RB26DETT 350Z Hybrid Swap

[xJC350x]

So the time has come, I decided to put an RB26DETT into my 2007 350Z and sale my built block VQ35HR engine (not even back from the machine shop yet) and my brand new OS GIken Triple disk and my Brand New Greddy Twin Turbo kit, and my Haltech EMS, and my HKS BOV, and all the little little things along with it. The hardest part of this project is selling all these brand new items

ANYWAYS,
the shop has already ordered my RB26 from Japan and he is converting my the TT into a single turbo setup. Goal is 500whp daily driver capability and on certain track days take it up a little higher. I have seen a few 350z with the RB26 swap online BUT I have not seen an HR equipped 350z with this swap. Has anybody seen this swap done on a 2007-2008 350z? My shop is going to do custom engine mounts, custom piping, custom exhaust, custom oil pan, and we are even thinking about doing a custom AWD setup (but that is kind of a long shot becasue I don't think I want to wait that long... LOL). I will also have a cutom fuel system setup along with oil cooling and larger radiator/intercooler and ALL the other supporting mods. I want to put this shop ON THE MAP with the great work that I know they are going to do.
So what do you guys think? Would you sell a fully built VQ35HR and Greddy 20G TT kit, and all the stuff I have to go with it to do this swap? Just want to get a feel as to know if I am doing the right thing for this car. Thanks

[nissangirl74]

Not cost effective, plus you will be losing a lot of power.

[bmxarmy]

WOW! I agree with nissangirl. Sounds like you dumped more cash in VQ35HR than I made last year! haha. It just seems like a lot of work and money to swap it around. cool and different factor is definitely there though.

[nissangirl74]

If you're dead-set on the RB, find a classic S30 shell and drop it in. Sexy.

[xJC350x]

Well for roughly the same cost as what I paid for my complete vq build I could have a much more custom and unique setup... you are right, it is not cost effective, but neither was my vq setup... both setups are around the same price to fully complete and do it the right way... however, how do you say I won't make as much power with the rb26 when it has been a proven engine to make 500-600hp on stock internal alone? Can my built vq do that? Yes, but safely doing that required me to put cp racing poisons and bc rods and bore out to a 3.7 liter to get to the goal that I needed. I know many stock block vq35hr blocks out there putting 500+ to the wheels, but for how long safely, I don't know... I understand I am taking a gamble with the rb26 but how nice would it be to be putting the same power a built block v6 could put out on an otherwise stock internal inline six. AND to my knowledge, as I have looked all over, have the first HR equipped Z with a gtr motor in it? Have I been sold into a lie or does this argument that the rb26 is better than the vq35hr make sense?

[bmxarmy]

If you could sell your vq for enough that the rb swap made sense then I guess why not? And you may be the first but usually that does not last long! There already 350z's with rb swaps out there and once the VQ is gone it wont really be a HR will it? Just my opinions though.

[l0nestar]

Being 'first' means discovering all of the weak points.. 'first'.
Also totally *not* worth it, as it has been done before. Once you remove the HR, it's just a Z33 with a swap.

[Darius]

eek, I'm gonna be nice and simply say that you made a mistake.

[StricNyne]

idk, if your goal is to put car on the map, its a swap that will def do it, but the HR is a pretty good motor (dont they pop at 400 like the non HR or revup do though ?) in NJ an older Z goes for less than 10k which to me makes for a better candidate though than a newer Z i think it might of been better to stick with the built one u had, but by the time you add FI and yadda yadda.. its a tough call

[xJC350x]

Ok, let me give you guys some background info for the reason why I am doing this. I didn't just wake up one day and say I'm going to do this swap. I was spraying 100 shot for about three months late last year when my number 3 cylinder blew. I had to rebuild the engine so my "friend" that I was going through said he.could rebuild the motor and since we are inside the engine we might as well build it stronger which was my first idea anyway. So I had the engine professionally built at a reputable engine shop nearby. I then preceded to buy a turbo kit and all the supporting mode because of the initial great price he said I could do it for. Then the downhill slope comes... I gave.him an initial 5k, then another 5k for other things, then he needed 2k more, then he needed 2k more. After already dropping 12k plus I was then committed to the project as I couldn't take anything back. He was then asking for another 5k. Long story short I pulled the plug on him and was stuck with 16k worth of parts alone including NO labor... I took it to the shop I'm at now and he said we could continue with what I started but why spend 20k for a complete setup when for the same price you could have a track ready rb26 setup. It made sense what he was talking about and assured me the price would be the same. Long story short this is where I am at now... 16k in parts that I am trying to sell (knowing I'm going to lose money) and spending about the same for the swap. I figured if I'm going to spend this much might as well have something that nobody within probably 1000 miles of me has. Hope this clears things up some.

