CA18DET or SR20DET

ha havent seen that one asked in awhile....anyway i have a 97 240 and i was wondering your point of views for the GREAT QUESTION! lol anyway i havent readmuch on the ca18 and have just started...and so far i dont think its a bad deal....

Personally I am going for the CA18 because it is extremely cheap and I am going for the 180 conversion over the Silvia. Plus I've heard it can handle more power due to an iron block. Even though parts(some) can be sourced from cars such as the pulsar(?), I've heard parts are scarce. Still the CA18 is my choice.

wut u think of it in a 97?

i'm doin ca18 in my 91 mostly cuz of price too. besides i'm not looking for huge hp.

I love the CA18 to death, but if i do a swap in my soon-to-be 240sx then I will do an RB25...sorry to sound trendy, but I like everything about the engine and the job I work at now pays quite a bit and I don't have bills for the most part (current car is paid off...no rent...just insurance)...If I don't do a swap then I'll make a all motor KA or a KA-T for only a few thousand.

If I had to choose between CA or SR then I would say CA18...cheaper, iron block, and it is just a better engine imo. SR has a little more power stock, but with a few mods they both produce similar power for a similar price. Higher redline on the CA (~8000), but more low end torque on the SR (.2 liters more displacement).

The choice is yours...just make sure it's the one you want, but you can't go wrong with either...

i'd say CA + '97 240 = bad idea.

simply because the engine is almost a decade older then the car.

i'd rather have something a bit more updated, tech-wise. the CA is a great engine, but i simply wouldn't feel good putting something that old into a newer (and rarer, i might add) car. if i had a Kouki, i'd probably only put a newer SR into it, (black-top S13 or newer) or an RB of some sort.

but hey, it's your money and your choice man! this is just how i see things. :)

why not a KA24??? KA's are good engines too aren't they. Also from what I've read and researched around, KA's are more reliable than the SR20 engines.

i wanted a rb but i just cant find good ones...got any ideas??

the CA can't handle more hp then the SR. the SR has iron sleeves so it can handle just as much. the aluminum block is a good thing as it is lighter.
the two engines weight the same and the SR has more hp, 200cc more, has a better aftermarket, and can hold something like 400+hp on stock internals.
i've heard that the CA can't handle very very high hp also.

IMO, the SR is better in every way than the CA. ok, the CA revs to 8K. but what good is that extra 500rpms? the SR makes more power and its lower in the powerband where you want it. if you take a 35mph turn on a road course and hit 2nd gear, good luck pulling out of it quickly.

CA cant handle power?
http://www.paddy.co.jp/powercheck/DEMOCAR_S13.wmv

here's the dyno graph for the car
http://www.paddy.co.jp/powercheck/PADDY_S13_011230.gif

after 400hp SR needs resleeving
CA doesnt

SR is aluminum block but the head weighs it down
SR was meant to be a cheaper replacement for the CA...

CA18DET revs upto 9000RPM STOCK
stock for stock letsee a SR do that...

here's a nice vid
Enjoy: )
http://www.paddy.co.jp/democar/hkssuperdragmeeting.wmv

why do u think the higher an engine can rev the better it is? so the SR can't rev higher, but like i said before, it makes the power down low where you want it.

although i can't remember exactly where i heard it, i remember reading that CAs have a hard time with very high hp. can anyone confirm this?

how do u figure the SR is a cheaper replacement for the CA? considering the stock 180sx's with CAs had less hp then the 180sx's with SRs, i'm confused by this statement.

the SR head weights it down? its aluminum, just like the CAs and KAs. please elaborate.

do u have any information to back up the statement about resleaving?

why do u think the higher an engine can rev the better it is? so the SR can't rev higher, but like i said before, it makes the power down low where you want it.

although i can't remember exactly where i heard it, i remember reading that CAs have a hard time with very high hp. can anyone confirm this?

how do u figure the SR is a cheaper replacement for the CA? considering the stock 180sx's with CAs had less hp then the 180sx's with SRs, i'm confused by this statement.

the SR head weights it down? its aluminum, just like the CAs and KAs. please elaborate.

do u have any information to back up the statement about resleaving?

Why would you want the power down low? I'd want it up high? Who the heck races at 3000RPM? :rofl: More like 8.

Since when are engine prices determine by HP output?

so you want your powerband up at 8500? what happens when you're on a road course or something like it and you're trying to pull out of a turn? sounds like you are a drag racer.

did ghost mean cheaper price or cheaper quality? i took it as cheaper quality.

cheaper price

so you want your powerband up at 8500? what happens when you're on a road course or something like it and you're trying to pull out of a turn? sounds like you are a drag racer.

did ghost mean cheaper price or cheaper quality? i took it as cheaper quality.


Usually on a road course most power is used in the upper RPM's and the higher gears.

Both are competent engines. If you have the extra money, get the SR20. More stock HP, HOWEVER Also look at your power goals. If you only want 250 or so...saving money on the CA18 might be a good idea. These types of threads get testy because in the end it comes down to personal preference.

Usually on a road course most power is used in the upper RPM's and the higher gears.

what road course do u race on?

I have a CA18 in my S13 and i love it. It is has the iron block so it is harder to blow than an SR, and they are really cheap.

The CA has a cast iron block but its still lighter than the sr because of how much aluminium they use to try to strengthen it. ghostchilds completely correct in saying that the sr was suppost to be cheaper to manafacture than the CA. the ca had 8 runners instead of 4 on the sr creating different rpm ranges and to improve lower rpm perforemance. i love ca but sr is easier to get parts for.

what road course do u race on?

usually once or twice a year I get chance to race on GIR. It's quit a bit of fun.

I have a CA18 in my S13 and i love it. It is has the iron block so it is harder to blow than an SR, and they are really cheap.


An iron block doesn't necessarily mean it's harder to blow. You have to take the size of the sleeves into consideration too.

and the strength of the headgasket and head bolts...those are both supposed to have trouble for the ca at about 350-400hp...sr isnt much better though...so both require lots of work past 400 depending on how you tune them and what ways you make that power with...