What would you do? (Modification related)

SON240sx Automotive
1

Hey, I know this thread is a little redundant, but I wanted some feedback on what a good decision would be. I have a 93 240sx, which is auto. It has about 210k on it, and the KA is using gas like a whore…even after a tuneup. (300km per tank, even mostly highway driving)

I was wondering what I should do, dish out 600 bucks and get a 5 spd. swap done, or should I keep saving for another 2 years for an SR swap w/ 5 spd. conversion done at once? I’m going to try to get the KA running decently regardless of what I do.

Thanks for your advice SON, I’m really torn on dishing out over half a grand to later having to swap the transmission for the SR one anyways, but I can’t stand auto (don’t ask why I got an auto, long story lol). :stuck_out_tongue:

2

ok theres two things you can do change you plugs to one heat range cooler and cap them at 10 thou less and run premium gas, if every thing goes well you should gain close to 150 k to a tank

3

I would do the five speed, because that five speed will make you like that car that much more. You have to find a way to keep yourself interested in your car and a 5 speed swap for the money is great bang. Think to your self do you really want to drive a shitty auto for another 2 years.

4

Do the 5spd swap, everything else is secondary. Automatic transmissions turn even the best cars into useless piles of metal.

5

I say you gotta decide what you want to end up with first, KA-T, SR or just NA.

If you want to keep the KA, do the 5-spd swap and then potentially the turbo stuff later if you’ve decided on KA-T.

If SR, get the motor/5-spd tranny combo and finish the rest of the swap then (clutch cylinders, lines, pedal etc), getting everything done all at once.

6

Something is seriously wrong with your motor, 300km per tank AND HIGHWAY?? I get about 480 all city and 530 mix city/hwy per tank and I never changed my oil for 5-6 months now. I think you should do an SR swap, doing a KA-T or 5spd swap on a crappy motor is a waste of time and money.

7

You could buy an SR front clip which will have everything you need. I believe the pedals work too but please correct me if I’m wrong. But then again, that’s more money.

8

I was able to get to Ottawa From oakville on a 3/4 tank of gas. That was stopping in Peterborough also. This is with an sr

9

sr’s got the best fuel milage. hands down.

10

Here’s the thing, if I get a front clip from Varun and then get it installed by him (properly, no shortcuts: FMIC, exhaust, clutch, Walbro FP, engine/fuel management, tune) it’ll cost like 5 grand, no?

KA-T is out of question, it doesn’t suit me, since I want a reliable, decent on gas, and low on maintenance setup.

I guess I’ll start saving for the 5 spd. swap until I can do the SR swap in a few years. You guys are right about the auto killing the fun. I had a blast driving a beat up manual Mazda MX-3 lmao.

Thanks for your advice SON, and anybody who chose the last option for the poll, shame on you lol.

11

i’d say my 5spd swap was worth it, even though i’m lookin into gettin an engine swap done as soon as i get a great deal.

12

Nvm, I gotta fix some other issues now lol. My passenger side seatbelt was fully pulled out, and now it won’t retract, its just laying on my seat…fuck

13

You don’t need a FMIC, just get a whole clip which will have mostly everything you will need. (Smic and ecu), and I’d just recommend picking up a walbro fuel pump which is like $100 - $120 brand new. And if you don’t have an exhaust, this will be a good time to pick one up. Oh and you’ll probably need a downpipe which is around $100. You can also get a turbo elbow which might be $100 or less.

But yeah, I’d also recommend doing the clutch since the tranny will be out.

14

I am doing a 5speed swap this season, and I couldn’t be more excited/nervous as hell!
I think it’s going to make my 91 that much more fun to drive, and I fell like doing a tran swap is a good steeping stone for (maybe) one day swapping an engine.

That reminds me, does anyone have a 5speed for sale?:
http://www.son240sx.org/forums/showthread.php?t=34629

15

why dont you just leave it automatic and swap an sr into it lol i know it sounds weird but this guy on nico is selling one
http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/327348

16

Well, at least SON is decisive.

17

do the 5 spd swap, and turbo a KA, drop it in, and voila! you’ve saved yourself about $2000, not to mention, if you put a hole through the block, a new engine’s only what? $3-500? instead of $1000, plus, even just the normal maintenance parts for it are cheaper ($80 timing chain kit? pistons are half the price of sr’ ones) and not to mention more torque and HP over a stock SR setup, KA’s do have a longer stroke after all, just my 2 cents though. personally i’m leaving the auto slushbox in mine cause i’m setting it up as a drag car, but the 5spd from my other car’s gonna find its way in there one day.

18

Update: I went the 5 speed swap route. I’m loving it, omfg, its awesome. :stuck_out_tongue:

I’ve done a tune-up on the KA (NGK plats, premium wires, 10W30 Valvoline Synthetic Blend, dist. rotor & cap, thermostat, fuel filter, O2 sensor, air filter, timing is very slightly advanced, something like 20.5° BTDC). I did a compression test and it was 179 psi across all 4 cylinders. It’s consuming a lot of oil, especially when driving hard…WTF… When beating on the engine, it makes funny smells, like burning oil or fuel. As weird as it is, once I beat on the car and I sense the fuel like smell, the car feels more responsive and has a stronger low end…??? WTF???

The gas mileage is still shitty, 17-19 mpg with mixed driving (around 7-8 km/L, about 400km to the tank). There isn’t really that much power either, especially in the low-end, which is surprising for a KA.

When it’s a cold day, it feels a lot more responsive and torquey…also when I first start the car and its warming up, there’s hesitation in the low end (around 2k), even a little bit of throttle will make it feel like someone’s stomping on the gas intermittently (feels like hitting a rev limiter…on-off-on-off, very jerky especially after 5 spd. swap because there’s no torque convertor anymore).

That’s enough bitching for now…I’m out of ideas on what to do. I even checked the coolant temperature sensor using a multimeter, and the values were ok. (0.3 k Ohm when warmed up). I hope someone can give me an idea of why my car seems to be running rich and consuming so much oil and gas. (there’s no major oil or coolant puddle under the car…so I’m guessing its burning oil.) It only has 217k on it!!!

Thanks in advance for any responses, and sorry for the long post.

19

Not for anything, because this mistake has happened to a lot of people, it’s a pretty common mistake. My guess is if you have good compression and you’re burning oil, the crankcase has been overfilled with oil. If it is a little bit overfull, the excess oil will get burned in the cylinder during comustion. If this is your problem, your engine wont stop burning oil until you either drain some or until the engine consumes the excess. Just check the dip stick, make sure your levels are fine. What color is the smoke coming out of your exhaust, is it a heavy white or is it a faint, opaque white? Some might think theyre burning oil when they’re really running crazy rich because both produce a sort of white-ish smoke.

20

There’s no smoke, it just makes weird smells like burnt gas or rubber when I floor it at higher rpms, more noticable after I come to a stop. Getting terrible gas mileage after a tune-up, even a new O2 sensor…I just don’t get it. And that mysterious hesitation when it’s cold, another wtf moment.

I might as well ditch this KA or rebuild it in the near future. But I don’t want the same thing happening again because it was a stupid sensor I overlooked, you know?