[xJC350x]

I've seen stock HR daily driver at about 500 rear wheel, for how long I don't know...

idk, if your goal is to put car on the map, its a swap that will def do it, but the HR is a pretty good motor (dont they pop at 400 like the non HR or revup do though ?) in NJ an older Z goes for less than 10k which to me makes for a better candidate though than a newer Z i think it might of been better to stick with the built one u had, but by the time you add FI and yadda yadda.. its a tough call

[ItzGenX]

Almost an entire liter difference in motor sizing. The RB is a smooth motor, yes, but the low end torque isn't going to be there like a VQ. Technically the VQ can get higher pump gas numbers than a RB26.

[xJC350x]

Let me guess, no replacement for displacement... it is only true to a detain extent. I could drop a 7.0 liter Corvette engine in there but why? that's why American cars are so behind Japanese technology... not nagging on them though.

[AZhitman]

If money's not an issue, and skill isn't an issue, and you think you can actually get any money back out of the parts you've already bought, then just do it and tell us about it when it's done. You've already decided it's a good idea, you've already spent a ton of money - what's there to discuss?

Here's the thing: In the 10 years I've been doing the forum thing (and building cars), I've seen 1000 great ideas for every 10 great cars.

And if pure power is the goal, there's no argument: LS > all. The reason nissangirl said what she said? She's owned a built & supercharged VQ, a built RB swap, and a modded LS (among several other modded Nissan engines). She'd know.

I'll ignore what you said about "lagging behind Japanese technology". That's uninformed. When Nissan builds something that can compete with the LS3 / LS7, let me know. They haven't. Don't get me wrong, I love my RB. I love my KA-T. I love my LS. But for HALF the money you'll spend on that RB, you can have 600+ hp of reliable, tried-and-true, easy-to-maintain power.

Like I said: Build it. Then tell us about it.

[mixeds14]

I'll ignore what you said about "lagging behind Japanese technology". That's uninformed. When Nissan builds something that can compete with the LS3 / LS7, let me know. They haven't. Don't get me wrong, I love my RB. I love my KA-T. I love my LS. But for HALF the money you'll spend on that RB, you can have 600+ hp of reliable, tried-and-true, easy-to-maintain power

man im sure eveyone on here loves their rb or what ever swap they may have but, the MAN said it best..^^^^^^^^

[Cjmartz2k]

It's not a good swap. Screw how unique for on the map you are, the VQ will make for a faster car for less. If you want to build a show car, it's not a good platform anyways. If you want attention, buy a Ferrari. If you want a car to go beat the crap out of and enjoy, it seems finishing the project the way you already started would be the best course of action.

[xJC350x]

Being realistic, I can not get a Ferrari. Being practical, I have to continue the project. And not being sarcastic, how would this not be a good swap? Price not being an issue, the rb26 has been a proven engine over the years, right? Plus, even though I have a car that many people have I still love being different. However, main things I would like to know is (1) how reliable have some of your, or some one you know, RB26 swaps been? And (2) what kind of problems and hiccups and problems have you run into? I appreciate all constructive criticism.

[AZhitman]

If you've already bought it, why are you asking our opinion?

Here's the deal: An RB in ANY car isn't "different". We have an RB in an S30. There's thousands of RB-swapped S-chassis. There's a guy on here with an RB in a '46 Dodge. I have a buddy with an RB in a 60's Mopar. I know of a few RB-powered hot rods. There's a couple RB-swapped Q45's. And, even though they're not splashed all over every retarded fanboi magazine (*ahem* SuperStreet), there's more than a few RB-swapped 350Z's already.

Secondly, ANY modern engine is reliable. I mean, really. I have a good friend with a 400whp LS that's got 300K miles on it. An RB is a great engine, but it's not THAT modern. Remember, it's no longer in production. But it's no more or less reliable than a VQ, an LS, an SR, or any other common swap.

Lastly, "problems" and "hiccups" are going to be no different than I ran into building a high-hp turbo KA, or building my supercharged VQ, or modding my n/a LS, or building your turbo VQ. It's just an engine. They're all the same.

