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View Full Version : Rb25det or s14 sr20


Sideways_blksr20
09-25-2011, 11:22 PM
Sup guys im a rb guy , i had 2 sr's in the past and i got a rod knock . I went rb and didnt have much problem . My last car was a s13 with rb25neo , really fast . Last week i bought a s14 kouki shelf , it had a s14 sr20 in it , the car came with engine harness and ecu for a s14 sr20 . My question is , should i get a s14 sr20 or save up for a rb25.
My budget its 3g , what would u get i wanna hear opinions. Of course if i'd get the sr20 i will be a plug and play , but i like rbs. The two sr's that i had in the past were red tops .. Pretty olds , what do u think about s14 sr20 r they the same?
Thanks

Sideways_blksr20
09-25-2011, 11:24 PM
If i get the 25 it will be badass but it also will be more money .
Rb25 motot
Mounts, radiator , fmic, new wiring , driveshaft . 3k plus i believe ..

Ramonesfreak2010
09-25-2011, 11:28 PM
2JZ.

msglnth

Vicious Beaner!
09-25-2011, 11:35 PM
^ agreed lol

Sideways_blksr20
09-25-2011, 11:39 PM
And if i get the sr i would only expend 2gs on swap and i will have 1g plus for upgrades, what do u guys think?

Sideways_blksr20
09-25-2011, 11:40 PM
2jz arent they more expensive?

Hoffman5982
09-25-2011, 11:54 PM
Lol, I had this exact debate once. I chose the s14 sr to avoid having a lot of problems. Here I am a year later and I've had nothing but problems

Yellow4g63
09-25-2011, 11:56 PM
Go with the SR. RB's cost more to build than SR20's.

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 12:06 AM
Lol, I had this exact debate once. I chose the s14 sr to avoid having a lot of problems. Here I am a year later and I've had nothing but problems

So u had bad experiences with it? When i had my sr i was berly starting into drifting , i think i got a rod knock twice cause i couldnt control my heavy food,
What i like about rbs the high end power .
I think i woukd expend more if i get a rb25 . The total swap will cost me like aronund 3200 plus
In another hand if i get the sr i would have 1k plus for modifications and it will be a plug and play swap cause i already have harness
And ecu .

gunmetalr32
09-26-2011, 12:13 AM
LS1.
No expensive turbo upgrades, no injector upgrades

Just add a good cam and headers. Done

Hoffman5982
09-26-2011, 12:18 AM
The motor I received ended up having a cracked ringland. If I had ordered from a more reputable importer I probably would have had a better experience.

Hoffman5982
09-26-2011, 12:19 AM
LS1 would be a great decision but won't fit 3k budget

mkezzo16
09-26-2011, 12:22 AM
1jz or rb25..an sr is an sr(except s15 sr) and you've had em already

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 12:34 AM
I can get a rb25 series 1 from ebay for $1900 and i would need $1200 plus for parts ... ( i bought from him before) importer from canada .

He can also sell me a s14 sr20 for $2200

If sr's arent that good , why r they more expensive than rb ..

Hoffman5982
09-26-2011, 12:36 AM
You are aware of the differences between the s13 and s14 sr's right?

rek_dizzle
09-26-2011, 03:39 AM
Dude its like RC cars. It great and all to have the better JDM kit but hard to get parts or parts are expensive. That's what you need to ask yourself am I willing to buy everything I need and have enough to buy spare parts at the same time. It always cost more to maintain such a high end engine just ask BMW, Mercedes, and Porche ($1000 for a tune up) owners. Last thing you want is to have an awesome engine sitting because you don't have the part yet. You should always tear down and rebuild the motor. The dealer will tell you anything they want because they know that you will probably just drop in the motor. Just because I tell you I'm Brad Pitt does that mean I am Brad Pitt.

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 08:41 AM
You are aware of the differences between the s13 and s14 sr's right?

Not really , i jist read something about vvt ir sometging like that , like the vtec version of nissan

jr_ss
09-26-2011, 09:05 AM
S14 SRs have VTC, which is variable cam timing. It has nothing to do with increased cam lift and/or duration. It simply retards or advances the intake cam 20degrees pos or neg depending on load/rpm... It increases low end trq on the S14/15 motors. Bottomed wise they are identical minus the oil and coolant feed/return lines. S14 motors come with an upgraded T28 BB turbo in most cases, however there have been some T28 journal bearing turbos in the mix. The T28 is good for around 275ish hp, but you need the supporting mods ie tune, injectors, etc etc...

