Ok, the highlighted text is your problem. Your motor will not start if it is not grounded. Yes the battery needs to be ground but the motor also needs to be ground. If you followed the advice your dealer gave you, then your motor is never going to start, no matter what tests you run unless you ground the motor. Since you are swapping in a KA24 it should take you maybe ten minutes to ground the motor. The most important one will be the one that runs from the intake manifold to the battery tray. Also, a good rule of thumb for any swap is to never try and start the car until everything is wired up. It is something we all learn eventually but the excitement can be overwhelming the first time. So get everything connected and then if you still have problems you won't be shooting in the dark.

^^^ Yes what he said unless it was wired up and started.

Was this just a DOHC swap or with a manual swap as well? If so then you have to rewire the safety neutral.

Also what's the year of the KADE? Could be timing if you used an early 95 motor since the distributor has to be replaced with an S13's. 20 degrees +/-2 it the propper setup for a DOHC. Have done this swap in both of my 240's I've owned.

If not then yes, check the grounds.

It was originally a 90 ka24e and i swapped in a 92 ka24de motor and trans it was already a 5speed. I figured the dealer was wrong since they did steer mr wrong in the past but that is something i just learned. I thought everything was right so thats why i just tried starting it up. Im going to do the rest of the grounds tommorw when its light out annd see what happens. I also have a mechanic coming to help and promised to get it started and check the timing just in case. Just curious though iis the distributor and ignition coil interchangeable from the ka24e to ka24de?

Ok i got it going and im kicking myself in the a$$ for what was wrong actually...I had a mechanic come on over and he looked it over and he didnt know what was wrong with it at all and he left said he would come back sunday so i checked the grounds. I missed one ground. Checked the harness and missed the oil pressure harness by the oil filter gave it a whirl nothing....So for the hell of it i held the harness to the ecu and squeezed harder (maybe it wasnt on all the way) and bam there it started...Sounds HORRIBLY considering no new exhaust manifold gasket but im happy for how it is...which is running. Now all i have to do is do my slave cylinder and i should be set...i know there is a post about that somewhere around this site...Thanks alot for everyones help!!



Actually one other question..What is that metal from the down pipe? When the car runs it blows steam out all in the engine bay (obviously being connected to the exhaust) But does it serve a purpose or can i just block it off?

The metal pipe coming from the downpipe and going to a valve lookin thing on the drivers side engine bay? Thats for the AIV. It's part of the emissions system, you can cap it off.

Ok that'll be done. Now the gauge cluster as a whole wont work? Or just the tach? Cuz if so then ill just leave the sohc atleast till i can get a de one...just so i know how fast im going...