More importantly:

Pardon me for being a little cynical, but IF you've ever driven anything NEAR 500hp on a track, and IF you've already spent a metric crap-ton of money on all the VQ turbo kit like you claimed, then you should already know the answer to all these questions.

Whenever I see people throw HP numbers around, I get suspicious... Hell, I know pro drivers who have no use for 500hp. So, unless you're some sponsored driver having a 500-hp monster Z being built for you, let's just leave that alone. We're not dyno-number-chasers here. That stuff is for magazine tuners.

BTW, you don't have a "fully built" VQ35HRTT if the block isn't even back from the machine shop - You have a pile of parts. Might want to start over with this discussion, because NONE of it adds up.

We're here to help, but there's no need to try to impress anyone here. Many of us have already built stuff that's way more impressive, so just relax and enjoy the info that's here.

[xJC350x]

First off, I'm not here to brag about my project.I am EXCITED about it. I want constructive criticism and not just somebody to tell me to basically shut up, that I am not being truthful about my project, and not being of Any help. If you have something not conducive to say then why are you even reading or participating in my thread? All I ask is for something constructive and not a hater raining on my parade. Everything I said is true, this is a project with a scheduled date of two to three months to complete, and I am just trying to start a new thread without people giving un helpful info like you. BUT, I expected it. I have a 500 hp amg currently that I daily drive so don't question what I want or what I may or may not need. Also, I have NOTHING to prove to you or anyone else.

Now that I got that out the way, maybe someone would have something that could help me understand my build, as this is thee first time I'm doing something like this to a car.

[TheRBguy]

I think this is a cool swap and build, i own an rb and have drove 350z's so why not combine two awsome things?!?! I like the idea.

[RustspecS13]

Sounds like you found a s*** or shady shop that was putting together your VQ. Don't let that reflect on the engine, it has awesome potential.

The only reason an RB would be more reliable then a boosted VQ is because of the tuners familiarity with the engine, assembling and tuning it.

I'm actually swapping in VQ's into my 240's. The daily is getting a 30 and the track car is getting a 35. I like the low weight and short engine length. My rb20 is forsale, I could 25 or 26 swap it, but I'm going in a new direction.

Good luck, 500-600WHP is nothing for a build RB or VQ. Full race has a pretty stock long block RB26 at 700HP. What your asking of it isn't all that crazy. Hopefully you found a good shop this time.

~Alex

edit- greg, which was the supercharged VQ build? I guess I missed that one!

[xJC350x]

I think this is a cool swap and build, i own an rb and have drove 350z's so why not combine two awsome things?!?! I like the idea.

Thank you, What do you have your rb in? How reliable has it been for you?

[AZhitman]

First off, I'm not here to brag about my project.I am EXCITED about it. I want constructive criticism and not just somebody to tell me to basically shut up, that I am not being truthful about my project, and not being of Any help. If you have something not conducive to say then why are you even reading or participating in my thread? All I ask is for something constructive and not a hater raining on my parade. Everything I said is true, this is a project with a scheduled date of two to three months to complete, and I am just trying to start a new thread without people giving un helpful info like you. BUT, I expected it. I have a 500 hp amg currently that I daily drive so don't question what I want or what I may or may not need. Also, I have NOTHING to prove to you or anyone else.

Now that I got that out the way, maybe someone would have something that could help me understand my build, as this is thee first time I'm doing something like this to a car.

You already missed the constructive parts. Unbunch your panties, Mr. AMG, and read more carefully.

Perhaps you expected a lot of people to line up and fap off to your "plan", and I'm sorry that didn't happen for you. I'm not here to blow sunshine and unicorns up anyone's a$$, I think parades are gay, and I'll question whatever I please, thanks.

Cool? Now that we understand each other:

You said you want to "understand" your build, right? Did I read that correctly? If so, that's not a clear question. Are you doing the work? If not, drop off the car, write the check, and post pics when it's done. There's nothing to "understand". It's a s***-ton of work for no real gain. Fact.

I already told you that the RB is reliable (in stock form, in the car it was designed for). That's not even a logical topic of discussion. Our built RB (in my wife's 72 Z) was in an S13 previously, and was bulletproof - I drove the hell out of it.

