I just ordered the motor for my 240. It's a blacktop S13 180sx front cut that should be here in about a week. I really gotta start doing some research into wiring this swap into my '90 hatchback. I'm hoping I can simply rewire the SR20 harness to mate into my '90's in car harness but I'm completely sure what's involved. I've found a few sites wtih good wiring info but I think most of the stuff I find is for the '91 and later S13's (I'm not sure how much changed either). I'm having the motor shipped to where I work to store it in the warehouse for now. I'll probably strip the motor out and get everything ready and just leave the front clip there (I'm still not really sure how to get rid of the damn thing, might try cutting it up and see if the scrap yard will take it). I gotta start looking into what needs replaced before the motor goes in (clutch/flywheel, timing chain, water pump ...). Anybody have any other suggestions? Damn, I'm excited!
I just ordered the motor for my 240. It's a blacktop S13 180sx front cut that should be here in about a week. I really gotta start doing some research into wiring this swap into my '90 hatchback. I'm hoping I can simply rewire the SR20 harness to mate into my '90's in car harness but I'm completely sure what's involved. I've found a few sites wtih good wiring info but I think most of the stuff I find is for the '91 and later S13's (I'm not sure how much changed either). I'm having the motor shipped to where I work to store it in the warehouse for now. I'll probably strip the motor out and get everything ready and just leave the front clip there (I'm still not really sure how to get rid of the damn thing, might try cutting it up and see if the scrap yard will take it). I gotta start looking into what needs replaced before the motor goes in (clutch/flywheel, timing chain, water pump ...). Anybody have any other suggestions? Damn, I'm excited!
congrats man..... before you buy a flywheel check to see if the one thats on there now is still good.... my friend found a light weight flywheel in his SR when we opened it up....
damn, finding a lightweight flywheel is always nice! I've heard of some guys finding cams! Anyways, depending on how many miles are on the motor, you probably don't need to change the timing chain. It should be good for a minimum of 200k miles. I think I've only heard of two guys that've ever changed it. Changing the water pump is a very good idea as is changing the rod bearings; two very easy things to do when the motor is out, much more of a pain in the ass when the motor is in the car.
For the wiring harness.... I think there are a couple places you can buy a pre-fabbed wiring harness.
Thanks for the replies. I talked to the guy about clips and he said sometimes you find some goodies on clips, mostly things like intakes but he's seen a few front mount IC's and even upgraded turbo's go by. The clip should be here next week so I'm not planning to order anything till it arrives. Right now I'm looking at a new clutch and flywheel, a downpipe, alumium radiator and electric fans and maybe a set of stronger engine mounts. I'm assuming the stock gauge cluster comes with the clip so depending on the miles, I may not do the timing chain and water pump right away (looks like there is enough room to do them in the car without too much trouble anyway, at least compared to a fwd Honda). I'm probably going to be to eager to get the engine in and running anyway.
I've been doing wiring reasearch for the last few days and I think I know what needs to be done. I'd perfer to do the wiring myself so if something doesn't work or goes wrong, I'm the one who screwed it up so I can fix it. Aside from a lot of extending and rewrapping, it doesn't seem that complicated. Oh well, I'll get lots of pics and post them when it comes.
It occured to me earlier that after shipping I paid a little more for half of a car then I did for my complete running car. Ha ha, I'm actually improving cause my last project (an Integra GS-R engine into a '92 Civic hatchback) the motor was 3.5X what I paid for the car.
I bought the clip from a company in FL called Zfever (it's coming from a seperate engine reseller though, just purchased through them). I got a hookup through a friend of a friend so I don't really want to say what I got it for (a damn good price though, hit me up on AIM HybridAndy or email elvis312@hotmail.com if you really want to know, I just don't wnat to post it and then have them getting calls demaning the same price). They were very easy to talk to and they really sound like they know there stuff (I know they've put SR20's in a miata's and other nissans aside from the normal 240/SE-R's). I'd highly recommend them for clips. Just a motor set would have been much cheaper (especially shipping) but they come with cut harness and some missing things (like an ingnitor). Since this is my first Nissan swap, I want with a complete clip so I don't need to hunt for parts since I'm not even sure at this point what parts I need to hunt for.
