Option — Shōwa Car Tuning & Buyers Guide (2000 Edition)
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About this issue
180 available scans from Option — Shōwa Car Tuning & Buyers Guide (2000 Edition), in right-to-left reading order. Japanese OCR and English translation drafts are available throughout. Drafts have not received exhaustive image proofreading; unreadable source remains recorded in the archival data.
Page 35 — English draft translation
A GT-R fuel pump is recommended to ensure adequate fuel supply, though the stock injectors are sufficient. Beyond this level, head-gasket durability becomes the main concern. Larger injectors may allow around 1.2 kg/cm² and 230–240 hp, but that would be risky for regular use. As with the SR, shops differ on whether to replace the airflow meter, so discuss it with your tuner.
With 550 cc injectors, boost can be raised to around 1.1 kg/cm² and output of roughly 260 hp is within reach. Because the original power is low, the gain is especially noticeable—more so than on a PS13. For still more power, use a GT turbo; because the CA is smaller than the SR’s 2.0 liters, the available choice is the smaller GT2510. Around 260–270 hp is possible at 1.0 kg/cm²…
An S14 turbo and 550 cc injectors can make this possible. The CA engine should also have its head gasket replaced for peace of mind. Whether an airflow-meter upgrade is needed, like other parts, depends on the shop’s approach. Replacing it can allow finer tuning, but adds cost. Beyond this, add supporting parts such as an intercooler and exhaust manifold, then modify the engine with cams and pistons. Because the CA does not use rocker arms, it can rev higher than the SR more easily. It also does not require cylinder-sleeve replacement like the SR’s aluminum block when running high boost. In that respect, it can be surprisingly straightforward to build a serious high-performance setup.
Captions and page details
S13/PS13 Silvia and 180SX
…Silvia and 180SX
S13/PS13 Silvia
Boost increase
More than 220 hp at 1.0 kg/cm² of boost
NASSIN
The CA engine is known for its durability, but unfortunately it cannot match the SR at the same boost level…
Stock boost is about 0.6 kg/cm² and output about 160 hp. An air cleaner raises boost to around 0.8 kg/cm² and power to roughly 170 hp. If you add a boost controller and tune the ECU…
KED6
CA18DET
Example SR20DET bolt-on turbo setup
About 260 hp
Approximate power
Boost pressure
1.0~
S14 turbo kit
Specification
/cm
1.1kg
+ airflow meter
+ 550 cc injectors + metal head gasket + GT2540 turbo
A kit using an Apex AX turbo for the CA engine is also available from Rushmore (047-327-5669), producing around 250–260 hp.
About 260…
1.0~
Example CA18DET boost-up setup
…can be installed.
270ps
1.1kg/cm
+ airflow meter
+ 550 cc injectors + metal head gasket; assumes parts needed for the boost increase are installed.
Approximate power
About 160 hp
Boost pressure
About 0.6 kg/cm² / about 0.8 kg/cm²
Specification
1. Stock
With the same setup, a CA-powered car may struggle to beat an SR car. But because the base car is inexpensive, even with a turbo swap the total cost can be lower than a PS13 or S14—and it may still be possible to make it faster. An S14 turbo can also be fitted to this CA with minor modifications. If you replace the injectors with 550 cc units…
About 170 hp
+ muffler
2. Air cleaner
Just under 220 hp
About 1.0 kg/cm²
+ boost controller + fuel pump + airflow meter + 550 cc injectors
3. Step 2 + ECU
About 230…
About 1.2 kg/cm²
240ps
Bolt-on turbo
At 260–270 hp, it can even challenge an S14 with a boost-up setup!?
If you change the turbo and want more precise tuning, a larger airflow meter is worth considering. The one at left is from a Pulsar GT-R and supports around 300 hp at 4.5 V. For still higher output, the Z32 unit is popular.
O
1-12-5 Kishi, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0031 · 042-560-3174 / 933-3-2F Kita-Nagai, Miyoshi, Iruma District, Saitama 354-0044
With thanks to…
Option
33
0492-58-7578 048-294-6161
Garage Buddy · Technical Shop Infinity, 472 Nishitateno, Kawaguchi, Saitama 333-0813