It’s been a few weeks, and although there have been some pressing issues standing in the way, everything is starting to get back on course after my small rear-ender with some stupid bitch on yonge.
First and foremost, thanks to everyone who has contributed so far, you’ve been a lot of help.
There was an issue with the motor, as I found out the guy that has been holding on to it (for $100/month…) sold it 2 months ago without permission, because he “needed the money”. Needless to say, we will be picking up a cheque for $1500 from him on friday.
Thanks to rb180 for the wicked deal on the harness and crossmember, and thanks again for holding them for so long! +2 for him.
As it stands now, I’m in the market for a new RB26. Winter is fast approaching, and we’ve already had snow twice in Aurora/Newmarket
If anyone knows anyone selling a motor, it would be greatly appreciated…
I’m also looking for mounts (and possibly a downpipe?) and an RB25 transmission. Please pm me with offers!
I just finished helping a buddy drop a RB25det into his s13 and there are some elements that made this a pain. I dont know how much differnet the 25 and 26 are but for the 25 we were able to make use of the stock K-member with the sue of some fancy motor mounts. The orginal trans mount can be used, depending on your choice of transmission(my buddy used a Z32 with the RB bell housing). Wiring isnt overly complicated but it takes a little while to get your head around since you will need to combine the two wiring harnesses and make some new connections. If you ned anymore questions answered I can do my best to ansewer them myself or get the answer
FOUND MOTOR!! Thanks to Munib (judasentinel) from GTRCanada for the fantastic price!
I’m now looking at turbo and mani options (preferably bottom twins?), as that is the only thing missing from it.
I am also looking for an rb25 tranny, both Tiger and Total want upwards of $1000 for one, so don’t hesitate with offers! Free would be the best offer, but hey, I’m a reasonable guy.
I haven’t updated this in a while, with christmas and headaches and all, but I come bearing (no pun intended) both good and bad news.
Bad news first, my SR spun a bearing (insert pun here) tonight, and had to be limped home… Oil pressure f**ked off, and so did the bottom end. I will be selling the motor either as is, or fully rebuilt, depending on funds/motivation.
Good news is that the RB is finally home, and nearly stripped down to the skivvies.
Teaser pics as promised;
More pics to follow, I will continue to update this thread regularly. Definitely more to come.
Uh…what a season this has been Bill. Take your time on the RB. We will have it ready for the spring ahead. We both will get our rides on track and be tearing the local streets together as twins again. Time to let the 240’s sleep. As for everyone else out there…Keep your eyes out. This thread will turn into a double car RB swap with lots of custom fab work now that we have a welder and dont need to out source. Custom fabrication is all done in house and will have lots of step by step pictures on the designs we have produced. Smile Bill. Tomorrow is another day.
I went to pull the head off last night, remembering that I left the hex-head socket at work… . Either way, the cams have been pulled out and all accessories have been stripped off and soaked in the new parts washer in the back room at part source lol.
Next order of business is getting this PITA crank pulley bolt off. I gave up after the old shitty timing belt snapped. ANYWAY pics;
I’ve also decided on the turbo setup I’m going with; but I’ll reveal that later. I decided to go with what I did simply because of cost and avoiding the headache of bottom-twins (hint hint).
Either way, more pics and parts to come!
Pulled the head off last night and found where the oil in the cooling system was coming from
Det signs on 4/6 pistons. And does anyone know if the rod and main bolts are torque to yield? If so, $800 in studs doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
ARP FTW
Just a few quick questions if you don’t mind answering that is. In regards to chassis modifications what are your plans for it (i.e. reinforcement bars, strut bars or full roll cage, etc)? How are you setting up your wiring and engine management system; are you re-flashing the OEM RB26DETT ecu to delete the ATTESA system or are you going for a full standalone unit? Do you have any plans to beef up the drivetrain such as a R32 subframe with HICAS delete or are you going for an aftermarket differential and rear half shafts to cope with the strain of the additional power the RB puts out? Also, are you sticking with the dual turbos or going to a big single, and in turn, how are you going to correct the crank collar issue the R32 GTR motors are notorious for, if this is indeed a R32 RB26.