I'm well aware of that fact, but they are also rwd 4 cylidner cars that apparently a Nissan engine will fit and can be custom wired to work. Hell, I've seen a few mustang engines in miatas.
wow, a mustang engine! Thats quite the shoe horn job. At sema a couple years ago there was an svt focus with an svt cobra engine in it. Sorry to sound rude by the way, I didnt mean to come off that way.
I think they call the 5.0 mustang engine/miata combination a monster miata (maybe that's the company name? I'm pretty sure there's a kit available). I read a story in SCC (I thinK) about the SVT focus, thing sounded like fun. It's cool, I learned a long time ago to never take anything on the internet personal.
I just got done working on my car today. I pulled 8 pounds (Yeee!) of garbage old wiring out of the car and cleaned it all up, fixed a lot of the wiring problems I was having and put a new Sony radio in (someone "stole" the radio out of the car a few days before I bought it, I think the guy just wanted to keep it). Nissan FSM came in handy today helping me diagnose why the radio had no power, turns out the dome light fuse can't be popped for anything inside to work right. Hopefully the clip will be here this week (preferably before wednesday so I can be there when it shows up) and I can get an idea where I'm at and what I need. Gotta get some parts together too. Here's a list at this point if anybody would like to comment or suggest anything.
Greddy downpipe
Koyo S13/SR20 alumium radiator
dual electric pull fans (I guess FAL, I haven't really looked into it yet)
Clutch and flywheel (probably go with ACT and an alumium flywheel but I need to do more research, fidanza maybe).
Considering some sort of urathane/stiffer motor and tranny mount, not sure yet.
Stock sidemount for the time being (budget running tight, eventually a front mount upgrade).
New fuel pump (walbro 255 I'd imagine, stocker got 160k ish miles)
Gauges, probably Greddy boost and EGT and maybe oil pressure
That's all I can really think of right now. The car came with an Apex N1 catback that measured a 3 1/2" outside diameter back by the muffler so that's good to go. The suspension is stock (at least it looks it) so that and the brakes will eventually have to be upgraded. I'll have to worry about those issues once I get the motor installed. My last few projects (Integra GS-R motor into a Civic and a later complete rebuild of that car) have taken place over Christmas so I've been outside in the snow bundled up working under the car so I'm going to try to get started on this one before winter comes. I uploaded some pics of the car if anybody's interested.
Personally, if you had to make a trade-off, I would wait on the Koyo and e-fans since you're getting a clip. Use that money to buy a timing chain kit, OEM water pump, and OEM front cover / oil pump assembly (if it doesn't come with your timing chain "kit"). FYI, the timing chain should be done while the engine is out of the car...it'll make your life MUCH easier that way.
You should be OK for the time being on the stock radiator and clutch fan (assuming you have the stock radiator bench-tested for pressure and flow). I am also using my SMIC from the clip, if it makes you feel better!
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Check out my project progress at my 240 index page
Is the timing chain really that much of a pain with the engine in the car? I just did the timing belt/water pump on my '98 Civic EX a few months ago and that was a pain (you can't really fit your fist between the frame rail and the side of the engine) but it wasn't that bad. I figured with the radiator and front bumper off, working on the front of an SR would be a breeze. I'm getting an entire clip so hopefully the gauge cluster is included so I'll know what kind of miles it has (I guess I need the tach too with a '90 240). Do you have a link to somewhere that sells a timing chain/water pump kit? I wasn't even sure you'd be able to find all the parts you need here in the states. I know the stock JDM radiator and clutch fan would probably be okay but I don't like the idea of a mecanical fan and I figured if I upgrade that, I might as well get a new rad too, I'll see what condition the stuff on the clip and decide from there.
I gotta figure out something for PS lines too. I'm just going to scrap the A/C system (even though that thing is beast in my car, must be the R12 coolant) but I want to keep PS. I'm going to have a hell of a time finding a junkyard 240 to pull lines from so I'm not sure what I can do. If it's just a matter of running lines from the rack to the pump/tank, I can probably just fabricate my own (done a few brakes lines in the past and they worked). Eh, I'll figure out something.
