SR20DET Engine Swap Guide By Jeff Holden -------------------------------------------------------Prepare Tools, Garage & Parts A good complete set of tools

is a must for this swap. There are not a lot of special tools required, engine hoist and stand, jacks and jack stands, some larger metric sockets for the crank bolt and power steering line. You will need some Speedy Dry to soak up the many fluids that will drain out on the floor. A good flat floor and plenty of lighting is always a plus.

-------------------------------------------------------Prepare SR Engine Inspect and decide which motor mounts to use, KA or SR. Use whichever ones are in better condition - they are identical. Remove the AIV assembly bolted to the head above the turbo, and remove the pipe running down to the exhaust, which will hit the steering column on USDM cars. Remove the lower turbo shields - these also will hit the steering column. Inspect and replace the O2 sensor, if necessary. Remove the old clutch and inspect the flywheel, have the flywheel turned if there is significant scoring or roughness or distortion. Inspect the turbo and spin the compressor by hand, look for shaft play or leaking from oil or coolant lines. Remove the power steering pump and AC compressor. Inspect the oil pan for dents, bang them out or replace the pan as necessary. Thoroughly inspect and test all belt adjustment assemblies and install the alternator belt. Check all the rubber hoses under and around the intake ? these are especially hard to replace once the engine is installed. Install any oil pressure gauge senders at this time, also any other gauges and control devices that will be inaccessible once the engine is in. On the back of the engine, the heater hoses need to be modified since the JDM car has the heater on the opposite side. Remove the L shaped backing plate and trim the turbo coolant rubber line to enable the bracket and line to be pushed slightly towards the passenger side to bolt into the next bolt hole over. Attach a U shaped heater hose to the steel outlet on the back of the engine, this will be connected to the rest of the heater hose up near the top of the valve cover. This cannot be done when the engine is in place due to firewall clearance ? make sure the hose is tight and everything is secure back there.

--------------------------------------------------------

Clutch & SR Transmission Preparation Remove the SR shifter. This could be tricky if you haven't done it before due to the pair of C Clips holding the shifter in. Using two screwdrivers, begin prying the upper square C ring in and up from one end, and use the screwdrivers to walk the ring out of the channel. The lower clip will then pop out along with the shifter. Remove the dust collar from SR transmission. The black collar is located on the end of the transmission where the drive shaft meets the transmission. Just take a piece of wood and a hammer and knock it off. You will not be reusing it. In its place you have to insert the KA dust collar. Use a flat piece of wood and tap it on. It is tight but will go on with some patience. We always loosen and clean the gear oil filler and drain plugs. It is much easier to get a stubborn plug out while the transmission is not installed in the car. Replace the throw out bearing with the new one, use a large socket, piece of wood and hammer to knock the old bearing out of the carrier and install the new one. Be careful to not apply force to the actual bearing, only tap on the solid center of the unit. Replace the TO bearing / Carrier assembly back onto the input shaft, and replace the shifter fork. Make sure that the shifter fork is in place securely, held on by the wire clips. Using the clutch alignment tool, bolt the clutch pressure plate and disk onto the flywheel, using proper tightening techniques. Pick up the transmission, and install it onto the engine. A helper is good here. Attach the transmission using the bell housing bolts, and then bolt the starter on. Connect up the starter, alternator and oil pressure sensor wiring, and secure the lower engine harness up and out of the way of the passenger side engine mount.

-------------------------------------------------------Prepare Car Here are several things to do that will make the swap easier. Start with an almost empty fuel tank that has ONLY Premium 92 or higher octane gas in it. If you have electric windows, put them up or down as you like before you remove the battery. Jack up the car and remove the front wheels. Disable any alarm system, you may want to remove it completely and make sure the car will start without it before beginning the swap. Remove interior trim panels ? radio, under steering column, passenger kick panel. Removing the driver?s seat gives plenty of room to work under the dash for timer and gauges install, as well as the clutch pedal install. Remove the front fender liners, and remove the front bumper and main bumper core.

-------------------------------------------------------Remove KA Engine & Transmission This is a straightforward removal. Disconnect all hoses, wires and cables in the engine bay, and remove the two motor mount nuts. Detach the AC compressor (you will probably have to remove the power steering pump to do this) and secure the compressor out of the way up by the driver?s side stock air box location. Remove the radiator, mechanical fan, and fan shroud, and flip the main engine harness over the fender so it is out of the way. Remove the KA shifter, drain the gear oil out of the transmission, and remove carrier bearing bracket and the driveshaft. Jack up the transmission and remove the 4 cross member bolts. Detach the downpipe from the exhaust manifold, and remove the transmission mount bracket from the cat as well. Remove the entire exhaust and get it out of the way. Using an engine hoist, attach the chain to the head using suitably strong bolts. Drop the transmission using the jack, and pull the engine and transmission out as one unit. Be careful not to damage the power steering rack lines when removing the engine.