Rafa-Z
09-26-2011, 09:17 AM
I've had my s14 sr for over 2 years now and only had problems at the beginning because I didnt have it tuned. The reason you get a rod knock on old sr20s is because you didnt upgrade the oil pickup to an s14 sr20 one and you should get a bigger oil pan. I daily my sr20det plus track it as many times as I can and have no problem. Another thing is sr20s are really oil dependent so you should change the oil as often as you can. If your one of those people that changes the oil every 6 months with the cheapest oil, than the sr20 isn't for you.

If you do it right you should have no problems but people think that tunning in their back yards in 5 minutes with an safc is tuning. Now if your goal is high HP than you should get the rb25 but since I drift I dont like all that extra weight in the front.

The LS1 is out of the question since your not going to do all the fabwork yourself it would go over your budget. Even doing your own fabwork unless you have major hookups it would be more than 3k.

colombianbryan
09-26-2011, 09:17 AM
If you're worried about cost than stick with an sr. I have an s14 sr and i love it with not many problems, most were easy quick fixes. Also what kind of power are you looking for? Cause really 1k isn't going to get you that far especially if you want everything new.

mewantkouki
09-26-2011, 09:48 AM
I'd rebuild anything that comes out of a junkyard in japan. RB, SR, etc. There's no such thing as the magical 40-60k engine anymore it's 2011 all of the these cars are 10 years old at the minimum. I bought my s14 sr longblock from jdm miami, new rings, bearings, and gaskets all around. Haven't had any problems.

DJDANGER24
09-26-2011, 10:07 AM
Best genuine advice i could give is this. If you're going to buy the RB, do not cheap out on anything. Do a compression test, leak-down test, etc all BEFORE you put the motor in the car.

-Swap out anything used that may be worn and torn, with new parts so that you save yourself the headache from it failing in the near future.
-The most important thing to do right is the wiring, spend your money on that and it will make your life a shit ton easier. Wiring jobs are expensive, and for a reason. If you half ass that job, the consequences could be disastrous and possibly double the initial repair cost.

I've had my RB running since my buddy had the RB25 swap done in 2003, it finally gave way to wiring that was made to work. There is a difference between a good wiring job and wiring that was made to work.
In the 8 years of this RB getting the shit beat out of it, I've only had to re-do the wiring and change the water pump. This baby holds 14 psi ALL DAY and i still haven't had my turbo blow on me like all the myths state they would if you boost over 12psi.

Do it once, do it right and save yourself the headache. Good luck with whichever swap you choose to take on.

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 10:29 AM
My goal is 280 to 300 my friend has a shop and i could get cheap parts ,i always take care of my cars , thts one of the reasons i fight with my wife lol..

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 10:31 AM
This is my new shell
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w97/cory_cnx/82f137ff.jpg

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 10:37 AM
Best genuine advice i could give is this. If you're going to buy the RB, do not cheap out on anything. Do a compression test, leak-down test, etc all BEFORE you put the motor in the car.

-Swap out anything used that may be worn and torn, with new parts so that you save yourself the headache from it failing in the near future.
-The most important thing to do right is the wiring, spend your money on that and it will make your life a shit ton easier. Wiring jobs are expensive, and for a reason. If you half ass that job, the consequences could be disastrous and possibly double the initial repair cost.

I've had my RB running since my buddy had the RB25 swap done in 2003, it finally gave way to wiring that was made to work. There is a difference between a good wiring job and wiring that was made to work.
In the 8 years of this RB getting the shit beat out of it, I've only had to re-do the wiring and change the water pump. This baby holds 14 psi ALL DAY and i still haven't had my turbo blow on me like all the myths state they would if you boost over 12psi.

Do it once, do it right and save yourself the headache. Good luck with whichever swap you choose to take on.

Yeah thanks , im 70% sure i will get the rb .
I had 2 srs and 3 rbs already .i love the deep sound of rbs . I had 2 20s and the 25 neo. , 25 neo was quick as fuck but i didnt have mch fun with it cause the car was rhd an tustin pd dont like imports lol

rb20240sx
09-26-2011, 10:38 AM
Get another RB25 Neo got mine for 2300 which is around the same price my buddy just got his s14 sr. Only shitty part is you need mounts and drive shaft. Idk though it's a tough call I might retract my statment when my buddy gets his sr running.