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HybridAndy - 240sx/SR20 owner
'90 240SX hatchback - 180sx front clip on it's way, project car
'98 Civic EX - CTR headlight and grill, Kosei K1's, daily driver
Is the timing chain really that much of a pain with the engine in the car? I just did the timing belt/water pump on my '98 Civic EX a few months ago and that was a pain (you can't really fit your fist between the frame rail and the side of the engine) but it wasn't that bad. I figured with the radiator and front bumper off, working on the front of an SR would be a breeze.
Well, remember that the SR has a timing chain, which means that it is completely encased since oil has to stay on it. You basically have to remove the upper and lower oil pans, and head. And all this cannot be done until quite a few other things are removed. Take my word for it: do it while it's out of the car! Check the FSM for timing chain replacement steps.
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Originally Posted by HybridAndy
Do you have a link to somewhere that sells a timing chain/water pump kit? I wasn't even sure you'd be able to find all the parts you need here in the states.
I know the stock JDM radiator and clutch fan would probably be okay but I don't like the idea of a mecanical fan and I figured if I upgrade that, I might as well get a new rad too, I'll see what condition the stuff on the clip and decide from there.
My point is that for a limited budget, which most people operate under, you might want to work on the bigger reliability items first. Granted, the fan and radiator are "reliability" items, but I would consider the timing chain, oil pump, and water pump more important. Especially considering the difficulty of the upgrade...meaning that a radiator and clutch fan would be easy to change with the engine in the car.
__________________
Check out my project progress at my 240 index page
Well, remember that the SR has a timing chain, which means that it is completely encased since oil has to stay on it. You basically have to remove the upper and lower oil pans, and head. And all this cannot be done until quite a few other things are removed. Take my word for it: do it while it's out of the car! Check the FSM for timing chain replacement steps.
Damn, you gotta pull the head to change the timing chain? I'm going to hold on and wait till the clip gets here (should have a tracking number tomorrow sometime) and see what kind of miles are on it and then decide what needs to be done from there. While I don't want the thing to fail on me, since this isn't my daily driver, parking it and even pulling the motor to do maintance isn't that big a deal. When I first changed the timing belt on my Honda hybrid, I pulled the motor to make it easier. I also changed the clutch so I had to pull the axles and most of the mounts anyway.
My point is that for a limited budget, which most people operate under, you might want to work on the bigger reliability items first. Granted, the fan and radiator are "reliability" items, but I would consider the timing chain, oil pump, and water pump more important. Especially considering the difficulty of the upgrade...meaning that a radiator and clutch fan would be easy to change with the engine in the car.
True, but if I can get another 25k miles out of the stock pumps and chain (or more), changing them now won't really have any benefit. I've got a friend of a friend who's probably getting me a pretty good deal on a Koyo S13/SR20 radiator so I'm probably ordering that tomorrow (he's quitting the shop he works for friday so I gotta jump now or loose it). He's trying to find me a Greddy DP but I guess they're 2 months backordered. I don't really want to get a stainless DP (I have a stainless Thermal catback system on my '98 Honda and I'm on my 3rd B-pipe because of the stainless cracking) but I may have to. Anyone have any recommendations or are any of the big JDM companies (HKS, Blitz ..., just two he mentioned) good.
I'm pissed at myself too. I went to replace the ruined front wheel stud today. I pulled the caliper and rotor, popped the old one out extremely easy (I was suprised) put the new one in, thread on an open top lug nut and pull the new stud snug into place. Being a super genious, I grab the impact gun I used to pull the lugs off and decide to make sure the stud is bottomed out by using the impact gun on the lug nut. I think I needed some washers cause the lug bottomed out on the threads and the force of the impact gun stripped all the splines and the stud just starts spinning. I had to clamp it in a pair of channel locks to get the lug off and pull the stud. I stopped at the parts store and grabbed a new stud, but it just spins too. If I try to push the old burned OE stud in, it still catchs and the splines on it go further down the stud than the parts store one's so I'm going to stop at the Nissan dealership tomorrow and grab a new stud and hopefully it will grab some splines that are still good. I need to replace that hub (maybe steal one off my clip, I just thought of that) but I just want something in the hole for now. Damn, I'm still pissed at myself for that. It's still got 3 lugs so it's not like the wheels going to fall off but damn it, I should know better.
