Rb20 Owners Past And Present, I Want Your Thoughts And Opinions About Some Things

[AngryRB]

You could pick up a whole 300zx and transplant the lot then, too easy..

[yoshiii335]

RB20 Dyno thread would be a good start.

You can reach your power goal without opening the motor (i.e forged internals).

400hp will not be responsive. I've got around that (at the motor) and it makes full boost at 5000rpm. It really does nothing below 3800rpm.

But, drive it like a 2 litre engine with a (too big) turbo and its ok. Need to use alot of revs, but thats ok, becasue RB20's love to rev.

Before modifying an RB20 you need to be ready for the lag. It is way to easy to throw alot of money at an RB20 and not be happy.

If you can live with no real forward thrust below 4000rpm, then go for it.

I notice from other threads you've stated changing motors to a rb25 or 26 is not an option, so, if you are going to buy a gtr in the future, and just want some more from your RB20 for now:

Don't open the motor

Don't stroke it (2.2 or 2.4)

Don't do cams.

Do get a hypergear highflow (or similar bolt on turbo, HKS 2530, 2535, maybe some modern garret options, I'm unsure of specs)

Nistune and injectors

Deal with the lag, be happy that you've made around 400hp about as cheaply as possible.

Lastly, (again) look at the RB20 dyno thread, it will tell you what mods people have done, and the result, after looking at a lot you will quickly see some people do a lot of mods for no better result than others that keep it simple.

I have noticed outside of Australia, many people seem to keep the RB20 and also put it into other cars. So I want to try to push as I said to get good fast performance out of it until I get the GTR. After your car gets up in the rev range, Does it perform well?

[Wheezy]

5,000 rpm? Wow that is laggy even for an RB20.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Food for thought, just install a turbo from a R33 RB25DET onto your RB20DET - run 1bar of boost and enjoy the car till you can afford that GT-R of yours.

The more you research, the more you ask questions everyone will give you the same answer or so.. the RB20DET is shit.

[yoshiii335]

Please read the beginning of the post, I have a series 1 R33 turbo on my car. I have a MINES boost up tune, so I am running faster than stock. The torque built up some.

[yoshiii335]

Food for thought, just install a turbo from a R33 RB25DET onto your RB20DET - run 1bar of boost and enjoy the car till you can afford that GT-R of yours.

The more you research, the more you ask questions everyone will give you the same answer or so.. the RB20DET is shit.

This is something I found online at a webpage. This is if the car has been set up with the proper fuel tuning:

"In comparing an RB25DET engine to a RB20DET, the basic agreed limits of an R33 Stock ceramic turbine on a R33 is 13-14PSi, so on a bigger motor its a situation like a RB20turbo on an RB20motor, turbo needs to work a lot harder to push the same air through the motor, a case of the turbo being too small for the motor. So the RB25 turbo, on a smaller motor to do the equivalent of 14PSi on an R33, is closer to 18-20PSi on the RB20 engine. Resulting in the same CFM an RB25 would be getting on 14PSi. It’s all relevant to engine capacity/ compression etc to how hard a turbo needs to work."

[GTSBoy]

And?

[Ben C34]

3 to 4 seconds to get to 4000 rpm................

[yoshiii335]

And?

I always thought that 14 PSI is the most boost to safely run on a RB20 engine even with the 25 turbo.

Edited October 2, 2015 by yoshiii335

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

needs a dose pipe I reckon, will enhance drive

[R_34]

I swapped my S13 with a rb20.

Usual bolt-on (fmic exhaust, bigger injectors), STD S13 airbox, Z32 maf, kinugawa highflow, and a short runners FFP.

The engine has no torque below 3800rpm and is a bitch to drive on the streets unless you rape it. Fortunately the engine loves it.

I enjoy it and love it as long as I'm leaning on it as hard as I can, as soon as I want to just move the car in traffic or cruise, the engine is shit. So for a daily drive, stay away of biggish turbo, don't go any bigger than a disco potatoe or an hks2530 (around the 230 rwkw mark), and avoid at any cost short runners intake manifold.

It's perfectly fine on track, i never suffer from the lack of torque down low, you just need to drive the way it needs to be driven : like a VTEC engine.

I was given the opportunity to ride a RB20 with STD plenum and a kinugawa TD05-18g 8cm². The engine is much more enjoyable on the streets and pulls correctly from 3000rpm. Still a little down in terms of torque but the engine is perfectly livable contrary to mine. The difference between the setup are not much : this one has the STD intake manifold, a freer flow filter and exhaust, and the smaller turbo, but in terms of performance feelings on the roads it's millions miles away. My engine is just more alive in the lasts 2000rpm before the limiter or so.

A friend of mine has an R32 GTR with hks 2510 running à 1.2b of boost. The engine is much more responsive and linear but you only feels the power when he gets in fourth. Before the engine pulls, but it's not that powerfull. Nicer to drive off boost by a f**king lot, and only impressive beyond 200kph as the air drag doesn't seem to have an effect on it. But the car is much more heavy, less fun but more efficient.

So it really depends on what you want in terms of power delivery, chassis behaving...and money.

