Rb25det Or Rb26dett

[goshoryuken]

Hi, so yeah, maybe some of you know about my 89 240's idle problem, the engine turns out is no good . . it's balance is all out of wack that's why the car keeps turning off. It seems that the prick I bought the car from opened it up and then messed it up and put it back togethor. So I am putting a working ka in there for now, but I am planning on buying an rb series engine. I am looking for at least 600 horsepower in the long run and very good et's in the long run. I have some money saved and in another three months, I will be able to buy the engine and get it installed. My question to you guys is . . should I go with rb26 or stick with rb25? Can the rb25 go past 800hp? I dont want an sr because everyone has it, and it's no way as fast as a built rb can be. I am willing to spend about 6k total including installation for right now, I'll upgrade other things later. I am located in the nyc metro area . .any shops you reccomend? Please help.

-GoShoryuken

[Ceptos]

not that i doubt your seriousness for this project, but im sure u know that putting between 600-800 hp in an engine is no small task =)

to get past 700hp ive heard of people rebuilding the bottom end and making it a 3.0 along with all types of other work, with just the work to the engine itself, not the original purchase of it (this was done outside of a car completly) cost somewhere around $27,000 US. this was getting that power, and being able to reliably run it for extended periods of time. the article was very interesting and i cant seem to find it again, tho if i do ill post it.

i cant really speak for just installing the engine, tho there are plenty of people here who can, but 6K sounds like a very nice start.

[Nathan]

RB25, rebuilt with forged internals...overbore it a little...I wouldnt stroke it though.

[goshoryuken]

I mean in the long run, is the rb25 still a better choice? with the difference in price for he rb25 and rb26 . .in the long run . .with the money i want to put in it . . will the rb25 be able to accomplish what I want it to?

[Nathan]

.1 liters doesn't matter at all...the RB25, if rebuilt with the proper internals (pistons, rods, crank, upgraded oil pump etc.) is more than up to the task...of course you'll need a huge turbo though and it wont spool until like 5000-6000 rpms (redo the valvetrain too). However, I think 6-700 horsepower is ridiculous on a street driven car...it'll be so high up in the rev range that the car will be hard to drive and you'll hardly ever get to use the power. I think a well balanced car with an RB25 making about 400-450whp is quite sufficient and could be done with a nice ball bearing turbo that would be fully spooled by 4000rpms and going well by 3000. What ever happened to that car you have that's in the shop getting the engine swapped and the front end conversion???

[goshoryuken]

The engine wasn't swapped. The body work was done on my s14 though, so it's technically an s14.5 with the wide body treatment. It's garaged at my friends house in CA ever since it was painted. I personally for some reason just fell in love with my 89 240sx that I bought for a daily driver here . .so I'll probably sell the s14 and use the money to keep upgrading my 89 240sx. I want the power to definately kick in before about 5000 rpm, there has to be a turbo out there that's both very powerful and kicks in quick. I'm sure I can do lots of mods that will decrease the turbo lag, I want it to kick in at 3000 rpm, that would be beautiful !!! Aren't the GT series turbo's similar to what I'm talking about? And if the turbo kicks in at 5000rpm and I have to shift right afterwards . .that's kind of useless isn't it? But with the rb25 . .I'll get a close ratio 6speed wont I?

-GoShoryuken

[goshoryuken]

Umm, okay, you guys are really not helping much. I am very serious about this !!!!! I am buying an engine in 2-3 months and I need to decide now so I know exactly how much to save and how to go about it. Anyone know where I can get one for a decent price and a shop in the new york area that has experience installing RB's? PLEASE HELP!!

[Nathan]

You'll never get a turbo that can make 600-700hp spooled at 3000rpms...GT or not, you MIGHT get all the power online by 4500, I dunno though. The RB25 has a 5 speed, no 6 speed option. With the RB26 you have to use an RB25 transmission too. A car with the power you are talking about is a drag car...nothing more. That kind of power is...once again...pointless on the street.

[Flipflop]

Umm, okay, you guys are really not helping much.

Because you're being completely ambivalent in what you seem to want. It sounds like a full-on drag car.

You want a 700hp engine upgrade with daily driveability for $6K? No way. With that sort of engine, you'd need serious brake, clutch and suspension upgrages as well to make it safe.

We'd all like some Fast and Furious-style fantasy car, but it doesn't work like that.:rolleyes

[Nathan]

That's why I'm trying to steer him back to a 400-450hp max car...it'll be easier to drive, still REALLY fast and probably still too much car for him. I've driven a couple 350hpish and one 400 something hp car...they are a LOT of car and much more than that isn't really necessary unless your going to seriously race.

[goshoryuken]

I didn't say I want 700hp for 6k . .I want an RB26DETT for less than 6k including installation!!!! I know upgrades cost a lot and that's what I'll have to do to build power. You guys need to read before you start going berserk. Nathan is right so far, I do plan on drag racing, but I dont want 7's or 8's. I'll be happy with 9's or 10's. I want my car to be streetable since I'll be driving it around a lot. I also plan on making it a show car with a beautiful interior, a sweet sound system and such . . so I dont want to do no crazy weight reduction. I dont plan on racing civics or integras and stuff, my opponents will be ferrarri's, diablo's, vipers and such, and I want to hand all their asses to them. RB25DET, how much, and who to get installed from in ny, RB25DETT, how much, and who to get installed in ny . .those are my major questions.

-GoShoryuken

[Nathan]

My work here is done, I cant tell you jack about where to get it installed

[Ceptos]

once afterdark gets back online, give them a look, i think they have engine and installation prices posted on their web page for all types of rb engines. (along with everything else under the 240 sun)

that will at least get u started. if u want a lot of power at low rpms, u might as well go with a twin turbo, i thought the rb25 was also offered with this?

now, i dont know much about the rb's, but i would say that if the rb26's internals are better than the rb25, i would go with it, simply because its less you have to do later. i would not consider stock power or the turbos it comes with as a deciding factor, since u will be replacing these.

and i also strongly recommend as some have mentioned, at the top of the list, is to upgrade things like suspension and brakes, it could literally save you life.

