ok long process so here we go i will add more every night!
I have the 1987 nissan 200sx ca18et motor
new engine:ca18det from a 89 180sx clip
First thing! DISCONNECT BATTERY
remove the harness from the 200sx, and please be carefull not to cut and chop it. Remove it a cleanly as you can. Do not touch anything else and mark the plugs where the engine harness connects to the car/lower/electrical harness. Remove the conncetions to the alternator, starter tranny, mark where they go.
Once the wires are out, unbolt the drive shaft at the middle joint. 2 size 17 nuts, a bit rusted so be carefull not to round them off, this is to be done later you can just loosen them a little at this stage. Then with the car placed firmly on 4 stands. Put the car in gear, then with a size 12 wrench unbolt the first of the nuts at the drive shaft, just loosen it. Put the car in neutral, turn the wheel to get access to the next drive shaft bolt. Repeat this process untill all 4 nuts and bolts are out. Now you can safely remove the 2 17 nuts and disconnect the drive shaft in the middle. BUT MAKE SURE YOU MARK IT FOR LATER ALIGNMENT. SOme white paint accross will do. Now drain the oil from the tranny remove the drive shaft at the out put shaft just pull it out and a rubber melot if need be but it should come out easy, drain engine oil, coolant. Disconnet the rad and remove it. Disconnect the fan and remove. SAVE the bolts! AND REMOVE ALL THE VACCUM LINES, fuel lines that attach into the engine, clutch master ETC. Basically everything
Now you can safely hook up the engine and tranny to a crane. Just loosely hooked up. PLace a stand underneath the tranny or a jack and remove the 4 bolts at the tranny mount. Then remove the bolt nut combo at the engine mounts. Nut can be accesed from top, bolt from underneath, both 12 size wrench.
Now it's time to put some stress on the crane and lift the engine a little until the tranny is loose on the jack. Remove the jack from underneath. And pump the crane up a little. Shake the engine on the side while bringing it up little by little until the engine is clear of the bolts that are on the engine mounts(remember you are removing it with mounts still on the crossmember, be carefull not to tear mounts if you will reuse them)
Once the engine is clear keep bringing it up and pull the crane away from the car little by little.
Once the engine is out, take a breath, drink a beer and relax for a little.
Next you can clean now all you want in the engine bay, remove mounts if you want to change them when the new engine is dropped in etc. Personal preferences come into play, paint, cleaning etc.
Now it's time to turn to the clip. Make sure the clip is well off the ground. I put the front wheels on mine and raised it up with stands on the back.
Remove the harness and ECU as cleanly as you possibly can(# and mark everything you take off is HIGHLY reccomemded). Grab all the relays if you have a clip(will come in handy later).
Remove vaccum lines, plugs to the tranny etc. Then if you chose to use the 180sx mounts then unbolt the engine from the mounts. If you want your stock mounts then remove it from the bracket. Either way it's easy.
Remove the tranny mount making sure you have a jack under the tranny. Hook up the crane and the same idea of removing an engine follows as when removing the ca18et engine.
Once both engines are down then you have to make 2 decisions
if you will use stock 200sx mounts then swap the engine brackets with the ca18det. If not then you already have removed the stock mounts then don't worry about it.
Next if you will be using the DET tranny then you need some costum work which i can't help you with since i didn't do it.
I just swapped the trannies together, make sure the slave cylinder is fine, and use an alignment tool just in case to check the clutch hasn't moved while removing it. Bolt the et tranny to the det engine.
Now with a friend lift the new CA18DET engine with ca18et tranny bolted to it on a crane and walk over to the 200sx. Lift it up and someone will have to lower the tranny part while the second guy is pushing the crane towards the car and lowering the crane a little. Carefull not to scrape the firewall and hit the brake booster.
Once the engine is in it will be a lot of fiddleing around to put the engine into the right groove and finding those little holes can be a PITA but they are doable so have some patience!
Now that the engine is in place a jack under the tranny and pump it up. Bolt down the tranny mount loosely and the engine bolts. See if everything is right then bolt down them tightly.
Bolt down the clutch master make sure it's fine, bleed the system and test it.
Put the drive shaft output into the tranny and hit it with a rubber melot until it's in.
The 200sx should be still on 4 stands. Bolt loosely the driveshaft U joint to the body and losely connect the 2 pieces of driveshaft, REMEMBERING TO ALIGN THEM. Then the reverse process of taking the bolts off applies here to put them on. SHOULDN"T BE much trouble.
Next after the engine and tranny are properly bolted down get the ca18det harness and connect everything to the intake mani plugs as you # them before. The det harness has a big U so undo that to make it long and to actually route it the same way the et tranny went into the cabin. Via left front fender. IT IS LONG ENOUGH IF YOU OPEN IT. Make sure you tape it with some electrical tape or whatever.
Connect the wires to the alternator starter, plug the plugs at the tranny etc. At this point, fill the engine with some OIL, connect the fuel line because the fp will be working(yes i know it is weird but it does) and give it a crank. It should crank. If not check the connection to the starter and make sure bat is full.
Once done this disconnect the battery.
Connect the vaccum lines if you are worried about emissions and the brake booster.
Now where the det harness used to connect with the 180sx car harness there is a big plug there. CUT THAT PLUG and expose the wires. I don't have ac in my car so i didn't worry about it.
YOU should find the wires mentioned below. MARK THEM
Black / Pink stripe
Fuel Pump Relay
Green / Orange stripe
Transmission Neutral Sensor
Red / Black stripe
ECU Relay
Green / Yellow stripe
AC Relay
Red
ECU Backup Power
Black / Red & Blue / Red (Note: connect 2 wires to 1)
Main Ignition Power
Black / White stripe
ECU Power
Blue / Green stripe
AC Relay
Black / Yellow stripe
Idle Air Control Valve Power
Brown (to O2 sensor)
O2 Sensor Power
Any 12v switched source
Going to the ecu and where the harness close to the ecu connects to the car harness the following wires will be needed. Cut the det plug there.
Yellow / Red stripe
Tachometer signal
Yellow / Green stripe
Speedometer signal
Orange
Ignition start
Black
Ground
Blue / Green stripe
AC signal
Blue / Black stripe
Water temp signal
You should find those wires and mark them.
Ok this is it for tonight, as i am a bit tired, i will resume this tomorrow and in the following days pics will come.
ps: there will be some spelling mistakes, and please add if i forgot something.
I would ask the admins to make this a sticky since it will give even what wire connects to what wire and what to do until the end. THANKS!
Bess
