sr vs rb

[twiztid240s13]

I'm looking to build a 240, and i can't make up my mind wether to go with the sr or an rb. can someone give me someone give me some insight ont the subject, im only 18 andd im really looking foward to building one of these cars.

[raremotive]

Welcome.

How about a KA24ET? Or a CA18DET? Or you just going with the hype?

[breadbox]

I'd recommend building the Stock KA for turbo. You could spend $2500+ on a whole other motor and be JDM tyte or How about this.

The machine shop I use builds longblocks for $1000, they use whatever parts you bring them and tell them its for turbo.
It includes pressure test, leakdown, hot tank, decking, whatever you need for your build. Hell tell them to port it to and give them the manifolds

Then turbo and tune. You will have torque for days and still have tons of stock parts at your disposal from any given parts store.

KA-T.org members built a 1000hp KAde. so its not like they can't get down. I bet you would be satisfied with it in stock form and well maintained with upgraded suspension. Buy a spare motor and slowly gather everything for a full turbo KA setup and then you would be able to get that buttoned up in a week then start tuning it for whatever you want. Spending less or the same amount of money you would have to put in to the other two options anyway.

[twiztid240s13]

honestly im just looking to put out a good bit of horsepower and be able to eat v8s and civic and integra swaps alive

[twiztid240s13]

i dont know very much about the ca-18det. i know that the ka's have a problem over heating , thats why i was going with a sr or rb swap.

[twiztid240s13]

Welcome.

How about a KA24ET? Or a CA18DET? Or you just going with the hype?

i dont know very much about the CA18DET, i was just going with the sr or rb because i know they are known to push big numbers.

[breadbox]

Rb's can overheat for the same reasons, SR and RB can be said to having more oiling issues than the KA.

Get a thick rad (dual or triple core) with dual e-fans and you should be golden. Your going to need one regardless of which motor you go with.

Um SR can easily get 400hp... with same amount of effort a KA-t can get that and have more torque.

The reason I want an RB20det, is for smooth power delivery and great gas mileage. If I just wanted to have a quick car i'd turbo the KA. SR is lighter...who cares. RB is godzirra... who cares. KA gets it done with the same or slightly less effort and cash...so start with what you have, not what everyone else wishes they had.

If you want to eat v8's... why not just go v8? Your power to weight will crush most of what's on the road.

But in the end... Do what you want.

[Dattebayo]

KA overheating issues are because of the twit previous owners, not the engine itself.

"big numbers" you say? LOL

It's a 4-cylinder, not a V8. If you want power, than go to the engines that make the big power, like an actual V8. You can't expect the same performance from half the cylinders.
Also, find your way over to the 240 section of the forum, this is General Chat.

[twiztid240s13]

Rb's can overheat for the same reasons, SR and RB can be said to having more oiling issues than the KA.

Get a thick rad (dual or triple core) with dual e-fans and you should be golden. Your going to need one regardless of which motor you go with.

Um SR can easily get 400hp... with same amount of effort a KA-t can get that and have more torque.

The reason I want an RB20det, is for smooth power delivery and great gas mileage. If I just wanted to have a quick car i'd turbo the KA. SR is lighter...who cares. RB is godzirra... who cares. KA gets it done with the same or slightly less effort and cash...so start with what you have, not what everyone else wishes they had.

If you want to eat v8's... why not just go v8? Your power to weight will crush most of what's on the road.

But in the end... Do what you want.

Whats the average cost of a rb swap?

[Kompresshun]

I've moved this to the 240SX section, you'll get better answers to your questions there. Please don't post vehicle specific questions in General Chat.

[S14toRPS13]

This question gets asked all the time and people are going to rip you for asking it. SR, RB, CA, KA, V8, 1JZ, 2JZ, all are very capable engines. Just depends on how deep your pocket and your knowledge is. I'm going to assume you know very little about these cars and the above engines, so I'll recommend what I recommend to all noobs. Go SR, it's cheap and simple. RB, KA-T, and any of the other options aren't for beginners. Actually I wouldn't even recommend a SR to an 18 year old. You can do some serious damage with it if you're reckless and most 18 year olds are.

[twiztid240s13]

This question gets asked all the time and people are going to rip you for asking it. SR, RB, CA, KA, V8, 1JZ, 2JZ, all are very capable engines. Just depends on how deep your pocket and your knowledge is. I'm going to assume you know very little about these cars and the above engines, so I'll recommend what I recommend to all noobs. Go SR, it's cheap and simple. RB, KA-T, and any of the other options aren't for beginners. Actually I wouldn't even recommend a SR to an 18 year old. You can do some serious damage with it if you're reckless and most 18 year olds are.

