CA18DET - Background
The early S13 is powered by an engine called CA18DET where 18 stands for 1,8 litres displacement, D for double overhead camshafts, E for electronic fuelinjection and T for turbocharged. The CA-engine was originally mounted in Nissan Silvia S12 and was then carried on to the S13. The engine has also been made as a 1,6 and a 2,0 litre engine, allthough the 1,8 litre is the most common version. It has allso been manufactured without turbocharger and was then offcourse called CA18DE. To stirr upp the mess some more the turbocharged engine was sold with or without intercooler. An easy way to determine wheather a car in equiped with intercoler or not is that the intakepipe from the turbo runt staight over the engine on the model without intercooler.

CA18DET - Common features
The CA18 is considered by many to be the best engine ever manufactured by Nissan. The engine is smoth, reliable and compact which makes it an ideal engine that can be used in many different cars. Many of the solutions used in the CA18 you´ll find in many of Nissan´s newer engines as the SR20. Beeing such a durable engine makes the CA18 a perfect engine to work on if you would like use a larger turbocharger or/and higher boostpressure. Allso the transmission is very durable and can stand massive poweroutputs.

SR20DET - Background The SR20 has many solutions incommon with other 16-valve engines, for example twin overhead camshafts, especially the CA18, but Nissan has allso managed some new solutions, for example by only using four notches on each camshaft. Each notch pushes an A-shaped profile which in turn controlls two valves. The SR20 has a very flat power graph which together with great response and driveability makes it a god choice for engine conversions. It is often used in racing and there are several examples that pump out around 600 bhp.

SR20DET vs. CA18DET - Comparison
It is very hard to say which one of these two engines that is the best, perhaps impossible. But you can allways make make a comparison to see what they have incommon and what differs. The SR20 was never an attempt by Nissan to develope a completely new engine after the CA18 allthough it was to replace the old servant. However, it is worth so point out that the SR20 not either came close to cost what the CA18 did to develope. The CA18 was built from top to toe with new technical ideas that hadn´t beenm used in any of Nissan´s earlier engines. For the SR20 they "borrowed" all the successfull solutions from the CA18 and then added the knowledge the had earned through the years since the developement of the CA18.

For more info have a look at "Modelinfo".