KA-T

[NiteMare]

Well i decided to go ka-t . I recently bought another s14 about 2 weeks ago ;-) because i wrecked my previous one :-(. So finally my insurance comes threw and tells me im only getting 2100 cuz im keeping my wrecked car. I was planning on doing an SR s14 swap but i didn't get what i expected from the car. So i said f it ill go ka-t, now what i need to know is what would i need to make a reliable ka-t ? Any idea where i can this done for cheap???



any suggestions???

[ct9a gsr]

KA-T, done right, is usually more expensive than a stock SR swap.

[suprabrit]

KA-T, done right, is usually more expensive than a stock SR swap.

Maybe...but it will make much more power than a stock SR. :goodjob:

[NiteMare]

KA-T, done right, is usually more expensive than a stock SR swap.



??? about how much more are we talking about

[J Squared]

2whp.

[jbrown706]

With the prices of turbo kits for the KA, you could go that route. But if you do it properly, it's going to cost you a little more $$$. You can find kits for as low as $500. Look them up on ebay to get an idea of what they are including. Most are coming with the basics; turbo, manifold, dump pipe, gaskets, intercooler, and sometimes a blowoff valve and intercooler pipping. Some other things I can think of that you might need, oil lines for the turbo (maybe a pressure regulating fitting for the oil line so you dont force too much oil into the turbo), a better fuel pump, larger injectors, at least a piggy back system like a Apex'i SAFC, a 300zx MAF, and a metal head gasket. When you do put on the turbo, don't use the cheap POS 4-bolt turbo gasket that might come with the kit, be sure to buy a OEM nissan metal gasket (you don't want to keep blowing them.) One of my room mates, s14unimog, had a KA-T set-up for almost 2 years with out any issues. But remember that a KA-T is not a motor i would driver around boosting all the time, I would try to take it easy on it.

[Cash]

I have a sr side mount intercooler you can buy if you need it for your ka-t setup.

[NiteMare]

???? well i only got 2100 on top of that i still gotta make it a 5spd

[jbrown706]

???? well i only got 2100 on top of that i still gotta make it a 5spd

Go with the SR. For that amount you can get a longblock with almost everyting you need except the install parts for the tranny swap. I picked my SR up for $1,800. That included the fuel pump assembly, sidemount with piping,.......everyting.

[J Squared]

Werd, for that much I would go SR for reliability. I dont have much of anything against a good KA_T setup, but a good one will cost more than 2 grand. JHot sells redtop SR motorsets (which are about as complete as possible, like jbrown said they have everything you need except fluids) for $1,775. Spend the rest on a new clutch and fluids and you are all set.

[v-empire]

they are selling just a long block s13 black top for less than 600 bucks right now.

[homeslicej2]

???? well i only got 2100 on top of that i still gotta make it a 5spdnot gonna build a reliable KA-T for that kinda of money, unless it's low mileage and/or you already have some of the pricer things you need. If you do a KA-T you really need a tuned ECU from JWT or Enthaply, or preferably, a good tuner and dyno time to get it even better. Everyone I've talked to who have turboed their KA stress the tune above everything else. It'll make or break (literally) your KA.

[NiteMare]

they are selling just a long block s13 black top for less than 600 bucks right now.


where ????



hey you're with tiger racing right?


not gonna build a reliable KA-T for that kinda of money, unless it's low mileage and/or you already have some of the pricer things you need. If you do a KA-T you really need a tuned ECU from JWT or Enthaply, or preferably, a good tuner and dyno time to get it even better. Everyone I've talked to who have turboed their KA stress the tune above everything else. It'll make or break (literally) your KA.



damn now im starting to have second thoughts

[J Squared]

they are selling just a long block s13 black top for less than 600 bucks right now.

Honestly I dont think you could buy the parts to make it complete for less than a blacktop motorset costs ($1925). You may be able to, but it would take some serious searching and time to get the best deals imaginable.

[NiteMare]

damn that sucks

[J Squared]

Just thinking about the more expensive/rarer parts mainly, like starter, intake manifold, harness, coilpacks, ignitor, bellhousing or tranny, ECU, etc. Each of those is at least $1-200. Tack on random sensors and a turbo setup and youre probably well past the extra $1400.

[Zippy69]

Everybody forgets that sr's are high mileage, used motors too.
The cheapest way to go kat is with an fmu. 7-8 psi and zero tuning problems.
If you want more, then honestly buy a kit off of the bay. There are a ton of kits with everything except injectors and fuel management, for about $750. The turbo's are Chinese, but will hold up as long as you use an oil restrictor inline on the oil feed.
Plus since they are Garret knock offs, a Garret rebuild kit will make it good as new if something does happen.
I bought an ebay kit along with some deastwerks injectors, and let me tell you, that bitch pulls hard as hell. I blew the seals because I took out the aforementioned oil restricter.
I spent less than a sr and go faster.

