NA vs. TURBO

[FLCL]

i was working on my 1994 nissan 240sx and i was thinking Ka24de or det? to add a turbo to my car would mean more power, but my car would be out of comission for a while and turbos ad stress on the engine. with the stock ka engine i have would you recomend making it a turbo or leaving it na and tweaking the motor. also i have a limited budget for about 3 months at about 5g, so if a good turbo up grade is possible and probible pleas tell me, thanks.

[s13_240us]

NA vs TURBO

First off wise choice in vehicle ...240's make amazing slide rides. As to your question of NA vs Turbo...As you said turbos put added stress on the vehicle...Though so does drifting...I personally have a 92 240 with a KA24DE...although it has RACE Pistons and Eagle Rods...and I drift everyday(keep it safe and off the streets)...A set of cams from a 91-93 240 are a little beefier than the cams found in later models. You can get a really good effect from filling up with 97 octane gas and adding some Octane boosters... Another thing is that you more than likely have a coupe...Its a little heavier than earlier models. You may have to do some stripping and put your car on a "diet." Other than all of that...Great choice of car! And you can add all the power you need to your KA with out a turbo! So enjoy the view from the cockpit! See ya! :


PS: if my ranting hasnt effected your thinking check out the turbo kit for 240sx at www.Greddy.com

[Chas]

I know some people who have built up KA's, the most i have seen is near 200whp. With a turbo, your past that. Dont you think higher comp and more revs also puts stress on the motor? Turbo is where the power is at, if you can afford it.

[WildSe7en]

Turbo

[CRASHDRIVE]

Natural Aspirated

I pick N/A, a lot of people think about "NOW" they dont think about the future. Yes, High REVS put stress in your engine and YES drifting put a lot of stress in your chassi and TRANNY. But if you go TURBO, are you prepared for some maintenance? I mean turbo needs a lot more attention than a N/A. You got to check the gaskets, MANI, Turbo itself, the OIL and coolant, etc, and it got a better low end response. Anyways, that's my habbit, I like to check everything before and after a good event or even before and after practice.

Besides, KA24 are good torque engines. If I have your G's, I'll go for tranny, CAMS, brakes, (i assuming you already have your suspension), more sparks (MSD, wires, plugs), Exhaust upgrade, more intake upgrade. ECU upgrade, Stability control, new lighter weight body parts, Hell I even want a new and lighter drive shaft!

Remember, Tuners find the great balance between power, torque and handling.

(note, this will not apply to Rotary's they dont have low end toque so a TURBO is a wise investment for them)

my .02 cents. and i want my change back!

[nissanguy_24]

Hey man, first off all how much have you drifted before?

Though i do not speak from experience, it seems that a turbo ka24 especialy one with a good sized t4 or whatever series turbo will be hard to work with if your still new to drifting.

If your experienced though you may be able to work with it.

If your knew to the car and drifting, you may want to stick to some smaller upgrades and stick to NA right now. get the weight down on the car. get a manual tranny if you dont have one already.

less weight and more power to the ground. Remove the mechanical fan and wire up some electric fans. look for some basic naturally aspirated mods. a intake system, some light weight pullies. a 3 inch exhaust designed for a turbo sr seems to work really good on a NA KA. Maybe even a aftermarket header.

Your never going to make anywere near the power as a turbo KA can. but if your new to drifting power isnt a big concern. i just assume you want alittle more power for the street or a moutain road or just having fun. Those handful of mods will really free up your car and make it seem alot quicker. Especialy if your like me and you have never drove anything faster then your 240 before. not that there that fast.

If you just switched from a drag prepped mustang or something then your experience will be different.

Anyways as you get better youw ill get a good idea of where you want to make power and how much you want.

If you get serious about drifting and want to be competitive with the other guys down the road a turbo will probably be nessisary. Or some kind of expensive NA work.

anyways just my sugestion.

[driftfreak]

I guess all the people that are crying turbo turbo turbo...dont know about this little thing called throttle responce..and how nice it is to have it when your drifting...
The extra power of a turbo is nice to have..and with proper turbo choice, turbo lag can all most be elimanated...but not totaly...

