Intro------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, you just got your new (old really) Nissan 240sx. Coupe, hatch, zenki, or kouki, it doesnt matter; we all know you sure as hell didnt buy the car just to drive it. You want to go faster, you want to turn harder, you want to look better. We all do, thats why your here.
The "big thing" with 240's, the engine swaps. So there is nothing about the turning or the showing in here (well a little bit of handling). With some 5 common motors to choose from, the newcommers may not no where to start. Start here, but beware this is just to get you crawling, not walking. The world of swaps and motors is bigger than your brain so just chill and do your homework, this is only to inform you on the basics so you know now what to search for specifically.


The Purpose---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As stated above, we want to go faster. Just like any other car, the concept is simple, fast is fun. We all like fun. The reason for the swaps, is potential. The KA24 in stock form, lets face it, it's nothing special. They have been in your car for 1xx,xxx miles, and, well no motor lasts for ever. So what are your options. Well there are 3 thing you can do:
1) Slap an intake and some headers on her and drive her till she dies...borrrring
2) Rebuild and/or boost it. There are a fair amount of KA24DE turbo kits floating around and will surely shock your butt dyno. Without a rebuild, that 1xx,xxx miles is going to own you sooner or later, don't deny it. Rebuild it and you have yourself a beast but not everybody has that kind of money. This lead us to the main focus of this thread...
3) Swap it. An engine swap provides a great alternitave to beefing up the KA. The motors available give a great base platform to build your dream car out of. Solid, stout, and boost ready, what more could you want. So like most people on here, they choose the latter path. That choice in itself opens up a whole new world of many paths.


The Basics-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are 5 common engine swaps that are nested in the 240sx engine bay:
CA18DET
SR20DET
RB20DET
RB25DET
RB26DETT
KA24DE-T (not a swap but boost is boost)

Each of these motors is unique in their own way. All have great potential. But of couse, it call comes down to, whats right for you, what you want, and even though we all hate it, your wallet.


The Motors-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So you want to know about each motor, well good because, well just read. So lets look at our situation again, we want a motor. Which one, well you sure as hell dont know because thats why your here. These motors are in order of displacement and price (with two exeptions). They also follow the same order as the engine list above.


CA18DET



Okay, here we have a 1.8L 173hp inline 4 cylinder turbo motor. The CA18 is the original motor of the S13 chassis in japan from '88-90. This thing is pretty stout for a little 1.8L. It's like the geek with glasses hiding a 3rd degree black belt. The internals are forged and good for well over 300hp before they need to be upgraded. It's a pretty rev happy motor and is great for a person with mild power goals and wants a good balance. Also, it is the cheapest of the available motors and just as easy, if not easier than the SR20 swap. For all you weight watchers like myslef, it is the lightest motor on the menu, even though it's an iron block. The engine sits pretty far back in the bay and places most of the weight behide the front axles; thats a good thing. From a handling point, it offers better weight distribution from the engine position than that of the RB motors, but were not here to talk about handling so moving on. The CA's arent very common mostly due to their age. They are oldest of the motors. When swapping its going to be in your best interest to check rod and main bearings and replace if nessesary. Pumps, belts, and some other accesories should also be checked and/or replaced. Another downside is the US aftermarket for the motor. Finding aftermarket parts isnt the easiest thing in the world but they are out there. Yet in the end it will still be the cheapest swap.

Good CA18 resource, dont be lazy, click on it: www.ca18det.org





SR20DET

If you haven't heard of this motor then, well you must have been knocked out for the past 10 or so years. SR's are by far the most common swap seen in any generation fo 240's. Why? lets take a look.There are three versions of this motor, well, technically four.


S13 Red Top SR20DET



The redtop is the most popular choice. Its the cheapest of the SR's, 203hp (dont give me crap about that because the 205 rating is in ps and not HP) with 7psi of boost comming from a T25 turbo. Basically, these suckers are nice. I personally have had a ride in a base swap and drivin one with about 250hp, they pull hard and are a blast. The best thing about this motor is the aftermarket. Because everybody has one, there are a zillion parts for them. The install is pretty basic, as it's just drop in and wire. But of course, with any swap you should know what you're doing. I am adding a little here about the tech part of the swap now that i have actaully done it. I helped my buddy with his redtop swap recently. We did it in his garage,a lack of decent tools, no power tools, limited space,lack of money, and time. If anybody who was thinking about this swap was worried about install, its really not that hard. Im 16 years old, the swap isn't hard, yes it takes time, but if you use that time to do things right the first time, your in good shape. The best part of swaping any motor yourself is you learn alot, thats what counts most.


Black Top SR20DET



The differnece between the red top and black top is minimal. There are some minor ECU changes, cooling fins on the head (eariler red tops did not have them) and thats basically it. They are a little more pricy because they are newer. This is also a common choice for the same reasons as the redtop. Good power, aftermarket etc. Ok enough with these, next.


S14 SR20DET



So here we have the mid version of the SR. Some of the obvious changes at a glance are the new intake manifold, rear slanted valve cover with a hump on the front. That hump houses a variable timing system not present on the S13 SR's. These are going to get you 220hp out of the box. Some of that power comes from a larger T28 turbo. Yea all this sounds find and dandy but you are going get a bigger hole in your pocket as the price of these is a fair chunk more than the S13 SR's.


S15 SR20DET



Good stuff. 250hp on tap. 6-speed tranny to make that 3500rpm @ 80mph go away. There are pretty minimal visible differences from the S14 SR. This one has another turbo imporvment. A T28 ball baring, feeding that 250hp. But like always, goodness comes at a price. That fancy 6-speed isn't as strong as the 5-speeds that came with the rest of the SR group. And big price in this case, be ready to bust out the needle and thread for this one, it will burn a hole in your pocket. The S15 SR is the least common because its the most expensive, and like the S14 SR its also harder to install than th S13 SR's, including a driveshaft, motor mounts, more extensive wiring, etc. Yes its awesome, no you cant afford one :smacked49 .

SR Wrap Up:

If you're the kind of lazy bumb with some cash and just want a motor, drop your car off at the local import tuning shop, tell them you want an SR and hand over a few grand. You will be good to go. If your looking for good power, good aftermarket, lots of potential, and just a great motor; the SR is for you. I think people are running somthing stupid like 400whp on the stock bottom end so power is plentyful. End of story, for the SR's anyways.

Opps, cant forget the link.(please, use it abuse it love it)
http://www.srswap.com/faq/index.asp