-------------------------------------------------------Engine Bay Work Now is the time to completely clean and paint the engine bay. Use a couple of cans of good engine degreaser, and follow environmental warnings for runoff. Rust fix, painting, and brake fluid drip fix, power steering lines removal ? all should be done before the SR engine goes in.

-------------------------------------------------------Auto to Manual Transmission Swap Intimidating as this seems, the conversion from automatic transmission to 5-speed manual is not that difficult. Replace the auto brake pedal and add the clutch pedal ? both bolt right in. Cut a hole for the Master Cylinder and attach it to the firewall and clutch pedal, then run the hard line across the engine bay and down to the slave cylinder. You can eliminate the ?bleeder block? or distribution block bolted to the frame rail with no ill effects. Bolt the slave cylinder to the transmission, and bleed the hydraulic system thoroughly. Remove the automatic shifter, and replace the trim piece with the 5-speed version with a boot. Electrically, you need to disable the ignition key capture system by removing the steering column lower cover and simply unplugging the module. In the engine bay, one plug from the car main fusebox has two thick wires that have to be connected

for the starter to work. It is plugged into a 2-wire harness section that runs down to the auto transmission.

-------------------------------------------------------Install SR Engine & Transmission Attach the hoist chain to the head properly, and lift the engine/transmission up off the ground. Position the chain to lift at an angle with the transmission pointing down at a 45-degree angle to ease install. A helper is beneficial here. Move the engine into the engine bay, pushing down on the transmission end to clear the firewall. You will have to reposition the chain several times while jockeying the engine into the motor mount holes ? make sure you do not damage the power steering rack lines by resting the engine on them during the chain adjustment. A jack under the transmission will be needed to help get the engine totally in place. Once the motor mounts are in, you can attach the transmission cross member, bolt everything in place and remove the hoist chain. Replace the driveshaft, fill the transmission with 2 quarts of gear oil, and reinstall the shifter, boots and trim.

-------------------------------------------------------Install Intercooler & Piping, BOV, Replace Bumper Once the bumper and metal bumper core are removed, bend the horns in and the intercooler core bolts right up with no complications using the supplied brackets and hardware. There is a template included with the kit that details the exact location and diameter of the hole you need to cut in the battery tray. A large hole saw works great, if you do not have this then drill a series of small holes in a circle and bash the center out with a hammer, then file down the rough edges. Most FMIC kits include several brackets and paragraphs of Japanese instructions to relocate the windshield washer reservoir a few inches to clear the IC pipe. We have found this to be a bit of overkill. Simply bend the brackets and drill an attachment hole an inch farther down on the plastic tank, and you can avoid learning to read Japanese! IC piping is assembled with the supplied clamps and silicone couplings. Be careful to align the hose clamps to allow access to them once the bumper and fender liners and other parts are back on. The hot pipe with the BOV flange attached connects between the IC pipe and the turbo outlet using supplied clamps and couplings. Attach the BOV to the flange, attach the stock rubber intake tube to the turbo inlet and MAFS, and use a bracket to secure the cone air filter to the fender. Use some rubber hose to isolate any piping or other metal-to-metal rubbing, which can lead to holes and vacuum leaks.

The bumper will have to be trimmed. Use a sharp utility knife for clean edged cuts on the painted urethane. Test fit and keep trimming until the bumper can be reinstalled without it applying much pressure against the intercooler core. The size and shape of the opening created can vary with personal preference and core design and angle.

-------------------------------------------------------Battery For most front mount intercoolers, the cold IC pipe goes directly through the battery tray. Relocating the battery to the trunk is one option, we use an SVR sealed battery turned on its side. This fits nicely between the cold IC pipe and the windshield washer filler neck. The stock positive terminal is a bit small for the SVR, so it was expanded and an extra hole drilled to allow it to fit properly. These ends are fragile and often break, so don?t be surprised if you have to buy a terminal end to replace it. Be sure to use a good, secure battery tie down, as this is required at most Autocross and Drag Racing events.

-------------------------------------------------------Power Steering If the KA engine was DOHC, the power steering bolts right on with no modifications. If using a SOHC chassis you will need to buy the DOHC lines and reservoir to make the power steering work.

