Is the KA24E / KA24DE the greatest motor Nissan ever produced?

What is Nissan's best motor? Don't call all fan boy on me and be like "OMGEEEE the RB26"...lets get down to real data here. Maybe its the RB26, but maybe it could be something else? Which motor has stood the test of time, has flexibility for use in multiple chassis, wasn't plagued with issues from the factory?
We could split hairs all day long so lets split those hairs!
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[@ChipToofPanda]

Definitely a super solid Nissan engine, hard to call it the best tho when Nissan was manufacturing nothing but absolute fuego in the 90s

[@robertrosini762]

I just rebuilt a 93 ka24e from a 2wd D21 that sat in a Canadian salvage yard for 10 years for my 94 D21 4x4. It's my first rebuild and it's running great!

[@itzslick240]

Hey Guys ! I had a KA24DE in my 240sx before I swapped it out for a RB20DET. Currently building that. I loved my KA, sometimes I regret selling it but I needed the funds for the RB. Here’s some cool KA24E things for you, I have a 95 Nissan D21U hardbody with the SOHC KA. I believe the hardbody weighs around 3400lbs factory ? Don’t hold me to that. But for the 95’ I always questioned why it didn’t get the KA24DE because by that time the S13 KA’s have been out and that was rolling into S14 KA times. Anyways, the SOHC always felt a little sluggish when you’d ride around with the AC on and if you had anything in the back of the truck. Fun fact! You can actually gain 15~HP & unknown TQ according to a old forum I read on swapping the complete cold side from a KA24E 240sx (89-90). I actually did the swap and LET ME TELL YOU… HUGE improvement in power and response. It’s all direct bolt on. Only thing you need to do is extend the wires for the IACV and MAF. Intake, Injectors, Fuel Rail, MAF, TPS and ECU has all been swapped. It runs great, lost tach function, still trying to get that to work. But everything works, it’s reliable with more power & TQ. Great motor ! If anyone reads all this. Thanks for your time @itzslick240 on Instagram if you want to know more or see the final result DM me. I can answer all your questions

[@garybuder4645]

You actually loose torque from 240 intake in a truck but it is negligible amount lost. It looks cooler and gives more under hood clearance for body dropping the truck

[@itzslick240]

@@garybuder4645 It’s got other supporting mods so I guess it evens out at this point but it’s definitely more peppy than it was. Definitely looks cooler, easier to work on and cleaner. Haven’t really seen it done so I figured why not

[@garybuder4645]

@@itzslick240 yup I've got one chilling waiting to go on my d21

[@ka24etztm]

Gonna give some rundown on why I think the sohc is better than the dohc and why its used in drag racing. Not taking away from my friend Jason Kastner who currently holds the h pattern 1/4 mile record with a dohc KA. The sohc is more popular in drag racing mainly in the islands like puerto rico and others. More rundown on why they and myself think its better. If you look at the sohc it shares a similar design from the L sereis engine. It even shares the oil pump from the old Z's. The sohc also had much more racing pedigre than its ever given credit for. Nissan Motorsports had an extensive catalog in the 90's dedicated to the sohc for the SCCA GT3 class. So its safe to say Nissan saw plenty of potentital in the engine despite what the internet says. Those engines made nearly 300hp NA and they are still being raced today. Even in newer chassis's like the Z33 per class rules. Back to drag racing. Despite the sohc having 1 less valve it has some advantages. First is the head chamber. They physical chamber is larger than the dohc. Which allows just a little more air in the combustion chamber. Also dohc heads are limited to lift. They can only physically fit a camshaft with a certain lobe heigt before their isnt anymore room for the lobe in the casting. The sohc overcomes this with rockers. It can simply have a much larger cam and make up for that lost valve. This also makes it much easier to service and when you get beyond 1000hp its nice having the option for more lift. Especially with forced induciton. If you compare high hp single cam engines to dohc with very similar setups and boost levels they make almost identical numbers. The sohc does lack in aftermarket support which is why myself and others have had to make so many custom pieces. Speaking of servicing...in racing this can be a huge plus and the sohc shines here. Again the valvetrain is much easier to access. The oil pump is external and can be serviced. The dohc requires the timing cover and the oil pan to be removed to service the oil pump and the valve train with its complexities is a pain. These two things alone can save time if you have to service at the track. You guys also mentioned oil squiters on the dohc. The sohc block actually has the boss for these molded into the block and can be machined to fit. However in drag racing its preferable that they are not there. We want more oil pressure dedicated to the bearing surfaces than cooiling the piston. Many drag racers with 2JZ's block off their oil squirters for this reason. Another drag racing advantage to the sohc. Both engines have their tradeoffs. If you are willing to invest in a few custom parts its my opnion and experience the sohc is just as capable and in some respects better.