I am very interested in this swap as I had some ideas how to carry it out in the S Chassis as well; just I never had a chance to do so, looking forward to seeing it put into place.
Chris, thanks for the interest! I will be tying the subframe and fender braces in a few places, details secret . As for a cage, I will not be running one, as they are very impractical for a daily driver, although I will be bracing key stress/flex points in the cabin. There will be a lot of work done that won’t be obvious at first glance, but will definitely aid in rigidity.
The ecu will be a flashed gtr unit; but plans are to replace it with a power fc. The diff will be either an s15 helical or a kaaz 1.5 way. I will be using my stock HICAS subframe with the kazama lock bar, with a bit of extra bracing. Rear axles will be staying stock for now (I know…), but very soon I will be picking up a set of NIR1 axles from the driveshaft shop… maybe even RA8001X2’s (google=bffl)? I have still yet to decide where I’m drawing my power line.
I will be going big single.
I am in the process of fabricating mounts to lower the stance of the rb, while using a modified r33 cross-member, as this will save a lot of cash money on buying a mount kit that I can make.
Keep your eyes open guys, I’ve been building up more and more ideas as I’m going. It may be a bit slow though for the time being, as I’m trying to work around my school/work schedule.
UPDATE: Stripped the head down and gave it a nice wash the other night, it will be dropped off for decking and hot tanking at Aurora Automotive machine shop; they’re some good guys and definitely have been a huge help with previous projects. Next up is the block; it will be broken down, decked, honed, tanked, and sprayed in a nice coat of flameproof aluminum
Pics so far:
I think I know what you have in mind in regards to tying the subframe and fenders into the chassis better. The one thing I was concerned about and that deterred me from doing the RB26 swap on my car was not only the money (about $7000-10000) but also chassis rigidity. The RB26 is a much, much bigger motor than the SR20 and you need a lot more bracing than is required with an SR. I know for a fact motor mounts will be an issue as I noticed even with McKinney mounts my RB20 still twisted my drive train a little on tip ins. I hope you are going the solid mount route as you will be much better off in the long run.
As for the ECU, a reflashed GTR ecu is a good idea and I know PUR Automotive are very good in regards to getting the most out of stock RBX ecu’s so you should look to them. If you don’t mind me asking, why are you going the PFC route and not an AEM full standalone unit as there is not that much difference in price if you do indeed go with the higher end PFC. Or is it because of the fact you want live streaming data as a trade off for the local tuners being able to tune it. (I’m a guy who prefers quality over features, and that is why I suggest the AEM as it’s pretty much a one time tune and well worth the $1800 imo).
I am happy you have sorted out a majority of your driveline, the Kaaz 1.5 way or the S15 Helical Diff will give you a much better feel of the car, and as for the half shafts, you should put the upgrades in before the car is even roadworthy as I know 240 half shafts aren’t the greatest. Also, I am glad to see you’re going big single on it… it will be a hell of a fun drive… and I am itching to see it especially since you will not be having the crank collar issue (although you should still upgrade you Oil Pump right now for safe of mind. ;))
Congrats on the swap choice and best of luck carrying it out! Car is looking good already.
I’ve decided to go PFC for the computer setup, due to many reasons. I will be able to set up a base/highway tune, which will allow me to take the car down to Raddick at PUR, who will fine tune it from there. Also, I’m getting an unbeatable price on it.
My turbo setup is on it’s way, so expect pictures in the next few weeks! I also found a transmission for a great price, and decided that I will be going with either an OS super single clutch, or a Spec stage 3+, as I’m looking to retain daily drivability, and I had good experience with Spec on my SR.
Genuine water pump and N1 oil pumps are also coming, as is a genuine timing belt.
Nothin’ but the best
I love build threads haha,
