240sx FAQ: READ BEFORE POSTING, NEWBIE!!!

[J SPEC SilEighty]

Ok guys, it was brought up in a different thread that we should start a FAQ. Post any information here that you think would be good to go in the FAQ. I think that if we all did this then it would help a lot of the new guys out as well as save us from having to answer the same repeated questions over and over. You guys think this is a good idea? Also if anybody see's any incorrect info posted, including in my following post, please correct it if you can so that this FAQ can be as accurate as possible. I think we can all make this really good

[J SPEC SilEighty]

Where can I buy an SR20DET?

www.heavythrottle.com or www.srswap.com (same company)
www.unstable-hybrids.com
www.phase2motortrend.com
www.mckinneymotorsports.com
www.venus-auto.com/nissan.htm
www.boostdynamics.com
www.autoimaging.com
www.projectsilvia.com
www.neishlinmotors.com
www.jspecauto.com
www.streetimports.com
www.nippon-motors.com
www.japanesemotorsport.com.au/engine_choice.htm
www.afterdark-tuning.com
www.jarcoinc.com
www.flashoptions.com
www.osakajdmmotors.com

What are the differences between the models?

In the USA the 240SX came as the following:
- S13 chassis - 1989-1994 There was a coupe and a hatchback version. There was also a limited edition convertable version. When going for the S13, most people go for the 89-93 because the 94 was available strictly as a convertable with an auto tranny. From 1989-1990 the coupe and the fastback both came with the KA24E. That's a single cam motor that puts out 140 HP and 160 lb-ft of torque. From 1991 and up it came with the KA24DE, a dual cam motor that puts out 155 HP and 160 lb-ft of torque. The S13 was also available with HICAS which is a 4 wheel steering system. Some people like it a lot and some hate it. If you plan on drifting, you don't want HICAS.

- S14 chassis - 1995-1998 Here it was available only as a coupe but got a different body styling. There are 2 different S14's though. From 1995-1996 the S14 came with oval headlights. From 1997-1998 the headlights were changed to a slanted, or "shark eye" style. That was the only difference between the 2 S14's. The S14 came with the KA24DE.

In Japan it came as 2 different models, the 180SX and the Silvia.

- S13 chassis - 1989-1998 The 180SX is the japanese version of our 240SX fastback. They are the same except for the motor that was in it. From 1989-1990 The 180SX came with the CA18DET. From 91+ the 180SX got the ever so popular SR20DET. From 1991 to 1995 I believe the SR20DET was the "redtop" and is signified by it's red valve cover. In 94 the 180sx got the S13 Blacktop. This motor was the exact same as the S13 SR20DET Redtop except the blacktop was just newer. Remember, this is the S13 blacktop. The S14 blacktop is totally different. In 96-98 the 180SX got new taillights. The silvia was also made on the S13 chassis in japan but only until 93. The S13 silvia is identical to our S13 240SX coupe except it had a different motor and different headlights. The Silvia came in 3 models in the S13 chassis. The Jack, Queen, and King. From 89-91 the Jack and Queen both got the CA18DE. From 91-93 the Jack and Queen both got the SR20DE. From 89-91 the King got the CA18DET. From 91-93 the King got the SR20DET. The SR that came in the S13 silvia's were the redtop SR's. This SR20DET had a T25 turbo

- S14 chassis - 1994-1998 On the S14 chassis, only the silvia was made. There was no 180SX made on the S14 chassis. The S14 Silvia is identical to our S14 240SX except for the motor. The S14 Silvia is like the Jack, Queen and King on the S13 chassis. The Jack and Queen both got the SR20DE while the King got the SR20DET. This SR20DET had a T28 ball bearing turbo. VVT was introduced to the SR20DET on the S14 chassis.

- S15 chassis - 1999- We didn't get the S15 chassis in the USA. The S15 got the newest version of the SR20DET. It also has the T28 ball bearing turbo like the S14. The S15 SR20DET got bigger fuel injectors that were 480 cc/min stepped up from the 370 cc/min injectors of the S13 and S14. The S15 also got a 6 speed transmission, but is said to be weak with drifters due to the thinner gears and break around 350-400 HP. I haven't really seen this proved because the Blitz S15 has about 450 HP and is still using the stock S15 tranny. VVT was used once again.



