SR20DET Swap Guide
When you decide to swap the SR20DET motor into any chasse, there are a few things you should consider. How much is it going to cost? This is a Japanese motor is this legal? What am I going to need? Do I have all the necessary tools, and if not where should I go to get them? How much expertise with cars do you need to have in order to swap the engine? Where do I get parts when they break? Where do I get a factory service manual in English? How do I put it in? These questions are the types of questions that will be answered in this guide.
The first thing you should do is research. There are a lot of places that you can buy engines from. Some are good, and others are not so good. When you find the company you want to order your engine from, get a compression check, photos of the engine that you will be receiving, and the exact parts you will get with the engine. The average cost of the SR20DET engine will be about 2500.00-3000.00 US dollars for the engine ad necessary parts to swap. However Recommend going with a full front clip, you will pay between 3500.00 and 4500.00 depending on who you order from. The reason for going with an entire front clip is that you will receive everything that is on the motor in Japan. Therefore you will not need to buy any extra parts. Modifying the harness will still be necessary, however that is very simple. The instructions on how to modify the harness will be provided later in this guide. Another reason for going with the front clip, is that the oil pan should be in good condition, and with some of the clips depending on who you order from you can get the dash, and body panels these parts you can easily resale and make some of your money back.
What exactly you will need for S13 to S13 Chassis and Motor Swap “the s14 and s15 are a little different, will post that guide later”:
· SR20DET Engine with Transmission
· SR20DET Uncut Wiring Harness
· SR20DET Igniter
· Side or Front Mount Intercooler
· SR20DET or KA24DE Aftermarket Radiator “you can modify the hose for the ka to work, by going to AutoZone and just buying what you need to make it work, you use the stock thermostat to link the hoses.
· SR20DET, KA24DE SOHC Mass Airflow Sensor
· SR20DET Downpipe
· Extra Wire
· Sotering Gun
· Sotter
· Boost Gauge
· Clutch, Pressure Plate, and Flywheel “recommend aftermarket”
· Recommend New water and Oil pumps
· Either Battery Relocation kit, or Lawnmower 12V battery
· SR20DET ECU
· Power Steering Lines from DUAL CAM KA 1991-1998 Hi-Pressure and Return
What tools you will need:- Metric Socket set: “10MM 8MM 14MM 17MM 19MM 12MM sockets”
- Socket Extension
- Metric Wrenches: “10MM 8MM 2x14MM for driveshaft 17MM 19MM 12MM sockets” for ratcheting wrenches some bolts are unreachable because of the size of the wrench end
- Sotter Gun
- Angle Grinder or plasma cutter to cut holes for intercooler
- Wire 8 gauge for the battery relocation
- Engine Hoist
- Clutch Alignment Tool
- Wire Strippers
- Screw Drivers Phillips and Straight
- Drill, for mounting purposes
- LED or Shop Light or Flash Light
- Jack
- Jack Stands
- Welder “only if you want to do custom brackets.”
- Lock Tight
When your engine arrives inspect the Oil pan for any kind of dents. If it Is dented, go to AutoZone and pick up gasket sealer, and Oil pan Gasket. Take the oil pan off and bang out the dents, with rubber mallet. Recommend getting all new hoses, i.e. Vacuum Lines, Fuel Lines, and Radiator Hoses. Make sure the stock motor mounts are good, if not you’ll have to buy some aftermarket. You can tell if there good, by looking at them, and moving them back and forth. They should move but not to far about one inch in either direction.
SR20DET FAQ
Specifications for the Red Top SR20DET
(Found on the 91-93 180SX & Silvia)
Displacement: 1998cc (2.0 liter)
Cam Type: DOHC 16 valve, chain driven cam sprockets
Bore & Stroke 86mm x 86mm
Compression: 8.5:1
Horsepower: 205ps @ 6000rpm
Torque: 203 ft/lbs @ 4000rpm
Stock Boost: 7 psi
Throttle Body Bore: 60mm
Injector Size: 370cc/min
Turbo Specs:
Compressor: T-25, 60 trim 56mm BCI-1 compressor.
Turbine: T-25, 62 trim 53.8mm 0.64 A/R turbine housing.
