SR20, RB20, or RB25? for daily driver - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

dankS14 · 02-14-2003, 04:30 PM

hey

here's the deal, UH was supposed to get me a redtop but its been 4 months and now they said they can MOST LIKELY get an RB20/25 faster. so here is my situation...This all for my 95 240SX(S14)- probably weighs 2700-2800lbs...I have a FMIC, intake, BOV, fan kit, clutch, flywheel, boost controller, turbo timer, exhaust, downpipe, and gauges, and i was planning on adding a T3/T4 turbo (or something that is able to have the most streetable power with a 350-375 range on the street and 400-500HP range for the track and weekend fun) and a few extra goodies for the new turbo(ECU retune, injectors, manifold, ETC)...I WANT TO RUN 10-15 PSI on the STREET and around 20+ PSI at the Track..i probably wont be in any competitions, this is just a hobby and to have fun before i die. my questions is..if i put all this on a SR20 how much HP/TQ, 1/4 time for street and track settings would i get(estimate)? for the RB20 Hp/Tq 1/4 time? for the RB25 HP/TQ 1/4 mile time?

i was thinking that the SR20 or the RB25 would be the best way to go...i just want to have all of the bolt on's and an upgraded turbo package w/o spengin an extra 5 grand doing the internals, but i also want it to be reliable at the same time. What engine has the strongest internals?...FOR EACH ENGINE, what HP do the stock internals hold?? i dont wanna spend the extra money on the RB25 if i can get to my HP and 1/4 mile ET goal w/ an SR w/ the turbo upgrade...what do you think would be easier, more reliable, more fun to drive, and easier to find replacement parts in case something broke...

also i have researched thourgh many nissan boards and everyone says the I6 has more linear power and doesnt feel as peaky as the I4(SR0)...what exactly does the mean? how does the driving feel different?? i have never driven a turbocharged car before.
ANYONE please post your opinions/flames/ideas or whatever about the decision b/c i have to decide in a few days and i need to know all the good and bad about each engine...oh, and BTW, dennis at unstable hybrids has gotten in touch with me and he is a very nice guy and his helping me out greatly now with getting me an engine ASAP...thanx
Jon

Natty · 02-14-2003, 05:06 PM

I have nothing constructive to say, but where in Tennessee are you?
Your the third person on Zilvia from Tennessee that I know of.
Jeff

greaser@work · 02-14-2003, 05:08 PM

since the key word was driveability, i'd say RB25 for the most torque. or turbo your ka.

dankS14 · 02-14-2003, 07:16 PM

wusup

i live in memphis, TN..

and GREASER - i cant use my KA...has too many miles and is basically dead anyways..i cant even drive it, i have to ship it somewhere to have my car worked on.

Its either SR or RB for me!

Jon

mrdirty · 02-14-2003, 07:24 PM

seriously, we need more ppl doing the RB25 swap; I would LOVE to see that.

DarkRaptor42 · 02-15-2003, 10:27 PM

Im confused. You say you dont have the money for the internals to get rebuilt but you have the money to drop an RB in? you do understand that the RBs dont just drop in like the SR does and there is a great deal of extra work involved in getting one in, custom mounts and the such. Also I dont see how you plan to hit 400 or even 500 HP on stock internals on either engine. I guess if your gonna turn up the PSI and risk it with stock stuff go with the RB but that kinda seems like running around in a circle when you could spend the extra money droping an RB fixing up the internals of an SR. Or you could do the better thing and work with the enigine youve already got, the KA. Get it rebuilt and use your "goodies" on it. For practicality thats what I would do, but hey if your gonna spend tons of cash on a engine get the RB, at least it is fairly unique.

my head hurts....

drift freaq · 02-16-2003, 12:27 AM

well there are people who done the RB install. One of them is a friend of mine here in socal. I will say this it can be done there are some tricks to make it easier but its not a 1- 3 day job like installing a SR or Turbo'ing a KA would be.
That said, Darkraptor does have a good point you could rebuild your KA for around $750-$1200 with forged pistons and good rings and everything else stock. The pistons are the weak link in the KA . The stock KA rods and cranks are forged from the factory.
If you want to play with the SR it can be done . YOur solution is not a simple one. Either way you go you are getting involved a money intensive time consuming project. Be prepared for that. Only you can make your decision in the end. RB's are cool if your ready for a month at least of downtime sorting out, putting it in. Remember this though once your in the 500 hp range your daily driver part becomes more of a reliability issue i.e. higher matinence.

Roly · 02-16-2003, 05:14 AM

proper tuning = drivability . Yes the RB will provide more torque due to it being an I-6 over the 4. But the SR will give the car a better balance over all due to it being lighter than the RB and a little lighter than the KA. As long as you get the correct turbo setup for the SR you shouldn't sacrifice any daily or track driving.