SR20DET Specs - (info is straight from www.srswap.com)

---180SX 91-93 and Silvia 91-93---

Displacement: 1998cc (2.0 liter)
Cam type: DOHC 16 valve, chain driven cam sprockets
Bore and stroke: 86mm x 86mm
Compression: 8.5 : 1
Horsepower: 205ps at 6000rpm
Torque: 203 ft/lbs at 4000rpm
Stock boost: 7 psi
Throttle body bore: 60mm
Injector size: 370cc/min
Turbo specs:
Compressor: T-25, 60 trim 56mm BCI-1 compressor.
Turbine: T-25, 62 trim 53.8mm 0.64 A/R turbine housing.
Center Section: Journal bearings

Aluminum alloy block and head with steel alloy sleeves. Distributorless, crank angle sensor activated ignition, direct fire coil packs. Stock SR's come with an internal wastegate, a knock sensor, a side mounted intercooler and a bypass valve that is routed back into the intake after the MAF before the turbo. Stock turbo outlet is 1 7/8 inches, inlet and throttle body are ~2 1/2 inches.

Performance:

The stock turbo will be safe to 13-15 psi. After that, the turbo is past its efficiency range, and power increases will fall off and are not worth the risk of turbo damage. The engine should produce 230-250 RWHP at safe boost.


---180SX 94-98---

Displacement: 1998cc (2.0 liter)
Cam type: DOHC 16 valve, chain driven cam sprockets
Bore and stroke: 86mm x 86mm
Compression: 8.5 : 1
Horsepower: 205hp at 6000rpm
Torque: 203 ft/lbs at 4000rpm
Stock boost: 7 psi
Throttle body bore: 60mm
Injector size: 370cc/min
Turbo specs:
Compressor: T-25, 60 trim 56mm BCI-1 compressor.
Turbine: T-25, 62 trim 53.8mm 0.64 A/R turbine housing.
Center Section: Journal bearings

Stats and Performance - same as s13 sr20det


---Silvia 95-98---

Displacement: 1998cc (2.0 liter)
Horsepower: 220hp at 6000rpm
Torque: 203 ft/lbs at 4800rpm
Bore and stroke: 86mm x 86mm
Compression: 8.5 : 1
Turbo specs:
Compressor: T-28, 60 trim 60 mm BCI-1 compressor in T-04B housing
Turbine: T-25, 62 trim 53.8mm 0.64 A/R turbine housing.
Center Section: Ball Bearing

Variable valve timing system and a different turbo are the significant changes from the S13 SR20DET engines. S14 uses 'low port' intake design vs. S13 'high port' design.

Performance:

The stock turbo will be safe to 13-15 psi. After that, the turbo is past its efficiency range, and power increases will fall off and are not worth the risk of turbo damage. The engine should produce 250-260 RWHP at safe boost.


---S15 Silvia 99- ---

Displacement: 1998cc (2.0 liter)
Bore and stroke: 86mm x 86mm
Compression: 8.5 : 1
Horsepower: 250ps at 6000rpm
Torque: 203 ft/lbs at 4800rpm
Transmission: 6 Speed, Close Ratio
Injector size: 480cc/min
Turbo specs:
Compressor: T-28, 60 trim 60 mm BCI-1 compressor in T-04B housing
Turbine: Inco turbine wheel. Cast divider wall between turbine discharge and wastegate.
Center Section: Ball Bearing

Additions: 6 speed manual transmission. The 6 speed cannot be used on the S13 and S14 motors, and uses a different driveshaft. Speed sensor is located in the differential.

Performance:

The stock turbo will be safe to 15-18 psi. After that, the turbo is past its efficiency range, and power increases will fall off and are not worth the risk of turbo damage. The engine should produce close to 300 RWHP at safe boost.


What do I need to install the SR20DET? (info from www.srswap.com)

---S13 SR20DET:---

Required Parts for the install:

Engine, transmission, alternator, starter, power steering pump, Crank Angle Sensor, ECU, harness, MAFS, Power Transistor / Ignitor Chip.

