Silvia Club of NSW

Hey Guys,

I've been looking for a daily driver for a while and i've come across a R31 Pintara for a good price. Next to nothing really...

Just wanted to ask if the CA20's are realiable?

What probs should i be looking out for?

The car has had the engine reco'd and has done 40,000 since and the diff was replaced around 10,000 Km ago...

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SR20DET, a man's best friend

largley pretty reliable, 8 plug dizzy seems to die at random, i think it's heat related. My 350,000km+ example (in a gazelle) only died after a rad hose burst on a 35degree day and cooked it. It still drove to it's new owners house spewing white smoke after that though.
Considering my maitenance schedual for the car for 2 years basically consisted of putting petrol in it, it wasn't bad.

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1996 180sx
1990 Silvia

CA20Es go forever.

mine has 245,000klms on it now. fingers crossed it last another year of abuse.

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The CA20 is really a very reliable engine. Its more like the KA24 in its truck like behaviour and durability.

I see many of them with 300,000 plus K's and they still run fine, albeit a bit rough due to age but other wise fine.

They do have problems like blocked PCV systems poping rear main seals out, Snapping timing belts etc but its really just due to negligance.

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To live your dreams you must first face your fears...........

jarich, didn't one of yours crack the 400K mark??

risking, are these an interferance motor?? ie the valves kiss the pistons when the cam belt breaks??

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Yeah they more than kiss pistons they make new holes for the valve stems most of the time.

I have seen a few break belts and not do any damage though.
Same as the 18LE in the N13. They are a free running engine but heaps of them smash valves when belts break.

Its easier to treat every engine as a timing belt time bomb

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To live your dreams you must first face your fears...........

cheers!! i'll keep it in mind!!

fingers crossed!!

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hey i've had no problems with my 2 ca20 just don't get it in auto coz they are slugs

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tipper



www.aus12.org

ditto!!

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A ca20 in a gazelle wouldnt be to bad as a daily, but pintara's are slugs, you can get R31's for the same price these days, the RB30 are a much better motor in every department.

Just a thought.

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I climbed Mt Druitt

my RB30E has done quite a few kms... (lets just say 300,000kms is low mileage), and has had bugger all maintenance in its life. Its still plodding along!

It fires on only 5cyl most of the time because it needs new leads and dizzy, and im too cheap to buy new bits, but its STILL going! (And I get the fat mole sideways all the time too!)

When the piece of crap gives up the ghost, ive got a new engine lined up that will be quite nice

ticked over 251,000klm the other day, and it's now only just starting to blow a bit of smoke when cold.

my fingers are crossed even moreso, as i've decided to do a few more drift days this year, and it still has to last til at least next August.

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ohh my pintara kicked ass in auto, it could beat cypher's CA180

however is was not well looked after (dodgey mechanic in coffs harbour) but still kept going!!

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M35 Stagea.info @ http://www.m35stagea.info/

mine just survived a drift day at WP.

right now im loving the reliability. shame i threw the wheel alignment on on the very first corner i drifted!! oh well, at least i made it stick.

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It's lucky I took that boat anchor out... Want to race now?