i'm planning an engine swap (or turbo) soon and want some opinions on what's better for my purposes. i'm not entirely sure of my power goals, but i want it to be reliable to at least 3-350hp. i may however want up to 4-450 later, so the cost/reliablilty at that level is a factor in my decision as well. originally i was pretty well set on a KA-T, but i also have a 510 that needs an engine, so lately i've been researching swaps. i've seriously considered the sr, rb20 & 25, ca and even LS1. each of these seems to have its pro's and cons tho, so here goes.
KA-T: pros: no swap needed, good torque, reliable (when done right), uniqueness (tho not a major concern), very strong when rebuilt, all usdm service parts
cons: no engine for 510, will need rebuild >250-300hp, not as light as sr/ca
SR20: pros: aftermarket, popularity=more info, light weight, simple swap
cons: highest initial cost (~$2K), rocker arm failure, poor water pump flow, less tq than KA-T, needs sr radiator, most service parts are jdm only
RB20: pros: low initial cost (~$1K), strong bottom end, easy to increase displacement (rb20 w/ rb25 block and pistons=rb24), "wow factor"
cons: weight, needs more parts/work to set-up "right" imo (swap kit $400+, wiring $400 (sr wiring $150), intake manifold $500+, etc), oil pump issues can destroy engine, all service parts are jdm only
CA18: pros: cheapest, lightest, simple swap, shares many parts w/ usdm ca18et and ca18de
cons: least displacement/tq, possible head gasket sealing issues, lowest aftermarket support (but still enough)
the other rb's or LS1 would be nice and eliminate many of the cons, but they are out of my price range, so i didn't bother listing them in detail. so anyway, let me know what you think AND WHY. let me know if you have a solution to any of the problems (i.e. ca18 head sealing, rb oil pump issues, sr rocker arms) or also if you are SURE these issues only occur on race engines or at ridiculous power levels (please provide proof if possible. sorry, i'm a skeptic, especially on forums). thanks for your input.
KA-T: pros: no swap needed, good torque, reliable (when done right), uniqueness (tho not a major concern), very strong when rebuilt, all usdm service parts
cons: no engine for 510, will need rebuild >250-300hp, not as light as sr/ca
SR20: pros: aftermarket, popularity=more info, light weight, simple swap
cons: highest initial cost (~$2K), rocker arm failure, poor water pump flow, less tq than KA-T, needs sr radiator, most service parts are jdm only
RB20: pros: low initial cost (~$1K), strong bottom end, easy to increase displacement (rb20 w/ rb25 block and pistons=rb24), "wow factor"
cons: weight, needs more parts/work to set-up "right" imo (swap kit $400+, wiring $400 (sr wiring $150), intake manifold $500+, etc), oil pump issues can destroy engine, all service parts are jdm only
CA18: pros: cheapest, lightest, simple swap, shares many parts w/ usdm ca18et and ca18de
cons: least displacement/tq, possible head gasket sealing issues, lowest aftermarket support (but still enough)
the other rb's or LS1 would be nice and eliminate many of the cons, but they are out of my price range, so i didn't bother listing them in detail. so anyway, let me know what you think AND WHY. let me know if you have a solution to any of the problems (i.e. ca18 head sealing, rb oil pump issues, sr rocker arms) or also if you are SURE these issues only occur on race engines or at ridiculous power levels (please provide proof if possible. sorry, i'm a skeptic, especially on forums). thanks for your input.