[@off6848]

I was never won over by the idea of the sohc being superior back in 2009 when I turbocharged my dohc the lord was because lower compression is better for FI but it sounded like one variable out of millions to justify it

[@Teenys.garage]

Merry Christmas! I've been driving around town in my D21 with a ka24e for the past week and I've gotta say it's a great motor for a truck like that. It's everything you need and nothing you don't. Can't wait to see that new video tomorrow! I know a lot of guys that watch these videos have to have some cool cars.

[@johnhorun2530]

My S13's original motor was a single cam. I had the car for about a year daily driving with no issues of any kind until the pin that connects the crank shaft to the crank pully decided to fail. It shredded the end of the crank shaft and did irreparable damage to the inside of the motor. I ended up swapping to a dual cam because someone I knew had one readily available. I daily drove that dual cam for about 8 years without a single issue. I had to replace injectors, the alternator, and it even survived a front end collision. Even after having to leave the car sitting for 6 years all it took to start her up again was some fresh oil, a new fuel pump, and a new battery. That motor started up after 6 years of silence like it was starting for the very first time. I've always been tempted to swap to an SR or RB, but I don't think I'll ever part with the KA. Merry Christmas guys! I hope you have a great holiday!

[@johnathanhemminger9107]

How hard is the swap

[@johnhorun2530]

@@johnathanhemminger9107 Not hard at all. The MAF and ECU need to be swapped and that's about it.

[@shanetyler9391]

Merry Christmas Guys! probably going to be buying some parts soon for my VG30 on my Nissan Pickup truck. Doing that timing belt change for the 2nd time in its life span since i have owned since 2006. iam the 2nd owner love these trucks. Yet again another awesome video :)

[@jewelgreen.s1385]

KA all day baby!!

[@urielviews]

Love my ka24de-t daily driver too! Just had to do a lot of stuff to get it to the 400hp .

[@jacobbeastlord5046]

Like what that’s my goal

[@vegeta1818]

How much was your build

[@krassimirpetrov7131]

My 03 Xterra has one and I bounce it off redline daily …212k miles ..5 speed

[@ethankendall7433]

thinking about getting a d21 and this was super helpful, love to see y'all from olympia i'm from seattle myself!

[@nissanpartscc]

Thanks for watching Ethan! Hello from the south!

[@mrmediocre1532]

My first vehicle (bought last year) is a '93 D21 Single Cab. I can attest that the KA24E in it is a solid engine. The Odometer is broken but only one owner for all 30 years, probably pushing 180k miles, and I can feel that the engine has another 200 in it. For how old and well-driven it is, that engine still runs strong as an ox.

[@garybuder4645]

I would say it's the most versatile as it came in so many different vehicles with different drive orientations

[@danielhamby9448]

I had a 92 stanza with a ka24e. That thing went up to over 400k miles on it with original everything and was running better when my dad sold it than it did when I first got it. Biggest regret car wise is letting that one go

[@DickGazInYa]

The KA24E is a beast. Me and my brother built an ebay dirt cheap rebuilt kit KA-E with an O&J stage 2 cam on the stock hydraulic rockers. He ran that thing deep into the 7,000rpm range for years and ended up crushing a rod bushing after years of abuse. Such a solid motor.

[@robinator503]

Did you think the cam was a worthy purchase?

[@DickGazInYa]

@@robinator503 Yes and no. It ran pretty good and pulled great up top with hardly any lope or torque loss down low, but I had nothing but issues with Omar and getting actual specs for the cam. No cam card, grinder didn't have any info (duration, LCA, Asymmetrical / Symmetrical etc) and we eventually had to mill the cam caps down quite a bit to get the lift range that was advertised. As for the cam performing, it did great. But it was a guessing game on degreeing the cam and obtaining piston to valve clearance with no cam specs. Overall it wasn't a bad cam at all for what we were doing, but it was 100% NOT plug and play.

[@BobbyB910]

I had a ka24de slapped a fat turbo on it and a simple tune ran amazing for almost 3yrs of abuse

[@Nimbus.]

Hell Yes, Tyvm!

[@stellamatutina3573]

I have the d22 ka24de 16 value nissan navara 2000 pick up, solid little bugger of a motor 👍

[@jdm809]

S14 240sx got the KA24DE while the Japanese silvia got the SR20DE or DET. I think the same with 200SX … KA still a great engine and hold power well when boosted

[@huevigarage]

Ka-t baby! Slept on for too long.

