Ok, I have a dilemma. I am in the market to buy and engine. I currently have a GA16DE, and I want to swap in either a SR20DET or plain ol SR20. I figure I will be spending about ~$4500 for the BB swap (I priced it out). Now I can get a regular SR20 for $900+ less than a DET. Would I be better off getting a regular SR20 and putting a set-up like:

370cc injectors
T25 Turbo
BB Manifold
B.O.V.
HS Intercooler
3" exhaust
Boost Controller

Or buying the DET straight up?

Also I should probably add that I am moving to California. Is there a better route for me to take?

Thanks
Josh

$4500 seems a little steep to me. $1500 max for the DET, $500 for JWT ECU, and maybe $100-$200 for wiring harness? Oh, well tranny and axles too if you have the GA, maybe $600 for all that. That's still under $3k. Since you have to swap the whole motor I would definitely do the whole DET. Much cheaper. You will spend $1000 for the turbo parts for the DE motor that you can get for around $350, but I know you can get a whole DET for that $1350 price.

The list of parts needed for either swap is a lot more extensive than Engine, Tranny, ECU, Harness, Axles. I also need things like mounts, P/S pump/line, starter, alternator, flywheel, clutch, water pump, pressure plate, throwout bearing, pilot bearing, down pipes, A/C bracket, clutch cable bracket, clutch cable, radiator and hoses, heater lines/bleeder port, front & rear seals, plugs, wires, distributor, fuel filter, valve cover gasket, fuel pump, 02 sensors, etc. I can get most of these things from junk yards for cheap, but still...adding them all up equals a pretty penny. Then I need the exhaust work, and all of that. The DET would be a better plan i suppose, but it is still going to cost about $4500. Engine and tranny alone ar $2600 from sr20development.

Josh

Oh.. ummm.... yea I guess that's true. :D

...me crawling back into SR20-only-knowing hole now... :D

Hey, we are all here to learn, so its cool. In the end I am going to be spending close to the same $$ for either the DET or DE-T. I just dont know about spending all of the money at once on a DET. I could easily get a turbo further down the road for a SR20, but the whole idea is to get my sentra boosted ASAP. Chances are I will go with the BB DET. Anyone have any of the parts I mentioned above for good prices?

Josh

I too own a GA16 powered car so I have some insight in too this. If I were interested in doing a swap I would in all honesty buy an SE-R. You can potentially sell your car or trade it in and for $1000 or less probably roll away in an SE-R. Then you cn pursue whatever turbo route you like, DE-T KIT. DE-T swap, and you'll be ahead o fthe game. If I was considering a swap I would most likelt get rid of my car and invest a bit into getting an SE-R.

That would be a good idea except for the fact that this "project car" isn't worth much of anything. The transmission consists of 1,2,5,and reverse. The engine has 160,000 miles. The front bumper is gone, the hood and drivers fender need to be replaced. Also the windshield is cracked. :) This is why I want to do a swap because the engine and tranny are shot anyways. Im not about to buy a new GA16 and tranny. So, I would go for the SE-R if I could actually drive my sentra to the dealership to get a trade-in value on it. Thanks for the advice though.

Josh

Still for the price you could get an nice 91-94 SE-R it would cost less and you would have less hasels. Trust me you can find many nice SE-Rs for under $4000. If I was you I would just go out and get a SE-R.

No WONDER you hate the GA so much. HAHA not much left of her. Good luck with your swap.

I have a 93 Sentra XE that I have been driving for 3 years and I want more power. I bought my 95 GLE because it was in poor shape and I could "customize" the car to the way I wanted it exactly for the price I would be paying for a new car. If I were to buy and SE-R for $4000, and buy a turbo for the SR20DE, I would be paying just as much if not more as I am for a BB DET to put in my car. I am doing the swap and all body work personally, I so I wont be paying any labor. But there are one or two things I want done professionally, paint job being one of those. I wish I had an SE-R, but instead I have two Sentras with GA16s. I am pretty positive I am going to do this swap, but thanks for the advice fellas.

Josh

These are my thoughts although I am far from being a professional or very knowledgable... I say just get a regular sr20 and then buy a turbo kit for it.. the advantage here is that you can get a better turbo than what is on the BB motor... like the t3/t04e kit that hotshot has... because you know you will want more powa in the future... hmm but thinking about it, if you get the det you can sell the turbo off of it and buy the better turbo... maybe that would be better because the engine is already turboed so I think it makes setting up the turbo easier

Yea, there are some advantages to haveing the SR20DET, but I dont know how it will go over in California with emissions laws and all. If I swapped in an SR20DE without a turbo, I would pass emissions just fine. Or I could get the DET and put the necessary parts to make it legal, but those cost $$$. Does anyone here have a turbo set-up in california? How do your emissions tests go? If everything will work out ok w/ a BB DET, then thats what I am going to get.

Josh