My KA-T build 91 & E85 Daily driver S14

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Thanks for viewing my thread :mrgreen:

This will be my first time tackling the KA-T project so any and all advice is welcome. I've had stock KA's, SR20's, and RB25s so this should be a fun time. It will more than likely be a slow build/process, however I will upload the thread with pictures whenever I do get a chance to work on the motor. Picked up my s14 rolling shell (with complete motor) non running about a month and a half ago (10/15/2015).

Picked up up a long block today for $100 and brought it home. Owner stated it had a water pump failure which caused it to blow the HG; I didn't mind as I will be rebuilding the block. My goals for this is going to be 400whp on E85 as my daily driver. Hope to have a dual tune for 91 & E85 as 91 is the highest here, besides the E85, however it's not always the easiest to get. Luckily for me I have 2 E85 stations both within 5 miles from me so I shouldn't have a problem, it's when I travel in the car it may become an issue.

Parts I plan on using for the build:
- Clevite main & rod bearings
- Wiseco 9.0:1 90mm pistons
- Eagle connecting Rods
- Felpro engine gasket set
- OSK Timing chain kit
- OEM Nissan oil pump rebuild w/ rebuilt regulator
- OEM Nissan water pump
- Felpro KA24DE engine gasket kit
- 97' KA 5speed Tranny
- XTD RB flywheel
- ACT RB HD street clutch kit
- JGS Rubber motor mounts
- JGS Rubber tranny mount
- Aluminum radiator

One thing I haven't decided yet is the turbo I'll be using for this build. I plan on going the stand alone route as far as engine management goes, however if I end up not being able to fit it in the budget I'll more than likely go Nistune/Nismotronic.


HAPPY BUILDING!

















***NOTE*** Make sure you ALWAYS label your baggies so you know which nuts/bolts go to what.

































Scrapping away the silicone gasket with a blade.


[/quote]

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Intake Manifold removed from the head.









Exhaust manifold removed

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Not much of an update, however I did remove a few of the accessories that were on the block. I was planning on removing the head today but didn't get a chance to pickup the socket sizes that I needed. More than likely tomorrow or this weekend when I've got more free time. Had to replace thermostat and thermostat housing on wifes POS Ford Focus.

SORRY FOR THE CRAPPY PICS. IT WAS DARK IN MY GARAGE AND ALL I HAD WAS MY HEADLIGHTS LOL!

[2.5T_/<ouki]

UPDATE!!!!
Picked up my Clevite main and rod bearings; standard size. Brand new never used for $70!!

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Picked up the s14 chassis that I will be working with on 10/17/2015.



Started yanking these off the engine bay/motor today. Not too much time as I had other things to get done around the apartment before tackling what I did. So, pretty neat to see the KA with a huge hold in the block .















Will also be doing a 5 speed swap to my car as it's an automatic! Picked up a 97' KA 5speed Transmission. I don't have $1k to fork out just for a z32 tranny mount KIT, plus the z32 tranny, PLUS clutch/flywheel kit. So, with my power goals, I'm hoping it'll last me a while before It blows lol (if it does).




ARP head studs came in today :]

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Also my ARP main studs came in the mail. Don't you just love getting new parts in the mail !? :mrgreen:

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Basically got the block completely disassembled and ready for the machine shop! Will be bore & honing the cylinders to 90mm and hot tanking the parts.

Pistons, rods, caps, bearings in order from 1-4



Rod bearing #1



Rod bearing #2



Rod bearing #3



Rod bearing #4



Girdle out and showing main bearings #1-5


Main bearing #1


Main bearing #2


Main bearing #3


Main bearing #4


Main bearing #5

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Main bearings shown #1-5


Main bearing #1


Main bearing #2


Main bearing #3


Main bearing #4


Main bearing #5


crank out ! Main & rod journals exposed!


Main journal #1


Main journal #2


Main journal #3


Main journal #4


Main journal #5

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Dropped the block off at the machine shop today after work. :mrgreen:
Will be getting hot tanked, honed, and bored to 90mm. I don't plan on having the block/head decked as I am going to go with the felpro kit. I was leaning towards cometic however decided to go with felpro engine gasket kit.

