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RB25 Re-Swap in a 280z Or just Turbo whats in there now??


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everyone on this site will tell you the same thing, search, then search again, then search some more. However i was once a newbie with the same question and the answer is that if you live in japan/hate having money/happen to have a RB lying around/want a LOT of horsepower then it is worth the huge amount of cash you'll dump into it. also any member will suggest that you just swap in the s130 turbo motor which is good if you're HP goal is around 250-300. but if you are adamant about an exotic engine swap then go 1jz or 7m toyota which are well documented.

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I can say I do not know too much about it but I do have a friend that has done a RB25 and a LT1 swap. He has told me that he prefers the chevy engine due to reliability and price. I am not sure if that was just his experience or if others think the same. And why I even mention the LT1 over turboing the L28 is from what I have seen it is cheaper to get good hp out of the chevy than the L28 and still trust it to drive all the time. Again, this is just what I have seen and it may be skewed. Good luck though.

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I say if your just looking to go fast in a straight line go with the chevy. Yes RB's can be expensive, UP garage, in Tacoma quoted me 13k just for the swap. First id look at the body and the chassis, see if you dont have to much rust all over the body too. Then when you find out that the car is rotted from the inside out on the passenger side mostly, go grab a beer at Redhook. Honestly i like my L28ET build, and yes trying to find some of the parts can be a hassel but its kinda fun. Its kinda a downer when most of the guys on here are like "SEARCH!!" But if you take the time and i dont mean just a little hear and there, I mean this is mostly what i do. I research when im at work. I do more reseach when i get home, the only time im not doing reseach is when im with my girl, or im eating, cause i dont want to get greese all over the keyboard. I do have a question for you though, If you want around 500+hp go with the chevy. Your in WA though so traction is gonna be kinda hard. You want to over pay for a japanese motor go with the RB. But also know you can go 2JZ, SR, a massive amounts of swaps. Ive seen a lot topics on RB26 head with a L28 block. Like i said take the time and do the reseach youll change your mind a thousand times before the car is done. Oh and take a look at my swap still in progress...

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/97614-l31et/page__pid__920660#entry920660 Hope you find out what you want to complete and post some pics!

Edited by Kali
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The L28ET is a great "starter" motor to work on because of its simplicity and well, its already there in most cases. However, this is also its downfall. Because its simple and older, its not as efficient (i.e. combustion chamber design) and more difficult to extract higher power numbers. Good aftermarket parts are getting increasingly hard to find. This ends up being quite costly in a lot of cases. However in the power levels mentioned (250-300hp) it is pretty damn reliable and easy to work on and is enough to push an S30 chassis nicely.

 

I can't say whether it would be "cheaper" in the long run to extract higher hp numbers from an RB. It is more expensive in the initial investment, by far, than the L28ET or SBC. However you get a much more modern combustion chamber design, an extra cam, 12 extra valves, crossflow, and higher stock hp with greater potential. AND, you get to keep the awesome sound of a straight six. You will pay for the huge aftermarket support with an expensive JDM tax.

 

An American V8 will give you the greatest bang for your buck and will blow these previous options out of the water in that respect. High power numbers cost a fraction of what the Japanese motors will. I'm not a big fan of pushrods or externally balanced engines, but that's for you to decide. The sound of one of these motors under the hood of an S30 is a love/hate thing.

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