# Rebuild ka24 or import sr20?



## sleep'n240 (Jan 11, 2006)

Got a 92 coupe shell for a steal. Motor driven dry, 1 maybe 2 rods knocking. Sport Compact just published an article about the ka24 with an aftermarket turbo setup. They say it will put 225 to the ground with the right setup on stock motor with small fuel delivery mods. Plus more exhaust made, less lag...big +! So my situtation is, bore and sleeve my ravaged ka24 and make it able to hold good boost or import an sr20. Any opinions? Anybody know a reliable source for motors or a decent mechanic for the swap near southern Indiana?


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## OPIUM (Aug 18, 2002)

well with an sr20 on the stock turbo and basic bolt ons w/ 14psi I see 244whp all the time. After that point swap turbo/fuel injectors/ and some engine management and sky is the limit. I'd say go sr20. I'm not a fan of ka-t setups. they're cool and unique but for simplicity sake.. sr20. Just make sure if you do get an SR to get rocker arm stoppers.


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## kilty_0 (Aug 21, 2004)

why not do both, rebuild the ka to get some more life out of it then buy an sr to build up/rebuild once you have everything you need or are planning to do to the sr then do the swap plus then you can sell the ka to someone and it has less miles on it thus adding to the money that you make


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## Nismo240 (Jul 24, 2004)

i say go for the SR, everyone's starting to turbo their KA's.


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## zellx2004 (Sep 30, 2004)

Nismo240 said:


> i say go for the SR, everyone's starting to turbo their KA's.


Everyone's also doing SR's...I say CA!


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## sleep'n240 (Jan 11, 2006)

Sport Compact said that 225 whp was pushin 7 lbs of boost. I'd prolly be aimin for round 10, but with 14 like youre runnin, I would estimate results no lower than 260 whp. 

As for doin both, it's kind of a budget thing and I will probably only do it once...I wanna do it right. The ka will need some machine work and prolly new pistons/rods. Roughly estimating, I estimate the same budget but with the ka I would know the strength of the motor. An sr20 has an untold history that I would never know. Not even the true mileage.

You opted to go the CA. What can you tell me about this motor? I've heard of it, but I'm unfamiliar with it. What does it come in stock? What size? DOHC? Turbo?


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## OPIUM (Aug 18, 2002)

I personally have not seen 225whp on 7psi on basic bolt ons ie; fmic,exhaust,fuelpump,intake. But thats neither here nor there. Im not running 14 psi either. Im just going off of what I've seen locally. I have an RB20det not SR20. much different by a whole +2 cylinders. I run 10psi. The CA18DET is cool because no one runs it. But there is also a reason for that. They are older than dirt. It's hard to get a clean one, and can be harder still to get it to pass emissions if you have to deal with that. The CA I drove I thought was absolute shit. But it was stock as stock can be. But every motor has potential. It just depends on how deep your pockets are and the parts you choose and what you do with it. I of course am an advocate for the RB series motors because I love the inline 6. But I don't automatically dismiss the other motors either. Go with what you know... just research research reasearch........


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## my420sx (May 12, 2002)

*Purely based as an opionion but I hope this helps...*

I'm currently in the same boat sleepin'240,
However day by day I'm leaning more and more towards the KA and doing a mild turbo setup much like the one in this months SCC magazine.

To make things easier, you have to come to a conclusion to how much power you want to put down. By doing so you'll save a lot of time and money. 

My goal is simple and realistic. I'f I can get 220-240 to the wheel then I'm satisfied. The KA is clearly capable of that amount with a mild turbo setup (accourding to my research). I'm not trying to make a beast or be the best out there, someone will always be quicker. 

Plus another significant reason is that I'm not a huge fan of over seas parts and motors. Locally I hear a lot of horor stories with regards of SR swaps. Buying a clip or swap kits is a real GAMBLE, sometimes you get lucky. But when you don't, you'll be one dissappointed fella. Where as the KA, parts a readily available! 

Good luck with your decision.


