Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

I have just bought a fairly stock 1989 r32 and have a few grand spare to either get a rb25 conversion or to just make my car pretty..(e.g wheels,bodykit) At the moment it has the typical mods, AVO front mount, BOV, r33 turbo,

A friend of a friend offered to install an rb25 for $2500 (is this cheap??) I am not very mechanically minded so my main concern is whether i need to spend more money on upgrading other components to with stand the new engine.???

Secondly, is it really going to make much difference in power..Or am i better off spending $2500 on other mods.

If the power difference is not that noticable then i would prefer to make the car look a bit prettier first.

If anyone has any advice that would be ace.....i have tried for hours on the forums and found similar topics but nothing with the answers im looking for...

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/114144-rb25-into-an-r32/
Share on other sites

Ok first things first...Predator on this forum is going through this now, So I would shhot him a PM about the costs ect

I have a R32 with RB25 and R33 gearbox that makes just over 200rwkw....and I have gotta say it is awesome!!! I have owned a r33 aswell and I could not beleive how good the rb25 is in a lighter car...the good news is you will be able to swap most of the mods you already have over to the rb25 so you wont have to have a stock rb25 either!!!

So yeah the conversion is really worth it in my opinion

i got a 32 imported from japan that has a rb25 in it, its my 3rd r32 and the first ive owned with an rb25 and mate the power difference is unreal, but i think the best thing about having the rb25 is the potential u have to make big power over the rb20. if i was choosing looks or power id definitely be going the rb25 over a new set of wheels. just depends how much u like your rice :laugh:

$2500 is cheap considering you will need obviously an engine, modified loom and a new ECU, the engine will need to come with injectors AFM etc. Then you have to worry about the additional torque that the RB25 makes and what effect it may have on thegearbox. Some ppl get lucky and have gearboxes that hold together at higher power and torque levels, others prove delicate and break just driving normally. Also check with local vehicle registry to ensure the transplant is legal, as you will need to chnage the engine details on your rego and may be pulled up if they pick it is a larger displacement engine...which depending who you are insured with may also have its share of problems. Seems to be a good upgrade though if you can get a healthy engine installed for so little an outlay.

spend the money on the performance.. visual mods just attract attention and in the end don't make a better driving experience.

$2500 is not bad price if that includes the engine? the swap itself is easy and the guts of it can be done in a weekend.

mine's taken longer, as I've converted mine to manual and just fixing or replacing the smaller things, tracking down those missing hoses, etc to make sure the engine will be reliable with hard use... and the fact I am working out the wiring very slowly :laugh:

you can also realise some of the benefits on an rb25.. replacement parts easier to track down as r33 everywhere, tuners more familiar with rb25's, rb25 powerfc cheaper, certain parts are no longer made for rb20, etc later on down the track.

I'm going to write a full guide with photos, etc when mine is done..

If the 2500 includes the engine, then do it.

If your mate is charging you 2500 for the install only then punch him in the chops.

I installed my own and including the cost of the engine had it installed, wired and running a new timing belt and water pump for about 2500 all up. I still run the rb20 box.

If i were you, i'd consider spending money on suspension and tyres at this point as you already have a fairly nice setup that only really needs an ecu upgrade to give a nice responsive 190rwkw. A stock r33 engine will put you back to the exact same point you are at now with only a bit of bottom end poke added

yeah, bhdave has a point.. little point doing the swap unless you have everything at a suitable standard. No point running an rb25 with everything else totally stock.

even though I had my rb25 sitting there for a while, it wasn't until I had the full exhaust system, intercooler, some suspension, slightly larger turbo and brake mods in place to bother doing it.

Thanks guys, i really appreciate your comments...

For now i think im gonna stick with the rb20 and improve it.....

Until (if) the motor actually decides to shit itself, then i will think about the conversion cause it's probably not worth fixing somethinmg that aint broke....

Cheers...