I'm not getting paid to build your car, so I'll say exactly what comes to mind from my expertise. I hope the shop you're paying knows what THEY are getting into, because they're gonna be hitting you up for a lot more money than you spent on your VQ. Have THEY ever put an RB in a Z33?

What you might not be aware of is that you're talking about a complete dismantling of the car... Remember, it's not just engine mounts and a custom driveshaft. You're likely going to be looking at a lot of fabrication for trans mounts, crossmember, modifications to the trans tunnel (possibly), a custom oil pan, and I'd bet the downpipe will have to be fabbed up 100%... custom exhaust, relocation points for the radiator, fabricated intercooler piping, damn - it's a BIG job.

After building several cars, I wouldn't be surprised if this exceeds the cost of another 07-08 Z. And, when you're done, a well-built VQ35HRTT will still walk all over it. And you won't have air conditioning, and it'll be substantially heavier. But you'll be unique.

Sorry if you don't like my constructive criticism, but I'm not a "checkbook tuner" - YOU already said you've "never done something like this to a car", which means to me that you've never done a motor swap. Something this complex isn't a great place to start for a n00b - THAT isn't "raining on your parade", that's being honest. YOU mentioned that you couldn't find an "HR-equipped" Z with an RB swap - That doesn't matter. Your Z with no engine in it is the same as an 03 350Z. THAT tells me you're not all that familiar with your own car, or cars in general. I could be wrong... Nope. I'm not.

I hope that helps you "understand your build".

p.s. For all that time you spent responding to me, you could have searched and found this:
my-rb26-powered-350z-t465441.html
rb26dett-into-350z-t387386.html
making-the-rb26dett-transmission-rwd-in ... 56390.html

[AZhitman]

edit- greg, which was the supercharged VQ build? I guess I missed that one!

My G coupe (track slut / daily driver).

[xJC350x]

First off, I'm not here to brag about my project.I am EXCITED about it. I want constructive criticism and not just somebody to tell me to basically shut up, that I am not being truthful about my project, and not being of Any help. If you have something not conducive to say then why are you even reading or participating in my thread? All I ask is for something constructive and not a hater raining on my parade. Everything I said is true, this is a project with a scheduled date of two to three months to complete, and I am just trying to start a new thread without people giving un helpful info like you. BUT, I expected it. I have a 500 hp amg currently that I daily drive so don't question what I want or what I may or may not need. Also, I have NOTHING to prove to you or anyone else.

Now that I got that out the way, maybe someone would have something that could help me understand my build, as this is thee first time I'm doing something like this to a car.

You already missed the constructive parts. Unbunch your panties, Mr. AMG, and read more carefully.

Perhaps you expected a lot of people to line up and fap off to your "plan", and I'm sorry that didn't happen for you. I'm not here to blow sunshine and unicorns up anyone's a$$, I think parades are gay, and I'll question whatever I please, thanks.

Cool? Now that we understand each other:

You said you want to "understand" your build, right? Did I read that correctly? If so, that's not a clear question. Are you doing the work? If not, drop off the car, write the check, and post pics when it's done. There's nothing to "understand". It's a s***-ton of work for no real gain. Fact.

I already told you that the RB is reliable (in stock form, in the car it was designed for). That's not even a logical topic of discussion. Our built RB (in my wife's 72 Z) was in an S13 previously, and was bulletproof - I drove the hell out of it.

I'm not getting paid to build your car, so I'll say exactly what comes to mind from my expertise. I hope the shop you're paying knows what THEY are getting into, because they're gonna be hitting you up for a lot more money than you spent on your VQ. Have THEY ever put an RB in a Z33?

What you might not be aware of is that you're talking about a complete dismantling of the car... Remember, it's not just engine mounts and a custom driveshaft. You're likely going to be looking at a lot of fabrication for trans mounts, crossmember, modifications to the trans tunnel (possibly), a custom oil pan, and I'd bet the downpipe will have to be fabbed up 100%... custom exhaust, relocation points for the radiator, fabricated intercooler piping, damn - it's a BIG job.

After building several cars, I wouldn't be surprised if this exceeds the cost of another 07-08 Z. And, when you're done, a well-built VQ35HRTT will still walk all over it. And you won't have air conditioning, and it'll be substantially heavier. But you'll be unique.