Fitment:

Fits into US 240SX S13 chassis with no modifications. Uses the host chassis driveshaft and differential. Uses the standard downpipe and catalytic converter with the 240SX catback exhaust. 89-90 chassis will need power steering lines and reservoir from 91-94 chassis.

---S14 SR20DET:---

Required Parts for the install:

Engine, transmission, alternator, starter, power steering pump, Crank Angle Sensor, ECU, harness, MAFS, Power Transistor / Ignitor Chip.

Fitment:

Fits into US 240SX S13 chassis with no modifications. Uses the host chassis driveshaft and differential. Uses the standard downpipe and catalytic converter with the 240SX catback exhaust. 89-90 chassis will need power steering lines and reservoir from 91-94 chassis. Fits into US 240SX S14 chassis with no modifications.

---S15 SR20DET:---

Required Parts for the install:

Engine, S15 6 speed transmission, S15 driveshaft, S15 differential, S15 speedometer, alternator, starter, power steering pump, Crank Angle Sensor, ECU, harness, MAFS.

Fitment:

The engine and transmission will fit into 95-98 S14 US 240SX chassis with minor modifications to the transmission mounts. The differential is needed as the speed sensor is located there.

The S13 chassis requires more work. The driveshaft has different mounting location from the S14 / S15 chassis. Custom work must be done.

[Suislide]

well you pretty much just took everything i was about to say in your first post. and you got to the FAQ before i did! i was just about to start one when i came on now, and i see you've already got it going. good on ya! smart minds think alike.

Skyline engines - will they fit in my 240SX??

yes. RB20DET, RB25DET, and RB26DETT will all fit into your 240SX, each with a different amount of modification. The RB26DETT requires the most work, because the twin turbos will not clear the steering column without modification. the other 2 require smaller levels of modification (different engine and tranny mounts) in order to fit in your car.

oh, and for most questions you could ask, GOOGLE is your friend.

[Suislide]

parts websites for 240SX's of all generations:

www.autoimaging.com
www.takakaira.com
www.bee-r.com
www.g-corporation.co.jp
www.gpsports.co.jp
www.hks-power.co.jp
www.hotroad.co.jp
www.ings-net.com
www.junauto.co.jp
www.k-style.gr.jp
www.nissansilvia.com
www.signalauto.co.jp
www.trial.co.jp
www.jspec.com
www.zenitani.com
www.c-west.co.jp
www.bomex-aero.com
www.santeca.com
www.yashiofactory.co.jp
www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~west-y/
www.trust-power.com
www.apexi.co.jp
www.fujitsubo.co.jp
www.uras.co.jp
www.g-grow.co.jp
www.tein.co.jp
www.jic-magic.co.jp
www.advan.co.jp
www.rayswheels.co.jp
www.blitz.co.jp
www.bn-sports.co.jp
www.automotiveforums.com
www.clearcorners.com

[turbo2nr]

What parts do i need to make my 240sx h\b into a sil-eighty?

The sil-eighty conversion can be done with two types of lights the s-13 lights and the s-15 lights, with the s-13 lights they will bolt up to the 240sx light housing but you will need to get the fenders and bumper to go with the lights.

With doing a sil-eighty s-15 conversion you will need the s-15 headlights, some custom brackets cause the s-15 lights do not "bolt up" you will also need the (strawberry face) fenders, the hood to go along with the light pattern and a front bumper to go along with all of these.

A sil-eighty can also be done with the s-14 lights.

some websites sell these kits such as:
www.takakaira.com (s-15 sil-eighty conversion)

[SR20DETpower]

I think we should also include some performance upgrades for the car.
Such as:
LSD
brakes
body mods
cooling
fuel
exhaust systems
ecu's

[turbo2nr]

Good performance upgrads

here are some good preformance upgrades please add to this list if you know of any better ones:

"BOLT ON'S"