S13_RB20?!? · 02-16-2003, 02:11 PM

RB has more power then the SR to the wheels...

misnomer · 02-16-2003, 03:21 PM

RB stock has more power to the wheels, once you start modifying, all bets are off.

S14lover · 02-16-2003, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Roly
a little lighter than the KA. \.

You know that the Ka only weighs about 80 or maybe even less than that compared to the SR i mean if im wrong then let me know cuz that is 3rd party info but does this weight issue make that big of a difference?!

FRpilot · 02-17-2003, 12:09 AM

didn't scc measure the weights of the ka and sr in their project silvia? iirc, i think they recorded that the ka weighed like 3lbs more than the sr. someone please confirm.

*crioten* · 02-17-2003, 10:14 AM

i am going to get my whole rb25det swap done for a little under $5000 near seattle washing ton, that 5k is for front clip, install and almost anything else...the guys im name is nightxcz77 and his website is at http://240skyline.nissanpower.com/

or, you can have it done in iowa for about $5750... at http://www.afterdark-tuning.com/ that guys im name is dauntless

both guys seem to know each other, and have answered a ton of my questions about the swap and everything else...

glen

*crioten* · 02-17-2003, 10:16 AM

also the weight distribution is not a factor, the rb25 weighs a little more than the ka24, so there is almost no problem there

240fluke · 02-17-2003, 11:50 PM

Whoa, with the RB engine in there, it seems to have a better weight distribution on the car (closer to 50/50). BUT, he measured the KA with a 1/2 tank of gas, while the RB had a 3/4 tank of gas. So not quite a fair comparison, but whoa, that would be an awesome swap to have done.

Tim '95 SE

S13_RB20?!? · 02-18-2003, 12:21 AM

crioten: let me get this straigt your gettin the motor and installation for only a lil under 5G?? where is that go located at.!? i might have to take tour of his work if thats the case and if it's only a lil under 5G then i might upgrade to a RB25 as well

*AceInHole* · 02-18-2003, 01:07 AM

has part availability for normal wear items been discussed?? I'm not sure if starters, alternators and such are readily available, but that could be just as important as driveability

02-14-2003, 04:30 PM	#1
dankS14 Leaky Injector Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: TN Posts: 144 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	SR20, RB20, or RB25? for daily driver hey here's the deal, UH was supposed to get me a redtop but its been 4 months and now they said they can MOST LIKELY get an RB20/25 faster. so here is my situation...This all for my 95 240SX(S14)- probably weighs 2700-2800lbs...I have a FMIC, intake, BOV, fan kit, clutch, flywheel, boost controller, turbo timer, exhaust, downpipe, and gauges, and i was planning on adding a T3/T4 turbo (or something that is able to have the most streetable power with a 350-375 range on the street and 400-500HP range for the track and weekend fun) and a few extra goodies for the new turbo(ECU retune, injectors, manifold, ETC)...I WANT TO RUN 10-15 PSI on the STREET and around 20+ PSI at the Track..i probably wont be in any competitions, this is just a hobby and to have fun before i die. my questions is..if i put all this on a SR20 how much HP/TQ, 1/4 time for street and track settings would i get(estimate)? for the RB20 Hp/Tq 1/4 time? for the RB25 HP/TQ 1/4 mile time? i was thinking that the SR20 or the RB25 would be the best way to go...i just want to have all of the bolt on's and an upgraded turbo package w/o spengin an extra 5 grand doing the internals, but i also want it to be reliable at the same time. What engine has the strongest internals?...FOR EACH ENGINE, what HP do the stock internals hold?? i dont wanna spend the extra money on the RB25 if i can get to my HP and 1/4 mile ET goal w/ an SR w/ the turbo upgrade...what do you think would be easier, more reliable, more fun to drive, and easier to find replacement parts in case something broke... also i have researched thourgh many nissan boards and everyone says the I6 has more linear power and doesnt feel as peaky as the I4(SR0)...what exactly does the mean? how does the driving feel different?? i have never driven a turbocharged car before. ANYONE please post your opinions/flames/ideas or whatever about the decision b/c i have to decide in a few days and i need to know all the good and bad about each engine...oh, and BTW, dennis at unstable hybrids has gotten in touch with me and he is a very nice guy and his helping me out greatly now with getting me an engine ASAP...thanx Jon

02-14-2003, 05:06 PM	#2
Natty Zilvia Addict Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 944 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I have nothing constructive to say, but where in Tennessee are you? Your the third person on Zilvia from Tennessee that I know of. Jeff __________________ 1991 White 240sx Fastback LE, rusty spoiler, weak driveshaft, exhaust rattle.... Rattles are just your cars way of saying 'I love you.'

