Guest RyTK280z Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Hello Guys, I'm new to the forum but I was reading around and it seems like a good place to ask for help and advice. I have seen various replys to different threads and seemed like good responses. So to start off I have a brain teaser: I have a 1978 280z in my garage that I am partially rebuilding, I say partially because I am not doing a full restoration. It will be painted and finished to a show/track car but will not have all the luxuries that came in the car (no A/C no Heater and other stock items). So I was wondering what engine would you guys recomment to swap into my 280z? SR20DET RB25DET RB26DETT Some of you might ask why not just rebuild the engine I have or swap in a L28ET. I have looked into that but I want to pursue a different horizon. The SR20 might be a 4 cylinder but compared to the RB25 and 26, the cylinders might be bigger, and dropped in the 280z will creat a weight distribution close to that of an RX-7 The RB25 has only one turbo but is .5 displacements bigger. The RB26 has Twin Turbors...Enough Said! I would welcome all opinions and views on this matter and all the help would be very gratefully appreciated. Keep in mind that im stayin in the Nissan family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurkishSquirrel Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 I'd recommend the RB25 or 26, because when it comes down to it, with the SR20 you lose 2 cylinders and .5 or .6 liters of displacement. I actually plan with my car to do an RB25 or 26 swap. While I see the purpose of having a good weight balance, that can be corrected with suspension, and also I think that with the RB's the Z will retain similar weight balance as it has with the L28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJLamberson Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 it all depends on what you want out of it, search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 Yeah a good search will give you a wealth of info. My opinion on the weight balance is that to the average person you can hardly tell the difference. If your looking for like ~50 lbs on the front end your time can be better spent elsewhere. You also have to take into account where you can place a SR compared to an RB. Im guessing the SR is shorter so that would offset any extra weight it may have? And having bigger pistons doesnt mean it has more power potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vale2489 Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 I'm going through the same debate right now...SR and the RB25 are my top choices right now. I'm a little biased towards the sr as I've had two s13's with an SR, and even in fairly stock form (basic bolt ons) always kept a smile on my face. For it's displacement it is a fairly torquey motor as it puts down ~200ft/lbs at the fly wheel stock, and with a few bolt ons you can put the to the rear wheels easily. Another adavantage is the parts availability. There are a couple of dealerships in the states that you can walk into and pretty much buy any oem part you need (West Covina Nissan is one...can't remember the others off the top of my head right now). The Aftermarket options in the states are limitless and anything you need can pretty much be shipped to your door in a few days. I also achieved 25-30mpg when cruising, and was probably one of the most reliable cars I had. The RB25 is also a good option, they sound good and pull hard...and the prices have been coming down on clips/motorsets and can be had for nearly the price of an s13 blacktop sr.However,the aftermarket support is nothing campared to the sr here in the states and the never ending quest for more horsepower is going to be expensive, if you spin a bearing or melt a piston be prepared to wait along time to get parts. Choosing the RB26 based on the reason it has two turbos is not a good idea...yes the spool up and response of a twin turbo setup is awesome, but the ceramic turbos on the rb26 don't have a good repuation for reliability and you may involuntarily be looking for a turbo upgrade fairly quickly (one turbo is exensive enought...imagine having to replace two), You can do a single turbo conversion but it's going to be costly. This is going to be the most expensive option altogether and once again parts are going to be difficult to obtain. Hope I shed some light on the subject...these are the thoughts that are going through my head right now as I'm trying to decide what to stuff into my 280. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RyTK280z Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 yeah, i have also seen the pros and cons about the three different engines and i am mostly leaning towards the RB25, but wanted to see some opinions from different people. A friend recommended the 25 because its already rear drive stock and you dont have to mess converting the all wheel drive to rear drive on the 26. another question related to engine power, would more power mean that i have to change the rear to five lug or can i keep my four lug setup in the rear, or how much power can a four lug setup handle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintage Posted December 27, 2007 Share Posted December 27, 2007 The number of lugs isnt limiting your power potential, I'd worry more about what the rearend itself can take. If your car has an R200, its pretty stout. Not sure what kind of abuse they can take before they fail, but they've stood up to many a built