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

[Dorikin]

LOTS of custom work. Maybe some crazy ass mechanics from Japan....I donno if it can even be done.....

[Suislide]

2JZ swap is VERY expensive because of the ammount of custom fab needed. you'd be better off with an RB series engine. they fit better, cost less and need alot less custom fab.

Derek - it CAN be done. Dart Izumi won a round of last year's D1 series with a 2JZ powered S14.

N1 sound can vary depending on how you've tuned your car. it's not always loud and buzzy.

SR will not pass Drive Clean in Ontario.

and cutting the cat out of your exhaust is illegal and not a good idea unless your car is strictly for track use.

[J SPEC SilEighty]

Originally posted by Rage of Xenin
thanx for that info.
how much hp can you get out of a KA-T? like push it to its max without blowing it?

duy had close to 600 whp on his ka-t

[Suislide]

Some Terms You Might Hear Used Alot In Relation To Japanese Vehicles

Zenki - means early model. for example, we will use the 180SX. A Zenki 180SX would be those from '89-'90, with the "hog nose" front end and CA18 engine.

Chouki or Chuuki - means mid-model. Chouki 180SX would be those with the nicer round front end, and with the first available SR (red top), made from '91-'94 (in North America) and '91-'95 (in Japan).

Kouki - late model. Kouki 180SX are those with new taillights, front end only sold in Japan, and black top SR, made from '96-'98, Japan only.

these terms are thrown around alot concerning Japanese vehicles.

[Suislide]

Short Explanation Of The Term "Sileighty" (if you didn't already know it)

as you well know, 180SX's are very popular drift cars in Japan. with drifting comes crashing. the 2 go hand in hand. if you drift, then you WILL crash at least once. it's not an "if", it's a "when". anywho, these drifters in Japan with their 180SX's would have an accident involving the front end of their car. but they found out that 180SX front ends are more expensive then Silvia front ends, because of the flip up lights and the mechanisms needed to make them work. the Silvia front end is also lighter because of the lack of those mechanisms. so, since the 180SX and S13 Silvia platforms are exactly the same, these drifters figured out that, for less money, they could buy a weight saving S13 front end and stick it on their 180SX. this hybrid freak-car was given the name Sileighty. why? well, it's simple. the Sil stands for Silvia. since the front end of the Silvia was used, they use the front end of the word. and thusly, the Eighty stands for 180(SX). again, since they used the back part of that car, the back part of the word was used. and the rest, they say, is history. another popular variation in Japan is the One-via. a One-via is the exact opposite of a Sileighty. it's a 180SX flip-up-light front end on an S13 coupe rear end (one for 180, via for Silvia)(all north american S13 coupes were technically sold as One-Vias). since the 180SX front end is heavier and more expensive, this serves no real purpose except to be unique. some other variations are the Sky-eighty (Skyline front on 180, needs custom fabrication), Cef-80 (A31 Cefiro front end on 180, custom fab needed), One-firo (180 front on Cefiro rear, LOTS of custom fab...) and the ever popular 1580 (S15 Silvia front end on 180, technically this is still a Sileighty, but it's called a 1580 so that it's easy to differentiate between S13 and S15 Sileighties). there are countless other combinations, most of which require custom fabrication in order to look good.

[Suislide]

Originally posted by Dorikin
One more thing I felt I had to add....

Drifting is not Initial D, or D1 or Video Option or Super Street...

You will spin, you will crash, you will blow something..It's a fact of life..if you havent spun out, theres something wrong....This is what will keep the riceboys out...once they crash and blow theyre 6k paintjob, they wont wanna do it....It's hard, but if you perservere, you will get good

actually, drifting IS D1 and Video Option...but those guys crash alot less because they're professionals. they've been doing it for a long time and are good at it. like i said before, drifting and crashing go hand in hand. it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when". especially when you first start out and are learning, you will crash. this is a way of drifting life. if you don't want to crash, then drifting is not for you.

[J SPEC SilEighty]

Where can I buy the Silvia front end conversion?

---S13 silvia conversion---
www.unstable-hybrids.com
www.silviashop.com
www.afterdark-tuning.com
www.spriso.com/s13.htm
www.sr20parts.com

---S15 silvia conversion---
www.afterdark-tuning.com
www.importfan.com
www.takakaira.com

cant think of any others right now :o

[Suislide]

Originally posted by J SPEC SilEighty
Where can I buy the Silvia front end conversion?

