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Well lucky me, after saturday night driving, my engine gave me started giving me a nice little ticking sound. Took it to my mechanic this morning, suprise suprise a ticking noice from the engine bay is actually a bad noice and as topic says, time for a new engine.

Wondering a few things here, advice and knowledge would be handy

1. Love to know if it would be worth rebuilding this engine or getting another reconditioned engine would be cheaper.(installed and everything)

2. anyone know the price to rebuild/buy a new one would be (oh and its an RB20det forgot to say)

3. What would it cost to have an engine done with forged internals

4. Work shop recommendations

Yes, i used the search bar and that was about as useful as genital worts on a ribbed condom

cheers guys

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https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/179655-ok-new-engine-time/
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I'm in exactly the same situation as you. Very confused and dazed about the what options i have. Rebuild? Replace the rb20? Swap with rb25?

Anyway, have a read of the thread below as it will give u a different perspective on swapping with an rb25.

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/in...howtopic=179649

After reading that, i'm one step further away from going down the rb25 route and one step closer to rebuilding or getting another rb20 in mine...afterall i have all the supporting bits and pieces for my rb20 already.

In my opinion the RB20DET is a great motor and internally stronger than the RB25DET... However I have an R32Gtst and I pulled the RB20 out in favour for an RB25 and I have never been more pleased.

The one thing that R32 Gtst's were missing was a torque'ier motor and the RB25 makes up for that.

The RB25DET is NOT that hard to fit, it will pretty much go straight in with a little persuasion, as long as you know what youre doing (I wouldnt recommend attempting it if you havent had any previous engine transplant experience though).

I did the conversion myself with some mates and the whole thing from go to whoa cost me about $3,000 (not including buying the engine and gearbox)...

The reason that its expensive is because you need some things made custom to fit. You should buy a complete R33 Gtst front cut instead of an engine/gearbox package because you'll need the wiring, computer and a few other things such as the top half of the R33 engine mounts, cross members etc.

Youre MUCH better off using the R33 gearbox as it is allot stronger than the R32 one and if you start modifying an RB25DET with an RB20DET gearbox on it, you will probably shred the box quite quickly.

To fit the RB25 gearbox you will need a custom crossmember as the box is physicaly larger, custom tailshaft as the front yoke is bigger for the R33 and the box is longer overall than the R32 one, R33 clutch slave cylinder and a custom Nissan Navara/R33 Skyline speedo drive.

If you want a front mount intercooler you need to get an R33 kit and modify it a bit to fit, but it will go in nicely.

Also the R32 exhaust will bolt straight up to the RB25DET, they have the same turbo flange.

The wiring conversion is complicated aswell so your better off having the R33 loom spliced into the original R32 loom by a qualified auto elec.

You'll need a bigger fuel pump too, a Bosch 040 pump does nicely.

There are also heaps of little jobs to do like vaccum, fuel, boost hoses that arent a direct match between engines, you'll need to put the R32 engine fan and pulley onto the RB25 because the R33 one is to long and you need to swap harmonic balancers as the RB25 one wont line up with the R32 power steer pump, alternator and air cond..

Anyway, from my experience the RB25DET is easier to get power out of and allot more fun to drive than the RB20DET and I should know because my R32 has had both. :nyaanyaa:

I hope I havent confused you anymore with your decision.

  • 2 weeks later...
In my opinion the RB20DET is a great motor and internally stronger than the RB25DET... However I have an R32Gtst and I pulled the RB20 out in favour for an RB25 and I have never been more pleased.

The one thing that R32 Gtst's were missing was a torque'ier motor and the RB25 makes up for that.

The RB25DET is NOT that hard to fit, it will pretty much go straight in with a little persuasion, as long as you know what youre doing (I wouldnt recommend attempting it if you havent had any previous engine transplant experience though).

I did the conversion myself with some mates and the whole thing from go to whoa cost me about $3,000 (not including buying the engine and gearbox)...

The reason that its expensive is because you need some things made custom to fit. You should buy a complete R33 Gtst front cut instead of an engine/gearbox package because you'll need the wiring, computer and a few other things such as the top half of the R33 engine mounts, cross members etc.