More presents came in the mail for me today!
Wiseco 90mm 9.0:1 pistons
Eagle rods - H beam







Got some new parts in today. OEM water pump, oem oil pump gears, oem oil pump regulator kit, and valve keeper removal/install tool.













I got the head pulled off of the s14 KA today as I was planning to use the s14 head on the s13 block assuming the 14 head would be in better condition. Overall warpage I have not checked and I'm purely going off of looks, but the s13 head looks to be in much better shape than the s14 head.

I've noticed one of the exhaust valves is not seating correctly and could more than likely be bent. I will find out fully once I remove all of the valvetrain. I will remove all of the valves on both the s13 & s14 head and compare. Id really like to stick with the OEM valves however I may purchase a kit of BC intake/exhaust valves.

the s14 KA has seen better days.....much much better.



Cams out!


Labeled all of the intake/exhaust shims as I was planning on using the oem shims along with the s14 head, however I am rethinking at the point.


Removed head w/ upper IM




As you can see here in this picture that cyl 3's rear exhaust valve is not seating correctly.






Here is a comparison between the s14 & s14 cylinder heads
S14 left / s13 right






Here you can see the water ports in the HG are basically caked with dirty coolant/water/rust. This is another reason I'm skeptical about using the s14 head, even with a hot tank.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Had some time to work on the s14 while the block is at the shop. Will be purchasing new BC intanke/exhaust valves STD size for the head as well as get the head a valve job. The s14 dashboard is toast; it's so sun banked it crumbles like crackers lols. I'll be in the market for a new one in good condition pretty soon. I removed the dash today so I could get to the firewall more easily. I've done a 5 speed swap without moving the dash/bar and it's a real PITA.









Here is the "stencil" that you'll drill for the clutch pedal/master cylinder.




Did someone leave their birth control at my place? xD








Got my JGS Rubber motor mounts and rubber transmission mount today! They look pretty good

[newkid99]

I was gonna say, make sure you mark your valve buckets before pulling them, I made the same mistake and now I'm paying extra to have a machine shop do my whole head and get it right. By the way, how did you pull the cams without undoing the bolt in the front to get the sprocket off and relieve tension on the timing chain? I am for sure subbing to this build thread since you're doing almost identical build as me with similar power goals. I recommend a different clutch however, I bought a used exedy clutch and aluminum flywheel and had a local shop rebuild it, for 300 dollars I have a clutch that can handle 400+ hp reliably and with 660 injectors and a disco potato turbo kit you could see 400hp, that's just the route I'm going though I also have 8.8:1 comp pistons, by the way don't forget s13 and s14 ka heads have different comp ratios.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Originally Posted by newkid99

I was gonna say, make sure you mark your valve buckets before pulling them, I made the same mistake and now I'm paying extra to have a machine shop do my whole head and get it right. By the way, how did you pull the cams without undoing the bolt in the front to get the sprocket off and relieve tension on the timing chain? I am for sure subbing to this build thread since you're doing almost identical build as me with similar power goals. I recommend a different clutch however, I bought a used exedy clutch and aluminum flywheel and had a local shop rebuild it, for 300 dollars I have a clutch that can handle 400+ hp reliably and with 660 injectors and a disco potato turbo kit you could see 400hp, that's just the route I'm going though I also have 8.8:1 comp pistons, by the way don't forget s13 and s14 ka heads have different comp ratios.