Center Section: Journal bearings
Performance:
The stock turbo will be safe to 13-15 psi. After that, the turbo is past its efficiency range, and power increases will fall off and are not worth the risk of turbo damage. The engine should produce 230-250 RWHP at safe boost.
Specifications for the Black Top SR20DET
(Found on the 94-98 180SX)
Displacement: 1998cc (2.0 liter)
Cam Type: DOHC 16 valve, chain driven cam sprockets
Bore & Stroke: 86mm x 86mm
Compression: 8.5:1
Horsepower: 205hp @ 6000rpm
Torque: 203 ft/lbs @ 4000rpm
Stock Boost: 7 psi
Throttle Body Bore: 60mm
Injector Size: 370cc/min
Turbo Specs:
Compressor: T-25, 60 trim 56mm BCI-1 compressor.
Turbine: T-25, 62 trim 53.8mm 0.64 A/R turbine housing.
Center Section: Journal bearings
Performance:
The stock turbo will be safe to 13-15 psi. After that, the turbo is past its efficiency range, and power increases will fall off and are not worth the risk of turbo damage. The engine should produce 230-250 RWHP at safe boost.
Specifications for the S14 Black Top SR20DET with VTC
(Found on the 95-98 Silvia)
Horsepower: 220hp @ 6000rpm
Torque: 203 ft/lbs @ 4800rpm
Turbo Specs:
Compressor: T-28, 60 trim 60mm BCI-1 compressor in T-04B housing
Turbine: T-25, 62 trim 53.8mm 0.64 A/R turbine housing.
Center Section: Ball Bearing
S14 SR20DET's use a different ECU and harness, these are extremely expensive and hard to find.
Variable valve timing system and a different turbo are the significant changes from the S13 SR20DET engines.
The S13 uses a "low port" intake design vs. the S14 "high port" design.
Performance:
The stock turbo will be safe to 13-15 psi. After that, the turbo is past its efficiency range, and power increases will fall off and are not worth the risk of turbo damage. The stock engine should produce 250-260 RWHP at safe boost using stock turbo. Upgrading turbo, fuel and rest of need parts will yield 300-375.
Specifications for the S15 Black Top SR20DET
(Found on the 99+ Silvia)
Horsepower: 250ps @ 6000rpm
Transmission: 6 Speed, Close Ratio
Injector Size: 480cc/min
Turbo Specs:
Compressor: T-28, 60 trim 60 mm BCI-1 compressor in T-04B housing
Turbine: Inconel turbine wheel. Cast divider wall between turbine discharge and wastegate.
Center Section: Ball Bearing
This engine is expensive and hard to get. If you are on a tight budget, please consider other options as the money you save from buying this engine can be better used to build up a really nice red top.
Additions: 6 speed manual transmission. The 6 speed cannot be used on the S13 and S14 motors, and uses a different driveshaft. Speed sensor is located in the differential. The 6 speed is cool, but is not as strong as the 5 speed from the older cars. There is basically 6 gears inside the same housing that was designed to hold 5 gears. This makes the gears smaller and weaker, therby breaking more often.
Basic Maintenance Items
Spark Plugs: NGK Iridium BKR6EIX Gapped to .036” for stock performance.
Oil Filter:
For S13 1993 Sentra SE-R 2.0L Oil Filter
For S14 1995-1998 Sentra SE-R 2.0L Oil Filter
Arguably some would say it doesn’t matter, but it does the s13 is slightly smaller than S14, and has some tendency to pop off, if you get the new versions, and vice versa if you get the older versions for S14 it may have the tendency to pop off.
Oil
The SR20DET holds about 3.5 quarts of oil, unless you have aftermarket Oil pan.
Recommend “10W 30 Royal Purple Synthetic.”
Typically, 15w50 is recommended by some mechanics for summer and 10w30 for winter.
Synthetic oils are the best type for turbo motors, as they resist thermal breakdown longer and better than conventional oil. On turbo motors, the oil sees extra heat transfer from lubricating the turbo's center shaft.