This car isn't going to going to be a daily driver, i want something for a track and the street, no i don't know very much about the cars, but again im 18, thats why i aske dth e question

[Fenris]

You want a Toyota 1GZ-FE motor(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_GZ_engine). Will eat any V8 alive built right.

Dont go SR brah, everyone knows a couple of nissan sr20 motors will pull a premium before race wars....

[raremotive]

I would drive the car as it is. KA is a great motor to start with. If it's got overheating issues.. and you swap with different motor, you still going to have overheating issues. Learn how to deal with it, bigger radiator.. lower temp thermostat... shrouding..etc ..Watch your oil. Eventually, upgrade your brakes, your suspension.. because it isn't just the motor that makes you fast around the track.

[OutToWinPAHC]

I hate RBs

[asoomal]

AROO BEE

[breadbox]

I hate RBs

bah, w/e Kev. Mr. V8S13 2steppin like a break dancer.

I like rb20's, not a fan of 25/26. although the RB24det seems like a fun frankenmotor.

For real guy (OP), learn to appreciate what the car is in its own right and find what you don;t like about it. if it has too much body roll stiffen it up, if its too slow, make it faster, you like the way it looks slammed..drive it around a while before you hate driving THAT carefully.

Even with their crappy stock truck motor's 24o's are hella fun cars. I look at them like lego-mobiles. nissan did good enough job for parts swapping. Maxima, 300zx, S13, S14, Skylines, Cefiro, 200sx. Lots of usable parts between them all. Don;t just jump on a band wagon know why you are swapping in the motor you choose.

[HellaFlushSR20s13]

Who cares if the kid is 18 I got my first sr swap when I was 18, just know that it's a bit faster than stock and with greater power comes greater responsibility. Just don't drive like a jackass all the time as u are more likely to crash it or get rolled on.

I am in complete agreement with s14toRps13. Ppl are going to try and tell you KA-T is better option but take it from me, someone who has built and worked on both, SR is WAYYYYYY easier and far less complicated. SR is in all intents and purpose a plug and play motor swap which is to say that as soon as u get the wiring harness, ecu, and motor/transmission into ur ride it's a done deal, it will work fine and u won't have to fux wit it at all. KA-T on the other hand u gotta build the motor to be able to withstand the addition of turbo so u gotta do the same amount of work and more. As far as cost let's be real people an SR and a KA-T are gonna run about the same red top swaps go for under 2 g's these days and KA will require some expensive machine work and aftermarket parts to make it work

As far as the whole torque thing... Yeah my SR isn't pushing a ton of torque but oh wait my car only weighs 2200 lbs and I aint towing s***, basically it's got enough power and torque to get the job done

As far as the RB goes if this is ur first 240 I wouldn't bother going that route, its a considerable amount more work than SR swap and there are a lot more things to take into consideration with a RB - ur gonna have to change ur suspension set up because it weighs more, ur gonna have to get a custom driveshaft, you have to run electronic fans instead of clutch fan, if you want front mount then u gotta get a new intake manifold or else have a garbled mess of piping, and that's before mentioning the aftermarket mounts and fitment problems. ** I'm assuming ur talking about 20 and 25 because doing a 26 swap is a whole nother pain in the a** with oil pans and trannys and let's not forget how pricy they are. 25 is really the only one I would consider because u don't get that much more power with a RB20 than you would with an sr, and good luck finding aftermarket parts

[HellaFlushSR20s13]

Dont go SR brah, everyone knows a couple of nissan sr20 motors will pull a premium before race wars....

2JZ engine noo s***... This will decimate all with overnight parts from Japan

[asoomal]

Who cares if the kid is 18 I got my first sr swap when I was 18, just know that it's a bit faster than stock and with greater power comes greater responsibility. Just don't drive like a jackass all the time as u are more likely to crash it or get rolled on.

I am in complete agreement with s14toRps13. Ppl are going to try and tell you KA-T is better option but take it from me, someone who has built and worked on both, SR is WAYYYYYY easier and far less complicated. SR is in all intents and purpose a plug and play motor swap which is to say that as soon as u get the wiring harness, ecu, and motor/transmission into ur ride it's a done deal, it will work fine and u won't have to fux wit it at all. KA-T on the other hand u gotta build the motor to be able to withstand the addition of turbo so u gotta do the same amount of work and more. As far as cost let's be real people an SR and a KA-T are gonna run about the same red top swaps go for under 2 g's these days and KA will require some expensive machine work and aftermarket parts to make it work

As far as the whole torque thing... Yeah my SR isn't pushing a ton of torque but oh wait my car only weighs 2200 lbs and I aint towing s***, basically it's got enough power and torque to get the job done

