# Is this true??CA18DE has no plug wires?



## Bugalou (Mar 31, 2004)

Bare with me, I'm a complete newbie to this type of engine and I'm still waiting for the manual...I called up Nissanpartsonline.com to order the usually tune up items for my 88 pulsar including distributor cap,rotor and plug wires ..they said that engine doesn't have that stuff, its all electronic...say what?????...I looked at the engine and I figured all that stuff was under the red cover( was thinking must be some mighty short plug wires under there hooked up to the cap)..now I hear theres none of that stuff...is this a better system less prone to wear?..are there any items I should change in this system for normal maintenance(besides plugs)?.. the guy on the phone said no...

Dave


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

yeah, there's no cap or rotor and some CA's have plug wires and some don't, yours probably look like this ( http://community.webshots.com/photo/92785360/92785869VvCZLp ) except without the turbo's "elephant trunk" running doun the center. That's a CA18DET in the pic and you have the non-turbo version of the motor in your pulsar so you do have plug wires. I believe it's the CA16 and certain DET's that have individual coil packs which eliminates the plug wires. The black plastic centerpiece on top of the engine needs to be removed to get to the wires and spark plugs, and while you're in the area, check to see if you have any oil leaks around your valve covers, I would replace the gaskets while you're doing your plugs and plug wires.


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## Bugalou (Mar 31, 2004)

Hmm...theres no plug wires coming out of mine like in your picture..must have the coil packs one


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

I guess so, I wasn't clear on which models/version/years had coilpacks or wires, my pulsar has the wires though, wierd... where was your car made? mine's a US car made in Japan.


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## Bugalou (Mar 31, 2004)

I think was made in the US, at least thats what it says in the owners manual


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

you should be able to tell by looking under the hood for the identification plate, but my sentra was made in tennessee and it doesn't even have a plate...


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

Mine's an early model JDM CA18DE with coil packs on the spark plugs. I'm not sure when they added the external coil packs and plug wires. I'm sure boost_boy would know. If I'm not mistaken, all the CA18DET's came with external coils and wires. That pic is of the early model DET. Later models had the different intake manifold.


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

Got a little slap happy with the reply button....DOH!


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

thanks for the double post  I was wondering which one mine was but never really bothered checking into it, thanks for that info!


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## Red_Coupe (Mar 20, 2003)

I'll try to dig up my pick of a sunny GTI with a CA16DE it looks fab


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

Myetball said:


> Mine's an early model JDM CA18DE with coil packs on the spark plugs. I'm not sure when they added the external coil packs and plug wires. I'm sure boost_boy would know. If I'm not mistaken, all the CA18DET's came with external coils and wires. That pic is of the early model DET. Later models had the different intake manifold.


 The later DET engines (88-91) all had coil on top of plugs. The earlier variants is the one in which minute rice sentra has which uses a different intake manifold and head which is totally different from the U.S. models. The turbo and manifold are also different from the 88-91 models. The U.S. spec CA18DE has the same head, coilpacks and ignitor as the 1988-91 CA18DET/DE engines.

Dee


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

So do I have some kind of rare DE ? It's got wires instead of coil packs.


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

minute rice sentra said:


> So do I have some kind of rare DE ? It's got wires instead of coil packs.


Your motor is not rare, it's just that it's one of the 1st generation CA18DET engines (nothing wrong with them).

Dee


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

I was talking about the engine from my pulsar, the CA18DE, it has wires instead of individual coil packs. It sounded like from what you said, the pulsars had coil packs but mine has wires, I was just wondering if there would possibly be any other major differences between the pulsar DE's with coil packs and the one's without.


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

minute rice sentra said:


> I was talking about the engine from my pulsar, the CA18DE, it has wires instead of individual coil packs. It sounded like from what you said, the pulsars had coil packs but mine has wires, I was just wondering if there would possibly be any other major differences between the pulsar DE's with coil packs and the one's without.


Those CA18DE engines were never introduced to the U.S. with wires. You may have one that was converted to an older JDM cariant, but the wiring would have to be redone to configure a U.S. harness to a CA18DE with wires. No major difference but the intake manifold and head design on the intake side as well where the coilpacks normally bolts (the older variant has no bolt holes).

Dee


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

red_devil sent me this pic to post up here. It's a CA16DE but you get the idea. Nice looking engine.


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## B11sleeper (Oct 15, 2003)

that's a nice setup! needs a header.


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

I guess the intake pipe was swapped from a CA18 ?
Looks vey nice, got any more? Maybe it's just me, but did you have a not so easy time figuring that hosting site out?


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

minute rice sentra said:


> I guess the intake pipe was swapped from a CA18 ?
> Looks vey nice, got any more? Maybe it's just me, but did you have a not so easy time figuring that hosting site out?


Stumbled across the host on Nico forums after someone recommended it to boost_boy. Took a couple minutes to figure it out. Not exactly the most user friendly but if it's reliable then I'm all for it. Digitalpose can go pound salt.


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

That's where I saw it too, and I played around with it while I was at school, I just need to have more patience.