[goshoryuken]

True, I'm looking for a 5 lug conversoin parts and possibly after my engine swap . .a Skyline Big Brake Kit by Endless for my 240sx, with huge calipers, rotors, and such, I think it will be 6 pot, if not then I'll get the Brembo GT brakes that they make for the 300zx. I will try to get cusco sway bars and nismo strut bars. Thinking of either Zeal or Tein coilovers, all grounded by some wide tires that will carry 18x10 sparco racing viper r rims, which are rated around 14lbs. (I'm not buying any of this yet, for now I'm buying the engine, but I do have a long run plan worked out)

-GOShoryuken

[nnkfws333]

I would probably be afraid of the suspension being torn out as well as trying to keep the car on the ground. So much power to the wheels that it can't even grab traction.

[93semax]

Full throttle in queens said it would cost $60,000 for a "skyline" engine swap. Seriously.

Nobody does RB engine swaps in NYC much less know what a RB is..

[rookiegtr]

60,000??? it costs 60,000 to import and legalize a R34. why or how would an engine swap cost the same as the actual car?? unless you meant to say 6,000??

[93semax]

60,000??? it costs 60,000 to import and legalize a R34. why or how would an engine swap cost the same as the actual car?? unless you meant to say 6,000??

Yes 60,000. My friend and I tried hard not to laugh in their face

[goshoryuken]

It'll have traction . . ;-) I promise. $60,000 ? Okay, well I definately wouldn't have them install my engine, especially since they dont even know what a reasonable price is. If they dont know about the RB engines .. I dont want them touching my car. Anyone else know of a shop!!!! Come on!!! Think!!!

-GoShoryuken

[Ceptos]

afterdark's price is well under 60K, maybe they were talking about bringing over the AWD as well?

[Nathan]

Your garage

[goshoryuken]

Yea, my garage, except I dont know how to do a swap let alone one that needs custom work like the RB series engines. If someone wants to come over and help me with it . .I'll pay them :-D. If someone . . really good at swaps and really eperienced . .who ALSO has the proper equipment, because I dont have an engine mount or anything like that. And the last thing I would want to do is ruin a perfect rb engine . . I would rather kill myself. LOL

-GoShoryuken

[xmaster]

i think u should go with the s13 i wanted to drop a rb25 in my 240 then i realized thats whay to much power and im gonna be peeling out i say stick with s13 best sr20det motor out there and its really cheap.

[Nathan]

You say that like peeling out is bad...just upgrade your tires and probably your wheels...it's all in how you drive anyway. If you want to peel out, you will...if you dont want too...then dont. Gosho - It's not like it needs THAT much custom work, unless your a complete idiot (a possibility) then you should be able to bolt it in there pretty easily (an RB25). The wiring is the hard part...but actually getting it in there is easy. As for an engine lift, rent one. Uhaul rents them out around here...

[goshoryuken]

Hmm, I'll try to think about it and ask my buddies if they could help me when I buy the engine. As for right now . . my car is finally running and i'm picking it up thsi saturday with a working KA engine. The total cost of repairs? = $1600. I bought the car for $1500 off ebay, all messed up. And I purchased $1000 worth of other parts for it. Everyone thinks Im' crazy for spending this kind of money on an old car and that they would rather hook up a newer car, BUT if I'm crazy for loving my 240sx . .then crazy I'll be. I dont care what they say. Oh, and I made up my mind. I want an rb26dett, not rb25det. I did some research and saw many posts that are of guys who have done rb installs. I'm sure it's not that hard. :-D And to all those who dont think I'm serious . . . You'll find out in a few months.

-GoShoryuken

[Ceptos]

i would much rather spend 10,000+ on my 95 240 making it a new car again plus better, than buying a new car. for someone who likes 240's there are not that many cars out there that will satisfy you...i mean, do u really want to go back to FWD?? you can make a very nice car out of a 240, for much less than buying something new...so go for it!

[xmaster]

i say drop a s13 in ur 240 rather then a rb motor there cheaper and uu can make them frickin fast for the same price u bought ur motor foru can run a s13 at 230-250 hp at safe boost of 12-15 on stock turbo and wont hurt ur engine cuz the s13 can take up to 500hp stick with s13 my opinion

[Nathan]

yeah...no, the sr20's will NOT take 500hp on a stock block if youhae any hopes of long term reliability. It might run like that for a day or a year...but it's just plain pushing it too hard. These things are NOT indestructible. Xmaster, you need to do a lot more research before you start throwing out advice like that as being the gospel, not to be harsh or anything...but it'd just be a good idea to become better versed on all the engines available rather than just having a little knowledge of the SR20.

[Tino]

V8 swap

[APEXi240]

OK....where to begin....

A 700hp car may be streetable. A 10 second car usually isn't. There would be a lot of custom work involved. The fact that you can't even do an engine swap would lead me to believe that you would just be shelling out boatloads of cash for a car you won't even be able to work on, and rarely able to drive.

I hate to be mean but your plans seem extremely unreasonable. I hope you don't like tires, trannies, diffs and driveshafts running that much power. If you live in the tri-state area you WILL have cooling problems, traction problems, problems with road conditions, ect.

I don't know what Aries runs, but I'd guess its not near 700hp (yet). He's been through a bunch of parts...and I'm sure he does nearly everything himself. If its time consuming and costly for him, imagine what that'll be like for you. (yes I'm aware that Aries' situation is a unique one, but high power motors are high power motors, they usually break the same parts).