Rb25Det - Rb26Dett Swap

[buzz350]

hey everyone, as above im wondering if anyone has done a swap between a rb25det and a rb26dett?

my series 1 r33 is running out of life and is slowly giving up after 220,000+ kms, still runs fine but will need to be rebuilt/swapped and i might aswell put a gtr engine in there instead.

so is it possible to do that and is it worth the hassle and $$$?

ive been searching thru sau forums but havent been able to find anything relating to this topic.

cheers aaron

*hope i posted this in the correct thread*

Edited December 4, 2011 by buzz350

[paulr33]

im sure it has been done to death

the skyline r33 is 18yrs old surely there are dozens of people who have done this type of engine swap

its probably cheaper, easier and better to rebuild your current engine to a 2.6 litre stroke instead of removing your engine and buying a 2nd hand (possibly shagged/tired) rb26

you just need to check the reasons for ugprading

is it because you want more power / a newer engine

or is it because you really really want individual throttle bodies, air temp sensor control, twin turbos and non-vct?

if you just want engine refresh, more power and some new life rebuild your current one to a bigger capacity

[buzz350]

cheers paul for the quick reply, ill have to talk this over with my mechanic to see if its viable etc.

and yes the reason is for a newer engine with more power without me having to tamper with it too much and not being able to have a car off the road.

but i guess an engine refresh wouldnt be that much more difficult.

im still wonderng if anyone has done it tho (aka if looms need to be changed or etc to make them run?)

Edited December 4, 2011 by buzz350

[paulr33]

yeah its been done heaps both backyard style and workshops

for the specs read here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_RB_engine

but why would you take out your engine, buy a 2nd hand rb26 and fit that

it would not be worth the time and effort, for the power you'll get and the headaches/risks of a 2nd hand motor

if you were going to do it, it would have to a rebuilt rb26 so thats already a 10k cost (engine + rebuild)

this is why its far more reasonable to rebuild your engine, if you rebuild yours, you can pick what ever power you like

[GTScotT]

Im fairly sure that the general consensus is that a moded single turbs GTST is more exciting than your average twin turbo GTR.

Id stick to the RB25, if its shagged give it a refresh and soldier on. Use the money and heartache saved from the 26 swap to do some mods on the RB25.

[StevenCJR31]

if its more grunt that your after then build up/get built a 30 bottom end and chuck a reconditioned head on that . . . .if you do that while your car is still going then you MIGHT be able to swapem over on a weekend without the car being off the road too long (just need a tune after that tho)

[GTR_JOEY]

^^Agree^^

if ur looking to do something a little different from the norm then yea you can put a 26 in it

like whats already been said, u run the risk of buying a stuffed 26 and u end up back to square one again

if ur lookin for a bit more power and fun then you would be far better off just gettin ur 25 built and spending some coin on some light mod ie.

turbo, injectors, ecu, intercooler, exhuast etc

alot less stuffing around to put an engine that was designed for ur engine bay back in as well

[boostn0199]

Not worth it as one the engine is alot more pricey than a rb25 and condtion wise you never know could go bang. You could probably buy 2 or 3 rb25 for the price of one rb26 and when modified and tuned if you choose the correct turbo setup I personally think you can get as good performance from the 25 you just cant rev as high. I would be going for a 25 rebuild and setting up a nice 200-300kw depending on what your after and choosing the right turbo for the job and youll have a reliable and fast car.

[buzz350]

thanks guys for all the responses and opinions on the topic,

as a lot of you have said refurbing my engine would be the better option or buying another and building that up before doing a swap on the weekend.

its probably been covered, but whats the go with a rb25/30? pros cons, how are they built, run an aftermarket ecu etc?

again thanks for all the responses, has given me a new insight into my choices

Aaron

[Moodles2]

Another thing with the RB26, you need to mess around with sumps, as you can't just drop an RB26 in (with a AWD sump) attached to the the RB25 driveline.

[buzz350]

Another thing with the RB26, you need to mess around with sumps, as you can't just drop an RB26 in (with a AWD sump) attached to the the RB25 driveline.

wouldnt that be an easy enough swap by taking it off my old rb25 and replacing it onto the 26? or are there more issues involved when changng the sump over?

[sweepa]

screw the rb26, to old, been done.

try something original

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FG-FALCON-FPV-XR6-TURBO-FULL-ENGINE-CONVERSION-KIT-/280780545579?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item415fd31e2b#ht_814wt_1110

[Moodles2]

I guess with an adapter using the RB25 sump is do-able, just the pickup will require findling to get right, check (although it seems cutting off the front diff is a better option): http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/358496-sump-adapters-rb26-block-to-use-rwd-sump/

[boostn0199]

In regards to the 25/30 check the rb30 build page theres a good thread which goes through it all and has a document pretty much explaining everything that needs to be done. But yeah basically it is a great option to the price of a rb30 block is virtually free, youl get the added torque and response from the upped displacement. Ecu you can still just run the rb25 ecu you have.

[JonnoHR31]

if its more grunt that your after then build up/get built a 30 bottom end and chuck a reconditioned head on that . . . .if you do that while your car is still going then you MIGHT be able to swapem over on a weekend without the car being off the road too long (just need a tune after that tho)

this. if you do it bogan the whole conversion can be done for under $500

otherwise just drop another good condition 25 in. you can get bare long motors (all you need if you already have manifolds and loom etc) for under $500

[KiwiRS4T]

Read the RB30 Pdf. For the price of a conversion to a tired RB26 you can get a forged RB30 built at your leisure and then just pull your engine and stick the head on the 30 and away you go. The extra torque and fresh engine will be a huge advance and if you want more power later you have the basis for an easy 300- 400kw (or more).

[wolverine]

Does anyone factor engineering and niggly fabrication to make everything bolt back up when they say "it can be done for cheap"?

[sydking]

any advice on a 25det neo AWD with a RB30 bottom end??

would that mean a AWD sump would be needed on the RB30? or am i missing something

[TiTAN]

screw the rb26, to old, been done.

try something original

http://www.ebay.com....b#ht_814wt_1110

already been done.

turbowerx

[JKR-32]

That turbowerx car was the first thing I thought of when I opened the eBay link.