---S13 silvia conversion---
www.unstable-hybrids.com
www.silviashop.com
www.afterdark-tuning.com
www.spriso.com/s13.htm
www.sr20parts.com

---S15 silvia conversion---
www.afterdark-tuning.com
www.importfan.com
www.takakaira.com

cant think of any others right now :o

www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~west-y/

for the S15 conversions, go straight to the source. company is called West Yokohama and make kits specially designed to fit an S13 chassis. they can be bought at www.takakaira.com.

[SR20DETpower]

heres some info I wrote while back about good starting points to modify the SR20DET..... this would be useful for the beginner to understand some simple concepts. Those looking for information about some first mods that are effective to take after having done a SR20DET swap.




One of the first places to start is the intake. A nice filter can give you decent hp gains and is highly recromended on turbo cars. For those of you with extreme HP applications you might want to check out putting on a 300zx(z32 chassis) Mass Airflow Meter, along with more fuel delivery. With your upgraded ECU this will be able to measure more air when boost is cranked up and your car will be better tuned.

After you car can inhale a bit better, now you need to let it exhale better. On turbo vehicles a good setup exhaust is key to hp gains. Mandrel bent and not crushed bent exhaust tubing with a large diameter will give you the best hp gains. You want to reduce back pressure, in other words the less restrictions your exhaust gasses run into, the more power you will make. You have four main pieces on your exaust setup, one isn't much worry on stock turbo setup, the Turbo outlet pipe from turbo to downpipe. Then comes the downpipe, the cat, and catback exhaust tubing.

So now you might be turning up your boost, higher compressed air is at a higher temperature. To cool off your inlet air can give you more power, an Intercooler is used to do this. The main type is Air to Air cooling, which we see on just about all cars, the most popular being the Front Mount Intercooler. The Stock sr20det side mount intercooler is just fine for stock boost levels. For more efficency, more money, and more customization can give you an Air to Water Intercooler, they work a bit better then your Air to Air intercoolers, much more complex...about everyone uses Air to Air intercoolers for street usage. You can use too big of an intercooler, most have effeciency ratings, one that is too big, and rated for hp that you don't have is only going to hurt your performance, so get what you need, too big is too bad in this department.

Now you may want to do some more advanced mods to your intake system to get better performance. Intercooler piping is one thing to look at, The shorter your overall piping is the quicker your boost will come on and throttle response will be better. You may also want to install a Blow Off Valve onto your piping, this lets out the compressed air in your system when the throttle body closes, the advantage to this is better boost after a shift and longer turbo life. When the throttle body closes the boost is sent back to the turbo and can cause compressor surge in the turbo and harm it. With a Blow Off Valve it lets the compressed air out of the turbo piping when the throttle body is closed, this way it does not send air back to the turbo. Also Intake Plenums can give you more HP, the "log" style is nice on higher hp applications, it has shorter runners onto a big plenium. The stock "long runner" style produces more bottom end torque then high end HP due to its design.

[Suislide]

SR20DET or KA-T?

this IS NOT, i repeat, IS NOT a question that can be answered in an FAQ. it depends on many personal factors. what do you plan to do with the car? if drag racing is your forte, or you just want cheap power, then a KA-T might be the best route. if you're going for track/drifting, then the SR is the perfect engine for you. it also depends on how much you're willing to spend. so please, don't start any more "which engine?" threads. we've had too many, and it's too opinionated a topic to get you any realistic answers. half the people on here like KA-T's, half are SR freaks.

[Fliquer]

SR20DETpower that is a very informative reply you have.

I think it would be best to replace the stock injectors, plugs, oil pump, and fuel pump before upgrading the intercooler. If you plan on track racing, definitely get a strong oil cooler. A big problem that most tuners forget to address is engine cooling.

[ghostchild316]

What about the 300zx brake/5 lug conversion?I noticed nobody mentioned it plus I'm interested in doing this to my car.

What parts are required,modifications that have to be done?etc.

[SR20DETpower]

well if u have a S13 just stick with the 4 lugs.... get your rotors drilled for that or some websites even sell 300zx rotors predilled for 4 lug 240sx's. Its not impossible to find good 4 lug wheels either.... good wheels require spending money..... most of those wheels are very customizable in their offsets/lug pattern/width/heigth.....

[Dorikin]

Also a WISE idea to get a Shop manual for your USDM 240sx and if possible, a shop manual for a UKDM/EuroDM/JDM/AussieDM 200SX/180SX

I have them on PDF/Zip and theyre avalible for d/l on many Nissan sites

[Fliquer]

The 5-lug conversion is a lengthy and tedious install. A lot of people talk about it, but in reality, its much more practical to stick with 4-lugs and just get some aftermarket brakes.


Why would a SR be a bitch for maintenance?