P.S still open to any other suggestions that may change my mind!!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • Who did you have do the installation? I actually know someone who is VERY familiar with the AVS gear. The main point of contact though would be your installer.   Where are you based in NZ?
    • Look, realistically, those are some fairly chunky connectors and wires so it is a reasonably fair bet that that loom was involved in the redirection of the fuel pump and/or ECU/ignition power for the immobiliser. It's also fair to be that the new immobiliser is essentially the same thing as the old one, and so it probably needs the same stuff done to make it do what it has to do. Given that you are talking about a car that no-one else here is familiar with (I mean your exact car) and an alarm that I've never heard of before and so probably not many others are familiar with, and that some wire monkey has been messing with it out of our sight, it seems reasonable that the wire monkey should be fixing this.
    • Wheel alignment immediately. Not "when I get around to it". And further to what Duncan said - you cannot just put camber arms on and shorten them. You will introduce bump steer far in excess of what the car had with stock arms. You need adjustable tension arms and they need to be shortened also. The simplest approach is to shorten them the same % as the stock ones. This will not be correct or optimal, but it will be better than any other guess. The correct way to set the lengths of both arms is to use a properly built/set up bump steer gauge and trial and error the adjustments until you hit the camber you need and want and have minimum bump steer in the range of motion that the wheel is expected to travel. And what Duncan said about toe is also very true. And you cannot change the camber arm without also affecting toe. So when you have adjustable arms on the back of a Skyline, the car either needs to go to a talented wheel aligner (not your local tyre shop dropout), or you need to be able to do this stuff yourself at home. Guess which approach I have taken? I have built my own gear for camber, toe and bump steer measurement and I do all this on the flattest bit of concrete I have, with some shims under the tyres on one side to level the car.
    • Thought I would get some advice from others on this situation.    Relevant info: R33 GTS25t Link G4x ECU Walbro 255LPH w/ OEM FP Relay (No relay mod) Scenario: I accidentally messed up my old AVS S5 (rev.1) at the start of the year and the cars been immobilised. Also the siren BBU has completely failed; so I decided to upgrade it.  I got a newer AVS S5 (rev.2?) installed on Friday. The guy removed the old one and its immobilisers. Tried to start it; the car cranks but doesnt start.  The new one was installed and all the alarm functions seem to be working as they should; still wouldn't start Went to bed; got up on Friday morning and decided to have a look into the no start problem. Found the car completely dead.  Charged the battery; plugged it back in and found the brake lights were stuck on.  Unplugging the brake pedal switch the lights turn off. Plug it back in and theyre stuck on again. I tested the switch (continuity test and resistance); all looks good (0-1kohm).  On talking to AVS; found its because of the rubber stopper on the brake pedal; sure enough the middle of it is missing so have ordered a new one. One of those wear items; which was confusing what was going on However when I try unplugging the STOP Light fuses (under the dash and under the hood) the brake light still stays on. Should those fuses not cut the brake light circuit?  I then checked the ECU; FP Speed Error.  Testing the pump again; I can hear the relay clicking every time I switch it to ON. I unplugged the pump and put the multimeter across the plug. No continuity; im seeing 0.6V (ECU signal?) and when it switches the relay I think its like 20mA or 200mA). Not seeing 12.4V / 7-9A. As far as I know; the Fuel Pump was wired through one of the immobiliser relays on the old alarm.  He pulled some thick gauged harness out with the old alarm wiring; which looks to me like it was to bridge connections into the immobilisers? Before it got immobilised it was running just fine.  Im at a loss to why the FP is getting no voltage; I thought maybe the FP was faulty (even though I havent even done 50km on the new pump) but no voltage at the harness plug.  Questions: Could it be he didnt reconnect the fuel pump when testing it after the old alarm removal (before installing the new alarm)?  Is this a case of bridging to the brake lights instead of the fuel pump circuit? It's a bit beyond me as I dont do a lot with electrical; so have tried my best to diagnose what I think seems to make sense.  Seeking advice if theres for sure an issue with the alarm install to get him back here; or if I do infact, need an auto electrician to diagnose it. 
    • Then, shorten them by 1cm, drop the car back down and have a visual look (or even better, use a spirit level across the wheel to see if you have less camber than before. You still want something like 1.5 for road use. Alternatively, if you have adjustable rear ride height (I assume you do if you have extreme camber wear), raise the suspension back to standard height until you can get it all aligned properly. Finally, keep in mind that wear on the inside of the tyre can be for incorrect toe, not just camber
×
×
  • Create New...