My RB20DET swap journal, w/pics!

[Valley]

fighting the pump is what makes it hard, without the pump it's easier... though yeah, not as easy as ps.

[DriftingisLame]

I can assure you, I am not a chronic masturbater...

[Andrew85cm]

No ps sucks when you are not moving or going slow. Actually come to think of it it sucks any time. I busted my lines cause I had pignose lines zip tied instead of the dohc lines. I had to drive for a week with none and it totally sucked ***. I got the dohc lines and thy tuck right up between my crossmember and oilpan and it worked great. I have no AC thats one thing no powersteering I mean come on you need some amenities. A car that is suppose to have ps is even harder than older cars that were never suppose to have it. Its especially a *****. Its your car so therefore your call have fun.

[OKCA18DET]

I can assure you, I am not a chronic masturbater...

sh!!!!!!!T i am!

[intrexin]

the first couple days you don't have ps it sucks then you get used to it and it's not too bad anymore. i way i look at is i's one less thing to break and more weight gone

[Carl H]

well suit yourself, i dont like it and it sucks *** if you live in the city and have to naviagate parking lots all the time.while moving its not bad but man from a standstill its hard as crap, also it can be a safty issue where you may not be able to turn the wheel fast enough in an emergency situation.

[JonPowell]

I have no PS on my 280Z, came stock like that, and its not really that bad. You get used to it real quick

[DriftingisLame]

Cool because its gettin removed =P at least for now...I might hate it and mess with it later.

I keep getting advice from different people and so far not much of it has been reliable. The motor mount bolts are about a 3rd of an inch from sliding through the mounts on the motor, since I only heard from 1 person about smashing the firewall...I could use a second opinion from someone thats done this.

A picture and a circle would be killer if I do have to do some pounding.

[Carl H]

the motor should drop right into place in a s13, on a s14 you need to bang in the firewall a bit else it will interfere and the starter bulge will be up against the firewall.it also helps if there is some one under the car that can move the transmission around while some one works the cherry picker, helps with lining stuff up.

[DriftingisLame]

are you sure? have you done this swap? I'm getting so many mixed answers and I dont really know what to believe. Its not looking like its gonna fit, but its hard to tell when I'm the only one working on this... Solitary motor swaps are definatly not as interesting...

[Yellow4g63]

are you sure? have you done this swap? I'm getting so many mixed answers and I dont really know what to believe. Its not looking like its gonna fit, but its hard to tell when I'm the only one working on this... Solitary motor swaps are definatly not as interesting...

Carl has already done a S13 Rb20 swap before trust him.

[DriftingisLame]

K well I couldnt get the motor in with a non pounded firewall. My friend told me I had to for sure, so I pounded it lightly, now that I have it in, It clears barely. So... I'm not sure if I should have pounded or not... I'm thinkin I just had the cherry picker hooked to the motor wrong and couldnt finagle it in right the first time. Either way, I dont give a damn i have an indented firewall.

The RB is in, and the 2 motor mounts bolted on. Which transmission mount do I use? the RB's or the KA's... I'm sure I could figure this out easily, but this is the second night in a row I've spent all night working on my car....... 6 am aaaghh, night guys.

[DriftingisLame]

Removing the RB crossmember, veeeery tight bolts... I could barely turn them with my burly man muscles.

[DriftingisLame]

Crossmembers Removed.

['90_240sx_Lover]

You know the easiest way to turn tight bolts? Use a cheater bar, i.e. a piece of steel tubing about 2 or 3 feet long, slip it over the socket wrench of choice and pull. It adds leverage don't ya know?

[DriftingisLame]

Yeah the cheater bar is one of those things for me that you know you need but never want to take the time to go actually get...

Having some problems lately guys... I might not be able to work on the car for a few days.

[Carl H]

You know the easiest way to turn tight bolts? Use a cheater bar, i.e. a piece of steel tubing about 2 or 3 feet long, slip it over the socket wrench of choice and pull. It adds leverage don't ya know?

ahhhh yes the cheater bar aka: torque adder.

[modestmouse]

Haha I use a cheater bar ALLL the time. I use a length of conduit pipe. They flex a little and it keeps you from doing anything crazy.

['90_240sx_Lover]

I use steel gas line tubing. You just have to be careful.

[DriftingisLame]

Having some problems lately guys... I might not be able to work on the car for a few days.

Wow, those few days turned into over a month of not even touching my car.

I had some strange times the past month guys, left home for a while, contemplated life, bought a crotch rocket, got another full time job because I'm too much of a slacker...you know.

I work at the tire factory so I get everything we order from @ cost +10%, yaaaaay. 70 hours a week between both jobs, after some small bills it all goes into my car now.

Picked up where i left off last night, and I got the motor in/bolted down, IC piping completely reasembled, AC/PS removed, skyline cluster removed and about to go in the s13, and almost done with the wiring. I'm having trouble with the wiring, because my car was originally an automatic. I'm using the lower KA wiring harness and I've come to the transmission sensors which dont fit because its for an automatic transmission.. I can get the damn car running tonight if I can figure this out. Does anyone have AIM that could help me out?

Thanks..

[DriftingisLame]

Good news guys!

For anyone that still checks this...Last night my friend with a KA-T on AEM has been having some problems with his AF ratio, so we were out fine tuning it (on .4 bar). We got the car to run a lot better so we decided to crank up the boost a bit. We took it slow, increasing to .8 bar, and then to 1.1 bar, when the car started smoking (old stock bottom end). The guy that owns the car has a fully built bottom end being assembled at the body shop, so he's not too concerned aboutt his block. Anyways the car started smoking, then it blew, most likely a ringland.

Back on track, he wants my old KA to build slightly for a daily driver in the future. So We traded my motor for $100 and his old t3/t04.

YAY

I'll post pics asap!

[SHIFT_Lock]

. I'm thinkin I just had the cherry picker hooked to the motor wrong and couldnt finagle it in right the first time.

Next time hook up the leveler the other way. It goes from nose to tail. Not side to side. Then you will be able to level the motor.

[DriftingisLame]

Thanks man but it dont look like I'll be swapping any more motors any time soon, haaah.

[sparksta]

hey was wondering what you did with the rest of the clip... ie the skyline dash, and all the heater/blower stuff/ center console there.

[DriftingisLame]

Hehe, sittin in front of my house actually, i was thinking about selling most of the stuff for unreasonable to some bandwagon drifters around here that think the panels are a direct bolt on...haah.

Let me know if your interested in any of it though, I'd rather have it go so someone that will use it.

[sparksta]

ya man i'm interested .. if you have AIM msg me on there and we can possibly talk my nick is BIZERKRB26. If not just send me an email to [email protected]

[DriftingisLame]

I could really use some help here guys, if anyone has done this specific swap with the RB crossmember pleeeeease IM me.

MaxdaMilli0n (AIM)

I am really fed up with "well I heard.." or "my friend said's, used to help me as facts... there usually bull****, I'm not accusing, i just need some solid info.

Thanks!

[lyon23]

I could really use some help here guys, if anyone has done this specific swap with the RB crossmember pleeeeease IM me. Thanks!

Are you goin to be dropping the engine from the top? I got some pics that might help with the crossmember.

[DriftingisLame]

Motors in man. Just wondering what transmission crossmember I'm supposed to use, and if the 5 speed driveshaft will work even using the r32 crossmember.

[lyon23]

either one, they should be the same.. the only problem I've encountered is with the current swap,I'm doing now, the car was an auto and was converted to a 5speed(not by me) but neither of the transmission crossmembers would work and I had to turn the crossmember around to make it fit.