RB25DET or Built KA-T?
 

Just want to see which one they prefer and maybe you can post to why you prefer that setup.

id take a built ka-t. better for weight balance and will make plenty of power for what i do.

i dont know my friend had an rb25 in his 91 and it made a shit ton of power even at low boost, but for the cost i dont think its worth it. you have to buy a crossmember, new wiring harness, motor mounts and have custom coilovers to support the weights. i say either built the ka or go with an sr

rb25.. if money isnt an issue.. boost the rb25 higher.. plenty of torque downlow. will make the power pretty quickly too.. rb valvetrain.. no brainer decision.

RB25 no matter what take that truck motor out I hate Ka's im sorry :madfawk:

The proper motor mounts from either Mckinney or JGY customs will set the motor where it needs to be. You will not be able to tell a difference between the stock motor or RB weight difference. Custom Coilovers will not be needed.

There are a few companies available that will do the wiring for you. The price range from $250 to $450.

Its a matter of preference and what you will be doing with your car. Are you conservative or money isn't a factor for you. I know a few that are running the RB motor as a daily driver and to date do not have any problems. I have a friend that has a KA-T. Its day'm fast. You can't go wrong either way IMO.

If you are looking for a low hassle, quick boost fix. Turbo your KA. You will not be disappointed. A built KA? You will take a RB to the cleaners.

I have an R34 RB25 in my 89 f/b and I daily drive it and I've never had a problem with it and it runs 100 times better than my KA ever did. You dont need a new cross member... I just used Mckinney mounts/driveshaft/downpipe and everything fit just right... I'm just using Tein SS coilovers... same coilovers I've always had and I dont have any problems. I'd say an RB running the same boost as a built KA-T should make the same power/more power but in the long run an RB will cost less and is simply more reliable with alot less effort... Just my input..

but for $9k!??!..lol

i dunno if i can justify the extra 3k is worth the reliability, i do agree on the aspect of not having to fool with the engine

$6k can get you a built KA w/ a nice turbo setup and run reliably w/ a good tune 350-420 reliable whp, save the $3k incase your KA go KAboom...haha

KA's go for next to nothing, so u can rack up on motors as well

if your just looking for some fun power on the streets... there is no replacement for displacement. 6cyl >4 banger. Plus you get to say you have a motor from the Nissan flagship car: Skyline.

so a 2.5 vs a 2.4...HUGE difference huh

Sounds like someone is having spouts with that beat him.=) hatred or jealousy...we'll never know.

Man, I forgot I even made this thread. I decided to go with bulit KA-T, just because its "cheaper" when it comes to fixing parts and also getting new parts. Remember, four injectors are cheaper than six. Also I can get a Enthalpy tuned ecu to help out with the tuning, and I can keep the A/C for the ladies. ;)

Alot more parts and options have come out for both motors, but unless a RB swap can compare close in price to a bulit KA-T....I'm going to stick with the 2.4L inline-4.

Paying 9k for a NEO is silly. But I would go with a nice $3500 rb25 rather then a $3500 ka.

Not that it matters anymore... but the thing I like most about the rb's and most inline 6's is the sound, they sound so much better than a 4. Also very smooth because they are very well balanced naturally.

rb25 all the way..

i got it in mine and love it.
and nothing feels better when you drive by and your bolw off valve goes off and people say "that does not sound like a sr20"

but thats just my 2 cents

well , right now RB clips can be had for 2500-3500 add our install kit or someone elses install kit in and thats a extra 1k.To do it yourself with the extras, your not going to spend more than 5-6k . At that point you have a stock engine, that with a boost controller will put out somewhere in the area of 250-270 RWHP all day. Put a bigger turbo on with injectors and a computer and your going to get in the high 300's with the engine still being stock and completely reliable. Try that with a KAT.

that's easily done with 6k on a KA.. to lay down 300s?

and upgrading turbo and injectors and computer on RB is going to cost even more...
5-6k+ those upgrades = way more than a built KA boosting like mad.. and it's lighter too

oh snaps, the KA can do 300whp all day for under 2500...EASY

you still will not have the torque or the smoothness of the RB. If you can do 300 whp all day on a KA for under $2500 I want you to document your build and prove it. I think you will wind up spending a lot more than $2500 to get 300 whp from a KA for a all day daily driver situation.
P.S. slizzzoo I do not think you can comment, till you have driven a RB powered car. There is no 4 cylinder that can compare its a whole different ballpark.

well my rb is 280 crank hp i suppose so i'd say it's safe to assume around 250rwhp? on the stock turbo and stock injectors... everything is supposed to handle 14psi just fine... how much hp do u think that will gain you? I'm sure that's plently over 300rwhp

well let me lay it down more tightly for you. Average RB clip price( crossmember comes with clip!!!) right now for the informed is $2500+1000 for the kit. Add $650 for a Greddy Manifold. Add $100 for Q45 throttle boddy. Add $200 for a boost controller. $100 for an intake. $80 for your Walbro fuel pump. $600 for a front mount intercooler setup since its going to be custom which means your cooler itself is not going to cost more than $250-300 plus piping.
Damn, now since most of you KA guys that are debating this, are backyard do it yourselfers, your not paying for wiring, but lets say you do that would be another $300. Man that setup I just outlined comes in at $4880 doing it yourself not paying anyone. Hey I have an idea lets also throw in a 3 inch exhaust. Buddy club spec II $350 so that pushes us just over 5k and guess what screw that baby up to 11lbs of boost which is perfectly safe for a RB and your going to be very close to 300 whp .
Now add a SAFC for $300 and injectors for $500 and a bigger turbo $700 well ya know your around $6.5k but guess what you have a setup that can handle high 300's whp and is still quite drivable for a daily basis.