-------------------------------------------------------Air Conditioning Remove the KA engine without discharging the air conditioning gas. Pull the compressor off to the side and tie it up. You have to use the KA compressor wire from over by the MAF NOT the SR harness one. SOHC KA compressor requires a simple custom bracket to mount to the SR engine. DOHC KA compressor usually bolts right on, using 2 of the 4 SR bracket bolts. Dealer installed AC may or may not line up correctly.

-------------------------------------------------------Exhaust Many exhaust systems are available, we like Apexi N1 Dual and Single, Apexi GT

Spec, Bee*R and GP Sports cat-backs. Use a full 3 inch cat or test pipe, and a 3 inch SR downpipe, smaller piping may cause power loss.

-------------------------------------------------------Gauges & Controls An Apexi AVC-R Boost Controller was installed. The harness must be run through the firewall, we used the ECU harness hole to route the wires into the engine bay, then around the back of the valve cover and over to the side of the drivers side shock tower where the stepping motors are mounted. The control unit is mounted just under the radio in the dash. The Apexi Auto Turbo Timer was mounted right under the AVC-R on the dash trim piece. The timer harness runs over to the main ignition power wires directly under the steering column. Apexi EL Boost and EGR gauges were mounted in a dual drivers pillar pod from Autometer. The pod was trimmed to fit the larger Apexi gauges. Wiring the gauges is a simple task, power, ground and illumination power are run from the main radio harness. The EGT probe and boost line are routed through the firewall using the throttle cable hole and up into the pillar to the gauges. The EGT probe is installed in the exhaust manifold before the turbo.

-------------------------------------------------------Radiator & Electric Fan The SR engine mechanical fan does not line up with the KA radiator shroud, so you will need an aftermarket electric fan unless you have the JDM radiator and shroud. Install of the KOYO radiator was simple; it is a direct replacement for the stock unit and uses the same mounts and lower radiator hose. The Permacool 14? electric fan was attached to the radiator using the supplied tie-wrap type hardware that pokes through the core. The adjustable thermostat was mounted just behind the passenger side headlight, and its temperature probe was attached to the core. Wiring the fan / thermostat is very simple, just run power and ground wires from the battery terminal and chassis.

-------------------------------------------------------Engine Harness & Electrical Connections The engine should come with a complete, uncut harness and lower engine harness that includes the transmission sensor plugs and the starter, alternator and oil pressure sender wiring. Common places to have the harness incorrectly cut are where it runs into the firewall to the ECU, and right at the back of the valve cover,

keeping the injector and plug harness, but usually missing the ECU, MAFS, igniter chip and their wires. There are 3 plugs on the end of the KA and SR harnesses that run up behind the stock battery location. Although the plugs do initially snap together, the wires do not line up and you have to cut 2 of the plugs off and connect the wires using the table below. Cut the 2 main KA plugs off the KA harness and splice them onto the SR harness.

SR Wire Color.........Use.........KA Wire Color -------------------------------------------------------Black / Pink stripe........ Fuel Pump Relay..... Black / Pink stripe Green / Orange stripe...... Transmission Neutral Sensor...... Green / Orange stripe Red / Black stripe......... ECU Relay Red / Black stripe..... Green / Yellow stripe...... AC Relay Green / Yellow stripe..... Red.............. ECU Backup Power........ Red Black / Red & Blue / Red (Note: connect 2 wires to 1)... Main Ignition Power........ Black / Red stripe Black / White stripe....... ECU Power.... Black / White stripe Blue / Green stripe........ AC Relay.... Blue / Green stripe Black / Yellow stripe...... Idle Air Control Valve Power..... Black / Yellow stripe Brown (to O2 sensor)....... O2 Sensor Power...... Any 12v switched source The MAFS and power steering sensor wires need to make it over to the front driver's side of the engine compartment, use the MAFS and PS wires from the KA harness to extend these wires. The AC compressor wire from the KA engine bay harness should be used NOT the SR harness AC wire (even though it fits). The starter and alternator plugs to the fuse box are all the same and plug right in. There are several unused and leftover harness plugs, anything not mentioned here does not need to be connected.

