Hello again guys.

It's been a while since I posted on this forum, though it's not like I posted too often either. One of my posts was about the J20A swap I was doing to my 98' RWD Sidekick for street use. Well, I have finished most of it though I still have some, more or less, important details left but its a running vehicle now - and what power it has now.

As I wrote a while back, I opted to build adapter plates that bolted to the engine block but still using OEM engine mounts for practicality and because they are readily available almost everywhere. I also decided to go all Suzuki on the engine management system, so the OEM manual trans 2.0L ECM and harness were used. On the intake side, I used a stock 03' 2.0L Aerio intake manifold along with all its components (TB/MAF, MAP and injectors). On the exhaust side of things, a 03' 2.0L Vitara manifold was used and wrapped in black thermo wrap (it's all faded now, bummer). Man, did this manifold really worked out great!!!

Tranny??? It's a direct bolt on!!! Now, not everything was perfect. First, I opted to use a stock J23A (2.3L engine found on Aerios 04' on) flywheel as it would benefit me for street use since its bigger in diameter and lighter in wheight. Also, a custom part had to be made and fitted to the pilot bearing in order for the tranny to work correctly (you will see on the pics I'll post). Once everything was fitted the tranny rotated as supposed. BTW, I'm also using an ACT heavy duty plate model # MB012. It's made for a Mitsubishi Eclipse but it bolts right up and the 2.0L flywheel studs and bolts perfectly.

Well, I'm going to stop on the swap talk couse you all will be able to see it on the pics in my Flickr account. What I want to talk about real quick is of the power difference. Man, does this Kick feels powerful!!! I had the chance to race with a 97' Honda Accord a couple of days ago and I killed him from 4th to 5th gear. We rolled from 3rd gear, which was an advantage for him cause we all now that 5.125 gear ratio is way to high and we run out of gear too fast (26" wheels), but on 4th I started to catch him back. By the time I hit 5th I was by his side passing him very comfortably.

So the swap works great. Torque is plentiful with the 2.3L flywheel, stock 5.125 gear, custom 3" intake, and custom 3" down pipe that's welded up to a 2.5" exhaust with a resonator and a Dinomax muffler (not straight). People are telling me that it may be too large of an exhaust diameter, but it feels very powerful - and sounds really deep and appealing too.

Ok, here are some pics. I took some new ones today with a Garrett T28 turbine (off a Nissan S14 Sylvia) placed over the exhaust manifold to see how it will be fitted, so that's going to be the next step. Here you go guys, enjoy...

Link to my gallery:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79046994|removethispart|@N00/sets/72157603891505268/

Engine bay...


Custom intake...


2.0L Vitara exhaust manifold...


Close up on the exhaust side. Thermo wrapped the maniflod and the clutch cable...


A look at how the turbine will fit under the hood...


More or less where it's going to be placed when the custom manifold is fabbes up...


BTW, thanks to the help of some of the members in this forum and if anyone have any , do not hesitate to ask.

Regards,
Jary

That is quite the project.  Sounds like alot of fun!!!  Offers some great ideas for the 4x4 crowd too.   

Where's the drooling smiley 

That is quite the project.  Sounds like alot of fun!!!  Offers some great ideas for the 4x4 crowd too.   

Thanks j2custom.

Well, that's the reason I posted this, to follow up on an earlier post I did about my swap and maybe help answer some someone may have. Or even get some suggestions.

I'm a bit amazed cause I'm used to see more participation from other members. Lets see.

I'm a bit amazed cause I'm used to see more participation from other members. Lets see.

Well, there's not much information on performing a swap like this. I'm glad you documented it well for others to see the things that need to be done. You did a really great job with the swap, it looks factory   

Yeah, I figured
Thanks for the compliment though. I wanted the swap to look "factory" as much as possible while also using OEM parts. For the most part of it I did, but still had to fab some custom parts. Still have some trouble with the cooling system as I need to have a new radiator made with the water inlet on the right side or just the top cover with that same spec.

BTW, I'm having clutch problems. First, let me say that I'm using the stock (brand new) clutch cable and heat shielded it so I don't have any "saggy cable" issues in the future. Second, I had my machine shop fab up (out of brass - originally made from rubber) the spacer that hooks up to the clutch cable bracket on the tranny/engine block so that it didn't flex under pressure. So, on to the problem. It seems as if my ACT plate is heating up too much and it tends to get a bit "spongy" and the pedal gets kind of hard to press. I understand it has more clamping pressure and thus normally makes the pedal feel harder but what's happening isn't quite normal. As the engine and tranny warm up, the pedal gets harder to press and it comes to a point that when I'm just starting to depress the clutch pedal, the pressure plate instantly grabs the disk and kinda jolts the whole vehicle. At first the clutch pedal has like (lets say) 4 inches of travel and after the engine and tranny warm up real good, that pedal travel decreases to like 1/2 an inch or so. Before the brass spacer I had made, the problem was worse, so much that the tranny didn't make neutral when I stopped on a red light with it in 1st gear. The Kick just wanted to stall as the clutch plate was still pressing.

What do you guys think could be causing this problem? Is it the clutch plate over heating way too much?

If it's so, I've thought of drilling a couple of small holes on the tranny's bell housing to get some ventilation to the clutch plate and keep lower temps in there.

Has anybody done this before? Does it weakens the bell housing considerably as to make it insecure?

Thanks.

I like that, it really does look factory. Is that out of a FWD vehicle? Do you have the water outlet pointing straight out the back?

I like that, it really does look factory. Is that out of a FWD vehicle? Do you have the water outlet pointing straight out the back?

Yup, out of a 03' Aerio. By water outlet you mean the water that comes out of the engine block? If so, that's affirmative. All the J series engines water outlet comes from the back and to the front (on Trackicks and Vits / 2.0L GV's) through the metal tube you see on the right side of the engine head and over the exhaust manifold.

On FWD Suzuki vehicles (Aerio's and SX4's), the water outlet is on the right side of the engine as they are positioned horizontally on the engine bay - which for us would be the back side of the engine. I find it so cool that an engine off a front wheel drive vehicle could fit so darn well on a RWD SUV.

BTW, for off-road / rock crawl use I would suggest the J20A found on Vits / GV's as the intake manifold is built a bit further back (like if the runners curved back more) and the "main housing?" is a bit shorter, thus leaving more space for placing the intake hose and filter and the power loss is mostly unnoticeable. Also, the 2.0L flywheel would serve better as it is heavier than the 2.3L I used (J23A) and thus would give more bottom end torque.

Thanks Rhino.