I'm BACK! with a different car now ;-)

[CMF_Dr. Nokia]

How's it going guy's, had a few work related issues etc and now settled again.

Got a different car this time - had too to many problems with the micra - but it's still a Nissan! I decided to get and Almera 1.6 SRi but I ended up getting the GX one 5dr from a friend cheap - and its a really nice and clean - the most ecxiting part was that the engine looks the same as a micra!! but just a tad bigger...

Anyways await your replies.

 

[CMF_NotAnotherSSS]

Get yourself a japanese import GA16DE with VTC on the intake cam.

Be one of the fastest 1.6L almera's around

 

[CMF_Dr. Nokia]

VTC? is that like a VTEC or something? or half a VTEC.

And what model exactly is this on? I will look into obtaining parts

I have done the induction kit etc and its a v nippy car! not as fast as the micra off the mark - but maybe its the clutch (as its started slipping a little).

 

[CMF_NotAnotherSSS]

You need a whole JDM or AUDM (japan domestic market or an australian domestic market) head and rocker cover as they are different shapes. You will probably also need a JDM/AUDM engine bay wiring loom and ECU.

Basically VTC is variable timing control and it is only on the intake cam (on the GA16DE). It is an oil pressure operated mechanism.

The only trouble with VTC is that while it increases your mid end torque, nissan has set it up electronically that it retards the intake cam's timing from about 5500rpm onwards, basically making a big drop off in power from about 5800rpm onwards. In otherwords, nissan is forcing you to change up a gear...

AFAIK there is only one company which has managed to make an ECU which actually benefits the VTC equipped GA16DE - and that is John Wolf Technology (JWT) in the USA. I believe in their ecu for the ga16de they have tweaked the VTC activation points to give the motor even stronger bottom end, mid range and fixed the high rpm power drop-off to an extent (the GA16DE head is capable of higher RPM than an SR20DE head but the GA bottom end is not as capable of high rpm as the SR series. Bloody nissan...)

GA's are also much quieter than SR's.

The GA in stock form though is hardly good for performance. It features a budget-buster cast iron block wih extremily thin cylinder walls - meaning there is no chance of boring the motor to larger capacity without a custom block... There is a GA18DE in the russian and south american market afaik, and it makes the same power and torque as an SR18DE. But various soruces tell me its a bit of a dog and doesnt like anything in excess of 5000rpm... So rule that out!

Go and check out Nissan Performance Mag (google it) and theur project sentras. The americans have just gone absolutely GA16DE crazy. Making big HP from these motors. They are really giving the SR boys a major shakeup. Hehe

The GA seems to be making more power per litre AND per PSI then the SR's...

Gotta love underestimated motors.

 

[CMF_NotAnotherSSS]

BTW, i cant quite remember but I believe your UK delivered P10 and P11 Primeras may have had GA16's with VTC...

Also look around for smaller capacity GA's in wrecker/scrapper yards. It is likely that a smaller version of your motor had shorter gear ratios - which if you put in your car would make it feel a whole lot zippier and it would be more like the micra (excellent acceleration within the speed limit).

Oh, and GA16DE with VTC are cleaner running than the non VTC versions. So emissions shouldnt be too much of a problem.
Added to the legal side of things, the only way you can tell a VTC equipped GA from a non VTC is a little lump/protrusion on the far left hand side of the engine next to the intake cam.

Infact, depending on the condition of your motor you could just get a VTC head, pull your head off and swap them over (AFAIK blocks are the same) and mabye replace the oil pump with a primera unit (i think the oil pump for the non VTC is different to the VTC).

At the same time of course you would deck the block and take a few thou. off the head and port and polish the head... yummmy high compression GA16DE. Revvy...

 

[CMF_nz_aj]

There are two VTC versions of the GA16DE used in Japan
http://www.geocities.com/nissanengine/GAstats
You could call them the N14 & N15 versions.
N14 has an aluminium restricted bore AFM & makes 81kW
N15 has a large bore plastic AFM & makes 88kW

 

[CMF_NotAnotherSSS]

The N15 and P11 primera versions have larger intake and exhaust ports too. The N14 and P10 models are tiiiiiiny.

I think the P11 may have scored a bigger TB and a more powerful ignition system too.

 

[CMF_Dr. Nokia]

Damn! As I can see!.

Anyways the car has just had new exhaust system fitted and full new clutch system fitted - next week I will be fitting a K&N 57i with mandrel bent steel tubing and the filter will be sat in the drivers side wheel arch - and a nice big hole and meshing will be used to direct freezing cold air to it - I sprayed some weird nitro stuff in the TB the other day and its supposed to help cool the engine from heat soak - and give it so much more in power for a quick run BUT I didnt notice anything - it sounded a little different for the first rev but normal after that.

Anyways big plans for this beast and soon it will raging round the streets of bradford ;-)

 

[CMF_NotAnotherSSS]

If you want to keep the intake manifold cooler you need to space it out from the head with a metal which doesnt conduct heat very well.

Shame on a GA this is easier done with the engine out.