SBC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RyTK280z Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 cool thanks, just wanted to confirm. thanks for all the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vale2489 Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 A friend recommended the 25 because its already rear drive stock and you dont have to mess converting the all wheel drive to rear drive on the 26. You just use an rb25 tranny on the 26 to get around that issue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RyTK280z Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 yeah but you have to buy the tranny. i also have to keep afordability in mind. If i can get an rb25 with tranny for cheap, than i will most likely go with the 25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vale2489 Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Call UP Garage in Tacoma, WA (253-565-9823), last time I checked they had good prices on rb25's and sell quality stuff,Ask for Doug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RyTK280z Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 i'll keep the phone one hand, i wont get to that until sometime in the summer. i just wanted to know what everyone else thought for the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Poly Zmanaustin Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 What is your budget and power goals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RyTK280z Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 don't really have a budget, just buy what i like and hope it fits... just kidding... no, but i dont really have a budget, i am going to buy things on a need to own basis, and so my project will take about 2 years to complete seeing that i live in MN and winters get cold. as for power, i guess about 350-400 tops i dont really plan on building something to powerful that ill kill myself. I guess im looking at something in the low 11's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Poly Zmanaustin Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 All 3 engines will get you to your power goals. I was really looking for a dollar figure, but based on your power goals you would be barely tapping the RB26 at that level. Its expensive and sounds like overkill for your goals. RB25 sounds more in line if you want an RB series. If you want to check out a well thought out example of an RB25 install check out Rob Fuller's car here: http://www.zcargarage.com/gallery.htm and select ZCG RB 240z on the gallery. His SR20DET swap for his 510 is in the gallery too listed under Other. Just select ZCG 510 Turbo. Honestly, for your goals the SR20 sounds like the best package. I know you listed no AC or heater, but if you want those items or better yet want the option later your best route is SR20DET. I am not saying its impossible to have AC with the RB motor just letting you know the setup doesn't lend much in the way of space for it. I know you ruled out the L28ET, but with your power goals its a good bang for the buck. Also, the 7MGTE is a great option for your power goals. Just look at the numbers Clifton is putting up. I believe he said about 350-375rwhp could be achieved on the factory ecu and computor too. Not all of us have unlimited funds on this board so I wanted to point out a few other options you may not have considered. Have you also thought about brakes, suspension and chassis stiffening, etc. to make this package all work properly? There is a lot more to this swap then just the motor swap. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest xl702Kinglx Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 vq35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerAce Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 RB25DET is what I would vote for. You can get good power for not much, and that much power isn't going to be pushing the limits as much as in a SR. Also, a 26 is WAY to much money IMHO for what you get. Plus, how can you say no when the install looks this good if it is done right: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEvilrps13 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 why not go RB20? its the best of both worlds, and cheaper than the RB25 or 26. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badjuju Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 RB20 loses the same .5L the sr20 does... dude, go with an rb25. six cyl, good displacement, it's toybochahjed, if you blow the rear end up, replace it with a heftier one. If you're building a track/show car, price should not determine something like "rb20 or rb25". Build what you want. you're not going to spend a sh*t ton more money to go with a 25 rather than a 20, and you'll get more benefit from it. Also, if you go with an rb20 you have to make sure it's a 24 valve, whereas all the rb25's came with. ooh lah lah, and if you get one made post 93, it'll have that there v-tach (cite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_RB_engine ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badjuju Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 RB25DET is what I would vote for. You can get good power for not much, and that much power isn't going to be pushing the limits as much as in a SR. Also, a 26 is WAY to much money IMHO for what you get. Plus, how can you say no when the install looks this good if it is done right: that's pretty... look how shiny the hood latch release is... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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