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 03:33 PM
Any more opinions?

omgRWDgoodness!
09-26-2011, 04:17 PM
Just don't get too excited when you get the RB and swap it in expecting to walk fools left and right....and it's slower than your old stock KA. Like what happened to me :( :wtc:

herbieS13
09-26-2011, 04:38 PM
thats a clean s14 u got there

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 06:29 PM
Thanks , i already ha 3 rbs they are not slower than kas,lol. Something was wrong with urs

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 06:30 PM
thats a clean s14 u got there

Thanksssss

fliprayzin240sx
09-26-2011, 08:37 PM
I'm in the same boat as you, I've been messing with nothing but SRs the last 7 yrs. I've had nothing but issues with them so I'm moving on to RB25s. I had a fully built SR that run for about 2 yrs pushing 500hp, shit blew back in Jan. I think 450hp is pushing an SR to its capacity. RB will be barely breaking a sweat at that point.

I basically traded everything I had SR and got an RB swap with some goodies on it...so atleast I'm not starting from scratch entirely.

Yellow4g63
09-26-2011, 09:07 PM
Flip the grass is always greener on the other side lol. RB's have a whole set of other problems like oil pump drive been too narrow and the crank just spinning and your oil psi going to zero. Or the oil pump gears breaking.

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 10:24 PM
what do u guys think of this setup?
http://zilvia.net/f/sale-items/398901-full-rb20det-swap-sale.html

Sideways_blksr20
09-26-2011, 11:51 PM
???????????

Sideways_blksr20
09-27-2011, 09:53 AM
Anyone??????

rb20240sx
09-27-2011, 10:19 AM
No rb20 there to old and only a 2L. Stick with the idea of a 25.

Rafa-Z
09-27-2011, 11:15 AM
Well if your looking for numbers then RB20 is not the answer. They make slightly more than an sr20. If you want the rumble and the numbers go with rb25. There is no "better" motor it all depends on personal taste and what you want it for. Seems like you want a dyno queen that makes people's head turn when they hear your exhaust so get the RB25. Plus that car is really clean so I dont think you'll be drifting it anytime soon.

My car has had all the RBs including RB26, both kas and now s14 sr and I would never go back to an RB. For what I use it for and the feel of the sr is completely different to me. But even if 90% tells you to get an RB you will in the end pick whatever you want so just make up your mind according to what you like.

Sideways_blksr20
09-27-2011, 12:12 PM
Thanks guys , im pretty sure
Im goim with a 25 , . Thanks , i'll probably make a build thread .

SLiDe_WaYz
09-27-2011, 12:17 PM
3K for a 25 swap? I mean I don't wanna sound like a dick or anything but $2400 would cover the engine and then 600 more is suppose to cover mounts, driveshaft, tune up parts, wiring?

Why not just spend 2K on a S14 SR since you already have the complete plug and play wiring and te last 1,000 can go to arp's, headgasket, new rings, ext? That seems like the less costly way. I'm a realist and I don't see you swapping in a RB25 or 26 and it being reliable for 3K.

Yellow4g63
09-27-2011, 12:50 PM
My friends RB25 put down 275whp on the dyno on pump gas. This was @ 12psi, we went to 14psi and same peak hp number. The TQ picked up a little bit at the bottom but just went back down to the same #'s as 12psi. He had a PFC, Greddy intake manifold, Fmic, 3" down pipe, GT spec exhaust, and a AVCR boost controller. I saw a R33 GTS on the same dyno put down 250whp. He didn't have the intake manifold or the PFC but same boost levels. This was on 91 pump gas in the desert heat.

Sideways_blksr20
09-27-2011, 01:53 PM
Yeah 3 to $35 for complete swap i do the work my self, except the wiring .

SLiDe_WaYz
09-27-2011, 02:01 PM
Yeah 3 to $35 for complete swap i do the work my self, except the wiring .

Still.
$2300 for a old engine
6-800 tune up parts
400 driveshaft
400 wiring.
250-300 radiator
E fans
Hoses

Blah blah blah

That's if the engine set you buy is in good condition. It's 2011, most good engines from importers were gone by 05 lol.

Not doubting you at all, just saying numbers you know? I'd hate to see you have a budget of that and then run out of funds and be stuck to be SOL.