Youre MUCH better off using the R33 gearbox as it is allot stronger than the R32 one and if you start modifying an RB25DET with an RB20DET gearbox on it, you will probably shred the box quite quickly.

To fit the RB25 gearbox you will need a custom crossmember as the box is physicaly larger, custom tailshaft as the front yoke is bigger for the R33 and the box is longer overall than the R32 one, R33 clutch slave cylinder and a custom Nissan Navara/R33 Skyline speedo drive.

If you want a front mount intercooler you need to get an R33 kit and modify it a bit to fit, but it will go in nicely.

Also the R32 exhaust will bolt straight up to the RB25DET, they have the same turbo flange.

The wiring conversion is complicated aswell so your better off having the R33 loom spliced into the original R32 loom by a qualified auto elec.

You'll need a bigger fuel pump too, a Bosch 040 pump does nicely.

There are also heaps of little jobs to do like vaccum, fuel, boost hoses that arent a direct match between engines, you'll need to put the R32 engine fan and pulley onto the RB25 because the R33 one is to long and you need to swap harmonic balancers as the RB25 one wont line up with the R32 power steer pump, alternator and air cond..

Anyway, from my experience the RB25DET is easier to get power out of and allot more fun to drive than the RB20DET and I should know because my R32 has had both. :O

I hope I havent confused you anymore with your decision.

wow, thanks for that. Turns out thats all going to be very important as i just bought a rb25 today. im not to sure if im going to be able to do it all myself and after reading this, i doubt it very much. With that being said, where could i go to get it done? do your mates wanna do another one ? lol :D

Youre welcome... :D

I dont think that we would want to do another conversion, it always starts off fun and games but after working for 8 - 10 hours straight both days on your weekend you all start to frey aroud the edges and temper's usually flair up.

Its worth it in the end though...

I'll PM you with some details.

what a waste.

I'll give you $50 for your so called "dead" RB20 motor.

EDIT - I'll also keep an eye out in the for sale section for your car once you're finished the conversion and can't afford to keep it any more.

a second hand RB20 motor in working condition would have cost you about $500 max.

it would have all bolted in to place so the labour rates to a mechanic would have been maybe another $500

$1000 and you are back on the road in under 2 days.

How much did you pay for the RB25?

does it have any warranty (eg 1-3 months from date of install)?

have you got a quote from a mechanic/workshop that is going to do the install?

Did you get an RB25 gearbox?

Edited by GTST

When you talk about having the 33 loom spliced into the 32 loom, does that mean running the car on a 33 ecu? As mine was done into japan, 25 put in, and it's still running a 32 ecu, so I thought something like that wasn't necessary.

You might as well convert to a RB25 unless your really happy with the way the RB20 was, and aren't looking at spending big $$ to get more power out of it.

RB25 is obviously bigger, and is easier to get power out of, if you want an engine that will get you to the mid 200rwkw and above, you might as well go with the RB25.

Plus you will get more torque etc, and there is more RB25 parts available then RB20! ;)

They are a stronger motor then the RB20, in the sense they can take a lot more power than an RB20, and on standard internals.

I say go for it, I know I would if my RB20 gave in.. more likely when it gives in :banana:

When you talk about having the 33 loom spliced into the 32 loom, does that mean running the car on a 33 ecu? As mine was done into japan, 25 put in, and it's still running a 32 ecu, so I thought something like that wasn't necessary.

You can rechip a R32 ecu to take upon the 2.5L capacity and tune it to suit.

When you talk about having the 33 loom spliced into the 32 loom, does that mean running the car on a 33 ecu? As mine was done into japan, 25 put in, and it's still running a 32 ecu, so I thought something like that wasn't necessary.

Yeah I mean running the R33 computer, there are a few things that you need from the R32 loom such as headlights, indicators etc... Mine is using the R33 ecu with a modified R33 wiring loom.

The R33 computer is apparently "un-tunable" so the R32 computer might be better if youre nor planning on using progammable management.

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