02-15-2003, 10:27 PM	#6
DarkRaptor42 Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Lodi CA Age: 41 Posts: 542 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Im confused. You say you dont have the money for the internals to get rebuilt but you have the money to drop an RB in? you do understand that the RBs dont just drop in like the SR does and there is a great deal of extra work involved in getting one in, custom mounts and the such. Also I dont see how you plan to hit 400 or even 500 HP on stock internals on either engine. I guess if your gonna turn up the PSI and risk it with stock stuff go with the RB but that kinda seems like running around in a circle when you could spend the extra money droping an RB fixing up the internals of an SR. Or you could do the better thing and work with the enigine youve already got, the KA. Get it rebuilt and use your "goodies" on it. For practicality thats what I would do, but hey if your gonna spend tons of cash on a engine get the RB, at least it is fairly unique. my head hurts.... __________________ 04 WRX STi 90 Sil- Camino R.I.P. AE86 20v MS R.I.P. KA-T www.209forums.com

02-16-2003, 12:27 AM	#7
drift freaq R.I.P. Aya, always love Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Los Feliz/Hollywood Posts: 18,564 Trader Rating: (215) Rides Gallery: drift freaq Feedback Score: 215 reviews	well there are people who done the RB install. One of them is a friend of mine here in socal. I will say this it can be done there are some tricks to make it easier but its not a 1- 3 day job like installing a SR or Turbo'ing a KA would be. That said, Darkraptor does have a good point you could rebuild your KA for around $750-$1200 with forged pistons and good rings and everything else stock. The pistons are the weak link in the KA . The stock KA rods and cranks are forged from the factory. If you want to play with the SR it can be done . YOur solution is not a simple one. Either way you go you are getting involved a money intensive time consuming project. Be prepared for that. Only you can make your decision in the end. RB's are cool if your ready for a month at least of downtime sorting out, putting it in. Remember this though once your in the 500 hp range your daily driver part becomes more of a reliability issue i.e. higher matinence. __________________ "Having a lot of tracks on a song is like putting stickers on a car to get more horsepower" New Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uebV1OnbRsw Buy my mounts! http://zilvia.net/f/sale-items/51531...ns-mounts.html http://zilvia.net/f/tech-talk/317539...e-mouts-6.html

02-16-2003, 05:14 AM	#8
Roly Nuclear Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Miami Posts: 360 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	proper tuning = drivability . Yes the RB will provide more torque due to it being an I-6 over the 4. But the SR will give the car a better balance over all due to it being lighter than the RB and a little lighter than the KA. As long as you get the correct turbo setup for the SR you shouldn't sacrifice any daily or track driving. __________________ RACECAR spelled backwards still spells RACECAR

02-14-2003, 05:08 PM	#3
greaser@work Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: chesapeake VA Posts: 46 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	since the key word was driveability, i'd say RB25 for the most torque. or turbo your ka.

02-14-2003, 07:16 PM	#4
dankS14 Leaky Injector Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: TN Posts: 144 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	wusup i live in memphis, TN.. and GREASER - i cant use my KA...has too many miles and is basically dead anyways..i cant even drive it, i have to ship it somewhere to have my car worked on. Its either SR or RB for me! Jon

02-14-2003, 07:24 PM	#5
mrdirty Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Thunder Bay Ontario Age: 47 Posts: 650 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	seriously, we need more ppl doing the RB25 swap; I would LOVE to see that.

02-16-2003, 02:11 PM	#9
S13_RB20?!? Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Jersey Age: 42 Posts: 22 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	RB has more power then the SR to the wheels... __________________ [img]image_eye[/img]

02-16-2003, 03:21 PM	#10
misnomer Nissanaholic! Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Nevada Posts: 2,293 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	RB stock has more power to the wheels, once you start modifying, all bets are off. __________________ Rowsdower saves us and saves all the world!

02-17-2003, 11:50 PM	#15
240fluke Zilvia Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: San Ramon, CA Age: 45 Posts: 185 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Whoa, with the RB engine in there, it seems to have a better weight distribution on the car (closer to 50/50). BUT, he measured the KA with a 1/2 tank of gas, while the RB had a 3/4 tank of gas. So not quite a fair comparison, but whoa, that would be an awesome swap to have done. Tim '95 SE

02-18-2003, 12:21 AM	#16
S13_RB20?!? Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Jersey Age: 42 Posts: 22 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	crioten: let me get this straigt your gettin the motor and installation for only a lil under 5G?? where is that go located at.!? i might have to take tour of his work if thats the case and if it's only a lil under 5G then i might upgrade to a RB25 as well __________________ [img]image_eye[/img]

02-18-2003, 01:07 AM	#17
AceInHole Autox Technician Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: New Haven, CT Age: 44 Posts: 3,961 Trader Rating: (0) Rides Gallery: AceInHole Feedback Score: 0 reviews	has part availability for normal wear items been discussed?? I'm not sure if starters, alternators and such are readily available, but that could be just as important as driveability __________________