91240sxhatch

i just put a new KA(100k miles) in my s13 to go get it smogged, and the last one i had died too. i was going up a hill and it just lost a lot of power and i pulled over.

it was still idling, but it sounded like it was on 3 cylinders, and there was a lot of white smoke coming out the back, but it almost smelled like gas, and when i turned off the car it would not start again.

what do you guys think it is. i hate this motor, i want my SR back. headgasket? fuel pump? pls help. thanks guys.

TokyoNights

I say headgasket

nightwalker

it's the owner's fault. My KA serves me just fine cause I take the extra measures like compression check, leakdown test, change water pump, etc.

SRs are not different. I'm sure there is a large number of people who will tell you SRs are ass. Once again, -->owner.

Live and learn

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In life, we often cast the line of hope fishing for the best possible opportunity. Sometimes with enough effort, the things we catch are nothing short of amazing.

mrmephistopheles

it's owners that suck, not engines. (generally)
I've put many a hard mile and drift event on the KA in my car with no apparent ill effect. If you take care of your motor/car they will take care of you.

EchoOfSilence

I say you have a messed up piston ring. IT's exactly what happened to my sohc in my 1st s13. running on four with low compression, then one day i start up and it's running on 3. apparently it was spitting up oil onto my spark plug, and when it dried, it didn't let it fire. and the gap was severely tampered with because of the high level of heat cuz it was burning. and yes, the motor was already messed up when i bought the car. i was actually waiting for it to blow, but i got in an accident not too long after.

So i say you check your spark plugs for a clue.

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BSeay

Sounds like the owner of the motor and not the motor itself... proper care prevents poor performance...

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1995 240SX SE - Sold

thx247

Mine works fine...

Salty_X

What everybody else said. A lot can happen to an engine in 100,000 miles.

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nissantuner22

a well taken care of engine with 240,000 will outperform an engine with 30,000 that was never broken in properly, or abused.

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Current Project: Operation: N/A SR: 93 Silvia Q SR20DE Engine with go fast goodies. ,
"Common problems 240sx's suffer from are curbs, trees, ditches, and other immovable objects."thx247

"on the tounge... there is no guardrails."- citizen

andrave

my ka engine gives great head and runs strong and gets good gas mileage even though I'm pretty sure the head gasket is leaking when it gets hot. My last one ran good too. And I have a DE downstairs I'm rebuilding and putting back together.
I love the ka.

ryan hagen

mine was very durable at 154K it had 20psi oil pressure max, 15 at idle, it ran decent until oil pressure hit 6 psi then spun a rod bearing and still made it 4 miles with about 0 oil pressure. i beat it alot but changed the oil at 2500 and always added and my motor was severly beat and not taken care of by the last owner, when i bought it the oil looked like tar.........159K R.I.P.

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1990 hatch ka24de gt2871r

Bbandit

my old KA had leaking valve seals. I bought it at 150k and drove the living shit out of it until 174k.. (bunch of autoX and other events). at 174k before I swapped a 95 KA, it still ran like a champ! prolly because I took care of it like it was my first born.

Check for the compression on that motor and see if you have even numbers all the way... If you do.. then one of your injector might die on you.

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==>>TGL GARAGE<<==.. RIP!
S13 coupe KA-T @ 0.5 Bar = SOLD!
A31 Cefiro + SR = Current

sykikchimp

White smoke = Burning coolant. - head gasket.

Blue smoke = oil
Black smoke = Fuel

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Dream240

I'm trying to redeem my self from last night's blunder.

KA motors are excellent durable engines that will run as long as you take care of them. Along with the B series motors and the 2JZ motor, all built like brick houses. The main factor is abuse and neglect. Also it's easy to trash ANY motor if your running high boost and not using the proper cooling methods and maintenance schedules.
As was previously mentioned, it's all about the owner.
Don't mis-understand, there are ALOT of POS motors out there. (Dare I say most domestics....?) It's not the engine itself really but the design put into the engines. Just poor engineering really. For example I did maintenance on a 91' Cavalier with 40,000 miles on it for....get this....freeze plugs!! I mean when I pulled the plugs I found that it was extremely poor in craftsmanship and design (too thin). I mean how many times have you ever found a freeze plug in an import to be leaking after 40,000 miles? Not alot. that's just one example.

So really your KA motors aren't crap, they're just in a crappy state due to lack of maintenance, not necessarily from you.

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Don't mess with my monkey...he's loaded.

Wei240

apparently it's just your motor that's crap, unlucky you

as you can see, people can attest to how durable the ka is... mine is still running strong nearing 200k.

kandyflip445

I swear it's the magazines putting those ideas in to peoples' heads.

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My 240 vBgarage

Steeles

ha the KA I pulled form my S14 at 130,000 miles is still running strong nin the S13 we put it in last I heard., and thats after my moronic brother tortured it for two years.