DanielS14
09-27-2011, 02:01 PM
just get the rb25 it seem like it is what you want..it will cost more but over all it will cost less then buying a sr and having it blow up , then youll be back at nothing. man up and spend the extra cash... and if you dont have it save until you do...
btw check the FS section and look for legit used part to cut cost..

lucas13dourado
09-27-2011, 02:04 PM
first off I think you need to think about what you want from the car. I had the same debate as well. I ended up picking the S14 SR because of the availability of parts, the aftermarket (cheap used/new parts), the best mid-range torque, super fast spool, weight etc.
I have had my Sr for 2 years now and I constantly beat on it, track days, daily etc. Haven't had a problem yet.
I do agree with the person that said rebuilding these is a great idea, specially since checking everything is actually not very hard and can be done in your garage (main bearing clearance, rod bearings etc).
Pick the motor that best suits your driving style and what you want to do with it.

Also, when you pick a budget and time frame double the money and triple the time frame. Its a proven method for a realistic project haha

StryfeS13
09-27-2011, 02:24 PM
Hey man...have you considered going with the 5.3L LM7/LM4, or the 5.3L L33? They are cheaper than $500 in running condition, less than 100K miles, they make 300hp/325tq stock, and you can do the full swap for under 4K if you source your parts correctly...

You don't have to worry about rod knock, ticking valvetrain, expensive jdm parts, spool time, turbo going bad, etc. It's just push the pedal and GO. With just a simple cam and intake, you can get an extra 100+ hp, and if you port the head and put bigger intake valves (2.02's), you'd get even more. Parts are cheap, the cams are under $400, I bought my intake valves new for $120...porting the head is easy if you know how...Plus you can buy ARP hardware for it in PEP BOYS lol. Brand new parts are always in stock and always cheap at all your local parts stores...

Plus you have 6 gears and can get 28-30mpg on the highway...

Here is mine sitting next to my fully built KA that I sold, picked it up for $480 SHIPPED, still has factory GM plugs in it, cylinder walls still have crosshatch, rotating assembly is super tight clearance wise, and it turns over like butter.

http://i53.tinypic.com/9jghzn.jpg

imotion s14
09-27-2011, 02:34 PM
If you're gonna go RB, RB26 all the way. That's the only regret I have with my RB25. Initial cost for the RB26 was more but in the end when you're dropping a few Gs, what's 1 or 2 more Gs in the grand scheme of things?

Sideways_blksr20
09-27-2011, 02:54 PM
Hey man...have you considered going with the 5.3L LM7/LM4, or the 5.3L L33? They are cheaper than $500 in running condition, less than 100K miles, they make 300hp/325tq stock, and you can do the full swap for under 4K if you source your parts correctly...

You don't have to worry about rod knock, ticking valvetrain, expensive jdm parts, spool time, turbo going bad, etc. It's just push the pedal and GO. With just a simple cam and intake, you can get an extra 100+ hp, and if you port the head and put bigger intake valves (2.02's), you'd get even more. Parts are cheap, the cams are under $400, I bought my intake valves new for $120...porting the head is easy if you know how...Plus you can buy ARP hardware for it in PEP BOYS lol. Brand new parts are always in stock and always cheap at all your local parts stores...

Plus you have 6 gears and can get 28-30mpg on the highway...

Here is mine sitting next to my fully built KA that I sold, picked it up for $480 SHIPPED, still has factory GM plugs in it, cylinder walls still have crosshatch, rotating assembly is super tight clearance wise, and it turns over like butter.

http://i53.tinypic.com/9jghzn.jpg

From what car , is this motor?

Sideways_blksr20
09-27-2011, 09:25 PM
Fuck it ! I bought the 25 already lol hope i made the right choice, thanks guys

kandyflip445
09-27-2011, 11:07 PM
Now turn this into a worthwhile build thread.

DJDANGER24
10-04-2011, 11:42 AM
Fuck it ! I bought the 25 already lol hope i made the right choice, thanks guys

DO it right and you'll be happy with the results. Measure twice, cut once and save yourself a headache

fliprayzin240sx
10-04-2011, 05:45 PM
Flip the grass is always greener on the other side lol. RB's have a whole set of other problems like oil pump drive been too narrow and the crank just spinning and your oil psi going to zero. Or the oil pump gears breaking.

Yah I know...but figured if I dont go too crazy, I should be good to go. I've had friends in Okinawa making over 600hp on HX40 stock bottom end RB25 with mild head work only (valve spring, cams, HG, head studs and RB26 oil pump).

Figured freshen up the engine a bit with a fresh gasket kit, ARP studs, N1 oil pump, fresh water pump and Nismo thermo and I should be good. Got 550cc injectors, PFC and a Greddy intake manifold for it.

Slap this thing on and I should make atleast 400hp with the setup...Its an older Greddy IHI RHC6 turbo kit for RB20/25s.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1/luvs2slide/tubo024.jpg