Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

Hi Folks,

I'm in the market to buy a wet block billet RB28/RB32 aluminum engine and wants to use it daily in my R34.  I have heard that the block being very dense, accumulate heat and doesn't dissipate heat very well. I hear some engine crack liners and have leaking head gaskets from heat soak. I would like to know if there is any truth to this. Coming from a hot country (Thailand) and have terrible traffic, I can't risk the issue of overheat when idling.  I would like to hear from owners that use their billet block in town daily doing normal stuff as well as any other issues that new buyer should be aware of when driving the car.

Thanks

Tobey

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/481582-daily-driving-the-billet-engine/
Share on other sites

Hi mate,

I've heard very similar results to what you have mentioned. Unfortunately, the big workshops that read such posts, and the guys that run them, dont have the f**king balls to admit or shed any light around this at all. THis is the exact reason I didnt go billet. Yes, I've asked some big workshops on fb, to which they ignore. Absolute f**king dream boats they are.

Tbh this is kind of also true of any big HP build. People's opinions of "Daily" differ greatly, as well as "tracking it all the time and it never breaks".

They probably don't have the data, as they don't have people that really daily a 800kw R34 GTR even though they say they "daily it all the time" which may mean the odd cruise every 2 months.

Ultimately I say the old adage is true. Build the car for the scenario you want to be using it in the most.

  • Like 1
1 hour ago, Kinkstaah said:

Tbh this is kind of also true of any big HP build. People's opinions of "Daily" differ greatly, as well as "tracking it all the time and it never breaks".

They probably don't have the data, as they don't have people that really daily a 800kw R34 GTR even though they say they "daily it all the time" which may mean the odd cruise every 2 months.

Ultimately I say the old adage is true. Build the car for the scenario you want to be using it in the most.

No, I've been told several times that billet blocks are a race only block and not suitable for road use. When asking specifics, i get given the cold shoulder.

Plus there are a few big boys running billet blocks, but information is kept hush hush, however they are quick to recommend with their sales pitches.

  • Like 3

I think once you are willing to spend billet block money on an RB in a Skyline, you are way the f**k into "why bother with an RB?" territory. Spend half the money and put an AMG V12 in it or something. Surely there can't be enough drug money going around to justify billet blocks for street Skylines.

 

  • Like 1
2 hours ago, Predator1 said:

No, I've been told several times that billet blocks are a race only block and not suitable for road use. When asking specifics, i get given the cold shoulder.

Plus there are a few big boys running billet blocks, but information is kept hush hush, however they are quick to recommend with their sales pitches.

Yeah I got a similar experience.  The shop have not addressed the issue and tend to ignore the issue totally by not having any evidence supporting the claim.

There are a few cars out there that has a billet engine and DD the car but it all disappeared and never heard from again for some reason....

  • Like 1
12 hours ago, BK said:

I must have missed it, but why do you want or need a billet block ?

Do not underestimate the hardpark instagram peer pressure. It is very real.

  • Like 3
  • Haha 3
13 hours ago, BK said:

I must have missed it, but why do you want or need a billet block ?

I know billet blocks are good for rigidity when making massive power, but I was asking specifically the OP why he feels he needs / wants a billet block. Does he want 2000hp or just bragging rights ? Plenty of big power RBs not using them and new RB26 blocks are pretty affordable.

1 hour ago, Kinkstaah said:

Do not underestimate the hardpark instagram peer pressure. It is very real.

Also why so many sequential boxes are going into street car non motorsport GTRs ?

  • Haha 1
18 minutes ago, BK said:

Also why so many sequential boxes are going into street car non motorsport GTRs ?

To be fair, if I was awash with cash from my retail disco-bikkie sales network, I'd be wanting a sequential in my 32. Although, that would prevent me from doing my usual 1 - 3 - 5 or 2 - 4 - 5 traffic shifts.

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
27 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

To be fair, if I was awash with cash from my retail disco-bikkie sales network, I'd be wanting a sequential in my 32. Although, that would prevent me from doing my usual 1 - 3 - 5 or 2 - 4 - 5 traffic shifts.

Thats why H pattern dogs exist. Not being able to skip gears, go straight to neutral or select reverse quickly shits me to tears in a street car.

40 minutes ago, BK said:

Thats why H pattern dogs exist. Not being able to skip gears, go straight to neutral or select reverse quickly shits me to tears in a street car.

It’s not a easy as you think. Muscle memory takes over your shifts. Have done the 1-2-1 twice in just over a year I have had the box in. 

40 minutes ago, BK said:

Thats why H pattern dogs exist. Not being able to skip gears, go straight to neutral or select reverse quickly shits me to tears in a street car.

It's a bit of a different thing though. H pattern dog box because you need something strong enough to handle monster torque. Sequential because you want snick-snick gearchanges (along with possibly the same strength as an H pattern dog box). The snick-snick is cool. Just not without cost (both $ and utility).

2 hours ago, WR33KD said:

It’s not a easy as you think. Muscle memory takes over your shifts. Have done the 1-2-1 twice in just over a year I have had the box in. 

Yep they definitely take some learning. Sounds like you need lots more practice on rev matching on the downshift, which is definitely the hardest part. I have had H pattern dog boxes for well over 10 years mate so I know their quirks and how to use them (most of the time 😂)

2 hours ago, GTSBoy said:

It's a bit of a different thing though. H pattern dog box because you need something strong enough to handle monster torque. Sequential because you want snick-snick gearchanges (along with possibly the same strength as an H pattern dog box). The snick-snick is cool. Just not without cost (both $ and utility).