[babowc]

Hmm..
KA with built internals.. I think you can do it under $2100.

Pistons
stock rods
refresh head
block work
= $800 ($400 pistons, stock rods, $200 to refresh head, $200 for block work)

Assemble it yourself.

Turbo stuff:
T25 = $150
Ebay T2 mani = $100
SAFC2 = $150
Injectors = $100
BOV = $take off a stock car
SMIC/FMIC = $250
Clutch = $300
MAFS = $50 (N60)

MISC stuff.. = $whatever left

You should be able to refresh a stock block with $2100 easy, if you're doing the work by yourself. And have enough to go T25 KA-T.

[NiteMare]

Hmm..
KA with built internals.. I think you can do it under $2100.

Pistons
stock rods
refresh head
block work
= $800 ($400 pistons, stock rods, $200 to refresh head, $200 for block work)

Assemble it yourself.

Turbo stuff:
T25 = $150
Ebay T2 mani = $100
SAFC2 = $150
Injectors = $100
BOV = $take off a stock car
SMIC/FMIC = $250
Clutch = $300
MAFS = $50 (N60)

MISC stuff.. = $whatever left

You should be able to refresh a stock block with $2100 easy, if you're doing the work by yourself. And have enough to go T25 KA-T.



well that sounds real good but thats the thing i just dont have the time to do all of that stuff it is my daily and ill need it back on the road asap. and where can i find all of this stuff for this prices??

[zcrew]

ebay, classifieds here....

visit KA-T.org

very helpful info. read the stickies

http://www.ka-t.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6263

[NiteMare]

ebay, classifieds here....

visit KA-T.org

very helpful info. read the stickies

http://www.ka-t.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6263



thanks

[babowc]

BTW, I rounded those prices up.
It's more than likely going to be cheaper than listed.

However, keep in mind:

Cheap + Reliable =/= Fast
Fast + Reliable =/= Cheap
Cheap + Fast =/= Reliable.

[zcrew]

i think it varies on a lot of people's perception of fast. for a lot of people that have been driving tired stock KA's, over 200 hp will feel like whiplash, so even real mild builds will make a world of a difference.

[NiteMare]

i just want some boost i mean i know its not gonna pull or be as fast as my supra that i had. but ill bit be a lil something just to have fun with lol


BTW, I rounded those prices up.
It's more than likely going to be cheaper than listed.

However, keep in mind:

Cheap + Reliable =/= Fast
Fast + Reliable =/= Cheap
Cheap + Fast =/= Reliable.


lol yeah i got it in mind

[Zippy69]

i think it varies on a lot of people's perception of fast. for a lot of people that have been driving tired stock KA's, over 200 hp will feel like whiplash, so even real mild builds will make a world of a difference.
Very true.
For a low boost set up, there is no need to rebuild a KA if it is in good condition overall. Like no leaks or oil burning, no clanks or noises that should not be there, and if your compression is 155psi across the board or better with less than 10 psi difference between cylinders. It's been said before but i'm saying it again, Any turbo engine's life is mainly determined by the quality of the tuning that controls the fuel management.
If you run a cheap set up for your tuning on any turbo engine, then you will have problems. Even the oh so wonderful SR will take a huge doo doo if pushed beyond its tuning capability. If any engine runs lean, you are going to have some bits and pieces to pick up.
A stock internal KA can do very well with a low boost set up. Mine has 183k miles on it and pulls hard. There are thousands of KA-T's out there with 200k on the odometer, that run 10-15 psi all day long.

[jiminycricket]

If you have a KA that's in good shape, no need to get all the retainer stuff. It's all about tune. And I can tell you want to do it right the FIRST time around.

I've said it before on this forum and I'll say it again and again, Jim Wolf makes one of the most reliable and conservative tuned ECU's around, with that, there's no danger of a disaster unless it's your internals. also, if that's right and said and done, no need to spend extra money on SAFC unless you are aworry wort. (my AFR is mint w/o SAFC)

I had a 63AR on my KA and it still spooled it up just under 3k, it'll definately get up and go in the low range.