Sorry if you don't like my constructive criticism, but I'm not a "checkbook tuner" - YOU already said you've "never done something like this to a car", which means to me that you've never done a motor swap. Something this complex isn't a great place to start for a n00b - THAT isn't "raining on your parade", that's being honest. YOU mentioned that you couldn't find an "HR-equipped" Z with an RB swap - That doesn't matter. Your Z with no engine in it is the same as an 03 350Z. THAT tells me you're not all that familiar with your own car, or cars in general. I could be wrong... Nope. I'm not.

I hope that helps you "understand your build".

p.s. For all that time you spent responding to me, you could have searched and found this:
my-rb26-powered-350z-t465441.html
rb26dett-into-350z-t387386.html
making-the-rb26dett-transmission-rwd-in ... 56390.html

Hey man, you think I don't know EVERYTHING you just talked about? LOL, I'm happy that you are taking the time to reply and waste YOUR time replying on something that is MY project. I will post pics as the job goes along and if you have anything else to say the OP will always be a click away. I am not going to "cyber argue" with you about something that is hundereds of miles away from you, honestly I have better things to do. This will be the last post I respond to you and if you would like to subscribe, stop in for updates, or continue to be facetious, all haters, are welcome Until next time

So I was talking to the shop today and we decided to do a twin mount intercooler on either side of the bumper so that my radiator can get MAX cooling and that my A/C will still work on those California 110* days. Every day that we (the person doing the work and I) brainstorm it just gets better by the way. He gives me ideas, I research them, and we pull the trigger. Mind you, he knows what a big job this is, and how much money many shops would charge, but when you work with shops that are more for getting you on there team to go the track and road race, drift, autocross, etc. vs. trying to make a years worth salary on one job it is a good feeling . Like I say, some shops deserve to be put on the map, even though this one is pretty well known locally and amongst word of mouth on the west coast. I hope that some day my car can be in a magazine just so I can give all props to where props are due...

[TurboSauce]

I love how new people have no respect for the owner of the site ...

[xJC350x]

Oh, so Hitman is the boss? No wonder he feels he can talk to people any way he wants... well you have to show respect to get respect, right? I was completely nice to him until he wanted to be a wise guy. Anyways, can we stay on the topic of the thread please? I don't want the thread to be about me and some guy, owner or not, arguing over stupid stuff. Let's talk car :-)

[PyR0NiAk]

I'm typically nice to the new guys, but I have to agree with everything Greg said. I think you're in over your head. It looks as if you came to the forum looking for attention, instead of to learn and share. I recommend you use the search feature at the top right. It'll save you a lot of embarrassment in the future.

[WDRacing]

Here's the thing, a lot of people are watching you take a really great motor and replace it with a smaller, albeit good, motor for the sake of being different. Which is fine, because it's your life. I do retarded things sometimes to

The big difference here is what I call the grin factor. The VQ makes way more torque then the RB26 throughout the entire rpm range. HP power numbers have nothing to do with anything. If the motor doesn't have a fat torque curve it makes for a peaky very unpleasant ride. Lets just assume you've made up your mind and are going RB regardless so we can get past the fact that we're going in with a handicap

You're going to hate yourself if you go with a big single turbo. The car is too heavy to have a laggy small displacement motor, that's just fact. I'd go with a pair of 2530's and take them as far as they can go. The lag is very manageable and you'll be able to make some pretty decent power. Just make sure that whatever combo you go with, right now power is the key to grin factor. Don't let anyone tell you a big single is fun to drive every day.

If you need more power after the 2530's are spent you can just run some nitrous. The RB loves a little juice...who doesn't.

WD

[xJC350x]

Those are very good points WD. I am going to talk it over with the guy and see about the options when going single turbo vs twin. Honestly I like the idea of twins, and I know they will suffice my power goal... 95% of the time this car is going to be street driven so it needs to be optimized for that. I was telling him that twins are better for low-end and what not, he agreed, but he said most road race applications go with single turbos because most of the time you are in higher RPMs... I agreed with him, BUT like i said the car will mostly be street driven. And if I keep twins I wont have to worry about any header modification which to me is a plus.
I had the same concern as you going in to the project because I looked at the fact that I am going down 1.1 liter of engine! But I after seeing good numbers from the RB and realizing that my shop is hooking me up with an outstanding price I figured I might as well do it since I am spending with money anyway. Trust, had I known a turbo project was going to cost this much from the beginning I would have just put some upgraded stock compression internals back in to my engine and been happy! However, I am happy now, but my bank account isn't... With the 2530's what kind of power typically are you looking at? Thanks for the help.