Sydneykid

And you think a car is expensive :laughing-smiley-014: :laughing-smiley-014: :laughing-smiley-014: :laughing-smiley-014: Wait for the water rates, land tax, council rates, stamp duty, legal fees, removalist costs, furniture, fittings, faulty plumbing (you think mechanics charge, wait till a plumber gets hold of your wallet), leaking roof, painting..............the list is endless. Cheers Gary

I disconnect at the sump, no joins. I am not in favour of plumbing the head oil return into the turbo oil return. The turbo rotation thrashes the oil into a foam and it fills up the hose pretty well. It might be OK on a twin turbo (as per Duncan's application) as there is only half the oil flow in the rear turbo oil retrun. But I wouldn't do it on a single turbo application. Cheers Gary

If you had built an RB25 or RB26 forged bottom end it would have cost more You would have had to spend that money regardless of whether you used an RB25 or RB30 bottom end They are directly related to power outputnot whether you chose an RB25 or RB30 bottom end to makwe that target. So you can spend the same or more on another? You've got the bug and it's hard to shake, trust me I know. Cheers Gary

That's why I contribute, to show that some things are possible Still cheaper than buying aftermarket side feed injectors. Knowledge is king, once you know what has to be done you don't get scammed as easily. But you need and RB25 head, that's why I suggested buying a complete RB25DE then selling off the bits you don't need. I have never ever had to modify a power steering bracket, maybe I have just been lucky. .Exactly that's why the RB30 guide exists, to help inexperienced guys do a little bit of the DIY. If you don't try, you never learn. It's not that much flex, less than 10 degrees at the compressor outlet. On one car I used a slightly longer silicone joiner where the pipe from the compressor outlet goes through the inner guard. No flex at all then. . I know what you mean, what's looks easy to one person looks impossible to another. All new blocks come without engine numbers, so stamping is in fact very, very common. Our Pajero tow car (long since replaced) had a new block fitted under warranty, no engine number until we stamped it with the old numbers.Cheers Gary

I had an M35 Stagea ARX on the hoist today to engineer some Selbys Swaybars for it. Which is pretty much how the previous Stagea models suspension thread started, swaybars first. Quite logical since they are the best value handling upgrade you can do. We took a few pictures, of course, which I will post up over the next few days. First some data; The standard front swaybar is 29 mm hollow, so I replaced it with a 30 mm solid adjustable. I didn't want to go too big in the front bar as the 4wd's are fairly front weight biased and so need to transfer their weight rather than skip wiht too much antiroll. Something to keep in mind is that the front bar is linked to the lower control arm around half way to the wheel, so there are considerable leverage and movement ratios to be considered. As a comparison the previous model Stagea front bar is 1 to 1 with the wheel, hence why a 24 mm front bar is the go on them. The standard rear bar was 18 mm hollow, which is way undersized, so I replaced it with a 24 mm solid adjustable. It was fairly obvious that the standard rear bar was way too small considering the high rear centre of gravity (it's a waggon). Something to keep in mind is, like the front bar, the rear bar is linked to the upper control arm around half way to the wheel, so once again there are considerable leverage and movement ratios to be considered. To complete the comparison, the previous model Stagea rear bar is also similarly located, hence why a 24 mm rear bar is also the go on them. Tools used; 10 mm socket for removing the front undertray 14 mm socket for removing the nuts on front swaybar links 14 mm open ended spanner for holding the rear swaybar links while undoing the nuts 12 mm socket for removing the nut/bolts on the front and rear D brackets That's all I needed, simple installation process. Driving impressions; I set the front and rear bars on their softest setting and did a quick lap of test track #1. The improvement was both obvious and impressive, the previous plough understeer and excessive weight transfer tothje outside front wheel was almost gone. I thought it need a little more on the rear, so I went up one hole on the adjustment. That balanced it out a even more and gave a noticeable improvement in the lift off front tuck in to the apex. I'll let the owner drive it around for a while and then take his feedback on the day to day balance. Plus I will check the fittings and make sure there is no distress in the mountings or links. Once that is done the bars will be available for sale, if there is enough interest I will do an SAU Group Buy for those that are interested. To be continued.............. Cheers Gary

