I am new to the s13 world, but the main reason i bought the car was to drop a sr20det into the car. I wanted to know, is the the swap very difficult into an s13. I was told that the swap into an s13 means new motor mounts and other little things like that would be a big issue. Is there a direct swap? Plus is the Hp gain more than just putting a turbo kit on the ka24e motor? any help is appreciated.

 

actually there is way more tuning potential to the SR compared to the KA. you can use the same mounts for both motors. the "main thing" involved in the swap is $$$ and extending some wires on the SR harness. i still have the KA in my S13 but have done plenty reaearch on the issue. as most of us here. the most direct swap into the s13 or s14 is the sr20.
like i said the main thing about the whole swap is $$$-where you get the combo from and who does the install
i know this might not of helped much but its a start.
check some sites
www.srswap.com
www.unstable-hybrids.com
thats what i can pull off tap. other guys/girls could give ya more info

 

short term, you will get more out of turbo charing ur current ka...

as a long term investment the sr has much higher tuning capabilities

 

Come on guys you know that's a lie I'm all for the sr20 but you should all know that the ka has just as much potential as the sr. Plus since you have a sohc the compression ratio is good for turbocharging. My advice is if your ka is in good condition and relatively low miles on it then don't bother with the sr. Otherwise get the sr.

 

I agree totally. If my KA was in any kind of good condition I would rather have a DET KA instead of SR. plus parts are easier to get if anything goes wrong with your ka vs a sr. Has anyone checked out prices on normal things that break on cars like startes and stuff for the sr. Jspec.com has a starter for the sr for $200. THe starter for the KA is like $75 tops. THink about those things also.

 

There is more involved in swapping into a SOHC S13 (89 or 90).

Offhand, the a/c compressor from the KA24DE will not work with the SR - you will need an SR compressor or a compressor from a KA24DE can fit (but one bolt won't work).

The Power steering setup is different. You will need at a minimum the high presure p/s line from a KA24DE car.

The SOHC tach will not work. You will need either a gauage cluset from a 91-94 S13 or a JDM gauge cluster for the tach to work right.

These are in addition to the cost of swapping the SR into a DOHC equipped car. If you're buying a car with the sole intention of dropping in an SR, it may be worth a little more money to buy a 91+ instead of the 89-90.

-Justin
http://www.saltgod.org

 

I agree with Justin, I would definitely look into getting a 91+ to do the swap with. The difficulty factor is increased with the older S13 and just might be worthy if you can locate a 91+

 

well 91+ are easier to find... when i look in papers i usually find 91-93 ... its harder to find older models, and its hard to find 89, and 90 for some reason.....

 

Maybe the SOHCs are finding their way into junk yards instead of classified ads by now.

I forget the sales numbers, but I think that the numbers for 1989 and 1990 totalled more cars than the entire remaining run (1991-1998) in the US.

-Justin
http://www.saltgod.org

 

Are you kidding me??? I'm an hour and a half north of nyc and all I can ever find is '89's and '90's for $5k too. It's insane I've never seen a '91+, I have to have my local Nissan dealer do a search for me.

 

malice is right, you are more likely to see a 91+ in NYC than a 89-90 and I think it is because they are getting salvaged as previously said.

 

I already have a 89 s13. and to be honest, its hard to find them for sale or in a junk yard. I found my s13 when i was driving down the street and i saw one for sale. cost me $1700. I have a 94 alty too, so i have the best of both worlds with the ka motors. But i think i will be getting the sr in about 1 yr, so its just time to save up.

 

SR is a great motor, but I still have some reliability issues with parts not being readily available that is really stopping me from wanting to spend 4K-8K doing it.

 

to each his own..
you cant go wrong with either.

 

is this true for only the 89 and 90 SOHC models, or for any SOHC? I am new to the 240 world. im thinking about purchasing one for my first car, and i want something that will be able to have a sr20 droped into.