You recommend me going a different route on my FW/clutch? Also, clutches are rated in TQ not HP, and the ACT clutch kit I got is rated I believe somewhwere around 500ft-lbs TQ so I'm good in that department, plus it's a 250mm FW/clutch disc. Honestly, I think the chain was just stretched as It was pretty easy for me to remove once I removed the lower chain tensioner. I will be using my S14 KA head on the S13 KA block with 9.1:1 pistons. Yes, I labeled each one of my valve shims so I know exactly where they go so I don't run into that problem . I havent decided yet if I want to go top or bottom mount turbo setup. If I go bottom mount, I'll be going with either codyace SR to KA manifold w/ 44mm external WG welded or Tomei's new cast manifold; I will pair either manifold with a GTX2867r. If I go top mount, I have no idea which manifold/turbo setup I want. I'm looking for a reliable 400whp DD.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Swapped out the bent valve that was in the s14 head for a good straight valve from the s13 head as I will be using the s14 head on this build. Also did notice that it looks like one of the water ports on the head which meets the block is either VERY VERY clogged or doesn't exist?

Oh, hello there valve seal!


Keepers, Retainers, spring, valve. This was the bent setup here.




Here is the bent valve compared to the good one it was replaced with.


Muuuuuuuch better fitment



LOL @ the bent valve


Picked up my block and head from the machine shop today (11/24/2015). Gotta say it looks pretty good ; can't wait to start putting it back together. I had the block bored & honed to .040 over (90mm) and had both the block (removed .007) and head (removed .013) resurfaced. In doing so I made sure to also have the timing cover decked/resurfaced with the block, and had the upper cam cover done with the head. All parts were also hot tanked! :mrgreen: I'll be sure to get some pictures for you before I begin the install process.



This part on the head scares me

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Did some more work on the block today. Busted a newb move and snapped one of the piston rings. Need to order a new one and get this last ring gaped. Also got my RB20/25/26 XTD light weight aluminum flywheel, RB20/25/26 ACT HD street clutch kit w/ pressure plate. I am running .017 top ring and .019 bottom ring.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Had some free time today (11/28/2015) to play and got a decent amount of work done. Installed the clevite main bearings, dropped in the crankshaft 1st time (made sure not to spin it here as I was checking for clearances), and dropped in the ARP main studs. Also had some time to work on the head, so I replaced the exhaust side valve seals.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Picked up some OEM kouki fenders today for my kouki conversion that I'll be doing to this car.

[newkid99]

I have never done a motor rebuild only two stroke builds on blasters and dirt bikes, so this is a learning experience for me. I also need to get my timing cover decked before assembly.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Originally Posted by newkid99

I have never done a motor rebuild only two stroke builds on blasters and dirt bikes, so this is a learning experience for me. I also need to get my timing cover decked before assembly.

Yes, make sure that you get the timing cover done with the block if getting it decked and the cam gear cover along with the head if resurfacing.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

I got the pistons in today! Only downside is that I can no longer turn the crank with the pistons by hand, at least a full rotations!
I get about 1/2 of a turn then it's REALLY tough; it's getting hung up on something and I'm guessing it's the thrust bearing (clevite). If i put a socket & wratchet on the crank it's pretty easy to turn with minimal to little effort.

















Also painted the upper cam sprocket cover. Not sure if this is the color I will be going with or not, I'm basically 50/50 on it. It's aluminum finish.

[lalo167]

Very nice build. I'm doing the exact same bottom end build but also building the head. Do you plan on boosting?

[spooled240]

^^make sure your girdle is on the right way. My buddy installed his girdle on his VG backwards and it was very difficult to spin the crank.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Originally Posted by lalo167

Very nice build. I'm doing the exact same bottom end build but also building the head. Do you plan on boosting?

Thanks man! I thought about doing the head as well however it was not in the budget. Another thing that kept me from building the head was my power goals. I plan on 400whp boosted on E85 so a built head is not needed. And yes, I do plan on boosting . I want your manifold for my build ha!

Originally Posted by spooled240

^^make sure your girdle is on the right way. My buddy installed his girdle on his VG backwards and it was very difficult to spin the crank.

Thanks for the reply. Girdle is on correctly however clevite's standard size main bearings use a .15mm thicker thrust bearing which is retarded LOL. I have already sanded down the edges and it was able to turn a lot better.

I need to check end play and possibly sand more of the girdle side thrust bearing.