There are only a few options to achieving 2.95 litres, you are limited in the bore size. Being 86 mm standard, 86.5 mm oversize, normally used for ensuring straight and parrallel bores and 87 mm about as big as you want to go. Although there are few alive at 87.5 mm, but that an unnecessary risk that I wouldn't take. From there the stroke is easy to work out, simple high school maths. Once you know the stroke and that it has an RB26 block (tall or short), then the rod length is again a simple subtraction. Getting short custom rods made is expensive and unnecessary as you can more easily and cheaply select the gudgeon pin height. Such that the piston doesn't hit the spark plug. Plus the rod stroke ratio is pretty terrible anyway and shorter rods would just make it worse. Up to here it's just mathematics, the camshaft timing is the real tricky part, it depends on the valve sizes and porting, So my guess (272/280) is simply based on what my past RB30DET power curves look like, hence it is a 100% guess. Lots of fun for all Cheers Gary

Yep, RB26's cost a fortune in 1999, I couldn't afford to buy one. The whole RB25DE engine was $300, nobody wanted it because it didn't have VVT, which was perfect for me. Cheers Gary

The cheap China inlet manifolds and standard GTR injectors do the trick. Costs way less than buying aftermarket side feed injectors I have no idea why people have trouble in that area, I use all the standard stuff (off the RB25) inlcuding the harmonic balancer. That's where people get sucked in, they get aftermarket or GTR balancers and don't check the belt orientation until they have the engine ready to go, Then its a big hassle/rush to fix. Never had to change an intercooler pipes, they always flex enough at the joints. Dump pipe is a simple add 38 mm to the vertical, cost $50 at any exhaust shop. Never had to do that, I take the air compressor off the engine but leave it plumbed in. The standard ones fit just fine An always and ever present cost of increased power output. Never bothered, simply use the RB25 numbers. Ever so true, the unforseen stuff always bights you. Cheers Gary

My original RB30 in an R32GTR is still going strong, built in 1999. It has stock RB30E everything with an RB25DE head, just new VL Commodore rings, bearings, gaskets and seals . It made 475 bhp on the engine dyno, just a bit under 300 rwkw, using an old T04E turbo that I had lying around at the time. The rules, no more than 7,000 rpm, no more than 1 bar of boost, no leaner than 11.5 to 1 A/F ratios, zero (yes zero) knock, plus change the oil and filter at 5000 k's religously and don't try for "just a bit more power", be happy with what it has. The RB30 crank has the narrow oil pump drive flange, it wears the oil pump flats and then the clearance hammers them till the rotor cracks. I would always recommend using a wide flange drive oil pump. Cheers Gary

For some people it's easy, for me I find dog boxes take a while to get used to once I have been out of the race car for a while. I lose the technique that dog engagment needs quicknes and firmness of shift, unlike a synchro box which will handle quite slow changes. Down changes with rpm match are OK, it's the upshifts that take time to get used to. The only advice I can give is to be firm (not harsh), not tentative, get it into gear with precision and speed. I assume it has straight cut gears, so take your ear plugs with you. Cheers Gary

My guess; RB26 block (N1 perhaps) 87 mm bore (a good block will take 1 mm over no problems) 82.7 mm stroke (via any one of the forged cranks around, HKS, Trust Tomei etc) Could be tricky and save money by using an offset grind on the RB27 crank, but it is unlikely that it would take the rpm. ~120 mm rod (standard RB26 length as they are easily obtainable from a number of sources). ~4 mm raised gudgeon pin height (over standard RB26) pistons I eliminated the RB30 block, some people don't like the requirement for a 4wd adaptor plate I also eliminated the block spacer and liners, OS Giken style, as you wouldn't bother with RB29.5 when you can have RB31. With the 8,000 rpm top end power the cams would need to be 272'ish maybe 280'ish on the exhaust, depends on the size of the exhaust valves used. Lots of lift, around 10.5mm or so. That would facilitate some compression, say around 9 to 1, which would help achieve the nice power curve Turbos, that's tough, GTRS (or a Garrett equivalent) would seem logical it has about the right power for them. Then it's tuning, tuning, tuning Them's my guesses. Cheers Gary

