA16DE swap is going to cost a lot of time/money/patience, personally too much of a pain for the power gain. Practically the same is required for a CA motor and that has more power. But again, without suffcient time/money/patience, it all moot. My suggestion is to tune the chassis first, you're car will be much quicker (spped is also a function of chassis responsiveness). You'll have the added enefit of learning your vehicle's limits as well. Then move on the the power. You'll find that with a quick search of these forums that thier are suffcient bolt-ons for the E-series, some in Austrailia have even pumped out 300+ HP out of them.


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

Thanks alot, thats a big help. I have time, only on the weekends since im a full time student during the day and also work. Suspension and a wheel/tire package is probably what i will start to research. After i replace my Sh!t of a clutch which decided to start slipping on me.


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

BTW euro cam, header, and exhaust will put you around 100HP iirc (at least for carb models). Look at Blown B310's list of e-series mods in the e-series forum for details. But those are simple, modest bolt-ons, all done in less than a day (the exaust you'll have to have done at shop uness you have a pipe bender, welder, and lift). Plus you can swap out the TBI for MPFI, you'll have some gains there (again check the e-series forum).


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## ohc turbo (May 14, 2004)

i would say the best bet is to try and get a engine out of a pulsar or exa as these have the ca series engines, im sure if you have trouble with the engine mounts etc you can get them over in the uk as some of our b12's came with ca16de or ca18de's stock and the ca18de is 135bhp you could even push over 150bhp with a decent exhaust, airfilter, port/polish etc. 

other way to go is get a e15et, i know oz got them in the early pulsar n12 and the early exa's but i dont know if us got them?


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## B11sleeper (Oct 15, 2003)

e15et's are pretty rare in the US you can get them. I have one. it's not running or in my car yet. It's somewhat complicated unless you have a full e15et ecu/harness, etc.


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

ohc turbo said:


> i would say the best bet is to try and get a engine out of a pulsar or exa as these have the ca series engines, im sure if you have trouble with the engine mounts etc you can get them over in the uk as some of our b12's came with ca16de or ca18de's stock and the ca18de is 135bhp you could even push over 150bhp with a decent exhaust, airfilter, port/polish etc.
> 
> other way to go is get a e15et, i know oz got them in the early pulsar n12 and the early exa's but i dont know if us got them?


A CA swap is complicated too, as you need to rewire the ENTIRE car. E15et is a good bet, but again how much time/patience/money is going to determine what you do.

BTW B11Sleeper, how's the swap going?


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

Back to the Sentra. I've thought and thought. I might as well keep it and start out small. I want some feedback on what I plan to do as of now
- Pacesetter Short Throw
- Header (If i can find one)
- Custom 2.25 piping out nice muffler(not sure what kind to got with?)
- Eibach Sportlines, H & R sport springs, or Intrax Lowereing springs
- ACT 2100 or Exedy organic clutch set
- and some OEM 15' Altima/Sentra rims or some Nippon Racing F-2 rims with some wider tires.
- Alarm system? powerlocks? lol
Anything thing else? What should I invest in 1st?


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

hey BII, can you give me some more information on making you own CAI with an Intake Plenum?


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

Don't spend all that money a clutch, you don't need it right now, plus it'll make your car harder to drive for no reason. As far as the CAI, I've never made one (I had a carb and I swapped that out for a Weber, which came with a K&N that was "open" so to speak) but MinuteRice's is legendary.

Although that's not "really" a Cold Air Intake per se, it's just a more-flow air box.

To make a "RiC3b0i" style CAI, you'll need:

Maybe a plenum (measure the diameter of where the airbox meets the TB, if its 5 1/8in, you're in luck, K&N makes a plenum you can use otherwise you'll have to make one.

Then you'll need some sillicon hose connectors (couplings) and clamps, and some tubing (I suggest getting stainless steel mandrel bent stuff made for exhuast, new of course!) Also get a conical filter.

Then its just a matter of taking hacksaw (and file) to tubing and cutting it to fit. Point the tubing downwards and away from the engine, so you draw cold air in (the point).

You'll have to look at Minute Rice's to get an idea of how to cancel stuff out (like AIV).

I would also suggest painting the outside of the tubing in some heat resistant/reflective type material or (better still) insulate it by wrapping it in some insulation-type material. Otherwise the metal tube will actually HEAT the air up hotter than it would have been before.

You might get away with not buying a plenum, I'm just not sure, I've never made one before for a B12. Most other cars have TBs that you can clamp on the sillicon coupling to no problemo, I don't think that's the case for the E-Series, but I could be mistaken.

I suggest routing the CAI tubing down towards the passenger side firewall, there's to be a lot of space there.


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

bII said:


> Don't spend all that money a clutch, you don't need it right now, plus it'll make your car harder to drive for no reason. As far as the CAI, I've never made one (I had a carb and I swapped that out for a Weber, which came with a K&N that was "open" so to speak) but MinuteRice's is legendary.
> 
> Although that's not "really" a Cold Air Intake per se, it's just a more-flow air box.
> 
> ...


So i should just stick with the OEM clucth, buy a new OEM clutch?
would all the other parts be good for it?


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

Matt64246 said:


> So i should just stick with the OEM clucth, buy a new OEM clutch?
> would all the other parts be good for it?


Is your clutch going bad? If so, you can get a decent aftermarket one, should be OK.


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## Matt64246 (Oct 20, 2004)

Its going now, its slipping right now.but not bad enough that i cant drive. what kind would you recomend for it?


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