1. blow off valve (hks,blitz,greedy,ect..)
2. 3"down pipe (hks, apex-i)
3. 3"exaust(hks,apex-i,blits,gredy,ect..)
4. front mounted intercooler(hks,blitz,greedy,apex-i)
5. intake (cone, piping,ect..)
6. intercooler piping
7. up graded hi flow fuel pump (from a 300z of a skyline)
8. boost controller(hks, apex-i;greddy,blitz)
9. turbo timer(hks,blitz,greedy,ect..)
10. upgraded hi flow fuel reglator

"STAGE 2"

11. greedy intake manifold
12. exaust manifold(greedy,hks,apex-i,ect..)
13. upgraded turbo(ball bearing, suck as a hks gt2035, t-78, td-06,ect)
14. 550cc,625cc,or750cc injectors
15. stand alone fuel managment(apex-i, motec, haltec,greedy(f-con pro)
16. 8.5:1 pistons
17. forged connecting rods
18. cam gears
19. camshafts
20. valve springs
21. pushrods
22. rockers
23. port and polished head
24. balanced engine components
25. ecu tunning
25. fulidlyne raditor or other brand
26. fal fans or other brands
27. oil cooler
28. transimition cooler

"TRANSMITION"

1. upgraded clutch
2. lightend flywheel (11lbs)
3. upgraded drive shaft
4. short shifter
5. L.S.D.**

"SUSPENSION"

1. coilovers(hks, tien, ect..)
2. springs
3. shocks
4. control arms
5. strut bar
6. sway bar

"BODY MODS"

1. air kit(bomex,do luck, nismo, c-west,ect..)
2. spoilers
3. side mirrors
4. side markers
5. head lights (s-15, s-14, s-13, conversions for pop up 180sx lights)
6. jdm 180sx tail lights, s-14, s-13.
7. jdm rims
8. jdm badges
9. hid lights

" INTERIOR"
1. racing seats(bride,sparco, cobar, recardo, ect..)
2. racing harness
3. racing steering wheel
4. shift knob
5. hand brake
6. jdm gauges
7. roll cage
8. gutted interior

well dats all i can think of rite now please all more if you can hope this helps

1

[Suislide]

adding on to sr20det2nr's post.

parts needed for the S13 front end are: front fenders, bumper, hood, headlights, centrepiece (says Silvia on it), headlight brackets. make SURE to get the headlight brackets, as without them, your headlights will not bolt on to the car.

for the S15 front end, parts straight from an S15 WILL NOT fit your S13. one of the links i posted in my "parts URL" post in this thread is a link to a company called West Yokohama. they specify in making custom kits to put the S15 front end on the S13 body. the link is www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~west-y/ .

btw, sr20de, it's "transmission", not "transmition".

Why do i hear people calling the S15 front end a "Strawberry Face?"

simple explanation. the japanese word for 15 is Ichi-Go (ichi is 1 and go is 5). since it's an S15 front end, people in Japan call it "Ichi-Go". in Japanese, the word Ichi-Go also means Strawberry, so therefore when translated, it can mean either 15 or Strawberry, and people just started calling it that.

[Suislide]

Will a '91-'93 front bumper fit onto my '89-'90 240SX?

Yes. the only thing changed on the bumper was the bumper itself. it mounts exactly the same as the last one did, and requires no modification or new parts in order to fit.

[Suislide]

Why is the S15 6-speed not desirable?

the S15 6-speed is 6 gears crammed into the same transmission housing as the S15 5-speed. this obviousley means that the gears have to be thinner in order to fit that extra one in there. since the gears are thinner, they tend to break alot easier. but, as J Spec said, sometimes the tranny can handle power and be fine. there ARE ways to strengthen it as well, but generally the best choice for strength is to use the 5-speed.

[turbo2nr]

converting your automatic to a 5 speed

this page has a detailed summary on how to convert a auto into a 5speed using a s-14 motor, it should be basically the same if you are using another motor series

hope it helps!

http://240sx.org/links/installs/s14_5speed_swap.htm

[Dorikin]

Different Engine Choices

This has been debated many a time, so here goes.

1. 48THE KA-T IS THE MOTOR FOR DRAG RACING-NOT THE SR, NOT THE RB, THE KA-T. THE KA-T IS THE MOTOR FOR DRAG RACING-NOT THE SR, NOT THE RB, THE KA-T.