Having built many RB30's, having one in the R32GTST and just finished the rebuild of the RB25 in the R33GTST, I have some comments; I thought about that, but I have no faith in standard RB25's living at 300 rwkw, plus the response within the standard rpm limit for what we do is simply not there. Thought about that too, but I already had an R33GTST Power FC, so I would have had to change that and some wiring to accommodate an RB26DETT. No use having a RB26 if it doesn't have twin turbos IMHO, plus changing over to a single also costs more. I didn't find the RB25 rebuild any less of a pain in the arse than the RB30's that I have done. The all up cost was about the same, forged rods and pistons, bearing, rings gaskets, N1 oil pump, crank flange etc. Such that I could have built an RB30 for the same money, maybe slightly less. Overheating in the sand trap at Wakefield, killed #1 piston. Everything else was fine. Not necessarily, a 300 rwkw RB30 would be cheaper to build and maintain than a 300 rwkw RB25. I haven't found that a built RB30 lost any revs at all compared to a standard RB25, around 7,250 rpm is plenty for both of them. I don't see how an RB30 built to the same standard would be any less reliable than an RB25. I had to do all the same oil control mods on the RB25 as I do on the RB30's. Since the fully forged RB25 is going to rev harder I actually had to do slightly more. The problem is the RB26 base engine costs a whole lot more to buy than an RB30 and they still need to be rebuilt. Mine is just an alternative view, not better or worse, just another look from a different angle. Cheers Gary

882 rwhp is our best with a standard crank, others have done better. Cheers Gary

Since the discussion seems to be revolving around my rule of thumb and my experiences in drivetrain losses, I thought I might jump in here. 444 cc = 444 bhp, that includes allowing for acceleration and cold running enrichment (the 80% you commonly hear people refer to). So you don't multiply 444 by 80%, my rule of thumb already allows for that, it's 444 cc's and 444 bhp. Drive train losses, I have had enough engines on engine dynos and chassis dynos to know how much drive train losses to allow for. That inlcudes 2wd Skylines, 4wd Skylines, V8 Supercars, F4000's etc etc. All I can do is tell you what I have seen with my own eyes. It's been around 7 years since we had the same RB on the engine dyno and then on the chassis dyno, but it was the 4th one that year, and the results were consistent. The 2wd's lost around 55kw and the 4wd's around 75 kw. That result was very consistent from 475 bhp (on the engine dyno) to 660 bhp (on the engine dyno). Which interestingly disproved the % method of calculating drive train losses, which I never subscribed to anyway. Some further background, that was pre Shoot Out mode Dyno Dynamics. But we have always used the same calibration methodology over the 4 DD roller dynos we have used in the 7 years and the same operator. The cars that we have had for that period of time show very consistent power outputs, so I am confident that the chasis dyno numbers are repeatable. Moving on to the topic at hand. The 307 4wkw seems a bit high for 444 cc injectors, they tend to run out around 280 4wkw at 12 to 1 A/F ratios and 265 4wkw at the often used (so called "safe") 11.5 to 1. A 27 4wkw (7%) happy dyno is a bit unusual unless some inlet air temp or other cheating was going on. Maybe it's a 12.25 to 1 A/F ratio tune, or the fuel pressure is 41 psi instead of 38 psi, maybe a combination of all of those. Slightly happy dyno, inlet air temp creap, tiny bit up fuel pressure, slightly lean A/F ratios. Now 550 cc injectors, I have used that size many times and with standard fuel pressure they are usually over 565 cc's. The 307 4wkw is a bit low for them, I have regularly seen 350 4wkw at standard (38 psi) fuel pressure. We usually run around 42 psi and 380 4wkw is the go then, which is a bit over 400 rwkw in 2wd. The bottom line, my guess, if it was 307 4wkw on our dyno, would be that it has 500 cc rated injectors. Cheers Gary

Generally speaking, yes, assuming the overall diameter is the same (ie; lower profile tyres are used). Tyres are a spring and less sidewall means less spring (ie; higher rate). So when you increase the tyre's "spring" rate you need to decrease the spring's rate to compensate. Camber is not so straight forward, there is less sidewall to flex, so in a straight line (acceleration or braking) you need less camber to keep the tyre contact patch up. We also tend to run lower tyre pressures with lower profile tyres, which affects the rigidity as well. So, as usual, I let the pyrometer tell me how much camber to run. Cheers Gary

Try the Stagea Section http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/St...lin-t85592.html Cheers Gary

Clarification 1, that incudes relays, fuse boxes, all the brackets, clips, nuts, washers and bolts that hold them in. Clarification 2, the 19 kgs is a net reduction, we took out around 25 kgs and added about 6 kgs Improved Production regs don't allow the "easy" weight reductions (eg; CF bonnet, boot, doors etc). So we have to use what ever freedoms are allowed to their max, for example clutches are "free" hence the use of a 7" quad plate carbon clutch with alloy flywheel and dissengagement hydraulics costing around $10K. Cheers Gary

