how reliable is a ca18det

[rwtf]

i'm getting the car for pretty cheap but its pretty much stock besides a z32 maf, safc, wideband, fmic.

but Ive never owned a CA always sr or ka, any input?

[g35gabby]

I treated mine horribly and abused the shit out of it. The thing never let me down. they are very stout engines, and other than old worn parts they are pretty hard to kill (less you do something really stupid like turning the boost up too much)

[indomiekid1]

It's going to be just like any other engine. rag it out all the time, don't maintain it and eventually it will break.

Do you know the history of the car?

[Croustibat]

Mine has approx 135.000miles, and outputs approx 300hp. When i use the car, i let it get to temperature, then thrash it, basically.

FMIC is mandatory even on stock boost, the oem one is crap.

They are strong engine, but they require good oil and frequent oil change. Also, they do not tolerate stupid people using them, and usually suicide when they meet one.

Now, considering this one has a Z32 MAF and an SAFC, i think it is on the verge of suicide. SAFC is only used by stupid people that don't understand ECU tuning. and Z32 maf ? the stock maf can handle 15psi on the stock T25, which is already more that it can safely deliver. Why change something that does not need to be changed ? Heck, i am using an S14/SR20 MAF, and it still is not maxed with a T28 at 21psi. So maybe there was a big turbo on there. And if there was, i feel really sorry for that engine if all the tuning it had was provided by an SAFC.

So, that makes the previous owned stupid. On the other hand, he also cared a bit; he used a wideband and adjusted fueling. Did he do it right ? No. But he tried, so that gives him some points.

TL;DR : bin that SAFC, bring the car to a reputable tuner and get it sorted and tuned; change oil on a regular basis, and it will work for quite long.

Or just ignore that, turn the boost up and watch how it dies.

[g35gabby]

The guys who go up to a Z32 maf right away do it for a reason. state side acquiring a CA maf is far more difficult than something you can find at any junkyard here. I assumed that was the reasoning for the SAFC and the Z32 maf. Not for cool points or anything.

I do agree with the rest of it. A decent eprom is cheap and will fix it properly.

[TurboMonkey]

Mine has approx 135.000miles, and outputs approx 300hp. When i use the car, i let it get to temperature, then thrash it, basically.

FMIC is mandatory even on stock boost, the oem one is crap.

They are strong engine, but they require good oil and frequent oil change. Also, they do not tolerate stupid people using them, and usually suicide when they meet one.

Now, considering this one has a Z32 MAF and an SAFC, i think it is on the verge of suicide. SAFC is only used by stupid people that don't understand ECU tuning. and Z32 maf ? the stock maf can handle 15psi on the stock T25, which is already more that it can safely deliver. Why change something that does not need to be changed ? Heck, i am using an S14/SR20 MAF, and it still is not maxed with a T28 at 21psi. So maybe there was a big turbo on there. And if there was, i feel really sorry for that engine if all the tuning it had was provided by an SAFC.

So, that makes the previous owned stupid. On the other hand, he also cared a bit; he used a wideband and adjusted fueling. Did he do it right ? No. But he tried, so that gives him some points.

TL;DR : bin that SAFC, bring the car to a reputable tuner and get it sorted and tuned; change oil on a regular basis, and it will work for quite long.

Or just ignore that, turn the boost up and watch how it dies.
Where did you find a good fmic and piping?

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[Croustibat]

"Good" is a strong word for it; cheap, leak free, need adapting work but doing its job would define it better. The core is too thick for my setup and eating too much airflow for my taste.

It is an XS-power FMIC kit for a CA18DET, that i got from their US online shop. It was quite a long time ago, i remember having a bit of trouble with the cold pipe( was hard to fit, came very close to the water line) and the hotpipe section that connects to the turbo didn't fit the oem T25 ( it would fit the T28 i fitted after), so i changed that section.

Basically that is cheap ebay stuff.

If i had to do it again, i'd use a thinner core with 90° inlet / outlet, and make the piping pass next to a smaller radiator instead of all around the front end (but then again, i can spend more money on it now than when i installed it)

[Motary]

It is ok with standard internals up to 260hp if it is tuned and maintained properly. In europe they are very unpopular due to high mileage and legendary for spinning main bearings. The oil pan capacity is a joke for a perfomance engine and they need extra oil drain modification from cylinder head back to the sump. The valve train is more reliable than SR20 but that's about it. SR20 is more reliable.

[Rustys14]

Where did you find a good fmic and piping?

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I got this kit when I did my swap and it fit better then most. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-Mount-Intercooler-Aluminum-Pipe-Kit-for-Nissan-S13-Silvia-CA18DET-black-/271687243306?hash=item3f41d2562a:g:SOEAAOSwj0NUeAr T&vxp=mtr As Croustibat said the core on the eBay kits is way overkill (especially for a stockish setup) and I ended up switching to a smaller HKS core that got for cheap from a local importer.

"Good" is a strong word for it; cheap, leak free, need adapting work but doing its job would define it better. The core is too thick for my setup and eating too much airflow for my taste.

It is an XS-power FMIC kit for a CA18DET, that i got from their US online shop. It was quite a long time ago, i remember having a bit of trouble with the cold pipe( was hard to fit, came very close to the water line) and the hotpipe section that connects to the turbo didn't fit the oem T25 ( it would fit the T28 i fitted after), so i changed that section.

Basically that is cheap ebay stuff.

If i had to do it again, i'd use a thinner core with 90° inlet / outlet, and make the piping pass next to a smaller radiator instead of all around the front end (but then again, i can spend more money on it now than when i installed it)

I originally purchased the XS power kit as well but the piping was nowhere near close to fitting so tossed it out and got the above kit which I believe is from the same factory that makes the Autobahn 88 kits since it looks identical. The piping fits perfect and the only real complaint I have about it is that I'm not a fan of the BOV placement being on the hotside.

Its near impossible to find a good (read not Chinese) kit for the CA anymore since its long been out of production and wasn't as prolific as the SR. I searched on Yahoo Auctions for awhile when I first did my swap to see if there was a good used kit but didn't have much luck.

[Kingtal0n]

Problem I see is, high mileage and lack of reputable parts/work to rebuild one with.

If you goal is economy and reliability, you just want to drive and not touch, the cheapest/best option is the KA24DE all original.

If you want something to tinker with and are comfortable with removing the engine now and again, the sr/ca are good options.