[@blackcanyongarage]

QR25DE. Aside from the cat destroying the cylinders, and the butterflies eating screws, the design has stood the test of time and is still being made today. Look at your Rogues, Altimas, Frontiers, and Sentras, you'll find the good ol qr25de. You can't beat the torque on this motor, some models had oil squirter and a fully balanced crank, and I bet it's made in production models for longer than the SR or KA, second only to the VQ. Damn, the VQ35de is a great motor too!.

[@ShadeTreeBuilt09]

Well I’ll be looking forward to the Christmas special then lol

[@nissanpartscc]

😂 the oversell worked?

[@sunbeam8866]

I was wondering if this discussion also applies to the late '90s Altima KA24DE engine? I own a '98 Altima with about 230K on it and it's still running like a top. Also, all the oil filters listed for my car are pretty small. Are there any larger oil filters compatible with this engine? One reason I ask is, last fall I changed the oil and installed a Purolator L14459 oil filter, and this week, I went to change my oil again, and found it's substantially larger than the dinky Purolator L14610 actually listed for my vehicle. I don't know how I wound up with the L14459, but the gasket diameter and thread-size was correct and fit perfectly, with no leaks. However, my online search did find the L14459 filter listed for the 2000 - 2006 KA24DE engine used in the Nissan Urvan - a minivan not sold in the US. Any thoughts or opinions? Thanks, Mark D.

[@lukewashburn9639]

I've almost always used Motorcraft FL400s on mine

[@Gideon_Judges6]

DOHC motor was great. The only one issue I had with it was one day it was a bit rattley. When I took the valve cover off there was a metal chain guide just resting on front of the motor where the chain is (duh) and you could see where it broke off, but it was just hanging out roughly where it belonged. I promptly removed it, and the two bolts(?) holding the other broken piece and never had any other problem. I had read somewhere they don't even incude that piece in the later DE motors. I had a '91 240SX with a T04E, FMIC, tial wastegate, XS BOV (I think it was XS), JDM used VLSD, JDM used SR20/VG30 injectors (370cc I think) some kind of exhaust and I think Apexi, Greddy Profec B spec 2, upgraded to 300zx calipers and master cylinder, Tein full suspension, I forget which tune maybe something from Nissan Forums(?) on the ECU label, and a bunch more stuff I forget... I wish I never sold it almost 15 years ago...😥

[@nissanpartscc]

The upper chain guide on the KA and SR's are supposed to be removed per an old TSB. I had the rattling issue on my Altima's KA and that solved the issue. Wild to think that I still talk to people about that peaky issue 22 years later.

[@rockyfraser9017]

Man I miss my 91 stanza 5 speed! Self taught manual on that car!

[@walkingtacoz]

Just boosted the price of my ka24e for the swap!

[@nathanosman5606]

I have a nissan d21 ka24 s. I need a timing chain kit. Can I use the timing chain kit from the ka24 e? Pls help

[@Mugmagazine]

Good mention of the weep hole!

[@nissanpartscc]

Weeping

[@_los510]

I can say from personal experience..building both ..the KA has more torque but not rev happy the SR revs better but no torque ... I have a KA-T in my S14 with a lighten flywheel and I can out 330 any SR powered S chassis with the same amount of HP.. I also have a SRde 510 with itbs and red line is 9k ( build head) pushing it .. the y are both good engines. And reliable..just preference..and how deep ur pockets are .. well that's my opinion And guys have a Merry Christmas and stay warm..

[@danthayer4770]

Very popular swap among the s12 community.

[@nissanpartscc]

Indeed!

[@off6848]

In my opinion it is the greatest yes. Ease of work, torque, weight, durability, legacy Yeah it is the greatest Nissan motor

[@mhubble91]

At least 8 different variations of KA engines exist. Hard to say which is the best. 1) 1988-early '89 SOHC in S13 had flat top Pistons w/ piston squirters and crank girdle. 2) 1989-1990 SOHC S13 with dish pistons, piston squirters and girdle. 3) 1986-1991 SOHC found in D21. No squirters, no girdle. Different ignition system. 4) FWD SOHC found in AXXESS and Stanza. With squirters and girdle. 5) 1991-97 FWD DOHC in Altima. Squirters, girdle, hall effect ignition system. Dry intake manifold (coolant pipe tstat(?) on exhaust side. This head is ideal for building and ITB / side draft carb setup because manifold does not have coolant in it like RWD applications.) 6) DOHC in S14 different head that DOHC S13, different pistons and now uses Crank position sensor on transmission bell housing. 7) DOHC in 1997+ Frontier, Xterra. Single row timing chain, still using 41F00 block from SOHC iterations. 8) that weird KA20DE (de-stroked) found in JDM Nissan vans.... Let's talk about L16, L18, L20b, Z20, Z22, Z24 too. They're all the same family. While we're at it, let's talk about how they were all originally based off a Mercedes Diesel design?