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## kilty_0 (Aug 21, 2004)

my420sx said:


> I'm currently in the same boat sleepin'240,
> However day by day I'm leaning more and more towards the KA and doing a mild turbo setup much like the one in this months SCC magazine.
> 
> To make things easier, you have to come to a conclusion to how much power you want to put down. By doing so you'll save a lot of time and money.
> ...



you can find parts for most JDM engine in this country though i dont know about the rb to my knowledge thats the only series of engine commonly swaped that wasnt using in cars in this country the ca18 was (w/o turbo) same with the sr so basic engine parts for rebuilding and such arent too hard to find (in theory, ive never tried myself)


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## Hill_TOP_Drfter (Jan 4, 2006)

:thumbup: GO ALL MOTOR KA24 Its the SHIT
No turbo lag when u DRIFT.....But if u looking for power GO SR20det or RB25 YEAHHHHHHHHH...............But i'd rather go for a 180hp KA all motor its the bomb with the right setup.


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## zellx2004 (Sep 30, 2004)

OPIUM said:


> I personally have not seen 225whp on 7psi on basic bolt ons ie; fmic,exhaust,fuelpump,intake. But thats neither here nor there. Im not running 14 psi either. Im just going off of what I've seen locally. I have an RB20det not SR20. much different by a whole +2 cylinders. I run 10psi. The CA18DET is cool because no one runs it. But there is also a reason for that. They are older than dirt. It's hard to get a clean one, and can be harder still to get it to pass emissions if you have to deal with that. The CA I drove I thought was absolute shit. But it was stock as stock can be. But every motor has potential. It just depends on how deep your pockets are and the parts you choose and what you do with it. I of course am an advocate for the RB series motors because I love the inline 6. But I don't automatically dismiss the other motors either. Go with what you know... just research research reasearch........



yadda yadda yadda you and your inline 6's lol. Why you always got to be better?!


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## little240boy (Jan 13, 2004)

I am also heavily bias of the RB, WOT the sound alone is exciting and then the power! :fluffy: :thumbup: :fluffy: 

However thats not the point of this thread!! It really depends on what your goals but most importantly what your budget is. Lots of people, myself included, wanted a ~350hp drifting machine! However my budget was the ultimate factor is not getting that! 

Factors in my opinion:

1)Your overall goals (real or dreaming!)
2)Realistic budget
3)Any possible JDM connection or local JDM hook up, this will save you time and lots of money if you choose SR/CA/RB
4)Don't listen to what anyone says about finding SR parts. They are so common now, they should start stocking them at Nissan dealerships. We can get skyline parts at the dealerships in Canada now without a problem
5)What you are going to use the car for?

With a mild budget, patience, trust in an engine importer, I would suggest the SR. 220HP to the wheels is a quick little car in an S13 and won't disappoint for daily driving. Furthermore, so much information is available to you for the swap in forums/magazines, parts are available and getting cheaper by the month. There has been huge debate on this topic and I'm not going to get involved because honestly, its personal choice.

+1 for SR20DET 













+10 for RB30DETT


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## bridrive55 (Aug 26, 2004)

KA is cheaper, mod for mod. If you don't drive like a douchenozzle, you won't hurt the KA either.
KA = low end power, SR = high end power.


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## skylineimports (Dec 23, 2005)

SR20DET all the way! by far a more tunable and stronger engine than the KA.

Parts are easy to get from the usa and the prices are not bad either

I would use these guys for the motor, wiring harness and any tuning parts you want.

www.phase2motortrend.com


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## princefkncharmin (Jan 16, 2006)

i read that same article. i then talked to a tech at a nissan dealership in fredercik maryland. he suggeted going with the sr20 swap. i want 290-300 whp. so the stock snail will have to go. and all of the neccesary parts in on. it will be a daily driver for me.


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## 240luvr (Oct 8, 2004)

Honestly, it's a personal opinion built up from reading and doing research. I've decided to go KA24DE-T. Due to the fact that I don't have to deal with the wiring mess entailed with an SR swap. Also, I don't need to pay into the four digit range just for a stock motor, and some things still aren't there. The money that I would pay for an SR to be imported, could at minimum buy my pistons, rings, and rods for my KA...which is the only week part of the motor. Now I've seen SR's get imported for somewhere in the 2,000 range...for 2,000 I have my pistons, rods, and if I shop around, my basic turbo setup that's equal to a stock SR...and I can boost further because I already have forged pistons and rods...

Now as I stated in the first place, it's all an opinion built up from doing research. Just for something to read up on with the KA-T setup...Look here...I'm also a member here and have learned a lot.
www.ka-t.org
now just like every forum however, don't start asking questions before you research.

