Rb, Sr, Fj, Ca Etc. Engine Names

[LjC]

i was having a conversation with a workmate today (he worked for nissan dealer servicing for 15yrs apparently), we start an innocent convo about the impounded datsun 1600 sitting out in our yard. He says now thats a classic car, which i agree with then say "and it has a nice FJ conversion" (which it did) which he didnt agree with, saying the "CA20" is the best engine in the world....long story short the discussion turns to, what the RB25DET engine name stands for....i told him RB = Race Bred 25 = 2.5 litre capacity D = double over head cam E = electronic fuel injection T = single turbocharger....he disputed all of my claims and said all the titles stand for the symmetry and ratios of the engine or something...what do all these engine names stand for -- RB, SR, FJ and CA.....lastly.. *cant stop laughing*.. he claims that the RB30ET from the VL calais turbo was a holdens idea, apparently they engineered the turbocharging of the engine and the japs had nothing to do with it....

[jrm]

RB meaning 'race bred' is a myth - never been supported by Nissan

Its also worth reading about the RB30 on wikipedia

[KezR33]

Aren't CAs 1.8L too?

[XKLABA]

Aren't CAs 1.8L too?

they also can out as a 2ltr na

yeah sorry, too. I just read the first post properly

Edited February 23, 2011 by XKLABA

[XKLABA]

the CA from my understanding is basicly that a CA18 is a RB26 with two cylinders cut off

[sneakey pete]

I don't think anyone knows what the SR, RB, U (points for anyone who knows what those are. Without looking it up on google) stand for, if they do indeed stand for anything, but the D, E, T do stand for Dual camshaft, electronic ignition and turbocharging.

As for the RB30ET being an australian developed engine (developed in the term of, holden throwing the turbo onto it), I wouldn't say that that's out of the question tbh. But i don't know either way who did it. go research.

[(OO)SKYLINE(OO)]

the CA from my understanding is basicly that a CA18 is a RB26 with two cylinders cut off

Because they both run an iron block, which, in a sense is bulletproof.

[warps]

I don't think anyone knows what the SR, RB, U (points for anyone who knows what those are. Without looking it up on google)

Yup!

Had one sitting in an unrestored 2000 Sports for a couple of years before I eventually sold the car (whilever one owns a rally car, a full ground up restoration on an antique Jap sports car is just NOT going to happen). Think I might still have the workshop manual here. 46mm inlet valves and twin Solexes - mmmmm emissions goodness

Almost as rare as the S20 these days

RB = Race bred - I don't think so, tim

CA20's were fitted to S2 Blueys and weren't that good in stock form (I don't think they have a lot of potential either)

I think that th eiron block, twin cam layout between CA18 and RB26 is about as far as the family resemblance goes.

[zebra]

Lol cause a RB20E or RB24S or RB30E is heaps race bread.

[Birds]

D = double overhead camshaft

E = Electronic FUEL INJECTION (not ignition!)

T = Turbocharged

The number is displacement rounded to the first 2 digits.

The letter prefix simply refers to the family of engines. Ignore it, and what you think it stands for, Nissan engineers probably got a 5 year old to point to 2 letters in the alphabet and went with it for good luck. Insert a myriad of other explanations for it, we aren't going to resolve what has been debated for years within the confines of this thread. In the end, who cares?

Was there anything JDM that used the RB30ET? If not I'd say it was completely Holden's doing. They did buy the rights to the RB30 from Nissan AFAWK.

[zebra]

D = double overhead camshaft

E = Electronic FUEL INJECTION (not ignition!)

T = Turbocharged

The number is displacement rounded to the first 2 digits.

The letter prefix simply refers to the family of engines. Ignore it, and what you think it stands for, Nissan engineers probably got a 5 year old to point to 2 letters in the alphabet and went with it for good luck. Insert a myriad of other explanations for it, we aren't going to resolve what has been debated for years within the confines of this thread. In the end, who cares?

Was there anything JDM that used the RB30ET? If not I'd say it was completely Holden's doing. They did buy the rights to the RB30 from Nissan AFAWK.

RB30 was export only in passenger cars...I think it was on used in the Patrol's in Japan, but thats it

[mad082]

RB stands for Runs Bearings and SR stands for Shits Rockers, lol

the design of the CA is very similar to a RB with 2 pots cut off, but not exactly spot on, and certainly not a RB26. rb20 maybe.

from what i am aware, the RB30ET was a holden design.. sort of. nissan designed the engine (holden used it because of new emissions laws being introduced and getting the old 202 up to standard wasn't worth it, in a similar way that nissan scrapped the RB and SR at the end of the 90's/early 00's), holden did the turboing.

[PM-R33]

RB stands for Runs Bearings and SR stands for Shits Rockers, lol

[syfon]

the CA from my understanding is basicly that a CA18 is a RB26 with two cylinders cut off

You are most probably correct in saying this. CA18DET motors are Nissan's strongest rated factory motor horsepower-wise. Basically, out of any performance Nissan motor, they can produce the most horsepower without being re-built, somewhere around the 600rwhp figure, and part of this is due to fact that the CA18DET is a cast-iron block, while the SR20DET is an alloy block like that of the RB-series.

[Kris..]

awesome thread will read again

[Nanogrip]

As a professional code breaker in the internet. Here is what I think the first 2 letters mean.

1st letter = Indicates orientation of cylinder in the block, R/C/L/S, etc = inline, V= v configuration. Observe: RB20DET and VG30DETT

2nd letter = Indicates generation of the block, B/A/R/Q, etc. Newest generation of engines are designated to Q's! VQ38DETT!

I don't know.............

[PM-R33]

You are most probably correct in saying this. CA18DET motors are Nissan's strongest rated factory motor horsepower-wise. Basically, out of any performance Nissan motor, they can produce the most horsepower without being re-built, somewhere around the 600rwhp figure, and part of this is due to fact that the CA18DET is a cast-iron block, while the SR20DET is an alloy block like that of the RB-series.

Ummm dude RB's are all cast iron blocks.

[badhairdave]

don't forget the ca18i, the most awesome engine ever produced by nissan. So awesome it doesn't follow the naming convention or need the twin plug stupidity of the ca20. It's bottom end is factory rates to 600ps but Nissan didn't want to unleash such an engine on the unsuspecting public so limited the power to 80ps with it's sohc rocker snapping awesome sauce head.

[LjC]

D = double overhead camshaft

E = Electronic FUEL INJECTION (not ignition!)

T = Turbocharged

The number is displacement rounded to the first 2 digits.

The letter prefix simply refers to the family of engines. Ignore it, and what you think it stands for, Nissan engineers probably got a 5 year old to point to 2 letters in the alphabet and went with it for good luck. Insert a myriad of other explanations for it, we aren't going to resolve what has been debated for years within the confines of this thread. In the end, who cares?

Was there anything JDM that used the RB30ET? If not I'd say it was completely Holden's doing. They did buy the rights to the RB30 from Nissan AFAWK.

i know that JUN Auto from japan had turbo'd the RB30E before holden, so maybe thats where they got the idea...

[mad082]

Ummm dude RB's are all cast iron blocks.

exactly right. the rb are an alloy head, but still a cast iron block.

also the CA isn't a RB26 with 2 pots cut off. they are a similar design to the RB engine, but aren't simply a 4 cylinder version of it.