Hey. I've got a golden opportunity to put together a b12 with a ca18et, about a year from now. I was hoping to gather insight about this idea, because i'm sure it's been done before but searching around didn't offer much info. For $50 cdn, i can buy an '87 sentra hatch with no engine in it. The guy bought it new and blew the engine about 4 or 5 years after he got it, and tore the old one out. he planned to put a new one in but never got to it, so it's been covered with tarps and a car cover for over 10 years. I pulled the tarps off- it's beautiful. no rust or anything, looks soo nice..
The ca18et in question would be pulled off a wrecked '85 280zx that my brother owned. He got t-boned and so the car was written off, and given to a paint store, for some reason. the engine has about 100,000km ( ~60,000 miles) on it and ran perfectly, even after the accident. I talked to the guy that owns the paint store, he said I can drag the whole car away for $200. I'd have to bring it by flatbed or something, it can't be driven..
so here's my questions; I don't know a lot about the compatibilities between e-series engines, and this particular engine.
do i need custom engine/tranny mounts?
is the ride height the same?
will the steering need to be changed?
what will be necessary to change it from rwd to fwd? (eek)
will the suspension need to be changed? (weight difference?)
will the radiator and cooling system need to be changed as well?
anything else you can think of?
this is still only an idea but would be a really cheap project, provided i don't need a lot of custom mounts and things built.. I will be able to borrow an engine hoist and stand by this time, and i will have a truck available to drag stuff over here. I know there are a lot of gurus around that know this stuff inside and out.. this is the closest i've come to being able to do an import engine swap, i've done a swap with a mustang before, and a camaro.. but i've always been itching to get myself into one of these... Any opinions welcome, I wanna hear it all!
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Club Mofo's Paint Curator and Canadian Ambassador to OT
the 280 is RWD. I don't know of any easy way to make a b12 rwd. BUT the ca18's also were used in FWD applications. I don't know if the engine is any different, so maybe you can pick up a FWD tranny and be a bit closer to making that all work. Then you can send me that RWD tranny.
I think because the manifold/tb is in the center and theway the distributor (or coils/CAS) are mounted, the CA series doesn't have the same RWD/AWD issues for swaps as the SR series does. Like old Toyotas.
All the CA's(and other nissan engines) I've seen have holes tapped in the block for both RWD and FWD configuration, hell you very well might be able to use all the mounts and the tranny from your pulsar with the CA18et. You still shouldn't quote me on that though. Boost_boy would know for sure I bet. I'd try to get the price lowered on the 280 though, after all, you guys gave it to them right?
i think he just said $200 as a random number. I can probably whittle him down, it's a bit of an eyesore and he's never going to use it. I'll ask boost boy about the tranny and mounts thing.
I don't think the paint store even existed when that car was put in the yard. The guy from before probably just left it behind.
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Club Mofo's Paint Curator and Canadian Ambassador to OT
All you need is a good tranny for a CA...so either a tranny from a Stanza or from a 88or 89 pulsar SE. Also, dont forget wiring harness and ecu. You'll have to get half shafts from the pulsar too I believe.
__________________ Student at UTI Avondale 2nd place SkillsUSA/VICA WA State Automotive Maintenence '04 had an 87 pulsar...still planning CA20DET
1970 Chevy BelAir 350V8 300hp...soon to get M21
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