It's an alignment setting, you rotate it to get the adjustment you want. Cheers Gary

If only it were that simple. On one of the Production Cars we went from 16" to 17" tyres this year. I had to make quite a lot of suspension hardware changes (eg; softer springs) and the geometry was quite different (eg; less camber). On one of the Improved Production Cars we went for 17" wheels to 16" wheels and it was 0.75 secs faster at OP, without changing anything. Why? Because the compound in the 16" A048 is softer than in the 17". There is no quick/easy answer here, all I can suggest is that you do your homework on tyre compounds first. Then make sure you have sufficient budget to change at least spring rates and allocate the time to optimise the geometry. Cheers Gary

Our GTR's are ~1280 kgs (no driver, minimum fuel), some things I don't see on your list, keeping in mind that we run full glass and standard panels; Carbon fibre tailshaft = 8 kgs Titanium exhaust = 23 ks Wheels (17 x 9) and tyres (245/40/17) = 16 kgs 1989 & 1990 models are 35 kgs lighter than 1991 to 1994 models One coat of paint, no undercoat = 5 kgs Chrome molly cage = 18 kgs Holinger gearbox = 14 kgs Fabricated transfer case = 9 kgs Poly bushes (no steel cases) = 3 kgs Alloy flywheel & carbon clutch = 4 kgs Alloy pedals = 2 kgs Sound deadening = 12 kgs Minimum wiring harness = 19 kgs Plus about 50 or 60 items that weigh less than 400 grams each, but it all adds up Cheers Gary

You need to have a high mounted water system bleed so you can remove any air trapped in the cooling system. It shoud be connected to multiple places on the engine, the more the better. The standard bleeder has 3 connections for that purpose. In order for water to flow there has to be a pressure differential between the feed (higher pressure) and the return (lower pressure). The turbo water return goes in to the LHS of the block around cylinder #4. By plumbing the turbo water feed into the rear of the block (near #6) there is not going be enough pressure differential for water to flow. I try and ensure as a much water flow as possible to the turbo, you can't have too much. So I take the feed off the back of the thermostat (TS1 in your picture). That's a high presure area as the thermostat (even when it is fully open) forms a restriction hence higher pressure behind it. Cheers Gary

All of the R32/33/34's I have tested have 2 voltages for the fuel pump, one around 9 volts and the other 13.8 volts. I haven't spent a lot of time on it but what I have observed is 9 volts at idle, although it seems to be anytime the ECU is running closed loop via the standard (slow and narrow) lambda sensor. Which is logical when you think about it. Cheers Gary

Not so easy to answer without some more details; 1. What does "10% drag/track" mean? Is that 10% drag or 10% circuit or 5% drag and 5% circuit? 2. How serious are you about your track work? Bit of fun or do you want to win? 3. What tyres are you using for the 3 disciplines (road tyres, drag tyres, circuit tyres)? 4. Are you prepared/able to change the rear springs and shocks when/if you go drag racing? Perhaps at the same time as you are changing to some drag tyres? 5. Are you prepared/able to change the swaybar settings when/if you go to the circuit? Most likey at the same time as you are changing to some R type tyres? 6. Are you aware of the various regulations? For example at the drags mixing radial and cross ply tyres, harnesses, roll cage, ballistic blanket, parachute etc. This is important, because with 400 rwkw and decent drag suitable suspension you could easily find yourself required to fit somme or all of this before you get run #2 down the 1/4. You could spend a lot of money, get one run and then have to go home. That should be enough for me to give a decent answer. Cheers Gary

This thread shows you how to measure your springs so that I can work out the spring rates for you http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Sp...Are-t79157.html Once we know what the spring rates are then we can make soem suggestions. The next thing for you to check is how low is the ride height. Centre of wheel to guard it should be no lower than 350 mm front and 340 mm rear. Ride comfort and handling suffer if it is any lower than that. Cheers Gary

The bushes should have come with a small packet of molly grease. Use that, if you don't constantly degrease and/or wash under you car with high pressure then it will last at least a year before you need to regrease it. Don't chuck the half used packet, you will get 2 or 3 re-greases out of it. Cheers Gary