so this is just my list I'd give to you, it's the cheapest way to go with doing it right, well almost the cheapest way to go, literally my list off my car, minus some changes:
-GT28 series turbo
-JWT ECU
-SR 370 injectors
-Cometic HG (yes you'll want it if you'll be drifting)
-Warlbro 255L/hr Fuel Pump
-Upgraded Fuel rail (jwt has em')
-FMIC (duh)
-any recirculating BOV (greddy type R, HKS racing bypass, anything recirced through a tube back into your intake will give it that tiny hair of a better response)
-JGS log style mani (they are strong as shit)
block treatment..again, not necessary if your motor is in good shape
around 8psi you'll make 260 and more torque and around 12psi you'll make closer to 300.
again though, that'll be maxing out the 370's, but with 550's you can easily creep over the 300 mark at 12psi

there ya go. happy motoring :grin:



I literally just copied and pasted that from ForcfedS14's thread about KA-T setups. I've probably said the same thing about 6 times already on the forum. Great stuff.
don't give up on the idea just yet, good luck! (you'll know its worth it when you're done)

[NiteMare]

If you have a KA that's in good shape, no need to get all the retainer stuff. It's all about tune. And I can tell you want to do it right the FIRST time around.

I've said it before on this forum and I'll say it again and again, Jim Wolf makes one of the most reliable and conservative tuned ECU's around, with that, there's no danger of a disaster unless it's your internals. also, if that's right and said and done, no need to spend extra money on SAFC unless you are aworry wort. (my AFR is mint w/o SAFC)

I had a 63AR on my KA and it still spooled it up just under 3k, it'll definately get up and go in the low range.

so this is just my list I'd give to you, it's the cheapest way to go with doing it right, well almost the cheapest way to go, literally my list off my car, minus some changes:
-GT28 series turbo
-JWT ECU
-SR 370 injectors
-Cometic HG (yes you'll want it if you'll be drifting)
-Warlbro 255L/hr Fuel Pump
-Upgraded Fuel rail (jwt has em')
-FMIC (duh)
-any recirculating BOV (greddy type R, HKS racing bypass, anything recirced through a tube back into your intake will give it that tiny hair of a better response)
-JGS log style mani (they are strong as shit)
block treatment..again, not necessary if your motor is in good shape
around 8psi you'll make 260 and more torque and around 12psi you'll make closer to 300.
again though, that'll be maxing out the 370's, but with 550's you can easily creep over the 300 mark at 12psi

there ya go. happy motoring :grin:



I literally just copied and pasted that from ForcfedS14's thread about KA-T setups. I've probably said the same thing about 6 times already on the forum. Great stuff.
don't give up on the idea just yet, good luck! (you'll know its worth it when you're done)




thanks a whole lot thats help me out a bunch

[J Squared]

Boosting a stock block KA to 12psi? How long do you think that will last? I am by no means a KA-T expert but I was under the impression forged pistons were a must for anything above 7-8psi if you wanted longevity. Arent the KA piston's ring lands made from paper mache??

[Zippy69]

No. Some dumbass blew their engine from running lean and said all ka's are crap.
The weakest link in a KA is it's ring lands, but they are not as weak as some people like to say. I know personally of at least 4 turbo KA's running 10psi or more on a completely stock , unbuilt bottom end. When I build mine, I will use forged pistons, but only because of the position of the ring lands.

[jiminycricket]

^
This is correct.
Notice the various video's you will find laying around KA-T.org and youtube of unbuilt KA's running well over 12psi. It's all about tune. And these people put the icing on the cake when tuning their KA's.

[driftingmustang]

they have kits for 500, wow that cheap. the cheapest youl see a turbo kit for a stang is $4000.

nevermind, found one for $999

[slo40]

are you or are you not gonna do the work on the car?

[NiteMare]

are you or are you not gonna do the work on the car?


dont knoow if ill have the time since i use that car to go to work every day. or ill probably just do a all nighter after i get off of work.

[v-empire]

dont knoow if ill have the time since i use that car to go to work every day. or ill probably just do a all nighter after i get off of work.

lol....i ve heard that so many times from people yapping and i ve attempted it once....

on a daily driver that is..

all niters are standard for race days...

[s14unimog]

I can tell you right now that KA-T is not for you....Asking questions like, "how do I make a cheap and reliable KA-T for under 2100" is retarded. If you knew anything about turbo charging an N/A motor then you wouldn't be asking any of these questions. What you need to do is take a deep breath, search KA-T.org for about 6 months, learning everything you can, THEN decide if this is for you. I did my first KA-T setup for less than $1000 tunned; you have more than enough money to make over 200rwhp.

[babowc]

Everyone starts somewhere.