And one final note here. I'm not bashing the SR, it's a good motor, in fact I'm thinking about picking up a 200SX SE-R which comes with a non-turbo SR. I've just decided on the KA for my build...


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## zellx2004 (Sep 30, 2004)

240luvr said:


> Honestly, it's a personal opinion built up from reading and doing research. I've decided to go KA24DE-T. Due to the fact that I don't have to deal with the wiring mess entailed with an SR swap. Also, I don't need to pay into the four digit range just for a stock motor, and some things still aren't there. The money that I would pay for an SR to be imported, could at minimum buy my pistons, rings, and rods for my KA...which is the only week part of the motor. Now I've seen SR's get imported for somewhere in the 2,000 range...for 2,000 I have my pistons, rods, and if I shop around, my basic turbo setup that's equal to a stock SR...and I can boost further because I already have forged pistons and rods...
> 
> Now as I stated in the first place, it's all an opinion built up from doing research. Just for something to read up on with the KA-T setup...Look here...I'm also a member here and have learned a lot.
> www.ka-t.org
> ...



Likewise here, I'm not going to bash the KA, because it does have plenty of potential (Rick from KA-t proved this) I chose the N/A SR for me due to the fact of it being cheaper (Do not go this route! It's annoying), but none the less it's different. It all depends on what you want to do. Say you want mild modifications, and a daily driver? I would go with SR.Due to the fact that it is turbo from factory. Want to spend some time on an engine, but have plenty of fun with it, and still keep your "Stock like look" go with the KA.


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## veilside180sx (Aug 23, 2005)

Questions like these are always quick to write, unfortunately the answers are not. They require a lot of time to write out. Here's a quick theory. I'll cover two...Budget and say 400 RWHP. These prices are including that you are doing the work, and you are knowledgeable enough to do so. Outsourcing your welding or doing it yourself will not be factored in.

Budget: Say about 200 rwhp

.........................KA24DET.................. ...............SR20DET
Turbo...................Z31 T3........$100-$150................Stock
Turbo Manifold......JGS Precision $150 DIY..........Stock
Downpipe.............Custom....$100 DIY................Stock
Wastegate...........Internal...................... ...........Stock
Fuel Management SAFC2.....$200 used................Stock ECU
Injectors..............370cc SR....$100 used............Stock 370 cc
Intercooler...........Volvo FMIC $50-$100 used......Stock Sidemount
Intercooler Piping Custom.....$120 DIY.................Stock
BOV....................1g DSM......$60........................Stock
Oil Lines..............JGS Precision.....$100 ..............Stock
Fuel Pump...........Walbro 255 $90.................... Walbro 255 $90

Right about $1000 for the KA...........Average around $2500-4000 Depending on condition

Say this is for 400 RWHP Build Lists: Personally I would air on the side of caution for these things, and build both blocks. I know SR guys will whine, so I'll cater to those that like to run on the ragged edge of the envelope.
...........................................KA24DET ...........................SR20DET
Turbo T3/T04E 50 Trim Stg 3,,,,,$600.............................Same
Turbo Manifold GroundZero.....$700........Peak Boost.....$900 
Intercooler 24x12x3 Core.........$300.............................$300 
Intercooler Piping......DIY............$120................DIY ........$120
Downpipe..................DIY...........$100...... ...........DIY.......$100
BOV..........................Tial...........$200.. ..............Tial........$200
Wastegate.................Tial...........$200..... .............Tial.........$200
Injectors.................720cc.........$350...... ............720cc.....$350
Fuel Management JWT............$600..................JWT.......$60 0
Z32 MAF...................................$120........ .....................$120
Oil Lines..................JGS............$80......... ......................Stock 
Pistons.........Wiseco..................$500...... ........................Stock
Rods.......................................Stock.. ...........................Stock
Various Rebuild Parts...............$300.......................... ....Stock
Machine Work..........................$300
Importing motor............................................. .............$2500

Total......................................$4470.. ...........................$5390

Draw your own conclusions, now for the SR boys I understand you like to run like say a GT2871R, but that's $1200. It would eliminate the external wastegate and new manifold though. Which would bring the price down just a little.

Don't ever say I haven't done anything this just wasted an hour of my life.


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