Depending on how you count it, the ca18det has over 10 coolant lines. For those building their cars for race use, this can be reduced to only one line (excluding the radiator inlet and outlet). I will demonstrate this with my own car, the ca18det swapped 240sx. In this tutorial, these 11 coolant connections will be reduced to the radiator inlet and outlet and then one coolant line to the rear of...
BOV Theory Installing the SSQV BOV Theory The function of a blow off valve (BOV) is to reduce pressure waves that result when the throttle plate of your engine is suddenly closed. For example, when shifting gears the turbo is still pressurizing the intake piping but without a bov to release this building pressure and with the throttle closed, the air can surge backwards and over time damage the...
A few months ago I posted a how to guide on installing a Walbro 255 fuel pump into the Nissan 240sx. As I noted the Walbro has a tendency to overflow the stock fuel pressure regulator on the 240sx and cause the injectors to operate at a higher fuel pressure which ultimately richens the fuel mixture. An overly rich fuel mixture harms gas mileage, robs horsepower and can even damage the motor. This...
Ok, maybe I will but in any serious car buildup the obligatory drivetrain tech installment invariably comes up. And that my friends is what we are about to embark on. The drivetrain includes any system that takes rotation from the motor and translates that movement to the wheels. In this case, I will talk about the flywheel and the driveshaft. Any amount of weight that is removed from the...
Of all of the mods I have done to the 240sx, liquid intercooling is the one that raises the most eyebrows, receives the most praise and insults and generally leaves people scratching their heads. This tech article is going to walk through the thought process and design considerations involved in liquid intercooling your Nissan 240sx. This is not a step by step walk but more along the lines of a...
New simplified coolant mod number 2 available here. CA18DET Coolant Mod Number 2 (From 10 Lines to 1) One thing I value on a car that will see serious track time is weight reduction and simplification. This mod focuses on simplifying the water circulation system to improve it’s reliability and greatly reduce it’s complexity. Considerations This mod is perfect for the racer looking for...
The turbo found on the SR20DET motor is an upgrade that virtually every CA18DET owner has run at one point or another. Where the CA18DET T25 turbo is good to about 12psi and looses boost towards redline, the SR20DET T25 can run around 14psi and will hold steady till redline with the .80 exhaust housing. Additionally, there are tons of SR guys swapping out their factory turbo so finding SR...
Like most Nissan motors, the CA18DET has a maze of vacuum lines that quickly become confusing to those unfamiliar with the motor. The following is a quick guide of what needs to be hooked up and where in order to get your CA18DET up running. Upper Intake Manifold (rear) Read below for the explanations and click here for a larger view. Connects to the passenger side valve cover at the front of the...
Background Even with the abundance of OEM parts available for the CA18DET, there seems to be a very striking lack of affordable lightweight flywheels. Clutchmasters and Spec make several clutch kits for this motor but for the time being there really isn’t a true, US market, bolt in replacement flywheel. Of course, there is always the occasional JUN lightweight flywheels that pops up on ebay...
Part 1 of the CA18DET swap guide deals with removing the factory engine from your 240sx but before getting started I will cover a little background information regarding the CA18DET motor and engine swaps in general. But first and foremost, if you do not have the Factory Service Manual (FSM) I urge you to download it now. (1989-1994 Nissan 240sx (S13 – 180sx) CA18DET) This manual can help...
Some of us get lucky, we import a motor from Japan, swap it into our car and drive off into hybrid heaven. But sometimes things just don’t seem right and unmistakably, as I pile the miles on my latest CA18DET, it has started to feel off. The smoke the car leaves behind after trips to redline is less concerning than the strong gas smell present at the next oil change. Since crankshafts that...
The Walbro 255lph fuel pump is a must for any heavily modified and/or swapped 240sx. They are inexpensive, reliable and flow more than enough fuel to satisfy the thirsts of even heavily boosted motors. Note: These procedures should be performed in a well ventilated area away from open ignition sources. (i.e. gas fumes are harmful to breath and they can ignite) Depressurize the factory pump First...