That's right. Sequentials are all about tenths in motorsport, which is why they exist. Circuit, drag and rally / off road you can't beat them.

36 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

It's a bit of a different thing though. H pattern dog box because you need something strong enough to handle monster torque. Sequential because you want snick-snick gearchanges (along with possibly the same strength as an H pattern dog box). The snick-snick is cool. Just not without cost (both $ and utility).

I went sequential because even with dog gears, i'd be limited to the stock casing, as opposed to a billet casing, which wouldn't twist as much(if any).

2 hours ago, BK said:

Also why so many sequential boxes are going into street car non motorsport GTRs ?

What’s wrong with it?

If you want a 6 speed box (5 speeds suck), that cops the grunt what do you put in? A Getrag is getting up there in $$ now. Going to reverse is hardly a big deal. If you’re going to go to reverse then you’d be in 1st. Push the lever up to neutral and push it up again. Hardly a big deal.

 

  • Like 2

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

    • Hi,  Just joined the forum so I could share my "fix" of this problem. Might be of use to someone. Had the same hunting at idle issue on my V36 with VQ35HR engine after swapping the engine because the original one got overheated.  While changing the engine I made the mistake of cleaning the throttle bodies and tried all the tricks i could find to do a throttle relearn with no luck. Gave in and took it to a shop and they couldn't sort it. Then took it to my local Nissan dealership and they couldn't get it to idle properly. They said I'd need to replace the throttle bodies and the ecu probably costing more than the car is worth. So I had the idea of replacing the carbon I cleaned out with a thin layer of super glue and it's back to normal idle now. Bit rough but saved the car from the wreckers 🤣
    • After my last update, I went ahead with cleaning and restoring the entire fuel system. This included removing the tank and cleaning it with the Beyond Balistics solution, power washing it multiple times, drying it thoroughly, rinsing with IPA, drying again with heat gun and compressed air. Also, cleaning out the lines, fuel rail, and replacing the fuel pump with an OEM-style one. During the cleaning process, I replaced several hoses - including the breather hose on the fuel tank, which turned out to be the cause of the earlier fuel leak. This is what the old fuel filter looked like: Fuel tank before cleaning: Dirty Fuel Tank.mp4   Fuel tank after cleaning (some staining remains): Clean Fuel Tank.mp4 Both the OEM 270cc and new DeatschWerks 550cc injectors were cleaned professionally by a shop. Before reassembling everything, I tested the fuel flow by running the pump output into a container at the fuel filter location - flow looked good. I then fitted the new fuel filter and reassembled the rest of the system. Fuel Flow Test.mp4 Test 1 - 550cc injectors Ran the new fuel pump with its supplied diagonal strainer (different from OEM’s flat strainer) and my 550cc injectors using the same resized-injector map I had successfully used before. At first, it idled roughly and stalled when I applied throttle. Checked the spark plugs and found that they were fouled with carbon (likely from the earlier overly rich running when the injectors were clogged). After cleaning the plugs, the car started fine. However, it would only idle for 30–60 seconds before stalling, and while driving it would feel like a “fuel cut” after a few seconds - though it wouldn’t fully stall. Test 2 – Strainer swap Suspecting the diagonal strainer might not be reaching the tank bottom, I swapped it for the original flat strainer and filled the tank with ~45L of fuel. The issue persisted exactly the same. Test 3 – OEM injectors To eliminate tuning variables, I reinstalled the OEM 270cc injectors and reverted to the original map. Cleaned the spark plugs again just in-case. The stalling and “fuel cut” still remained.   At this stage, I suspect an intermittent power or connection fault at the fuel pump hanger, caused during the cleaning process. This has led me to look into getting Frenchy’s fuel hanger and replacing the unit entirely. TL;DR: Cleaned and restored the fuel system (tank, lines, rail, pump). Tested 550cc injectors with the same resized-injector map as before, but the car stalls at idle and experiences what feels like “fuel cut” after a few seconds of driving. Swapped back to OEM injectors with original map to rule out tuning, but the issue persists. Now suspecting an intermittent power or connection fault at the fuel pump hanger, possibly cause by the cleaning process.  
    • For race cars, this is one part where I find having the roll cage bar having gone through a hole in the floor better than the build it up on a ledge inside... The Merc I help on, the main hoop ends are marked on the car, and the jack is marked... Jack goes under a few inches and lifts one whole side of the car up... Removes that fight for long slim jacks for race car duties!   My biggest issue for the daily drivers I work on, is my jacks don't go high enough. The jacks start out on a few blocks, jack it up, then start a second jack under it on more blocks, and then I can get an axle stand under it. My axle stands are presently in use, and are nearly fully extended. The car is sitting with barely more than a cm of clearance to get the wheel off the studs! Sarah's Kluger is the same, as it has an ungodly amount of droop available in the suspension and a distinct lack of good jacking points!
    • Happy? Yep, my to do list is getting shorter and shorter. Either this light approaching is the end of the tunnel, or I'm about to be hit by a train... Ha ha ha   Also, Duncan isn't that far out of town that you need to make a multi day drive out of it. 😛
×
×
  • Create New...