need info/experience about the sr20det

[Galacian]

Hello all I am currently working on a project 260z and I am stuck between two engines for it, the rb25det and the sr20det.

So I come over here to ask, what makes the sr20det such a praised motor? What would one expect to put into it cash wise to get some decent speed.And do you think it would be a better choice over the rb25det for me?

I really am a noob to the import scene since I have only messed with classic/muscle cars my entire life, so I come to you guys for the information I lack.

[nzmoman]

both motors will perform well in the 260...you need to figure out some power goals and what you want from the car that would help.

considering your enjoyment of muscle cars chances are you would like the torque numbers of the RB better. There is not one that is going to be better than the other its just preference that determines what you like. BTW, you should find people who are running each motor in their car and get their opinions. 260z's don't make the same car that an s chassis does after a swap. there are differences as the 260 is old and its suspension setup and weight are different.

[Kalypso]

read the FAQ articles in both sections and you'll get the full swing of what makes the sr20 so great.

there are a lot of threads venerating the motor itself.reliability, responsiveness, good power, and its affordable.

it isnt expensive to get more parts.

if you have a big budget get a 2jzgte,

[Galacian]

I do have a friend who keeps telling me to get a sr20det though I really want to look more into it and the rb25det. Trouble is I have never seen a rb motor around this area so I cant easily find someone in person and talk to them about it whereas kinda can with the sr20det. Also I think I may have one of the few z's in the state, Indiana's weather is not kind to datsuns. It will be kinda funny, because when I get the z it will be much lusted after due to their rarity here.

Power wise I am not really sure what I want, maybe something that wont get completely blown away to badly by my dads 700 hp charger. And my lack of knowledge about lightweight cars compared to muscle cars leaves me clueless about what hp I would need. Be nice if I could keep up with it...

[shift_SRDETuser]

I do have a friend who keeps telling me to get a sr20det though I really want to look more into it and the rb25det. Trouble is I have never seen a rb motor around this area so I cant easily find someone in person and talk to them about it whereas kinda can with the sr20det. Also I think I may have one of the few z's in the state, Indiana's weather is not kind to datsuns. It will be kinda funny, because when I get the z it will be much lusted after due to their rarity here.

Power wise I am not really sure what I want, maybe something that wont get completely blown away to badly by my dads 700 hp charger. And my lack of knowledge about lightweight cars compared to muscle cars leaves me clueless about what hp I would need. Be nice if I could keep up with it...

There is a BIG difference 4000-5000 lb muscle cars and 2000-3000 lb rice rockets. I would say 400-500 horsepower with an sr20det in a 240sx or 240/260z would be more than enough to smoke your dad's charger.

This has been done before-- see Z fever and their 240z red top SR project.

[Kalypso]

I know you only have 9 posts, but everything your looking for is here.

im not sure exactly what you're asking.

but if you want a 400hp sr20det, in a car that weighs 2800 lbs. all the information to do that is here.

if you want to buy a motor and have questions, call sr20store and talk to them when they're not busy about the RB and SR motors and discuss your plans, they'll offer you advice. based on your budget.

its all about the money, you can build a 1500hp 2jz and smoke your dad if you have the budget.

[Galacian]

Ok was wondering about how much hp it would take to keep up with it, and thats exactly what I needed for what I want to do with it.

Mainly what I was asking to begin with was what people thought of the two motors and more specifically (to each of the two sub boards) what they liked/experienced with their motor since my area has a very low number of people with either. I can count on one hand the people I have heard of with sr20 and I know of no one around here with the rb25, so it is rather difficult to ride in a car with it or talk to someone in person about what they have experienced liked/hated about the engine.

Im simply trying to collect as much info as possible about what people's experiences with the rb25det and sr20det. Things got a little off the original goal when I was asked what I wanted to do with it and I gave it, though I had no clue what hp would be needed to do what I wanted.

[nzmoman]

at some point you are going to have to know alot more about the actual setup of your dads car to determine what you need to keep with him.

if he is on mostly stock street stuff with 700 hp then you wont need much. If he is driving a fire-breathing drag machine, then you should definitely look for the bigger displacement of the RB and then look for around 500-600+...but a 26-28 hundred pound car is not going to act very well with that kind of power....its really light so you will be putting $$$into suspension and quality down-force and traction control parts.

