very, very bad...

[Warwick5s]

so, i have a feeling that the noises my car was making last week were of a very 'expensive' nature. it's a KA24E with 101k on it. lets say it requires more work than timing chain / external engine stuff: what is the price limit i should set versus putting in a new head/engine?


i guess what i'm asking is, how much would replacing the engine with the same thing thats in there now cost? and what about putting in a KA24DE? is it worth it? how easy is this swap into a 1990? i'm guessing same deal as the SR that you have to move power steering lines. can you just swap the head?


or, if i'm going to be swapping an engine, is it better to just put in a CA/SR/RB so i can get some of the money out of the car i put into it easier if i decide to sell it down the road?

[CoasTek240]

just go with an SR... soo cheap.. way worth it. great engine :D

what i would do is different. I'd find a Ka24de, rebuild it properly while continueing to drive safely with you car.
put some of the really nice goodies on it. then install it and possibly go turbo later on.

[Warwick5s]

i'm not necessarily concerned with power, and whatever i have i want to be mainly stock. my main concerns with spending the money on a swap are: how easily i can get parts, how cheap it is, how easy the swap is, how reliable will it be, and how much value it will add to my car.


of course, if i got a nice factory-stock power boost out of the deal, i wouldn't complain :D

[HaLo]

Swapping to SR is not that cheap and in the first few weeks, you have to expect a lot of downtime till the car settles. Parts are easy to find, if you know where to look for them. It will add a lot of value to the car, according to enthousiasts because you'll never be able to sell it to a particular anymore.

[misnomer]

It never fails.

"My engine isn't sounding right, what do y'all recommend?"

"OMG OMG WTF GET AN SR OMG!!!"

Are you able to work on the motor yourself? As in, do you know how to take care of things like timing, proper torque specs, etc? If so, then I'd suggest just diggin in and seeing what you find. The SOHC KA is infamous for it's timing chain guides - that'd be the first thing I check out.

Is the motor running OK otherwise? My DOHC KA was making some hideous noises, but it was just (unneeded) guides rattling. Removed the guides and was in good shape. "Making a funny noise" is no way to decide that you need a new motor, especially sinse it seems to me that you are more interested in keeping the car going for as little as possible.

[sykikchimp]

I see used KA's go for anywhere around $400-600 on here in the for sale section.. Figure that, plus whatever labor to install if you don't have the know how yourself..

[andrave]

you see used ka24DE's here on zilvia in good running condition go for that much.
if you look at a local junkyard you can probably score a ka24E for 100 bucks running, from a junkyard.
the e's don't go for crap as far as resale but if yours takes the crapper thats a good thing, you can buy one cheap.

I think the swap to the DE takes PS lines, ecu, and harness... not sure.

[syco3d]

the cheapest I can find a KA in a junkyard around here is 950 :mad: ...and that's w/ 113k. Damn topeka sux.

[Warwick5s]

Originally posted by misnomer
It never fails.

"My engine isn't sounding right, what do y'all recommend?"

"OMG OMG WTF GET AN SR OMG!!!"

Are you able to work on the motor yourself? As in, do you know how to take care of things like timing, proper torque specs, etc? If so, then I'd suggest just diggin in and seeing what you find. The SOHC KA is infamous for it's timing chain guides - that'd be the first thing I check out.

Is the motor running OK otherwise? My DOHC KA was making some hideous noises, but it was just (unneeded) guides rattling. Removed the guides and was in good shape. "Making a funny noise" is no way to decide that you need a new motor, especially sinse it seems to me that you are more interested in keeping the car going for as little as possible.


unfortunately, this couldn't have happened at a worse time, and its getting looked at tomorrow. i consider myself having 'decent' knowhow when it comes to cars - i've pulled engines, trannies, done clutches, brakes, suspension...just never in a nissan - only VW's. i feel pretty confident that i could do a swap myself if i had another car to drive around in so i could take my time and do it right.

no, the motor isn't running well. it's backfiring, sputtering, idle moving around pretty randomly, hesitates, wants to die, won't rev past about 4k, and just generally seems like something bad is broken.

obviously, unless the engine requires $1000+ worth of work, i'm not going to do a swap. however if it turns out i need a new block or something, i think i'll drive the Geo for a while and do an SR swap. preliminary checking shows no available ka24e engines around here :(

and it's not really that i want to keep it running for as cheap as possible. more like - i don't want to waste money. if putting in a new KA would cost me 800 plus my time with the car being worth the exact same, and an SR front clip cost me $2k, but the car is worth 2k more when it's done...that's where the tough decision lies. if i just wanted it done cheap i'd replace it with the same thing.

[christopher]

This sounds just like my 89'.

Car is backfiring, and just sounding bad in general. I allready had plans to get an SR, I just moved those plans up. Should be about a week now. I hope.

If I were you I would look for a used KA. It is by far the cheapest option you will have. There are plenty of parts for you as well. If you are considering a CA or an SR, the CA is slightly cheaper in many places. Either one will work. Also, if you are one of those JDM types, the CA was supposed to go on that chasis in that year.

I never really diagnosed my KA, so let us know what they say at the shop. I probably have the same issues.

[Apparition]

Originally posted by andrave
you see used ka24DE's here on zilvia in good running condition go for that much.
if you look at a local junkyard you can probably score a ka24E for 100 bucks running, from a junkyard.
the e's don't go for crap as far as resale but if yours takes the crapper thats a good thing, you can buy one cheap.


Where is this mystical junkyard? I've recently looked (as I've had to replace my transmission), and I can't find anything for less than $400 canadian with insane mileage on it. When I say insane mileage, I mean over 290k.

[nascar20king]

My KA makes noise on startup - but after much research found out the timing chain guide is the problem. Doesn't affect the car or the way it runs...I just have to deal with the noise for a few seconds.

If it is backfiring...have you checked the CAT? My cat was about 25% plugged up - not anymore :) - also removed the Idle Air Valve and pumped it full of Carb cleaner - car runs great and no more backfire...