· Parts Compatability
Motor Oil Seals: Identical to Sentra SE-R SR20DE (P/N front: 15020-79E00 /rear: 12279-1N510)
· Water pump is a JDM item. The FWD SR20DE is not compatible. You can order pumps at various vendors. Courtesy Nissan should be your first stop to buying one
· The timing chain kit is identical to the FWD SR20DE.
· The Idle Air Control Valve (IACV) is a RWD SR20DET item only.
· Water temperature sensors for both ECU and dash cluster are identical to KA24DE. Make sure to get the same sensor as your year chassis
· Knock sensor is identical to KA24DE, although the sub-harness is SR specific
· Motor mounts are identical between KA24E, KA24DE and RWD SR20DET
· Motor mount brackets are a RWD SR20DET item only.
· Fuel injectors are identical to NA 300ZX (Z32)
· Fuel Pressure Regulator is a RWD SR20DET item only
· Alternator Belt P/N K050370 (Gates P/N)
· Power Steering Belt P/N K040345 (Gates P/N)
· Exhaust Manifold Gasket '91 Sentra SE-R w/SR20DE
· T25 Turbo gaskets '90-'95 300ZX TT T25 gaskets (note turbo to O2 housing gasket dose not fit on S13 T25)
· O2 sensor '87 300ZX Turbo
· Ignitor chip '95 Q45
· Fuel Injectors '95 300ZX TT (purple plugs)
· Fuel Injector Seals '95 300ZXTT kit
· MAF '89-'90 SOHC 240SX
· Tranny rear main seal '93 240sx
· Slave cylinder '93 240sx
· T.O. bearing '93 240sx
· Pilot bearing '93 240sx
· Clutch 89 Nissan Maxima 240mm 9-7/16" spline 24x1
· Belts (PS, AC, alt) Gates K050370 Alt. K040345 PS & AC
· Spark Plugs NGK BKR7ES11 or BKR6 (hoter plug)
· Coil Packs '90-'95 300ZX or '95 newer Maxima
· S14 SR Oil Filter '95 Sentra SE-R
· S13 SR Oil Filter '91 Sentra SE-R
· Fuel filter '90 300zx TT
· Front and Rear main seal '91 SE-R
· TPS '95 KA TPS will work with some soldering
· Temp sensor S13 or S14 (depending on chassis not motor) KA24DE temp sensor
· Thermostat '91 Sentra SE-R
· Radiator cap '90 300zx TT (slightly more pressure for better cooling over stock cap)
· Knock sensor '95 240sx
· Oil pressure sender '95 240sx
Parts that don’t match and you have to order from Japan are the starter, alternator, water pump, and head gasket.
Clutch Facts
Stock RWD SR20 clutches utilize a 240mm diameter, 24 spline clutch disc with a 25.6mm diameter sprung hub.
Fuel Pressure Regulators (FPR)
are to be set to 43.5 psi with the vacuum source hose unplugged from it. With the hose plugged in, the regulator should read 36 psi. Aftermarket fuel pumps tend to force an old, tired regulator to run higher pressure. A Walbro 255 lph fuel pump has been shown to consistently run stock FPRs at 43 psi with their vacuum sources plugged in. This will result in a slightly rich condition, which doesn’t affect drivability or performance. It does seem to adversely affect injector life, however.
Safe Limits of Stock SR20DET
Many people ask what power levels a stock block SR20 can handle. The internals have been known to support 400 whp reliably. However, that is dependent on your fuel management. Proper supporting mods must be done to the fuel system to support this number, or you will melt pistons. The pistons are the first part of the motor to fail internally. They tend to overheat and either burn holes through them, or their ringlands crack and fall apart.
The crank has yet to be proven as a week point, and it's rare to see someone crack or snap one due to power output.
SR20DET Swap Engine Harness Wiring Diagram Guide SR SR20 provided by
This guide is for swapping an S13 SR motor into an S13 240SX chassis.
http://www.frsport.com/sr20det-swap-engine-harness-wiring-guide-sr20-p-665.html
Before we begin, please make sure you have the following tools in order to simplify the process:
- A roll of Electrical tape (3M brand works best)
- Wire stripper & cutter
- Soldering iron & solder
- Heat shrink tubing (optional)
- Heatgun / Lighter to shrink the tubing (optional)
Vaccum Diagrams
Starting the Swap
If you have any questions on how to do any of this please AIM me at Lostinyoutoday, the swap is really easy don’t stress out about not knowing how to do it. The only thing you might need help on, is the Vacuum, and putting the engine in takes about 3 people.
