Alright I know I probably wont find the answer here, but after alot of time searching for the past week Ive come to this conclusion there are very few rb26dett s13s out there and nobody has done a write up about fittment. what I have gathered from picts is well duh its a tight fit same with all rbs.
I currently have swapped my s13 coupe from ka24de to Rb20det and then motor blew and pulled and replaced after a complete rebuild on the new motor.
Now I have in my hands now an RB26DETT with the 5 speed awd. I know this so far from my friends build from about 4 years ago
1. I can swap oil pan from either 20 or 25 apparently the 25 is the same as the 20 in that case i could possibly use the one i have in my garage.
2. You can use the z32 either n/a or tt but you have to swap bell housing on it.
Ive heard you can block up the awd trans but who wants to do that.
Here are my questions
1. How does the shifter line up with say mckinney mounts ? either with the rb25 or the z32 trans ?
2.Do you have to beat the tunnel out?
3.Ive heard and read that the gm 3.5 bar mafs are a better replacement to the stock n70 mafs is this true and any certain settings on the safc ?
4. has anybody on here used the arp cam bolts ? (previous issues with the rb20det cam bolts sucked ended up doing a whole day of a vice with alot of wd40 and a 10mm socket and lots of time trying to get them out.)
5. About what prices have you seen on rb26 harness and trans along with the diff have you seen? ( to resell)
Rb26dett s13 swap questions
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Wiring Specialties
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Re: Rb26dett s13 swap questions
With regards to No. 6, we have plug and play harnesses for this swap.
You can view here: RB26DETT Wiring Harnesss for S13 240SX
Full engine and trans harnesses are $599. We also offer a Pro Series that features high temp wires, nylon covered looms and quick disconnects for things like MAFS (should you decide to change your setup over time).
You can view here: RB26DETT Wiring Harnesss for S13 240SX
Full engine and trans harnesses are $599. We also offer a Pro Series that features high temp wires, nylon covered looms and quick disconnects for things like MAFS (should you decide to change your setup over time).
Re: Rb26dett s13 swap questions
My 1992 240SX has an R32 RB26DETT RWD swap that was completed over a year ago. I also kept the twin turbo setup, but upgraded the stock turbos with GT2860R-5 (707160-5). Fitment is tight, but the setup works well if you select the right parts. Here are some suggestions that worked for me.
1. Oil Pan. The RB25DET oil pan will work with modification (cutting the windage tray and changing the bolt pattern slightly). However, I highly recommend if you're going with the RWD setup to modify the RB26DETT aluminum oil pan. Not only is it significantly stronger (cast aluminum > stamped steel), but oil capacity is much greater. It is not too hard to modify. Simply cut off the front differential and weld closed the holes left behind by the front drive axle. Grind down the webbing on the curved portion of the bottom of the oil pan for clearance over the front crossmember.
2. Transmission. You can use the R32/33 RB26DETT bell housing and it will bolt directly to the Z32 transmission. However, I had an RB25DET 5-speed transmission handy, and that was a direct bolt-on to the RB26DETT.
3. Mounts. I used McKinney. Excellent fitment with a perfect lineup of the RB25DET transmission over the tunnel. Sits the motor low and as close to the firewall as possible while still allowing for vacuum tubes and wiring to tuck away behind the motor. Liftetime warranty on the steel portions. I have the poly isolators. I had to indent the transmission tunnel about 1/4" right behind the starter to get the best fitment.
4. Cam Bolts. I am using the Tomei strengthened cam studs with nuts. They are slightly longer than the stock bolts and torque down more accurately.
5. Wiring. You can buy a pre-made harness, pay to convert your harness, or take the time to compare FSMs and wire the motor yourself. Wiring Specialties does good work if you don't want to do the wiring yourself.
Other notes:
- Cooling. YES, you CAN run a clutch fan with an RB26DETT and a thick aluminum radiator (Koyo, Mishimoto, etc.). A lot of folks will say that you can only run electric pusher fans and that simply isn't true. What you need are the following: RB25DET crank pulley, RB25DET power steering bracket, RB25DET or KA24DE power steering pump (Non-HICAS), KA24DE fan clutch, stock or GKTech clutch fan, and washers/spacers between the fan and the clutch for fine adjustment and clearance with the crank pulley. My water temp never climbs over 80 deg C, even on the most spirited runs.
- Downpipe. I am running the McKinney twin turbo down pipe and there is no clearance issue with the steering shaft. The McKinney down pipe is notched slightly to clear.
My swap took a while to do, but I rebuilt the motor from the ground-up myself and had a buddy help me drop it in one day. Figuring out how to do all the plumbing and wiring once the motor was in was probably the most time-consuming part.
Enjoy your build!
1. Oil Pan. The RB25DET oil pan will work with modification (cutting the windage tray and changing the bolt pattern slightly). However, I highly recommend if you're going with the RWD setup to modify the RB26DETT aluminum oil pan. Not only is it significantly stronger (cast aluminum > stamped steel), but oil capacity is much greater. It is not too hard to modify. Simply cut off the front differential and weld closed the holes left behind by the front drive axle. Grind down the webbing on the curved portion of the bottom of the oil pan for clearance over the front crossmember.
2. Transmission. You can use the R32/33 RB26DETT bell housing and it will bolt directly to the Z32 transmission. However, I had an RB25DET 5-speed transmission handy, and that was a direct bolt-on to the RB26DETT.
3. Mounts. I used McKinney. Excellent fitment with a perfect lineup of the RB25DET transmission over the tunnel. Sits the motor low and as close to the firewall as possible while still allowing for vacuum tubes and wiring to tuck away behind the motor. Liftetime warranty on the steel portions. I have the poly isolators. I had to indent the transmission tunnel about 1/4" right behind the starter to get the best fitment.
4. Cam Bolts. I am using the Tomei strengthened cam studs with nuts. They are slightly longer than the stock bolts and torque down more accurately.
5. Wiring. You can buy a pre-made harness, pay to convert your harness, or take the time to compare FSMs and wire the motor yourself. Wiring Specialties does good work if you don't want to do the wiring yourself.
Other notes:
- Cooling. YES, you CAN run a clutch fan with an RB26DETT and a thick aluminum radiator (Koyo, Mishimoto, etc.). A lot of folks will say that you can only run electric pusher fans and that simply isn't true. What you need are the following: RB25DET crank pulley, RB25DET power steering bracket, RB25DET or KA24DE power steering pump (Non-HICAS), KA24DE fan clutch, stock or GKTech clutch fan, and washers/spacers between the fan and the clutch for fine adjustment and clearance with the crank pulley. My water temp never climbs over 80 deg C, even on the most spirited runs.
- Downpipe. I am running the McKinney twin turbo down pipe and there is no clearance issue with the steering shaft. The McKinney down pipe is notched slightly to clear.
My swap took a while to do, but I rebuilt the motor from the ground-up myself and had a buddy help me drop it in one day. Figuring out how to do all the plumbing and wiring once the motor was in was probably the most time-consuming part.
Enjoy your build!