He started here,

ALTHOUGH, he could've done his own research

[slo40]

I can tell you right now that KA-T is not for you....Asking questions like, "how do I make a cheap and reliable KA-T for under 2100" is retarded. If you knew anything about turbo charging an N/A motor then you wouldn't be asking any of these questions. What you need to do is take a deep breath, search KA-T.org for about 6 months, learning everything you can, THEN decide if this is for you. I did my first KA-T setup for less than $1000 tunned; you have more than enough money to make over 200rwhp.



dud3 that was completely retarded on your part. he is asking for help.you didnt help one bit.first you say he is retarded for asking a question.then you come around in say you got it done for less than a 1G.now if i mis understood my bad.also 6months is over kill.more like a week.

OP:to be honest your gonna need atleast a week to get this done and not mess anything up.Not saying its gonna take that long but if this is your first time it just might if ya alone.If ya in my area I'd be glad to help ya out.just pm me your location and we'll go from there.But first decide if you are gonna do the work or if gonna pay someone else.

[NiteMare]

dud3 that was completely retarded on your part. he is asking for help.you didnt help one bit.first you say he is retarded for asking a question.then you come around in say you got it done for less than a 1G.now if i mis understood my bad.also 6months is over kill.more like a week.

OP:to be honest your gonna need atleast a week to get this done and not mess anything up.Not saying its gonna take that long but if this is your first time it just might if ya alone.If ya in my area I'd be glad to help ya out.just pm me your location and we'll go from there.But first decide if you are gonna do the work or if gonna pay someone else.




well my check should get here like in a week or so, so as soon as i get the money ima start buying all the parts that ill need. then ill see if ill do the work myself or pay someone to do it for me, but if i do ill pm you . thanks

[Casey]

I can tell you right now that KA-T is not for you....Asking questions like, "how do I make a cheap and reliable KA-T for under 2100" is retarded. If you knew anything about turbo charging an N/A motor then you wouldn't be asking any of these questions. What you need to do is take a deep breath, search KA-T.org for about 6 months, learning everything you can, THEN decide if this is for you. I did my first KA-T setup for less than $1000 tunned; you have more than enough money to make over 200rwhp.

comming from someone who did it. ^


dud3 that was completely retarded on your part. he is asking for help.you didnt help one bit.first you say he is retarded for asking a question.then you come around in say you got it done for less than a 1G.now if i mis understood my bad.also 6months is over kill.more like a week.

OP:to be honest your gonna need atleast a week to get this done and not mess anything up.Not saying its gonna take that long but if this is your first time it just might if ya alone.If ya in my area I'd be glad to help ya out.just pm me your location and we'll go from there.But first decide if you are gonna do the work or if gonna pay someone else.

like i said, he did it already. im not gonna argue the points but ill state what i think below.


well my check should get here like in a week or so, so as soon as i get the money ima start buying all the parts that ill need. then ill see if ill do the work myself or pay someone to do it for me, but if i do ill pm you . thanks

honestly, if youre going to daily this car, i would recomend you go sr. i think in the end you will be alot happier with the result. an sr is a very reliable motor if swapped correctly. you can run on the assurance of a completely stock nissan factory tune. you can have boost. and you have an excellent platform to build upwards from in the future.

theres a reason why 90% of track s-chassis cars have sr20's or similar motors

im not going to discredit the ka-t. its a cool setup. i plan on boosting a ka in the future. but for reliability. stay with a completely stock motor. so youre torn between ka24de unboosted. or sr20det boosted.

you can still maintain a stock tune by adding an aftermarket fuel pressure regulator, front mount intercooler and a cone filter and full exhaust. and make probably around 210 hp at the wheels.

wheras a ka-t setup is going to be very time consuming. youre going to have to collect alot of aftermarket parts.

aswell as you will always have the temptation of turning the boost up. and you will always have the fear of breaking your motor even at 7psi

dont get me wrong, i do like the ka-t setup. for a novice like you and myself, i would go sr20det. swapping a motor is 100x easier than installing a turbo kit correctly.

[slo40]

in all honestly its 50/50

[Zippy69]

I'm not gonna quote Viperbite, too much bandwidth eaten up.lol
If you plan on doing this overnight, then just stop now. It will take more than an all nighter to do this right. KA-T is bad ass, period. You will love it. But if you rush and try to get it done in one night, then you will hate it. Take your time and you wil have a turbo set up you will look forward to driving, instead of wondering if you are going to make it you destination.
I did it and it took me longer than I thought, but it was worth it.

[Casey]

I'm not gonna quote Viperbite, too much bandwidth eaten up.lol
If you plan on doing this overnight, then just stop now. It will take more than an all nighter to do this right. KA-T is bad ass, period. You will love it. But if you rush and try to get it done in one night, then you will hate it. Take your time and you wil have a turbo set up you will look forward to driving, instead of wondering if you are going to make it you destination.
I did it and it took me longer than I thought, but it was worth it.

werd^ + reps slut ;) 14 =D