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HybridAndy - 240sx/SR20 owner
'90 240SX hatchback - 180sx front clip on it's way, project car
'98 Civic EX - CTR headlight and grill, Kosei K1's, daily driver
Damn, you gotta pull the head to change the timing chain? I'm going to hold on and wait till the clip gets here (should have a tracking number tomorrow sometime) and see what kind of miles are on it and then decide what needs to be done from there.
Yes. Since the timing chain rides on the cam sprockets, you have to take the cams out to pull the timing chain. Do yourself a favor and download the S14_SR20DET FSM if you haven't already. Read the timing chain procedure at least 3-4 times, and you'll start to get an idea about what it takes to do it. It may be a little late for your purposes, but I plan to do an engine teardown / engine rebuild article on my website within the next few months.
Good idea about czeching the mileage first. Pull the valvecover and look for baked-on oil, scuffed cams, and any sign of wear. If you have questions about how to interpret what you find, post some pictures and we'll help you out. General clip condition, clutch condition, and motor cleanliness are also good indicators of engine condition. But I would highly recommend pulling the valvecover at a minimum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HybridAndy
While I don't want the thing to fail on me, since this isn't my daily driver, parking it and even pulling the motor to do maintance isn't that big a deal.
Be glad that you have put yourself in this position...many others don't have this luxury.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HybridAndy
True, but if I can get another 25k miles out of the stock pumps and chain (or more), changing them now won't really have any benefit.
Not necessarily true. Think about it this way: do you want to do some of these things while the engine is out of the car to make it easier on yourself? Or do you have the patience / time to pull the engine again in case you have to do these things in the future? Answer honestly. Plus you'll have the peace of mind that you have already addressed some of the most prevalent SR reliability concerns, which should free you up for other mroe fun upgrades.
Plus, how do you know how many more miles you'll get out of these items? Mileage (if the number you get is accurate, with the stock cluster in the car), is only one indicator of engine wear, and not always an accurate one at that. Think about it though: how many people could tell when their pumps / chains are going to fail? I'd wager hardly any. And when the oil or water pump, or timing chain fail, it can damage the engine greatly, if not taking it out of commission entirely. Just something to think about...
Quote:
Originally Posted by HybridAndy
I've got a friend of a friend who's probably getting me a pretty good deal on a Koyo S13/SR20 radiator so I'm probably ordering that tomorrow (he's quitting the shop he works for friday so I gotta jump now or loose it).
Well if it's truly a good deal and you think you are going to save significant amounts of money down the road, by all means jump on it. My point was that, assuming your clip's radiator tests fine, I would do other upgrades first. But if your friend quits before your clip gets there and you have a chance to flow / pressure test the radiator, that's another plus for buying the Koyo now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HybridAndy
I don't really want to get a stainless DP (I have a stainless Thermal catback system on my '98 Honda and I'm on my 3rd B-pipe because of the stainless cracking) but I may have to. Anyone have any recommendations or are any of the big JDM companies (HKS, Blitz ..., just two he mentioned) good.
Don't take your recent lack of success with stainless as an overall indicator of its performance. Are you sure it didn't crack because of vibration, pre-loading, etc.? What grade stainless did you use, and who manufactured the part? If you are truly worried about cracking, you should get a ductile iron pipe if they're available. It's cheaper, but will rust like hell. My point is that you shouldn't discount stainless, but instead do more research before ruling it out. Many people run stainless DP's on SR's with no problems whatsoever.
Any of the bigger-name Japanese companies should produce a quality DP. There are plenty of Stateside companies offering them as well, although some of them are re-badged Japanese parts.
__________________
Check out my project progress at my 240 index page
Last edited by 2Fass240us : Aug 18th, 2004 at 08:25 AM.