If you don't have tons of cash, a mild rb20 is perfectly fine for streets or track, love to be abused, is reliable (at least mine is) and is installed in a relatively light chassis. Moderate costs to maintain it, doesn't draw too much fuel and you don't need big tires/expensive brakes pads/rotors etc... Just go mild on the mods because it's still only a 2L engine.

If cost is no object, buy a GTR and go mad with it. Better engine, better chassis, extensive aftermarket support as long as your wallet allows it and more JDM points. Fantastic car but you need to have big balls and skills to get the most of it.

[Ben C34]

Mash throttle.

Side step clutch.

?

Repeat

[yoshiii335]

I swapped my S13 with a rb20.

Usual bolt-on (fmic exhaust, bigger injectors), STD S13 airbox, Z32 maf, kinugawa highflow, and a short runners FFP.

The engine has no torque below 3800rpm and is a bitch to drive on the streets unless you rape it. Fortunately the engine loves it.

I enjoy it and love it as long as I'm leaning on it as hard as I can, as soon as I want to just move the car in traffic or cruise, the engine is shit. So for a daily drive, stay away of biggish turbo, don't go any bigger than a disco potatoe or an hks2530 (around the 230 rwkw mark), and avoid at any cost short runners intake manifold.

It's perfectly fine on track, i never suffer from the lack of torque down low, you just need to drive the way it needs to be driven : like a VTEC engine.

I was given the opportunity to ride a RB20 with STD plenum and a kinugawa TD05-18g 8cm². The engine is much more enjoyable on the streets and pulls correctly from 3000rpm. Still a little down in terms of torque but the engine is perfectly livable contrary to mine. The difference between the setup are not much : this one has the STD intake manifold, a freer flow filter and exhaust, and the smaller turbo, but in terms of performance feelings on the roads it's millions miles away. My engine is just more alive in the lasts 2000rpm before the limiter or so.

A friend of mine has an R32 GTR with hks 2510 running à 1.2b of boost. The engine is much more responsive and linear but you only feels the power when he gets in fourth. Before the engine pulls, but it's not that powerfull. Nicer to drive off boost by a f**king lot, and only impressive beyond 200kph as the air drag doesn't seem to have an effect on it. But the car is much more heavy, less fun but more efficient.

So it really depends on what you want in terms of power delivery, chassis behaving...and money.

If you don't have tons of cash, a mild rb20 is perfectly fine for streets or track, love to be abused, is reliable (at least mine is) and is installed in a relatively light chassis. Moderate costs to maintain it, doesn't draw too much fuel and you don't need big tires/expensive brakes pads/rotors etc... Just go mild on the mods because it's still only a 2L engine.

If cost is no object, buy a GTR and go mad with it. Better engine, better chassis, extensive aftermarket support as long as your wallet allows it and more JDM points. Fantastic car but you need to have big balls and skills to get the most of it.

Thanks for the review.

Would a HKS GTRS, HKS 2840, GTX2867 or GTX2863 be too big of a turbo?

When pushing 230 + rwkw, do I need a better body kit or a bigger rear wing for the faster speed?

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

^this must be a strong troll.

[yoshiii335]

^this must be a strong troll.

No troll

[GTSBoy]

GTX4897 or GTFO.

[Ben C34]

Above 230kw the car will lift off the ground. Due to science.

[R_34]

I don't know about R32 gtst stability at high speed, they're not common where I live.

My S13 is standard aero wise and I don't have any stability problem even close to the limiter in fifth. And 230rwkw is still a low power, no need to go rice in order to makes it stick to the road.

Sticky tire, good bushings, good alignement and you'll be fine.

HKS2540 is a GT2876R which not a good turbo, too mismatched between compressor and turbine. The GT-RS is an GT2871 trim 52. Not a bad turbo but the GTX2863R is a better choice as it will make similar power with better response. You need to see it as a reworked hks 2535. A bit big for a 20 for street fun, but you can live with it i guess.

2867 is a reworked hks 2540, it's a better turbo overall but you can only get the full potential of the compressor with a big housing. It's fine for an efficient motor that spool turbo well, not suited for an RB20 IMO.

And too big turbo is something very relative, some people complain when the engine is not making torque off idle while some find that a turbo spooling à 6000rpm is perfectly fine for the streets.

[yoshiii335]

I don't know about R32 gtst stability at high speed, they're not common where I live.

My S13 is standard aero wise and I don't have any stability problem even close to the limiter in fifth. And 230rwkw is still a low power, no need to go rice in order to makes it stick to the road.

Sticky tire, good bushings, good alignement and you'll be fine.

HKS2540 is a GT2876R which not a good turbo, too mismatched between compressor and turbine. The GT-RS is an GT2871 trim 52. Not a bad turbo but the GTX2863R is a better choice as it will make similar power with better response. You need to see it as a reworked hks 2535. A bit big for a 20 for street fun, but you can live with it i guess.

2867 is a reworked hks 2540, it's a better turbo overall but you can only get the full potential of the compressor with a big housing. It's fine for an efficient motor that spool turbo well, not suited for an RB20 IMO.

And too big turbo is something very relative, some people complain when the engine is not making torque off idle while some find that a turbo spooling à 6000rpm is perfectly fine for the streets.

Thanks for the info!

What rpm for the turbo do you consider too laggy?

[STATUS]

7yrs and 275rwkw on RB20