[dbeiler]

Did you use engine oil or assembly lube on the bearings during reassembly?
Did you apply engine oil to the piston rings or cylinder walls? It looks bone dry to me. I don't see a single speck of lubricant anywhere.

Do you still intend to use the factory thickness headgasket? .020" is an awful lot of material removed from your deck surfaces. Using a stock thickness headgasket with raise your compression ration up roughly .5 to 1 putting you back to the factory 9.5 to 1. Not a big deal but it defeats the purpose of using lower compression pistons.

It looks like the pistons will come awful close to smacking the quench areas on the head. Doesn't hurt to measure piston height. At TDC, are they sticking above the block deck surface? A thicker headgasket will remedy all those issues.

[dbeiler]

Have you figured out why the valve bent? I'm guessing valve float? Test the valve spring (better yet, replace it) before putting it back together. Reinstalling a fatigued spring will cause more bent valves.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Originally Posted by dbeiler

Did you use engine oil or assembly lube on the bearings during reassembly?
Did you apply engine oil to the piston rings or cylinder walls? It looks bone dry to me. I don't see a single speck of lubricant anywhere.

Do you still intend to use the factory thickness headgasket? .020" is an awful lot of material removed from your deck surfaces. Using a stock thickness headgasket with raise your compression ration up roughly .5 to 1 putting you back to the factory 9.5 to 1. Not a big deal but it defeats the purpose of using lower compression pistons.

It looks like the pistons will come awful close to smacking the quench areas on the head. Doesn't hurt to measure piston height. At TDC, are they sticking above the block deck surface? A thicker headgasket will remedy all those issues.

Thank you for the reply. All those points are great and they too are ones I'm thinking about a lot doing this build. I did use assembly lube on all bearings; I like to clean off the lube on the parts it doesn't need it. The pistons do not stick out of the blocks deck surface at all and yes I do plan on using stock thickness as I'm using the felpro gasket.

Originally Posted by dbeiler

Have you figured out why the valve bent? I'm guessing valve float? Test the valve spring (better yet, replace it) before putting it back together. Reinstalling a fatigued spring will cause more bent valves.

Honestly couldn't tell ya. This s14 head is off the motor that is in the bay of the s14 right now. I purchased the car (s14 rolling shell w/ blown motor) about 2 months ago. Check the pictures up top.

[lalo167]

Originally Posted by 2.5T_/<ouki

Thanks man! I thought about doing the head as well however it was not in the budget. Another thing that kept me from building the head was my power goals. I plan on 400whp boosted on E85 so a built head is not needed. And yes, I do plan on boosting . I want your manifold for my build ha!

Nice, I'm hoping to be in the 500's on E85 with a gt30. Are you keeping the oem fuel lines? Still undecided if I should run a bigger line to prevent problems in the future.
And it would definitely compliment your build!

[2.5T_/<ouki]

Originally Posted by lalo167

Nice, I'm hoping to be in the 500's on E85 with a gt30. Are you keeping the oem fuel lines? Still undecided if I should run a bigger line to prevent problems in the future.
And it would definitely compliment your build!

Someday I hope to hit the 500's but we'll see. I read you also decided to build the head correct? Which head studs did you go with?

I plan on replacing the old rubber fuel hoses under the car that connect the gas tank to the hard lines with new rubber lines that are E85 compatible however I do not plan on replacing lines with ones of a bigger ID, oem fuel hose ID should be sufficient.

[KAT-PWR]

Good luck!

[partytron69000]

Would love to see your results from using NIStune. There used to be a licensed dealer/tuner here in Middle TN, so I'm wanting to go that route too, just with a little lower power goals.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[lalo167]

Originally Posted by 2.5T_/<ouki

Someday I hope to hit the 500's but we'll see. I read you also decided to build the head correct? Which head studs did you go with?

I plan on replacing the old rubber fuel hoses under the car that connect the gas tank to the hard lines with new rubber lines that are E85 compatible however I do not plan on replacing lines with ones of a bigger ID, oem fuel hose ID should be sufficient.

Yeah, pretty much everything BC. I'm still not sure on what cams to run. and ARP head studs.