1986 200SX XE - Project Hachi Broku

[VQ37VHR]

So I picked up this little gem the other week to replace the CA20E in my S12. This is a CA16DE out of a 1987 Nissan Pulsar NX, it has 87k miles on it and was recently resealed with fresh gaskets and accessories. Here is a photo of it on the garage floor.



And here is a photo of what it will be replacing:



Yes I am aware that it only makes 120 horsepower and has 17 less ft/lbs of torque than the CA20E; at the end of the day I got a good deal on it and I'm a big fan of the way it sounds so here we are now (7500 rpm go brr ). I'm not going to get started on this swap until may, right now I will just be ordering parts and planning out the swap so it can go as smooth as possible once I get started.

Here is my plan for the swap as I have it now, however keep in mind this may be subject to change in a future post:

1. Pull CA20E from my car, pull stock EFI harness and remove stock ECU

2. Prep CA16DE for swap:

a. Replace alternator
b. Fix/ delete EGR system
c. check vacuum seals on NICS control module
d. replace FWD upper manifold with RWD upper manifold (I will be re-using the CA20 intake runner with the pulsar MAF)
e. weld up a set of headers/ buy headers
f. replace belts
g. re-use CA20E engine mount brackets, clutch
h. replace starter motor
(I'm probably missing items that I will add later)

3. Drop in CA16 with new appointments, bolt to trans and engine mounts

4. Merge Pulsar NX EFI and ignition harnesses with the S12 body harness, connect ECU and all other electrical items

5. Reconnect all hoses, fuel lines, etc.

6. Hopefully done?

If you were curious, here is some proof of concept for this swap. They use a CA18DE in their swap, but same difference:
Pt1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V96v3ecds4g&t=369s
Pt2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYupI71eZDk

Also here is a list of things that I will be doing after the engine swap is completed:

- Rebuild the suspension with polyurethane bushings, KYB AGX shock absorbers and (if I can find them) a set of SSC lowering springs
- Replace the open R180 with an S12 turbo R200 with an S13 LSD
- Detail interior and remove 80s cigarette smell (so I can drive windows up)
- Compound, polish and seal exterior paint
- Oil undercoat the whole underbody to prevent rust
- Tune engine with a nistune chip

That's where I am at right now, feel free to comment with advice or suggestions to help things go smoothly. Thanks!

[Max]

I fully support this. Not sure what you're getting at with the ca20 intake manifold but I'm sure you'll figure it out. Love the dual cam CA's and I wish I had one. Might be slow but it'll be more fun than the ca20. Looks like ca18det turbo parts would bolt right on there if you wanted. Can't wait to see videos, pics, Dyno, time sheets, etc etc etc.

[VQ37VHR]

Let me a bit more clear about the intake stuff, I will not be using the CA20 intake manifold with this new engine, rather I will be using a RWD CA18 8 port manifold bolted up to my FWD power valves. The only CA20 intake bits I will be re-using are the intake runner and airbox as they already fit pretty good and I see no reason to mess with them, I'm just gonna swap the CA20 MAF with the pulsar MAF and actually put an air filter in it now that I have a motor I care about in it lol.

As for the turbo bits part, I really dont want to boost this engine. For now I am going to keep it in stock form, but eventually when I have more time and money I really want to build some sort of crazy high revving ITB setup with all new electronics and driveline components to match. Will keep this place posted with any new developments and questions as time goes on.

[VQ37VHR]

Hey all, its been quite a bit since I last posted so I'm going to get you all up to speed with where I'm at on my S12 project:

About 6 months ago now I began my attempt at swapping a CA16DE from an N13 pulsar into my car, upon doing which I encountered a number of problems which ultimately led to me scrapping the project (at least for now, ive still got the motor in storage). Physically the engine bolted in fine, however there were a number of electrical complications regarding this motor that led to me giving up on it, Ill probably get into the specifics of that in an engine build thread at some point in the future but for now that engine gets to sit in the corner of shame. To scrap the project, I ended up sourcing a CA20 out of a 1988 200sx with 56k miles. It took me about 2 weeks to get it in and all set up, but now the car runs like a top!