-------------------------------------------------------ECU & Dash wiring The colors on the wires that run from the ECU up into the dash matched up perfectly on both the SR ECU harness and the KA dash harness: Wire Color................. Use -----------------------------------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 On the KA, the rest of the wires are listed in the KA FSM as going to the 'check connector'. It is not necessary to connect any other wires to get the SR to run properly. The Apexi turbo timer is connected to the O2 sensor wire at the ECU to provide auto countdown functions. The Apexi AVC-R is also attached to the ECU harness for tachometer signal, speed signal, and throttle position. Apexi products come with a very good ECU pinout diagram that is extremely useful. Remove the brackets from the SR ECU to make it easier to mount.

-------------------------------------------------------Fuel System & Vacuum lines The SR20DET uses 370cc / min side feed injectors. Apexi makes 550cc and 740cc injectors for the SR that drop right in. The project car is now using Apexi 550cc injectors in the stock fuel rail with the JWT tuned ECU. Use hi pressure fuel injection lines and good clamps with a new fuel filter to ensure reliability. When attaching the fuel lines, do not mix them up or the engine will not run right. The fuel pressure regulator end of the fuel rail is the return side; do not attach it to the fuel filter, which is the supply. The Walbro hi pressure fuel pump is installed through the trunk. Lift up the carpeting and remove the 2 access covers and unplug the wiring harness. Remove the fuel pump / fuel level assembly from the tank, being careful to not drop dirt or the O-ring in the tank. Rotate the assembly around to make the level gauge float line up. Sometimes the float has to be bent a little to get the assembly out of the tank. Move to the bench, and remove the old pump body and hoses. The Walbro pump comes with a new pickup sock and hoses and clamps, so the switchover is straightforward. Replace the assembly back into the tank. You may have to cut a small piece out of the O-ring to make it fit properly ? it seems to expand and is too big unless this is done. The vacuum lines are simple: 3 lines start at the throttle body. The bottom one goes to the canister, block it off unless you are using the canister. The larger one on top runs to the bypass valve (BOV). The smaller top line tees to the fuel pressure regulator, and runs across the front of the engine to your boost gauge and/or the boost pressure port on your boost controller. The wastegate gets its signal from the nipple on the intercooler piping. The Apexi

boost controller stepping motors go in between the IC piping and the wastegate actuator.

-------------------------------------------------------Startup, Testing, and Timing Fill the engine with oil, coolant, fill the power steering reservoir, and connect the battery. Install the power steering and AC compressor belts. Disconnect the Crank Angle Sensor plug to prevent the coil packs from firing to allow oil circulation before the engine is started. Crank the engine over, 20 seconds at a time, 3-5 times, pausing between cranks, until the oil pressure warning light in the dash goes out. If it doesn?t go out after a reasonable amount of time, you can start the engine but be very careful ? if the light stays off, shut the engine off and you will have to prime the oil pump manually by pouring oil into the lower turbo oil line hole in the block. This usually works to get a no oil pressure situation fixed. Once the engine starts and runs the idle should settle down very quickly if all the wiring is correct. Let it idle for a minute and then shut it off. Check oil, coolant, look for leaks in heater, radiator and fuel lines. Start it back up and set the timing to 16 degrees using a spark plug wire on the 1st cylinder. Dust and oil from transport will burn off the engine for a while. Time for a test drive!

-------------------------------------------------------Big Brake Upgrade The 300ZX Brembo rotors swap on easily, as do the Z32 26mm Aluminum calipers fitted to the project car. The 26mm calipers will clear the stock 7 spoke alloy rims. Stainless steel custom lines are a bit harder to install, but no surprises here. Bleed the system and you have a reliable way to repeatedly stop from 100mph without brake fade.

-------------------------------------------------------Common Mistakes Here are some of the most common problems: Problem............................. Check Low Oil Pressure / Oil starvation....Check the oil pan for dents before starting your engine. No Oil Pressure / Oil pump frozen.... Manually prime the pump thru the turbo oil line into the block if you don't get immediate oil pressure. Fuel pump not coming on.............. Plugs by Battery wired incorrectly, they plug in but won't work without rewiring. Should run for 3 seconds then stop if flywheel not

moving. Cranks, has fuel but won't catch / start at all........ Main ignition power wiring by battery or ECU incorrect. Odd electrical behavior in dash, interior lights....... ECU plug not tightened all the way down. This causes all kinds of weird different problems. Cranks, catches but won?t run........ Crank Angle Sensor 180 degrees off. The shiny link on the timing chain can be hard to see. Runs OK, but no power....... Timing way off. Drivable but can?t give more than 20% throttle......... Leak in intercooler piping, even a small leak will make the car sputter and buck with any significant throttle. Idles OK, but can?t rev past 2500 rpm......... MAFS or MAFS wiring problem.