Rb26dett engine differences

[Norcal510]

Hello all,

Been a long time since I’ve been on here but hoping you guys could provide some information. 
 

i searched here and the internet to see how to identify a R32 rb26dett by series 1/ series 2 engine but no luck. Maybe because these engines are so common now worldwide? Somewhere online long ago I read you can tell cosmetically and based on the engine serial number? 

How do I identify a early 1990 rb26dett vs a 92 vs R33 rb26dett. 
 

Is there a recommendation on where I could check the serial number to identify the engine year range? 
 

thank you all for the information. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Norcal510

[Duncan]

I've never seen a reliable cross reference between year/vin#/engine number.

early 32 and late 32/33 engines are pretty much identical, especially by now when they all need a rebuild anyway. The only meaningful difference I can think of is the longer drive on the crank for the oil pump, but they are easily replaced if you have a short nose one

[joshuaho96]

9 hours ago, Norcal510 said:

Hello all,

Been a long time since I’ve been on here but hoping you guys could provide some information. 
 

i searched here and the internet to see how to identify a R32 rb26dett by series 1/ series 2 engine but no luck. Maybe because these engines are so common now worldwide? Somewhere online long ago I read you can tell cosmetically and based on the engine serial number? 

How do I identify a early 1990 rb26dett vs a 92 vs R33 rb26dett. 
 

Is there a recommendation on where I could check the serial number to identify the engine year range? 
 

thank you all for the information. 

The main way to tell between an R33 RB26 and an early R32 RB26 is going to be minor stuff. The main difference will be the crankshaft which isn't visible without removing the oil pump. There's also differences in the knock sensor harness, but the actual knock sensors should interchange even if the factory knock sensor was not the same. Heater core hoses are different as well. For example the back of the block has a coolant pipe that is 05U07 for the R32 but 24U00 for the R33. The pipe that goes between the back and front of the block for the heater core and oil cooler is 05U15 for the R32 but 24U00 for the R33. The R32 also has a sensor (?) of some kind on the firewall in the heater core lines.

Probably the easiest way for the untrained eye is to just look at the block serial number. It won't tell you exactly but it's close enough.

[Duncan]

There is also a minor difference in the fuel rail, the 33 has connector mounts front and rear, 32 has 2 at the rear of the fuel rail

[joshuaho96]

2 hours ago, Duncan said:

There is also a minor difference in the fuel rail, the 33 has connector mounts front and rear, 32 has 2 at the rear of the fuel rail

I forgot about that, I saw it on an R32 and found it strange but didn't think harder about it.

[BK]

Most of the stuff mentioned here are not really engine differences, but car model changes with things that bolt to the engine. To me the only differences between actual 05U RB26 engines I can think of are the crank oil drive lengths between early and late R32 and the exhaust camshaft change from R33 to R34. Everything elae is an ancillary change fitted to the long engine for the car that it's installed into.