Gavclassic Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I owned my first car some 19 years ago and since have had nearly 180 cars of all makes and models. Never have i lost money on one, worst case i broke even. A wise man told me when i was young " dollars spent has to justify performance gained " For those of us who arn't engineers or fabricators, its much easier to remove the old 4K from the KE70, have it fully rebuilt including twin webbers, bigger valves, a big port job, balancing etc and then just put it back in and go! Compare this to converting it to a 4AGE, first find the good motor that dosen't need a rebuilt ( you now won't find a RWD version ). Then you'll have to get it modified to run it as a RWD engine, fabricate engine and gearbox mounts as well as an exhaust manifold, wire the whole thing up, the list and dollars keep going. In the end you list it for sale as an unfinished project. The initial cost of the import motor is cheep compared to a good modified rebuild on your 4K, it getting it in the car and going well that costs. Don't get me wrong, if i had heaps of $$$$ i'd have a 7AGE with quad throttle bodies and Motec, but i don't have 16 odd grand to throw at an engine for my Corolla. Most of the younger car enthusiasts would have never experienced the buzz of riding in a car with heavilly modified " Old School" engine running multiple Webbers. :y: My Datsun Sunny Club Car: CA16, aftermarket cams and EMS, 110bhp at the wheels, total build cost $35K+ My KE 70 Kahanacross Car: JTS 4K, twin Webers, 75bhp at the wheels, total build cost $3K I have just as much fun in both!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lolcry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 i estimate my 4age/ke20 conversion to cost $6k. i like the fact the motor will be stock yet 135+hp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavclassic Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 i estimate my 4age/ke20 conversion to cost $6k. i like the fact the motor will be stock yet 135+hp. Don't see to many stock 4AGE's with 135+ bhp at the wheels, there usually around 100bhp. If you've done the conversion and its all running well and its cost you just 6K, you've done well. KE 25 Racer has undertaken a 4AGE 20v conversion i believe, lets see what he estimates its going to cost.We won't know for a while what the final real cost will be or the hp the motor puts out. :lolcry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitch13 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Gavclassic. . . What other mods have you made to your 4K is it just the webers. I'm in the process of putting a worked 5K in my KE70. So far cost me $300 and all i need is a carby for it and its good to go. Not expecting as much as 75bhp but still believe K motors belong in KE70s, save the 4age for sprinters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavclassic Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Gavclassic. . . What other mods have you made to your 4K is it just the webers.I'm in the process of putting a worked 5K in my KE70. So far cost me $300 and all i need is a carby for it and its good to go. Not expecting as much as 75bhp but still believe K motors belong in KE70s, save the 4age for sprinters. Monster port job, bigger inlet & exhaust valves, double valve springs, lightened flywheel, balanced, decked block, big cam and 12:1 comp. I payed $1200 for this motor second hand 8 years ago complete with twin Webers and manifold. JTS has just finished building me another motor but this ones a 7K. After i get the sump modified i can do the install myself. Hope to get around 100bhp at the wheels. In my 740kg KE17 Sprinter should really fly! :lolcry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh what a nissan feeling! Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I think weather someone should undertake an import conversion depends on their knowledge and ability to do work themselves, the cost can be kept down if someone has logical thinking ability, and the ability to weld. This is the cost of my sr20 conversion. motor and box $800, computer $1400, radiator $580, tailshaft $120, tuning $50. TOTAL: $3000 running. 110hp@wheels(big diff). I have been, and driven a few twin webbered, worked L20 motors and i agree that my car felt slower, and alot less exciting, but over the quarter, my car was actually quicker. Each one to their own i guess. I think the main advantage in the efi is the ability to go faster later if desired, a turbo is way more fun! :lolcry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medicine_Man Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Its not that hard to convert a 4AGE to RWD, If you are mechanically handy it is not that bad. It is even easier if you are doing the conversion to an AE71/AE86 as its a pretty straight foward bolt in. That said there is a lot of effort that goes into modifying a car, But you can do it quite cheap if you want. You learn a lot of stuff on the way too, Nothing like getting your hands dirty.