As far as the RB goes if this is ur first 240 I wouldn't bother going that route, its a considerable amount more work than SR swap and there are a lot more things to take into consideration with a RB - ur gonna have to change ur suspension set up because it weighs more, ur gonna have to get a custom driveshaft, you have to run electronic fans instead of clutch fan, if you want front mount then u gotta get a new intake manifold or else have a garbled mess of piping, and that's before mentioning the aftermarket mounts and fitment problems. ** I'm assuming ur talking about 20 and 25 because doing a 26 swap is a whole nother pain in the a** with oil pans and trannys and let's not forget how pricy they are. 25 is really the only one I would consider because u don't get that much more power with a RB20 than you would with an sr, and good luck finding aftermarket parts

[themadscientist]

im only 18

honestly im just looking to put out a good bit of horsepower and be able to eat v8s and civic and integra swaps alive

This will not end well.

[twiztid240s13]

Who cares if the kid is 18 I got my first sr swap when I was 18, just know that it's a bit faster than stock and with greater power comes greater responsibility. Just don't drive like a jackass all the time as u are more likely to crash it or get rolled on.

I am in complete agreement with s14toRps13. Ppl are going to try and tell you KA-T is better option but take it from me, someone who has built and worked on both, SR is WAYYYYYY easier and far less complicated. SR is in all intents and purpose a plug and play motor swap which is to say that as soon as u get the wiring harness, ecu, and motor/transmission into ur ride it's a done deal, it will work fine and u won't have to fux wit it at all. KA-T on the other hand u gotta build the motor to be able to withstand the addition of turbo so u gotta do the same amount of work and more. As far as cost let's be real people an SR and a KA-T are gonna run about the same red top swaps go for under 2 g's these days and KA will require some expensive machine work and aftermarket parts to make it work

As far as the whole torque thing... Yeah my SR isn't pushing a ton of torque but oh wait my car only weighs 2200 lbs and I aint towing s***, basically it's got enough power and torque to get the job done

As far as the RB goes if this is ur first 240 I wouldn't bother going that route, its a considerable amount more work than SR swap and there are a lot more things to take into consideration with a RB - ur gonna have to change ur suspension set up because it weighs more, ur gonna have to get a custom driveshaft, you have to run electronic fans instead of clutch fan, if you want front mount then u gotta get a new intake manifold or else have a garbled mess of piping, and that's before mentioning the aftermarket mounts and fitment problems. ** I'm assuming ur talking about 20 and 25 because doing a 26 swap is a whole nother pain in the a** with oil pans and trannys and let's not forget how pricy they are. 25 is really the only one I would consider because u don't get that much more power with a RB20 than you would with an sr, and good luck finding aftermarket parts

As far as rb's go i was talking about either the rb20 or 25. I wouldnt touch a 26, i was just wondering which would be the best motor for someone who just got their first 240 and wanted to swap it.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Who cares if the kid is 18 I got my first sr swap when I was 18, just know that it's a bit faster than stock and with greater power comes greater responsibility. Just don't drive like a jackass all the time as u are more likely to crash it or get rolled on.

I am in complete agreement with s14toRps13. Ppl are going to try and tell you KA-T is better option but take it from me, someone who has built and worked on both, SR is WAYYYYYY easier and far less complicated. SR is in all intents and purpose a plug and play motor swap which is to say that as soon as u get the wiring harness, ecu, and motor/transmission into ur ride it's a done deal, it will work fine and u won't have to fux wit it at all. KA-T on the other hand u gotta build the motor to be able to withstand the addition of turbo so u gotta do the same amount of work and more. As far as cost let's be real people an SR and a KA-T are gonna run about the same red top swaps go for under 2 g's these days and KA will require some expensive machine work and aftermarket parts to make it work

As far as the whole torque thing... Yeah my SR isn't pushing a ton of torque but oh wait my car only weighs 2200 lbs and I aint towing s***, basically it's got enough power and torque to get the job done

As far as the RB goes if this is ur first 240 I wouldn't bother going that route, its a considerable amount more work than SR swap and there are a lot more things to take into consideration with a RB - ur gonna have to change ur suspension set up because it weighs more, ur gonna have to get a custom driveshaft, you have to run electronic fans instead of clutch fan, if you want front mount then u gotta get a new intake manifold or else have a garbled mess of piping, and that's before mentioning the aftermarket mounts and fitment problems. ** I'm assuming ur talking about 20 and 25 because doing a 26 swap is a whole nother pain in the a** with oil pans and trannys and let's not forget how pricy they are. 25 is really the only one I would consider because u don't get that much more power with a RB20 than you would with an sr, and good luck finding aftermarket parts

More like 2800 LBS, as for the RB swap list it's not bad but your holds back are inline with standard modifications. As for your KA-T comments, not bad but not on point, A fresh healthy KA can be boosted very cheaply make 300WHP.