Sorry, but I know you love your KA, but it just does not run like a RB and in the end, having driven KA's, SR's and RB's, all I can say is a KA does not compare torque wise, smoothness wise or revability wise to a RB!!

Now I debating this from your perspective not the average consumers perspective . My first post was much more consumer side pictured. If the average consumer were do to a Turbo KA they would spend 4k on the Turbo kit alone. That kit would not gurantee close to 300 whp without further upgrades.

Backyard boys doing it homespun will save money but thats not the average joe. Again I post from the average person spending you guys post from a do it yourself I am not buying a kit perspective. Which makes your arguement even less valid and mine much more so.
I also should add that the engine is already factory setup turbo wise so there is much less time wasted tuning the damn thing. Time is money and if any of you argue that your still in school and have not stepped into the real world.

Oh ya and for those pushing the weight myth i.e. it affecting the cars handling or drivability it pretty much does not, especially if you run the proper suspension , (which is not by the way custom coilovers, but just coilovers running 8kg-10kg springs) your fine. Face it 6 cylinders rule!!! :P :D hehehehehhehehe

SOHC KA-T!!! 770whp achieved by Ventura Racing!!

Whats the highest HP recorded on the RB? (not to be a dick or whatever asking, genuine question)

i havent been able to find any info about that ka24e with 700whp. ive been looking though. as far as hp records rb25 doesnt have a real advantage when compared to turbo ka's. i believe the record for pump gas on a 25 is 587whp and a few ive seen with 600whp. ive seen similar numbers with kat's.

well over 770hp.. RB's are beasts.. they're built to handle power and there are more than a handful easily breaking 1000hp.

Ventura Racing was 703.8 whp in their SOHC. Although the motor was in a Toyota Starlet. There will be at least 3 of us in the 5oo-600 whp this year though(SOHC guys) from ka-t.org. They Toyota ran a 8.1 it's first time at the track and hit the wall out of the hole when they went back for 7's.

I have pictures of the motor, and know quite a few guys that spent time with it. The owner didn't have the heart to rebuild it after it wrecked.

hahahahaha , First off in Japan there are several 700-1000HP RB's. Second off Now you guys are starting to talk about dyno queens. I.E. engines that for the most part, do not maintain those hp figures, beyond a 10 minute dyno run. Which is veering completely off target from the pole. Again,I will say it and any person that has not had time to drive a RB, does not qualify to comment.
RB's have more torque, are capable of more HP and rev higher and smoother than any KA ever will. Now thats a mathmetical fact due to engine design. Until you have driven a RB you really have no room to comment. Though breaking it down just to paper the RB is a far superior engine to the KA. HMMMM do you think Nissan would have thrown a SR or a KA in their Flagship cars.
You guys fail to realize something , I don't hate KA's , I do realize though the limit of their ability and potential VS the ability and potential of the RB and the RB is just superior. Now if you can't see that you A: have to get your eyes checked or B: need someone to pound you over the head with a friggin baseball bat to beat some common sense into you.
The only arguement that you have that comes even close to winning is your beloved weight arguement and you know what that one is all wet too.

yah.. I love my KA-T but dude... (s13s13s13).. RB's will ALWAYS put more power down than any KA.. especially at max potential.. RB=race breed

I just think it's cheaper DIY(ka-t).. I'll be spending about... oh 4.5k and laying down a consistent 300whp (turbo + mildly built motor) which is just fine for me.. that's after a crank balance and blue print to improve the revving ability, stronger internals, port n polish, valves n springs, and you get the idea

and the motor was designed for the car. there are more factors involved than just the weight of the motor. it 'fits'.. I know the RB has it's great mounts and all that but a KA looks so at home in a 240sx engine bay

my RB looks plenty at home in MY engine bay... :wtf:

and yeah... about the weight thing with RB's in 240s... there IS a pretty noticable difference in weight up front... BUT not to the extent as to where your car handles like shit like everyone thinks... it just makes enough of a difference for you to just have to adapt to the weight... my car still handles great... just took a few hard turns to get used to the weight balance.

I respect you neme but I still don't think your going to to stay in that $4500 ballpark your talking about and pull 300whp out of your KAT and for just a bit more than that price tag I can gurantee almost if not 300whp out of the RB with nothing internal touched.
As far as how the KA looks in the engine bay vs how the RB looks my RB looks like it belongs there.
contrary to Panges I do not think the weight difference feels that noticable and it definitely does not overly affect the handling in a negative way.
when