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## Bugalou (Mar 31, 2004)

The shorty hose in the middle of the air intake pipe looks like a radiator type hose..very bad, they will disintigrate from the inside out sending all types of crap into the engine..I know from experience : ( ... the dealer is the only one you can get the correct hose from

Dave


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

It looks like a new stock hose to me, and I guess the intake pipe was swapped from a CA18 ?


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

Hey Red_devil, if you see this anyhow, what car did that pic come from??


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

It does look like a piece of heater hose. That hose needs to be able to stand up to long term exposure to gas/oil....should be a fuel line hose.


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

you guys talking about that PCV hose?? just put a breather on it


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

oh, that hose, yeah those are no good for oil exposure(yeah, from experience too).


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## Red_Coupe (Mar 20, 2003)

Gsolo said:


> Hey Red_devil, if you see this anyhow, what car did that pic come from??



It's from an 88 Sunny sport coupe GTI . From findland I think? but the car is right.. just like mine


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

Gsolo said:


> Hey Red_devil, if you see this anyhow, what car did that pic come from??


Did I miss something?


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> Did I miss something?


yes


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

c'mon, don't leave me hangin'!


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> c'mon, don't leave me hangin'!


thats no fun  myetball posted a pic that red_devil sent him, so i asked chip where it was from cause i was thinking wow theres a car like that up here, but turns out its not from here its somewheres else


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

btw, was that exh manifold in the pic a 4-2-1?? it almost looks like it but i didnt' think nissan made such thing factory


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

mkay, now I understand. About the exhaust, I guess so since the downpipe is two seperate pipes and the it goes to one at the flex pipe.


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

Gsolo said:


> btw, was that exh manifold in the pic a 4-2-1?? it almost looks like it but i didnt' think nissan made such thing factory



The stock CA manifolds are 4-2, then a dual downpipe that goes 2-1 under the engine. May have something to with why nobody in the states makes a header for the CA engine.


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

Myetball said:


> The stock CA manifolds are 4-2, then a dual downpipe that goes 2-1 under the engine. May have something to with why nobody in the states makes a header for the CA engine.


i iddn't know they had that, thats cool. the ca20, at least mine anyhow are just big fat manifolds i think


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## Red_Coupe (Mar 20, 2003)

> i was thinking wow theres a car like that up here,



the only cars state side to have that type of engine is the pulsar,180sx and the stanza(ca20).

sorry no sentras Well Boost Boy


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

Gsolo said:


> i iddn't know they had that, thats cool. the ca20, at least mine anyhow are just big fat manifolds i think


Sorry, should have clarified....the CA16 and CA18 have that type manifold. Also, if you notice, it's a 1-4/2-3 design, just like a header.


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## BennittoMallito (May 20, 2002)

^This is how I have mine set-up. 

I call it an after-manifold unit. The downpipes are larger, and there's a simple but nice 'y' collector, kind of like the pace-setter header for SR20. 

Works almost like a true header, but without the benefit of real primaries. Hoestly the stock manifold flows pretty good for OEM. The entire thing in stainless with resonator and can ran me just under $200.


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

red_devil said:


> Well Boost Boy


Nah,


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> Nah,


*drool* only cause it has that special square hole in it


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

Gsolo said:


> *drool* only cause it has that special square hole in it


Here's a couple more pics if you wanna see what he got to cover up that hole... http://nissaninfiniticlub.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60688


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> Here's a couple more pics if you wanna see what he got to cover up that hole... http://nissaninfiniticlub.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60688


that has got to be the sexiest hole i've ever seen...wow...*drools* i want a turbo! i want money so i can finish my project(s)


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

Yeah, money is nice, I'm gonna swing over to a new salvage yard I found and see If I can try to get closer to finishing my DET swap, need to find a manual SE KN13!!!


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> Yeah, money is nice, I'm gonna swing over to a new salvage yard I found and see If I can try to get closer to finishing my DET swap, need to find a manual SE KN13!!!


tranny?


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

Yeah, I pretty much need all the crap for the tranny, so far I've only found one pulsar in the yards around here, but it was already stripped, I hope this time I get lucky...


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> Yeah, I pretty much need all the crap for the tranny, so far I've only found one pulsar in the yards around here, but it was already stripped, I hope this time I get lucky...


good luck.


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## BennittoMallito (May 20, 2002)

minute rice sentra said:


> Yeah, I pretty much need all the crap for the tranny, so far I've only found one pulsar in the yards around here, but it was already stripped, I hope this time I get lucky...


 1 question, 1 suggestion

Nice manifold, but... How is it gonna clear the radiator? Even if you run a pusher fan on the other side, judging off my car, it doesn't look like it will fit.

Why not find a JDM importer like SOKO, and get a tranny off them? It will be in better shape, and probably low mileage. Not some unit that has been in the bone-yard for god knows how long and has ?? km.


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

That's boost_boys custom manifold for his CA18DET powered B12. Not sure how he got it crammed in there but I'm sure it fits.


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

Sorry for any confusion... I wish that were my manifold! 
If I can't find a decent tranny locally I will import one, maybe then I'll get some stock LSD action!


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> Sorry for any confusion... I wish that were my manifold!
> If I can't find a decent tranny locally I will import one, maybe then I'll get some stock LSD action!



tahst what i hope to do, lsd would be awesome


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