I know some of you are thinking, "I want dat JDM shizzz y0", but lets face the facts.

How many SR's are running 10's?
How many LHD RB's are running 10's(HKS Drag 180 doesnt count)

How many KA-T's are running 10's? Well theres a couple in Florida...

The KA-T is suited for dragging because its bulletproof, its powerband is suited towards dragging, and its easily avalibe for parts.
A Turbo kit can easily be made with a Turbonetics turbo, a spearco I/C and piping. In fact, many kits are currently avalible.

The SR20 is suited towards non-straghit line driving because its powerband is lower-down where you need it. Most SR's are running 12-14.5's in the 1/4 with the modded ones running 12's. This is because the SR20s powerband combined with the gearing make it ill-suited to drag.

Set-up for drifting:

The 1st thing I can stress: DRIVELINE PARTS


redThe 1st thing I can stress: DRIVELINE PARTS


Tires: Any shitty tires will do on the rear. Some people run blad tires with steel wheels on back, and good tires with nice rims up front.

I'd reccomend Advan Neova's, Bridgestone S03's, Flaken Aziens(if your REALLY good), or Yokohama A038's.
Tires will make or break you...

LSD: Kaaz LSD's are generally regarded as superior to other LSD's. Kaaz uses special spider gears and pinons superior to other LSD's made by Hitachi/Tochigi Fuji Sangyo(The 2 main suppliers of LSD's to ALL companies). An OEM VLSD will be fine for beginners.

Suspension: JIC FLT series coilovers are the wisest choice. They offer a bajillion different settings and heights, and are expensive. The end result is endless tunability.

Of course, Tein HE/HA's are a good choice, with the EDFC, however I feel JIC's are the wiser choice.

Seats/Steering Wheel: You would be suprised how this makes a difference. Get a Sparco or Corbeau or MOMO seat and sterring wheel. These will stop you from getting thrown around in your seat and using the door as a brace. Also a set of racing harnesses are a wise idea.

After you've done all this, and done some time on a road course/track proceed to your SR Swap.


I reccomend Santeca Performance and Electronics.


www.santeca.com

They specialize in JDM parts, and can obtain nearly any JDM part you require.

If your into stereos and ICE, they sell cameras and LCD screens and other crap...

[Dorikin]

Originally posted by Rage of Xenin
i would actually like to know what the emissions are on an SR20DET are like. could you pass Cali emission laws with this engine even though i live in Toronto and not Cali. Cali is lower so i would think it would be passable here. i dont think i've seen any sites that have actually brought up a Q&A for that.

You MAY pass Drive CLean, I donno for sure...

[Dorikin]

SR20 Upgrades

Generallly when having an SR Swap done, people get items like

FMIC
Exhaust
Turbo Timer
Gauges
Boost COntroller
Filter
LSD(sometimes)

You can expect to run 14.5 on a bone stock SR. Some people have run 12's or high 11's but thats the limit.

Keep in mind that SR's are expensive. Dont blow them/over boost.
May be a wise idea to buy extra head gaskets, pumps, MAF, or other parts that can blow easy.

This is why a KA-T is a better choice for high-stress apps such as drag racing.
(from www.jspec.com)

A setup kit for KA24DE(NOT A COMPLETE TURBO KIT). Comes with the following and all parts are brand new.
1. coated Revhard manifold(revised version)
2. t04 on center turbo(intake .60 A/R exhaust .58 A/R)
3. turbonetic deltagate
4. gasket and flange
You'll need tuning,fuel enrichment,downpipe, intercooler kit or pipping, and oil lines to make this work. NO the turbo is NOT ball bearing and it's the most basic T04 you can buy(good for 350hp)

You can get a KA24DE for $500-700 at a junkyard. If you blow anything, just get another. Beats paying 4000 for an SR then blwong it and waiting for a new one from Japan...

Maybe we should have an JDM/engine FAQ and a drag/drifting FAQ

[TheLogikal1]

ok these arent asked much but...


whats needed for a 2jz swap?

what kind of tranny would work with it?