[Galacian]

Ex drag car, hollowed out, lots of fiberglass parts, tubbed. Engine and transmission were traded to a guy to get a more streatable version that could acctually idle and didnt have nitros.

I honestly dont care about beating it I just want something that can keep up with it.

[jr_ss]

There is a BIG difference 4000-5000 lb muscle cars and 2000-3000 lb rice rockets. I would say 400-500 horsepower with an sr20det in a 240sx or 240/260z would be more than enough to smoke your dad's charger.

This has been done before-- see Z fever and their 240z red top SR project.

Most muscle cars were between 3500-4000lbs, not exactly as heavy as you think they were. Say his dads car is 4k with 700hp it's going to be hard for a 400hp 2800lb 240sx to beat that... His dad has trq and the response of an NA which is hard for a turbo car to beat. Pound for pound an NA car with the same hp/weight as a turbo car, will beat it every time...

[shift_SRDETuser]

Most muscle cars were between 3500-4000lbs, not exactly as heavy as you think they were. Say his dads car is 4k with 700hp it's going to be hard for a 400hp 2800lb 240sx to beat that... His dad has trq and the response of an NA which is hard for a turbo car to beat. Pound for pound an NA car with the same hp/weight as a turbo car, will beat it every time...

No kdding he did not say that. I had a Hemi 07 Dodge Charger and it was fast but very heavy and I think my 250-300 hp 240sx would kill it in the mid range from a roll or a dig. Now 700 hp is a different story but I still think he could keep up with it in a 400 whp 240sx and kill it with 500-600 hp -- our cars are hella fast with sr20dets up top and I have killed a c6 vette and a gt mustang just with a stock sr20det running a few basic mods.....

[jr_ss]

Our cars benefit from being light yes. But, what we lack is trq. A C6 vette is a C5 ZO6 meaning it runs mid to low 12's. If you meant C5, then I'll believe that because they are low 13sec cars, which I could take myself running 14lbs. If he chooses a good combination of parts, i.e. very responsive setup plus a fat trq curve, that pulls to 7.5k, it is likely that he'll have a good chance at hanging with his dad's car. If he wants 500-600hp from a 240sx, he needs to look into a built rb25 or 2jz...

[s14s14s14]

my 355hp sr20det s14 beat a 600hp lightning by a car lenght at the 8th mile

[Galacian]

I have a 260z so im looking for stuff to put in that. And I really doubt my dad's charger weighs a lot since its a former drag car (role cage, no interior paneling aluminum dash fiberglass fenders and bumper, tubbed)

[jr_ss]

I have a 260z so im looking for stuff to put in that. And I really doubt my dad's charger weighs a lot since its a former drag car (role cage, no interior paneling aluminum dash fiberglass fenders and bumper, tubbed)

Exactly, so in other words, you have no chance in hell at beating him at a drag strip... On the street however from a dig you'd win. From a roll, its game over for you my friend.

my 355hp sr20det s14 beat a 600hp lightning by a car lenght at the 8th mile

Yeah, but was he running street tires? I bet he would've pwnd you in the 1/4. But it is amazing what our cars can do. I was very impressed with my 13.2@106 running only 14lbs...

[shift_SRDETuser]

Our cars benefit from being light yes. But, what we lack is trq. A C6 vette is a C5 ZO6 meaning it runs mid to low 12's. If you meant C5, then I'll believe that because they are low 13sec cars, which I could take myself running 14lbs. If he chooses a good combination of parts, i.e. very responsive setup plus a fat trq curve, that pulls to 7.5k, it is likely that he'll have a good chance at hanging with his dad's car. If he wants 500-600hp from a 240sx, he needs to look into a built rb25 or 2jz...

It was the one with the pop up headlights so I would say a C5 --- the C6 is the one with the fixed headlamps

but yeah if he is a drag car then why would you want to race him anyway?

nothing pisses me off more than some dude wanting to run a drag car against a street car.... different classes all together and why would you try to make a street car beat a drag car anyway?

