Rear End

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Question Of The Month
Q I am a new subscriber and a big fan of SS. I have a '91 Civic hatchback standard model. I have installed a Fidanza 7 lb. flywheel, Unorthodox crank pulley, 4-2-1 header, Hurst short shifter, GReddy shift knob and a few other mods. I have a couple of problems that I need your help with. I was wanting to know what all I would need for a drum to disc conversion. Where can I find aftermarket kits or which other Honda rear disc brakes would work? Would I have to change the master cylinder also? And are there any aftermarket suspension parts to replace the heavy steel parts? Which cable or hydro 5-speed transmission could I use to replace the 4-speed the car has now? I would appreciate any feedback.
Harvey Cobb
Gloster, MS

A The only aftermarket kit for drum to disc brakes for your Civic is from www.FastBrakes.com. If you choose to go with OEM parts, the '90-'91 CRX Si rear disc brakes and complete trailing arm will swap over. If you can't find those disc brakes, you can also use one from a '90-'01 Integra or '92-'95 Civic with rear disc brakes. You will not have to change the master cylinder, but it would be a wise idea to change both that and the proportioning valve. For transmissions, the easiest swap would be a 5-speed transmission from an '88-'91 Civic/CRX. Check the install section for step-by-step instructions of the brake upgrade.

Q My girlfriend has a '96 Altima with almost 190,000 miles on the stock engine (KA24DE). We were looking for a good motor swap instead of purchasing a different automobile. Would a SR20DET motor be able to fit in the engine bay? I ask this cause I don't see many Altimas with swapped engines. Or is there an easier swap available that would yield awesome results?
Erin Liverpool
Via the Internet

A Yes, a SR20DET will fit in the Altima. And the best part is, you can do it with all OEM parts. You won't need a mount kit, or need to cut or weld your car up. You will need to get a SR20DET from a FWD car, not the RWD version. There are several different SR20DET engines, the best being from a '90-'94 Pulsar GTi-R with almost 230 hp. But the GTi-R engine is AWD, you won't be able to use that transmission. So you'll need one from a Sentra SE-R or one of the like, and you will need to modify the block before fitting it to the transmission.

Q First off, I've got to say I love the mag and I hope your F22A motor kicks some ass in the Castrol Syntec Top Shop Challenge. Second, I have a 2003 Toyota Celica GT-S. It's not a bad car but I wish I had kept my Integra. Anyway, I was wondering if you know of any companies that make turbo kits for my car. GReddy makes a supercharger but it only fits the '00-'02 model. The car has decent power, but I want more. Any help in finding one would be awesome.
Tommy Leland
Via the Internet