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendo Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 heh heh that khanacross ke70 would be heaps of fun, i think in these cars, the original engine is the best option if u can undertake lots of mods. i can tell u nothing sounds like a fully worked 3k with 45mm webers reving at 10000rpm.(my ke10, in my sig) its awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavclassic Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I agree with all you're comments, the point i'm actually trying to make is that if you've never removed an engine from a car before, don't think an engine conversion is an easy way to gain more HP. Remove it, rebuild it, put it back in, its easy and straight forward. Lets face it, a workshop manual will tell you how to do it! Oh What A Feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lolcry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Bastard Customs Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 (edited) Or u could just use the step by step guide 2 putting in a 4age in Engine Conversions. u use a lot of standard parts out of an AE71 so its really not that difficult, 4 me the hardest part would be the wiring (hey I'm italian, i know what i should stay clear from, ELECTRICS) Edited July 27, 2006 by Fat Bastard Customs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickZ Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I guess because i do everything myself it doesnt cost anything like you guys are talking, my 20V engine, gearbox, ECU, radiator, exhast, fitting would come to $1600 drive away, but i did sell the old motor etc. all up out of my pocket i spent max $500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMsGPTurbo Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 (edited) Gav I completely agree with your point of view and I can even give an example using my car and situation, a FWD toyota corolla ii gp turbo, I paid for an engine conversion, as well as many other things and I estimate the engine conversion costs would be approx 4000.00 total, now that money put into modifying the bigger orginal engine (1.5ltr 3ETE) would first of all ensure the car would still be on the to this day, and have more perfomance then a starlet GT who's engine I used for the conversion (1.3ltr 4EFTE). I'm not very mechanicaly minded so I'm slowly learning as I go, I'm never going to trust anyone touching my cars again, I was really burnt by my last experiance with the engine conversion so I envy all of you who work on your own cars. P.S: I'm in love with that blue race car ... damn that's fine! from what I can see the driver sits in the middle of the car!??!?! seriously cool! Edited July 27, 2006 by TOMsGPTurbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 (edited) sorry, i meant 135 at the crank, not the wheels. :lolcry: i'm guess i'm very lucky to have 3 mates who own ke20's, one with a 4age, one with a 4agze (T28), and one with a 12a, who are keen to help me. the welding of the diff mounts, engine mounts and clutch reinforcement have all been done by them. Engine, T50, custom tailshaft, custom extractors, radiator: $1500 ke55 diff with ke20 mounts: free ke20 to 4age engine mounts : $10 for donor ae71 mounts, bourbon cans flex plate: $25 ebay special wiring loom and ecu: $450 inlet manifold cut n' shut: $320 bosch 070 pump, small pump, filters hoses, etc. $350 reco'd booster: $280 new starter motor: $300 alternator: free custom swaybar 20mm: $280 2 recaros: $600 momo: birthday gift boot battery box: $15 battery cable: $35 probably forgotten a few things... Not cheap, but i like the car and want a newish motor in it. forgot ae82 rear water outlet: $20 hoses: $20 remote thermostat: free Edited July 27, 2006 by JC807 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh what a nissan feeling! Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I gotta say though, something i don't miss about the old school worked motors is the way they idle (sidedraught webbered cars excluded). I used to have a worked 3t in my rola and, well everyone at the lights just stares, and go wtf. Not to mention if you pull up beside a tough V8, just because your car sounds as lumpy it doesnt mean it goes as hard. :lolcry: See noone realizes that a 240 duration cam in a big V8 never idles as rough as the same cam in a 4 pot. The 4 pot sounds like a drag car, while the big motor sounds mild. Webbers can do plenty to tune out the lumpy idle, but even with webbers no matter how long you spend doing the perfect tune, some times there is that tiny annoying dead spot you can't seem to get rid of, injection removes all of this hassel. :y: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camerondownunder88 Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 Hi, I read in a previos post in this forum that a guy has a 12:1 CR in a K motor. I was woundering how does he stop detionation of fuel and what pistons he is now using? Cameron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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