[@nissanpartscc]

Game on! 😁

[@travisg6672]

The FJ20 is also a beast!... ask the Australian's lol....just hard to get part's in the states

[@edgarmagana85]

Not the greatest motor but it's reliable for a daily vehicle. Good gas mileage also.

[@genaroortega7578]

The two engines are compatibles for headers?

[@BigDaddyLongStockings]

Single cam are torque monsters when boosted but I went with kadet bc it looks better and has imo more aftermarket parts

[@mpina001]

Both my s13’s still have ka24e’s!!

[@joshuamason6610]

Turbo?? What kits do you have??

[@mpina001]

@@joshuamason6610 oh nothing fancy at all. Just stock single cams. Lol.

[@joserobles4582]

It's a great motor, but don't think it's the best. Fun as heck!!!!

[@HimuraRoux]

Supposedly the single cam head flows better than the dual cam.

[@nissanpartscc]

Nice tip! We will definitely be diving in a bit further.

[@OEFarredondo]

Its a better drag racer engine in my opinion

[@Jared-C]

MERRY CHRISTMAS FELLAS!!!!!

[@nissanpartscc]

Thanks Jared!

[@ALL_CAPS_]

The water pump on my s13's ka failed after 20 years with 80k on it when I drove it back in my college days. Definitely don't make parts like they used to.

[@samuelzendejas5651]

Merry Christmas Nissan Fam lol

[@chancegood262]

Top 5!

[@nissanpartscc]

Easy

[@singlejingle_ka]

And just like that- drift tax begins… everyone start buying these up before they get too expensive to find 😂🤘🏼

[@h.j.victory6103]

Nissan also had the FJ20 and FJ24

[@bauertime]

I had two and they both had head gasket leaks at 150k.

[@XDDerek]

KA24DE all the way! im going to milk it into the ground and once it blows im rebuilding it properly 😎 maybe even turbo if i have money

[@2seep]

Best not even close. Good yes

[@dreamcasterdays514]

I can't count how many people who have swapped over to the DE tell me they feel no significant difference to how the felt the E felt a little more "torquey" compared to the DE. The E over the years has given me the impression that it can be very robust compared to a lot of other modern ones and quite simple to work with. The emissions system is a giant mess of webs when it comes to looking at its electrical circuits but overall it sits right on the threshold between where the mechanical and electro mechanical transition into todays automotive technological advancements sit

[@robinator503]

Numbers wise not a shocker. I'm considering a turbo on my 94

[@ShoshinMizu]

single slammer=goat fight me

[@nissanpartscc]

🐐

[@radflaco3612]

👍

[@R1Kenn]

Yes no 🧢

[@arkdead7558]

Less moving parts = less friction

[@outofthebox1671]

Hey I just bought a running 91 stanza for $1 .... the motor in it is sideways and I don't see anyone putting a turbo in these... is it doable. I really want a sleeper out of this thing. Someone helllpp

[@OEFarredondo]

No its not but it is a fun one

[@scottgarmon4865]

Bro….gearheads that paint their fingernails… Wtf dude

[@drunkmtg2264]

Ask your doctor today about Xterrafan.

[@Sirenz187]

Read the title and came in the comments just to say no, it is absolutely nowhere near the greatest engine Nissan has made. Not even close. Not even top 10. What a stupid title and argument

[@axltorvald]

Truck motor is trash

[@nissanpartscc]

Why is that?

[@axltorvald]

@nissanpartscc It's not boost friendly. It's super expensive to do so. On normal use they have no power and they are trouble when it comes time to smog/emissions. I've worked on plenty in my shop.

[@nigelzelaya]

​@@axltorvald wut.... 👁️👄👁️

[@off6848]

@@axltorvaldEclispe user pissed that the KA holds the record

[@nismosaki4550]

Pshh maybe, I need to come snag a few parts from my old coworkers up there, miss some of you guys lol ✌ If you see this Russell or Tom, still have a set of kouki hatch tail lights? Building me up a de-t hatch.

[@nissanpartscc]

Yeah, we have tail lights. Who is this?

[@JB-qy1gx]

Ka > Sr 🤷 it is what it is

[@WraithDeath]

Brittle pistons , imbalanced half counter weighed crank , thin rods , long stroke to name a few BEsT NissAn MotOr EvEr ProduCEd 🫡🫣🤡