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Keeping it Godzira bishes.
So I murdered another turbo

Dream240

Yeah that's true. Everytime I read something about the KA it always includes the words, "Anemic, underpowered, outdated, etc." But let's face it, it was originally designed for a truck! Also I don't think it's that bad for an NA engine. And the potential is there for boost especially with the displacement advantage. I think alot of these magazines are just feeding peoples desire to ride the JDM bandwagon. But on the contrary, in the past I've seen a couple of articles on a turbo KA pushing 400rwhp. So yeah there are some occasional props given.

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Don't mess with my monkey...he's loaded.

phrozen

just hit 210k and still runs strong. the tranny on the other hand is another story....

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Please do not put your sig pic back if it exceeds this.
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Eternal_240Sx

im sure it does. lol

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Life is good in the bay.

AN89HATCH

my kae is close to 190k and will be at 5lbs of boost and still runs fine

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stinky_180

260,000 miles on my KA24DE and still runinng strong.. on a 92'

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mutkung

swap my at 200k still running but had a valve cover gasket leak.
got a new engine with 19k from 96 run great...

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One after market part = 3 months of Ramen noodles.

orion::S14

Not so...

It just so happens that it is used in Nissan pickup trucks, but:

1) There are many differences between the truck KA and the 240SX KA.

2) The 240SX utilized the KA first.

Nissan D21 pickups didn't start using the KA24E until Aug 1989 production
date...they used the L series before that.

http://www.datsuns.com/modelguide/truckcodes.htm

- - - - -

This is a misconception or internet myth...it's false.

- Brian

kandyflip445

I was actually going to say that, about the KA being used in a car first. The "truck motor" thing came from magazines also.....

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My 240 vBgarage

nightwalker

FUCK magazines!

except fuck magazines. They're cool

__________________
In life, we often cast the line of hope fishing for the best possible opportunity. Sometimes with enough effort, the things we catch are nothing short of amazing.

idlafie

Hahahah.....okay think about this one for a minute....

I just put a NEW KA, (100K miles).......

Okay...that tells me one of two things....1). that you replaced your other motor with a used KA that had a 100k miles on it OR 2). that you bought a rebuilt motor with 0 miles on it

Okay...so which is it??

If you bought a used KA motor with 100K on it, what makes you think it's gonna run better than the one you are replacing?? Used motors don't usually come with a guarantee...you take your chances when you buy it. Best bet is take it back to the place you got it from & tell them they sold you a bad motor.....IF you're lucky they might give you a replacement for dirt cheap...or maybe even for free...depends on how generous the shop is feeling. If you bought it from a private party, then you're probably screwed.....Just out of curiousity, did you do a compression test BEFORE you took delivery of the motor? Cuz if you didn't, shame on you!!! Consider this a lesson learned.

Now if you bought a rebuilt motor with 0 miles on it, then what makes you think they did a good job rebuilding it?? If you're lucky the place that sold it to you will exchange it under warranty. Most places that rebuild motors will warranty for a time.

Anyhow, good luck...you're gonna need it!!!
ID
'95 SE

BlackS14

Not exactly always true.....a couple of weeks ago I wouldn't have stated this, but after my incindent I believe otherwise. After getting my motor back together after being down for about a month and a half.....I went for a drive and while sitting in traffic, the car started to miss, sputter, and started billowing white smoke out the back. I figured I too had lost a headgasket, but after talking to a few folks that had the same thing happen, I was told it might have been in injector seal that went.

So I pulled all the injectors and sure enough one of the lower seals had bulged creating a huge leak dumping gas in my number one cylinder.....weird I know, but I replaced all the seals, changed my oil, and did a quick compression check and got 182 across the board. Since then I have put 2,000 miles on her and she runs stronger than ever before.....

Morral of story...check injector o-rings first.

-Bill

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Dream240

Ha! You're right! I didn't even consider this but yeah the old L series was the truck engines before the KA workhorse. And with that info yes the truck came second because the 240 started production in 88'. And one of the biggest differences between the two are the intake setups used. Interesting factoid....thanks!! I love reading about shit like this.

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Don't mess with my monkey...he's loaded.

Startours7

Nissan trucks used the Z24 and the z24i IIRC.
I know the patrols used the "L" mabey some of the 720's

Anyway...I have two KA's
A DE with 189,000 in a 92 240 (runs like a champ, beat like a step child, taken care of like a baby.)

and an E with 82,000 in a 97 Hardbody (runs even better, also beat like a step child and taken care of like a baby.)

Don't you be talking shit about my motors. They might kick your ass.

Ha Ha my sohc is younger then my dual.

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92'240sx fb
77'280z Motor all done, now the rest
87'Ram 250, 383 4 speed, 4x4(sold to my pop's)
97'Hardbody, 4x4(new toy)