Step 1
· Drain all fluids from your KA “oil, power steering, tranny, coolant”
· Remove All hosing, and wires
· Take out the stock ECU “located on passenger side.”
· Take off the Stock Exhaust from the stock manifold back
· Disconnect the driveshaft and the differential
· Set the drive shaft to the side
· Take bottom bolts off of motor mounts “14mm ratcheting wrench works great”
· Take the shifter out of tranny
· Hook Engine Hoist up to each side of the engine and crank away
Step 2
· Start prepping the engine bay “recommend cleaning with brake cleaner, and power washer, then sanding and painting to help negate rust.
· Prep harness, please refer to FRsport wiring harness guide
· Also put US speed sensor in tranny
· Put in new power steering lines
· Put oil filter on “its way easier when it’s out of the engine.”
· Replace spark plugs
· Tighten all the belts
Step 3
· Take out shifter from SR
· Check all the pumps, and hoses if you didn’t replace them, also make sure to check turbo gaskets
· Hook hoist up
· Lower slowly into the engine bay, if you lower a little bit at a time and guide it in it makes it easy
· Put motor mount bolts on “tighten half way to allow for play when you’re putting tranny brace back on.
· Put shifter back on 12 mm wrench and extension from inside should do the trick
· Put the tranny brace on
· Tighten down motor mounts
· Put the drive shaft back on
· Connect downpipe to turbo and test pipe
· Connect the radiator up
· Connect the wires, they only fit in to their own connecter, and they should be in the relative position to their connecter when you lay the harness out “YOU MUST SOTTER ALL WIRES, OTHERWISE THE VOLTAGE WONT BE CONSTANT”
· Connect power steering
· Make sure to plug in the igniter
· When connecting the fuel lines , be sure to connect the return line where the fuel pressure regulator sits, and the feed line goes to the line after the first curve in the intake manifold, should stick out between the first and second curve.
· Hook up the vacuum system, contact me for help if you can’t understand the lines, and I will take pictures for you.
· Relocate the battery with sub wires, just cut and extend main battery wires, make sure to sotter.
· Tighten motor mounts all the way down
· Connect your intercooler and piping
· Fill tranny with fluids
· Buy crappy oil and run sea foam through engine with oil drain plug out, then run crappy oil through, when it is finished running through, put the plug back in and fill with royal purple.
· Fill coolant
· Turn key and vroom
Is it legal to do the swap?
Yes its legal however, make sure to go to the DMV before removing the dash and touching the VIN. If you swap dashes and the Japanese dash doesn’t have a DMV approved VIN swap, cops have been known in Nevada to ticket it as tampering with the VIN.
Whether or not its legal depends on the state you live in. States without emissions, it’s perfectly legal. Good or bad, most states have followed California’s lead when mandating their own emissions standards. Currently, it is legal to perform engine swaps in California if certain criteria are met. Most importantly, the new engine you’re swapping in must be from a Nissan vehicle of the same year or newer than the vehicle you’re swapping it into. The new engine must retain all of its original, functioning emissions equipment, and any aftermarket performance equipment that has been installed must have a California E.O. number assigned to it to keep your swap legal.
In order to get your engine swap approved, you need to go to a Referee Station and pay about $30 to have your vehicle inspected. The referee will inspect your installation to see if you used the same or newer year engine. He’ll check operation of all the emissions equipment, and if it passes inspection he’ll slap an ‘Engine Identification sticker on your doorjamb, meaning a legal record of your approved engine swap is always on the vehicle. Contact your local DMV office and ask for the number of a Referee Station near you. The person answering the phone may ask why you need to go to a referee, and your answer should be “engine change.” If you say “engine swap” you’ll confuse the employee on the other end of the line who has the power to cause you hours of endless grief, so remember to only speak in language they’re familiar with. If you’re not in California, check with the DMV.
Conclusion
This swap is really easy, no real mechanic skillz are needed if you follow it step by step, and refer to all the appropriate guides.