How To: Swap From Black Top To Silver Top Without Swapping Ecu

Started by Jay · Oct 19, 2008 · 11postsSMF 2010–26

JayOct 19, 2008, 5:55 am · #1

It's actually pretty easy to do this. No harder than a regular engine swap.

This was done from an 88 Ca20e Automatic to an 84 Ca20e Manual

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That started This project... Never drive on a flooded road kids! even if you did it ten minutes earlier.

Things to take from Mk II Car:
Yank the engine

And that's it...

Parts to buy at the Parts store:

Intake manifold Gasket (12 dollars)
High Temp RTV (Red, 4 Dollars
Great time to clean out Oil pan, So Oil pan Gasket (14 Dollars)
Great Time to replace front and rear Oil Seals
Exhaust Manifold Gasket
Threadlocker red (4 Bucks) For the flywheel if need be.
Spray Paint (If desired)
Degreaser and Carb and Choke Cleaner
great time to spray and clean intake manifold with B-12 Chemtool Spray (I LOVE that stuff)
And anything else you may wish to do.
Valve cover gasket, spark plugs, Wires, Hoses are a great idea, etc
DON'T FORGET THE PILOT BUSHING FOR THE TRANNY INPUT SHAFT!!! I did...

After you pull the engine out of the MK I, the things to swap to the new engine

This is a GREAT time to check and replace any bad Injector O-Rings and collars!

Intake Manifold (Including all sensors and injectors)
Power steering pump and Bracket
Alternator and Bracket
Distributor
Front Pulley
Water pump (and/or Pulley)
Oil pressure sending unit (maybe, maybe not... I just did)
A/C Bracket and compressor if you want it. also a great time to remove everything A/C related.
Great time to redo all the coolant hoses that are under the manifold. Immeasurable peace of mind from those popping.
ALSO!! Great time to do any motor mount mods.. I happened to pop mine and tear the tranny mount, so i cleaned them up and made them all out of FAST DRY windo-Weld. Was easy to just clean the oil out of them and fill them with it. Overfill them a little, then in the process of folding them back over the windo-weld just sealed them back up and shut. Works great for 15 dollars and a little work. Make sure to have rubber gloves if you do this.

And thats it. Basically Just take the long block out and put parts on it until it looks like a complete engine.

Like this

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Things to consider: Check EVERYTHING while its still apart. I found gunk in nearly all of my parts. carb cleaner and electrical connector cleaner got that all taken care of. Timing and Front belts. EVERYTHING Stated above

Is there a performance gain over the black top? Not that I could feel... It felt about the same.

But it works great! Timing is no different than the black top.

P.S. If you do hydrolock it like i did. make sure the vane air flow meter isn't stuck. It caused many headaches

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there its in

Thus causing a happy. running 200sx!

More to come. Like swapping from a digital cluster WHILE keeping the drive computer and Cruise control... Already done just have to draw up the wiring schematic for it.

And yes... Great IS in fact a great word

-J

bleuoval64Oct 19, 2008, 12:17 pm · #2

Many comments are to come asking why you didn't put a different motor in instead... Not from me though, I have a good idea why you put another ca20 in. Its better to have a running, driving car right now, then a project that could take a long, long time to finish...

So it basically looks like you just swapped the long block... Pulled both motors, swapped the year specific stuff over and put the new block with the original extra parts back into the car.

You may want to keep an eye on the underneath surfaces of your car. Rust is a bad, bad, motha.

David BOct 19, 2008, 12:52 pm · #3

+1000 for throwing a ca back in. great work!

WilkieOct 19, 2008, 1:41 pm · #4

I applaud you for uploading this.
Not everyone wants to do a CA/KA/SR swap.
It's nice to see some info on DD swaps.

JayOct 19, 2008, 5:06 pm · #5

WilkieI applaud you for uploading this.
Not everyone wants to do a CA/KA/SR swap.
It's nice to see some info on DD swaps.

I will eventually/ but being temporarily jobless and i MISSED this car. even a ka swap is too expensive. I already have too many projects to start this one. Probe needs a new turbo and fuel setup. 95 Maxima needs a LOT of work. my 93 240sx with a frankenmotor is giving me problems after building it. and a mazda 323 GTX AWD 1.8T Cracker jack toy of a Rally car needs more than all of them. But!!! I found the MK II on the local craigslist for 50 bux. went to look at it. it was almost all rust. gas tank straps were broke and the tank was on the ground and the dizzy was laying on the dash with a bent shaft. but the engine cranked solid. so i bought it and figured. its cheap and it will run. but theres no info on doing this at all. someone somewhere said it has been done the way i did it but i couldn't even find that again. so i ripped it out. took a look inside while it was out. looked kosher. put new main bearings in. put it back together. I lucked out buying this car. not a single bolt snapped. not a single one was hard to get out. there is NO rust underneath. all documentation was from texas, including 4 bills of sale and all 4 had insurance. in the glovebox. I was impressed for it being only 200 dollars and I drove it home. the reason why it was so cheap was because its electricals were shot. headlights came up when they wanted to. easy fix. dash I had to hit it to see it. so I swapped that out for the analog one (wasn't hard. just electrically a PITA) and a couple more that i've forgotten. I threw it on the a hoist today and undercoated it. should be a fun little DD For winter before I put a ca18det in. but i figured. this little write up was needed. so here it is!

Wilkie: thank you! It's nice to see someone agree with me
Bleuoval64: Yes, Yes, and Yes! Which is why everything was just explained. It actually turned out better than I thought it would. a LOT easier than I signed up for it being. Which was nice. As for rust? I live in wi. Rust is everywhere. My maxima has a cancer problem. Which is all getting fixed because my bud just recently rear ended a car in it. So I know what ya mean. thanks guys!

Total spent money to get my baby running again? $183
That's dirt cheap in my book

Nick_WOct 19, 2008, 9:09 pm · #6

A GTX? nice!

JayOct 19, 2008, 9:55 pm · #7

NW IslanderA GTX? nice!

I didn't mention even my 1986 Dodge Omni GLHS #017 in mint condition. sitting climate controlled in a bubble
My town is a BREEDING ground for rare as hell cars.

David BOct 20, 2008, 12:37 am · #8

the ca20DET has been done once ive heard, so look around maybe on the aussie forum? if you need info or a write up

200sxkitcarOct 20, 2008, 4:24 am · #9

damn dude, mad props for a job well done, and a KICKASS collection of other cars!!

-stickied-

bleuoval64Oct 20, 2008, 10:26 am · #10

David Bthe ca20DET has been done once ive heard, so look around maybe on the aussie forum? if you need info or a write up

I think he was intending on the ca18det.

JayOct 21, 2008, 9:06 am · #11

bleuoval64I think he was intending on the ca18det.

yes! Although completing a ca20det is somewhat appealing...