As for RB VS SR ehh depends on what you like. I like the compact size of the SR, but I also side with displacement. Bottom line is this, your gonna get this engine and your not going to know crap about it. Some dude somewhere is going to tell you yeah it has 40K, blah blah Japanese law, engine is low miles just been sitting. In fact you have no idea about what your buying. With that said with your purchase you should also have these parts... oil pan and strainer (because yours will be dented), head gasket, head studs, timing kit, water pump and oil pump, valve-cover gasket / tube seals, and front / rear seal kit. Your also going to want to replace all the hosing, and do a clutch kit. And I understand some guys just swap their engines in and have good luck, but for everyone of those guys there's 10 who have had problems.

If it has to be RB or SR I have to ask your budget to do so, then I'll throw and answer at you.

[S14toRPS13]

It's true about ordering an SR. You're not sure exactly what you're going to get, but that's why I prefer ordering from someone local and trustworthy. As far as boosting a KA goes. Not many people are driving around on a fresh well maintained KA anymore. Most are close to or well over 200k miles by now. Adding boost to one of those engines isn't a good idea without a full rebuilt. I've only bought 2 SRs and haven't had realiability issues either. One was bought over 10 years ago when SRs were a lot more abundant and the other about 4 years ago. That one was a rebuilt by a local reputable shop.

[badbob2121]

I like rb20's, not a fan of 25/26

How do you prefer an rb20 when a rb25 has more displacement, better stock exhaust manifold (T3/4), better transmission, better rods, bigger stock turbo, and its a newer motor and has more aftermarket support...

[alms24sebring]

I like rb20's, not a fan of 25/26

How do you prefer an rb20 when a rb25 has more displacement, better stock exhaust manifold (T3/4), better transmission, better rods, bigger stock turbo, and its a newer motor and has more aftermarket support...

[HellaFlushSR20s13]

More like 2800 LBS

Nah was like 2200 without me in it perhaps it might be 2300 but def not 2800... s13 chassis stock weighs 2700 and mine is fully stripped with a lot of unnecessary stuff removed (AC, heater core, ducting, seats, carpet, glove box, sound system and speakers, etc.), then you got CF hood, CF trunk, and fiberglass bumpers and fenders and the SR motor weighs less

[HellaFlushSR20s13]

As for your KA-T comments, not bad but not on point, A fresh healthy KA can be boosted very cheaply make 300WHP.

Well yeah he can cheaply get a pieced together ebay turbo kit (mani, turbo, elbow, downpipe) but then its the other little things that he should get to make it work well and not blow up: metal head gasket, intercooler, injectors, fuel rail, some sort of fuel tuning, oil lines, and i know there are a few other things I am forgetting sorry its been over 4 years since I messed with a KA-T. Either way all the little parts he's gonna need to buy are gonna add up not to mention he's still gonna have to do the work. I guess my main part of what I was trying to say if i didnt convey it right (a little drunk last night) was that its a way bigger pain in the a** and not as simple as buying an ebay turbo kit for however much they go for I'm guessing around 500 or so and "slapping" it on.

The main reason why I'm trying to steer him away from KA-T is that I have known many ppl who attempt "slapping" a turbo onto their KA because they want their car to have more power on the cheap and most of the time what ends up happening is they get frustrated because they are missing stuff, spend a lot more money than they originally intended to spend procuring the rest of the stuff they need, the car ends up sitting and collecting dust for a some time while they ______ (wait for parts, wait for money to finish, loose interest) or they'd just bring it to a shop and have them do it, and after all was said and done they would just say "damn... I should've just done an SR swap"

To clarify I am actually a fan of KA-T because if and when it is done right and fully built they are god like... I just think that it is an endeavor that the average 18yo first time 240 owner really shouldn't undertake

[HellaFlushSR20s13]

It's true about ordering an SR. You're not sure exactly what you're going to get, but that's why I prefer ordering from someone local and trustworthy.

+1 you're gonna spend a little more but at least you'll have peace of mind

As far as boosting a KA goes. Not many people are driving around on a fresh well maintained KA anymore. Most are close to or well over 200k miles by now. Adding boost to one of those engines isn't a good idea without a full rebuilt.

This! precisely what I was trying to convey. The cost of rebuilding a KA (parts, tools, and possibly help) coupled with all the stuff he needs to reliably add boost is gonna be costly and in my opinion SR would be cheaper and easier

[themadscientist]

Not many people are driving around on a fresh well maintained SR anymore.

I love the way the kiddies think these 10 year old Silvia engines are in better condition than the average 240s'.

They get the s*** beat out of them for most of their lives and then you buy them. They need a rebuild too.