veedubbed

You also didn't have a heatercore..... something I'm trying to keep (and keep functional) if at all possible. If these buggers fit in a 240, and can keep heat, then I should be able to run it in an FC without problems, as we have a much bigger engine bay. My bud has a '25 in his S13 and it sits right on the firewall with 1" between the crank pulley and radiator, and still has the heatercore and all that jazz.

I'm going to make some power steering lines to retain it as well.

Lee Lyons

whatever you do don't go with the rb26...I work at a Nissan performance garage here in Calgary and the motors don't have a very good track record. What I would recommend would be like you originally said would be the rb20 or the rb25. We do alot of swaps for people going from the rb26 to the rb25...just alittle food for thought..

veedubbed

First post in a while, not really any progress made between vacation/work/life.... but got some things workin'.

First thing I'm doing is sinking the steering rack into the subframe. I'm going to notch the top part of the subframe, then weld it back up with some angle iron and sheet metal. This will allow me to move the steering rack down 2" or maybe more, giving me another 2" to come down with the motor. I'm going to build a "bow" around the power steering connections on the rack, and do one mount there, and just take the mount down to the subframe on the passenger side.

I have also decided to sell the ECU and harness from the RB20 and run Megasquirt. That will resolve all wiring issues, and give me the ability to tune the car.

SouthSideSlider

nice man . its my personal beleif all swap's sould be acommpanyed by some kind of standalone engine managment

veedubbed

Sorry for lack of updates - I've been slackin'. Going to borrow a friend's welder tomorrow so I can start hacking up the crossmember and sit that steering rack down in there. Hopnig to get the motor/trans bolted into the car by th end of the year. I just started going to class 3 nights a week last night, so working time will be limited from here on out. I really don't have any deadlines for getting this done, but I would like to have it driveable by next summer. Other than that, I haven't even gone and looked at the car, I hope it's still on the jackstands! Haha.

veedubbed

Steering rack was moved today. Netted me about 3 more inches of clearance to drop the motor. Used an old, broken breaker bar to extend my steering column, LMAO.







Tomorrow will be dropping the motor back in to start looking at ideas for mounts.

veedubbed

Moving the rack down gave me A LOT of room to bring the motor down. Fits like a glove, and the hood now closes. Pardon the blurry cell phone pics, but you get the idea.

Next step - start fabbing mounts.

rXzach93fd

iTrader: (1)

looks good man keep updated, Im thinking of doing the same in an FD

veedubbed

Unfortunately, progress will be slowing down due to a new, full time job, and starting school 3 nights a week. On the other hand, that will give me more money to waste on this thing. That is, if I don't completely give up on it after I get my Terminator in the very near future.....

Since I'm not trying to spend too much on it, I have decided on an SSAC (I know, I know...) big turbo kit for the motor. 900 bucks for everything, and it comes with an intercooler - I figure it'll last long enough to get some fun out of it. Anyway, with that and some injectors, with the motor being on Megasquirt I should be in the 400hp range. Then I'm counting on the bottom end going out so I can slap a '25 under there and get serious.

But of course, mounting the engine is an important roadblock between here and there..... I'm going to try to get the head off the motor this week so I can start getting busy on mounts.

NoPistons!

iTrader: (3)

Me either. I had 2 gt25 nissan spec turbos. I blew the cartrige to **** on one and the other was pushed to 19 psi on a honda before we heard, PSTTT-PSTTT-PING-PING-PING! 17 psi is the max limit on those ceramic wheels. Good concept for a stock boost but inconel i so much sweeter.

60-1 stg3 .63 a/r or fail. You have six cylinders to spool it. Should be responsive, make your power and have more on tap.

Good luck with the swap. I'm keeping an eye on it. If i ever boost my seven, the rotor is comming out and a turbo straight six is going in. 1jz probably.

Are you planning on runing a custom driveshaft with the tII rear end?

Also, nobody is going to bash you for running ssac ****. The intercoolers and piping are solid. The turbos have been known to be of better quality these days (not glued together with self-loseing turbine/comp wheels). The only thing i would do is if the couplers aren't fiber reinforced is buy some radiator hose of the appropriate size and use it.

veedubbed

Yeah, I will have a local shop put a driveshaft together for me. I just need a Nissan yoke (I think the 300ZX TT yoke is the same as the RB trannies). The TII rearend is plenty strong enough to hold whatever the RB20 will put out.

Process is being made, albeit quite slow.... can't wait for it to be running and driving though!

rXzach93fd

iTrader: (1)

Hey, how much room do you have from the front of the engine to the front bumper?

i have an rb25det ready to go in my 94 fd, im just waiting for my lift to get put in, ill make a build thread soon.

veedubbed

I'll measure for you tomorrow. There is enough room to run the stock radiator, it just needs to be tilted more vertical. The FD radiator sits entirely vertical IIRC, so you wouldn't have an issue with it. With the radiator in the factory position on the FC, there is still a big gap in between the radiator and the bumper support, where the FMIC will be mounted. There is no issue with space up front, just the positioning of things is a tad tricky.

skillzilla

iTrader: (1)

Awesome progress, I had an RB20 S13 and I loved it (had two, actually ). I am in the midst of an SR>FC swap right now.

For the driveshaft, any yoke that fits a 71c Nissan tranny will work for you. All SR, CA, KA, or RB20.

veedubbed

Nice info!! Thanks.

Haven't had time to sneak over and snap any pics, between work, school, and helping my dad get his new '95 Pete 379 ready for the road. I'll try tomorrow, don't have too much going on all morning.


In other news, *hopefully* ditching this:



For this:



This week.


Decided I was paying too little in gas, and the lack of 420 supercharged-V8 rwhp under my right foot just wasn't cutting it anymore.

veedubbed

Finally got the head off yesterday - the motor continues to look GREAT inside. The valvetrain was very clean, and the cylinderwalls look like new. There is hardly any carbon at all on top of the pistons.

The welder that I am borrowing has to go back to it's owner for the weekend, so no progress until at least next week. =\

veedubbed

Where the car is at the moment.

owen is fat

I hopre that relocating the steering rack doesnt give you bad bump steer issues.
its a common concern for LS1 FD swappers.

cool project but I woulda voted for a nice and cheap 1998 LS1T56, mine was $2500 for an entire dropout and it was so easy to fab up and get on the road quickly.

the RBs sure do sound amazing though.
best of luck to ya!

reckless_abandon

bump steer isnt the worst if your used to it... haha
where my roadster sits right now, my tierods are sticking way up and i still rock the track in that thing.

pssht

that just dosnt seem right, better floowing head? stronger bottom end? all around better engine, why would you swap that out?

veedubbed

This car is for sale now, if anyone is interested. The motor will be mounted as soon as I can get the welder back, and I would prefer to sell it like that, but I will let it go with the motor on a pallet as well. I'm taking offers right now, but just thought I'd throw that out there.

txturbogs

LOL!!! That was extremely funny. I feel the same way...I keep telling my wife to get one of those too...so I can race her in my ls1 FD...

NoPistons!

iTrader: (3)

Didn't see that one comming.


I dont even want to hear the excuse why that bad *** machine wont be completed by you. I'm so dissapointed.

Somebody pick it up and put it together!!!!!!

RBFC!

veedubbed

I just decided, especially now, that a little extra cash is more important than a project. I will still be working on it, but trying to sell at the same time.

rXzach93fd

iTrader: (1)

i will continue the rb powered rx7 legacy since you want to be a party pooper lol