How good of a track car is it with an RB25DET
 

I'm new here, I hope I'm not posting in a wrong place.

Who's tracking his car with an RB25, any heat issues with these engines? How's the reliability? I hear the tranny is a solid piece I don't have to worry about, and a healthy engine can handle around 400whp, no? I've been reading a lot the past week and have a lot of research ahead of me, just wondering if it is possible to track them with 550+whp?

I track my mustang gt '11, so 400whp second car isn't worth it. I can make up to 500whp with these 5.0 engines, so I need to own something scary lol. Owning a built rb25 motor in a 240 will be double(or more) the price of that NA build (+set of wheels, brakes, paint, tuning, suspension... basically a lot)

So how good of a track car is it? I've seen one with an SR20det at the track and it was really fast straight/corners, but he had heat issues, never saw that guy again :confused:

Zilvia "database error" ate my answer and i dont feel like writing it again, so here is the short version:

RB25 makes S13/14 quite nose heavy, and if you think an SR S13/14 has heat management issue, this is a whole other level. I cant see an SR overheat unless it is poorly mapped and/or something went wrong.

You are in V8 land, so slap an LS7 in it if you want power. Lighter, better weight distribution, no need to rebuild the engine, nothing to worry about reliability, cheap usage.

If you are not satisfied with that kind of power, you alway can add a couple turbos on that. I think it still will be more reliable than an rb25.

One of the hardest thing to do when swapping an rb is sourcing a good condition one, with the good crank, otherwise you are in for quite some work.

Dont Buy and RB! Plain and simple. Its a Shit motor.

Buy something nice, 1/2jz, LS.

Eh, so far I'm happy with mine. But definitely true on the nose heavy part. Nothing a stiffer spring rate/better suspension can't fix. I ended up going with new 11kg spring setup FA 500s and made the car feel more neutral. Power wise, you can push RB25s to 600hp on stock bottom end. I'd go HX30 top mounted with supporting mods/tune and should be good enough to get him there. Crank snout/oil pump issue and ringlands cracking are the downside of the engine.

If you make room for the clutch fan you should have no heat issues.

Going on two years with mine and it still isn't running right. Someone shoot me.


RB26 is next up, hopefully...after I get tired of trying to figuring this one out.

Over heating can be solved by notching the radiator support so that twin 12" pullers with a shroud can be used. I also run a nismo thermostat. My car rarely sees over 180f.

depends on what series your going to compete in.. that's if you are though..

if you just want a weekend track car.. something with replaceable parts would be much better... KA-T.. SR20.. VQ.. and the bandwagon engine LSx...

using a LSX is great.. for drifting u can bang the limiter all day and not give a shit lol...

as far as using the RB20/5/6/30 it would make great for a TIME ATTACK car... if u had shit ton of money to throw around.. it being nose heavy is something that can be made up for... i actually like a lil nose heavy :) plus having more torque out of a corner is nice..

Haha that's why I always copy what I write when it's long.
I've seen a lot of guys say the extra weight is from the tranny and won't be very noticeable. I see some agree with you over here.
I was planing on changing the bottom end anyway.

What kind of power are you making at the moment?
I've seen the complaints about bad oil pumps and starvation when making over 1Gs, did you have any experience with that?

From my reading in the RB FAQ, I'm not %100 sure, but there is room with the syko mounts on the S14.

What kind of problems are you facing?

What kind of power are putting down?

Why time attack, not gonna hold up for long sessions?

Never been on a dyno with my current setup. Stock long block RB25, twin scroll t4 manifold, 4" dp, HX52 (67mm turbo) at 19psi, 800cc injectors, etc. Power wise, I'm guessing close to 500whp. A buddy of mine made 480whp at 17psi with a similar turbo.

I have Syko mounts. The clutch fan will fit without cutting the radiator support if you use a stock S14 radiator and mount the fan on the back of the fan clutch.

All of the aftermarket radiators add rows and are too thick with out cutting the radiator support. I wish Koyo made an OEM replacement copper core for the KA.

why time attack.. makes easier power.... great mid - high end torque.. while hitting almost 9k rpm... engine response on a RB is insane if done up properly..

ov course u can go with a 2J and 1J.. but lets say you did decide to compete in time attack.. for instance GTA.. this allows you to compete because you use a engine from another car.. but from the same manufacture :)

i wouldn't DD / track a RB engine.. at all due to insanely expensive.. replacement parts..

Here's a good read on the oiling issue with RB engines.

The SkyLife - Modified and Exotic Car News Community, Tutorials, Build Stories and How To guides.: Nissan Skyline GTR Oil Pump problems

I have the snout issue, but I just said fuck it and slapped a new N1 oil pump.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...d/IMG_9597.jpg

As far as temp, I'm not running AC, using a Nismo thermostat, some no name Ebay Aluminum rad, Dual FAL fans that I'm using as pushers and a PBM Swirl pot. No issue at the track or daily with the fans on. Car would get hot on the track but not till after running it hard for a while. I'd kick the fans on, chill for a few minutes to get it back down and would sit about 76*.

