I have done it 3 times.. Different ways each time.
I was thinking of writing a HOW-TO, but there are too many knockers (not the good kind) that like to sit back and pick at things because they are too lazy to do it themselves or too pov to pay someone. To do it properly simply requires access to tools/machines that 99% of the country doesn't have in their garage.
Let me start by saying ..it's not a bolt in. It's not an A14 or A15 transplant. It's not a Buick v6 transplant, its not an L16 or L18 transplant.
The hardest part of the CA18det transplant is debugging an advanced EFI/Electronic ignition with "carby and points" style tools in your garage. But to be truthful. There are less than 10 wires you need to interface with the 1200 loom. If the rest of the loom is in good shape, then it should be fine.
Unless you've wired a CA18 or SR0 or KA24 from scratch, don't undertake to buy a bare engine and then try to find looms etc. You will definitely fail. Budget for a front cut.
Putting a CA18 in a 1200 requires several skills, the most important ones are patience, motivation, and ability to think for youself.
Major changes are required for:
1. brakes
2. new diff
3. clutch conversion to hydraulic
4. new fuel system
5. new exhaust sytem
6. wiring
7. modified transmission tunnel
8. custom tailshaft
9. New radiator and body work to accomodate
10. Intercooler fitment (worst jigsaw puzzle you'll ever do).
Then you fit the engine.
Then you wire it up.
Then you get a blue slip and engineers cert ~$500.
Then you pay for your insurance ~$1000/yr more than you are paying now.
Then you decide the 30 year old paint is not befitting of your self-created technological marvel and spend dollars on that.
Then you decide the engine doesn't have enough power, because it's not lifting the front wheels on street tyres.
It's a slippery slope, is what I'm getting at.
A conversion is more than one step. Doing your brakes will inevitably mean doing your diff, which means you need to do the tailsaft, which means you need to have the engine in the car already. A conversion is a long series of depandancies, that can be done once with large downtime and lower cost, or done quickly in stepwise ways and cost more.
Hope you enjoy your visit into my Shoeys gallery. It is a representation of the last 6 years of my life.
Recommended shopping list.
- Stanza lower arms and ball joints Get outer tierod ends and tierods while you are at it.
- Buy some of Maddats coilover struts for the front. That'll also give you enough brakes. Also give you some much needed castor..
- Buy the Maddat fitting kit for engine and gearbox crossmember.
- Buy a the Maddat brake/clutch combo. Easiest solution. Otherwise use a AE86 clutch master, and fit a shorter clevis and shaft. Could also use a LA/LB Lancer booster.
- Radiators, you can use N13 (Recommend Import Langley N13 with filler on drivers side, needs FWD EXA CA18 thermastat cover) Could also use the S13 radiator, but it's a bit uglier
- I recommend the S13 gearbox, especially if low KMs. Otherwise you can use a CA20 gearbox or a R30 stumpy with an S13 bellhousing or CA20 bellhousing)
- Recommend getting an R31 Silloutte Skyline diff cut down. Get the 3.9 LSD. It is 28 spline and has disc rear and 4 stud.
- Go 3 inch mandrel exhaust, Easy on Ute.
- Get a <$300 Ebay Intercooler
- Get a smaller Rollerbearing GT turbo. ~$1500. Bigger is just laggier while you are still running factory ECU.
- Go a walbro or bosch pump. Try to fit it "in-tank" to keep the noise down, and also keep the pumps cool in summer. I've broken down too many times while running an external EFI pump due to overheating in summer. This can be overcome by running a switch and a 1200 ignition coil ballast resistor in line. When the pump get's noisy, flick the switch and the pump doesn't work as hard and cools down.
- Get a HD clutch daikin/exedy, anything else is a waste of money or poor quality.
So that's about $5000-7000 spent, without buying the frontcut.
But believe me from experience it is well spent.
You want to run smaller brakes, you will crash.
You want to run smaller diff, it will break, and the towtruck bills get boring very quickly.
You don't want to wire it yourself? When it breaks down on a rainy day, see last comment.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Chris
Transfer