Build one or the other and be done with it.

[Galacian]

Never said I want to beat him, I just want something that wont get completely owned by it (kinda a matter of "hey this is just as good as yours even though it isnt a street rod or muscle car" kinda thing). And it isnt a drag car anymore, I know not to mess with that, its now just a drag car body with a high performance street motor and trans.

[mistamacadamian]

I say SR b/c RB parts can be hard to come by if you dont know where to look. Might get flammed for that but rb25 is bad ***. I say SR b/c you can slap a top mount t3/t4 60 trim, intake manifold, get the supporting mod's and run 400 easy. Decide to build the bottom end, push 450+, add cams and valve springs with race gas and the sky is the limit. But like other people said 400hp in a light chasis will still lose bad to your dads car but your car wont be something to smirk at.

[k00laid83]

well id probably go for the sr because in a z car it makes it more of a balanced car...50/50...so it would handle great on turns and what not! go take a look at hybridz.com my brother has a 75 and a 77 datsun 280z...and his researched a lot on there.

[Kalypso]

Get the RB25,the rb25 is capable of 500hp on stock internals.



with that being said. The sr20det is a very responsive motor. I love mine, and in my lightweight s13 its been a blast to drive, even on the stock turbo. I have always had the best suspension, which made it easy to drive the car and enjoy its responsiveness. quick spool, sharp accelaration, and agile handling.

to summarize:

with a built head sr20 revs up to 9k rpm with a strong bottom end, it handles 550hp well. but at this point you've spent thousands more, and you've gained high expertise.

read the specs sheets of each motor. Now their exact displacement, look at pictures of the raw blocks - with no accessories. visualize in your mind how they function.

[luv2spedup]

dude sr 's are great motors with parts easily available here in the US compared to rb's where you might have to wait a few weeks even months to locate parts, with that said i think sr would be the logical choice but it all depends on your budget if you want the torque of an in line 6 go with a 2jzgte you can easily make 800+ whp on stock internals which is more then enough to smoke any thing out there just make sure you run them from a roll....

btw i have a built sr and i love it...

[jaco]

wow is it black like vin diseal's dads charger too? j/k lets simplify this and maybe it was brought up already but i didnt see it what does the charger run in the 1/4......

[mistamacadamian]

dude sr 's are great motors with parts easily available here in the US compared to rb's where you might have to wait a few weeks even months to locate parts, with that said i think sr would be the logical choice but it all depends on your budget if you want the torque of an in line 6 go with a 2jzgte you can easily make 800+ whp on stock internals which is more then enough to smoke any thing out there just make sure you run them from a roll....

btw i have a built sr and i love it...

i agree with this guy. go build a SR. btw iluv2spedup how much did the machine work cost to build your SR and install ?

[Galacian]

We dont know what it does yet since he hasn't ran it since the disc brake swap turned out to be more hassle then changing and having a motor built (two bad master cylinders in a row and something is wrong with the system again). And no its blue.

And the 2jzgte seems about as bad as the rb26dett price wise so definetely no to that.

A few of the posts have gone to what I really wanted to know, personal experiences with the sr20det, what they thought about it and how it stacked up to the rb25.

And again this is for a 260z.

[IDriveFords]

build an sr, its a very stout motor and it has a TON of support in the US. The rb25 is a sweet *** motor capable of making more power/torque but at a much much higher price and I think we've established you have some sort of a reasonable budget or you'd be swinging the rb26 swap. A 400hp SR with the right supporting mods (suspension) should be able to hang with a 700hp drag car on the street. Besides you've already established your lack of experience with import cars and the SR is a very good place to start. Just remember your car can be gutted just as easily as his was or you could keep all your creature comforts and still hang. Don't overcomplicate things just start out simple and work your way from there... btw reading all those sticky posts at the top of the forum should give you a better idea of what your looking at.

[luv2spedup]

i agree with this guy. go build a SR. btw iluv2spedup how much did the machine work cost to build your SR and install ?

every thing said and done it was about $1600, i know it's a little pricey but it was done at a really reputable shop that has been in business for about 50 years and that does not include the head job. and i an really happy with his work