Still running a stock turbo setup so putting down maybe 210 on stock boost. I got a old IHI turbo kit to put in that should get me close to 400 and be happy with it.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...photo-13-5.jpg

Honestly an ls swap is more than perfect for the track. You can make easy reliable power, low end torque and it maybe a bandwagon swap but people are doing it for a reason. Weight isn't to far off a ka.

I DD my RB for 2 years while competing in Drifting. Only down sides are getting in with the door bars and the thought of some one hitting me and totaling it on the street. If you build it right starting at getting a good motor its extreamly reliable.

Say what you want but my RB made every event for the last 2 years with out repairs between events. Once again if you do it right you will have no problems. Entering season 3 this year on the same RB motor, how many people can say that?? :Owned:

can you give me more details on the car? (mods, mileage on the engine, power, etc) Can you tell me where did you get it from, it seems that every time I found someone that sells them I find horror stories somewhere.

I got the swap from JDM VTEC in canada. It came with a test drive video and 33,000k on the car. It is a series 2 RB20DET. It has 660cc injectors, Godspeed kkr430 turbo, huge same side intercooler, Nistune Ecu. It is pushing 16psi and dyno numbers of 400hp and 396 toque on race gas. Top 16 xdc Texas. Next upgrade arrived for christmas, new Godspeed intake manifold and intercooler. This is such a fun ass car and really reliable.

okay first off people need to get off the LS bandwagon. First off its the same price swap for swap for an ls or rb26dett. Go price out everything. okay with that being said it depends on what you wanna do witht he car. Then go from there im doing a 26 swap with a 50/50 weight basis so if you want some pointers let me know

That sounds like a fun car. Gonna read more on the 20s, but SR20 make the same power I guess why not go with that since it's an easier and has more aftermarket parts?


I found the 26 has a lot more aftermarket parts and less issues, more importantly the starvation problem. How much did and are you going to spend? I followed a 26 build over here but didn't finish it as I wasn't interested in this, but to the 3rd page lots of modifications and fabricating was done on that s13, do you have a build thread I can check out?



Do any of you guys have video?

SR20 have rod knock issues like the KA24 when you start banging on them hard with over 300hp. That is why i went with the RB20, swap shipped to my door for 1500, 6 wires to hook it up to s13, 150 for the r33 cross-member with rack relocation Mod, s13 auto trans mount. That gives you the stock swap drop in. Here is a practice run video against Josh Guild FD Pro with LS S14. The car was only 300hp in this video, when i got to 2nd he was left behind. :squintd:

joeyanjosh - YouTube

Is that video with your KKR430 turbo? And also are you running stock bottom end, stock top end, stock everything?

Any acceleration vids?

That is with my old KKR560 turbo, super lag is why i went down to the KKR430. Stock everything else but 440cc injectors, running 12psi. It was tuned on an Apexi SAFC. Much faster now but no new videos yet. Should have some after the Jan 27th Practice Event in vegas.

Uploaded a video from 2011, my Qualifying run with a bone stock RB20DET. Built car in 8 days and got 3rd even with blown stock front coils.

Round 4 Vegas Drift 2011 Joey's qualifying run - YouTube

So are you on stock internals with your KKR?

Yes its stock internals.

Actually you can get a crate engine LS for the same price typically as a used RB. Sometimes the crate LS is more expensive but its also a brand new fully dressed motor with 0 miles. So a used one will be significantly cheaper. Out of the box you already make twice the power of a RB and TQ.

Incorrect. LS motors, especially since we are America, have plenty if not more aftermarket support than the RB. And as far as starvation problems, if you plan on tracking why not put a dry sump system in the car anyways? But oiling issues are prevalent in RB motors too. Remember the crank snout issues with failing oil pumps? Also its going to be a lot more expensive to make power from an RB over an LS. Plus when it comes to tuning it will be expensive as well. Using Hp tuners allows you to tune with the stock GM ecu rather than buying some expensive stand alone system.

I'm currently building an rb25 s13. I would have went v8 if I had known better. Parts take for ever to come in and are hard to find. But I really do live a turbo car so I'm still happy. But my car would be running right now if I just bought a v8. You can get parts for those at autozone. You break a belt at the track you can just go to an auto parts store and get one. You break a belt on the rb, and your done for weeks

What belt are you talking about? I got all mine from autozone on my RB. If you break the timing belt, getting a new belt is the last thing on your mind or list of problems.

My thing is that I've driven cars with an LS in it and honestly, wasnt too impressed with it. I just prefer boosted cars more. Then again, this was during the time I had a 500hp SR so I may be biased a bit.

Who cares if you can can get a crate motor for less than what it cost to an RB engine, you'd get a long block with nothing else. No supporting parts on it like harness, TB, alternator, starter, ECU or transmission. Take you alot more money and time trying to source all that stuff out, then still have to find swap components for it.