[nissanguy_24]

Originally posted by driftfreak
I guess all the people that are crying turbo turbo turbo...dont know about this little thing called throttle responce..and how nice it is to have it when your drifting...
The extra power of a turbo is nice to have..and with proper turbo choice, turbo lag can all most be elimanated...but not totaly...

I think alot of guys are like me. They see what kind of power a turbo can make and want one. they just havent had the opportunity to drive a turbo car before.

However, i think a bigger problem is new guys getting into drifting, grabbing there check book or credit card going, "Alright im going to need this turbo kit/turbo motor swap, these top dollar suspension pieces. this body kit. these awesome wheels"

before ever having seat time in the car they want. Drifting isnt like drag racing where the car is nearly everything. the car has very little to do with drifting, they dont understand that.

now this paticular gentlemen, has perhaps, alot of experience drifting. I dont know, but there are alot of new guys to drifting who come on here and ask that kind of stuff.

[FLCL]

Well first off my car is stripped to the bone; I already have a suspension that works for me. I also have been drifting for about a year to two and I am still learning (but everyone is always learning). Second my car is pretty stock I have a home made cold air, I also have an exhaust, just to free up some power. But I need more, I feel as though my car gives up half way through a corner and snaps back or spins. One of the main things that I am worried about when getting a turbo is the lag, will that make some corners harder because I have to wait till it spools or is that not really a problem. Also I really don’t have the time to be taking apart my engine every week end to do maintenance. What I want is a car with power and be reliable. also to free up power I was talking to this guy at my Michigan garage about polishing the ports, and maybe a bore and stroke, I don’t think that alone would fix my prob. Plus I really don’t want to drop in an sr20 because none of the shops around know those and I don’t want to mess with JDM. well I guess my mind is everywhere now just hoping to get feedback. I have the HB 240.

[raging panda]

With a small enough turbo like a T3 for the KA, there wouldn't be much turbo lag but you could still make about 225+ rwhp. As for your problem, how fast are you going into these turns? Do you have LSD? With more speed, your back end won't snap back, but you still might spin out. If you don't have LSD, that might be your problem beause your tire that isn't spinning is scrubbing off speed while youre trying to drift. More power doesn't necessarily have to be the answer.

[driftfreak]

I think a lot of people forget that drifting isnt about HP...its about skill

[Chas]

How about a t25, real small, just for sme extra power. I mean, you could build a crazy KA NA. Theres a shop I know of, heres what they offer

.040 overbore 10.5:1 JE Pistons (11:1 Pistons)
Total-Seal Ring pack
Race prepped stock rods with ARP bolts
Detailed and Heat Treated crankshaft
Lightened stock Flywheel (JUN)
Balanced and Blueprinted rotating assembly
Race Ported, Flowed, CC’d Cylinder Head
3 Angle racing valve job with hand lap and back-cut
Secondary Butterfly system removed.
Intake manifold match ported.
Throttle body opening enlarged for 65mm T/Body. (70mm)
Camshafts reground and indexed. (High index)
Valves shimmed and adjusted.
Heavy Duty Head Bolts.
Felpro Gaskets


The things in () are what i would do, for a little extra power. Now add your normal bolt ons, fuel tuning/pump(ecu), and a header/cat/exhaust, and you got a fast NA car.

[CrazyHawaiian]

I prefer N/A, but I drive a domestic. I know alot of guys that RIP IT UP with KA motors in their 240's. KA can definately get it done.

[nissanguy_24]

Drifting isnt about power. However the man stated hes been at it for about 2 years. so if he believes he needs more power then ill trust his judgement. He also wants reliable power. He could build a pretty quick NA KA with out too much money and could really go crazy on it if he wants. 180 at the wheels wouldnt be too hard really.

However if hes looking to push past 200 horse power or 250 hes going to have to consider, A a bigger engine. or B a turbocharger.

He can consider stroking and boring the KA, however you can only stroke a engine with such a long stroke already so much.

It really depends on how much power he wants to make.

[Chas]

It comes down to what you said, have enought power for the skill level.