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what engine should i use???


singhy

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hey guys, i have a 260z 2+2 that i am currently building.

 

ive been looking into the NSW rules for engine modifications/replacements and was wondering what you guys reckon would fit under these rules.

 

ive got a choice between , l28,  rb20det, vg30det.

 

fitting the rb and vg is no problems, but the the rules say different haha. id rather these because the the power out of em stock is quick good.

 

but to just get around the rules i may just fit up an L series....

 

so i was mainly wondering how much power can you actually get out of a L series ( defs be turbo l28 if i do)???????????????

 

and a comparsion to everyday cars would be good to

 

cheers guys.

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2+2 = 1200 kilos X 5 for National code 6 Litre maximum capacity. What about a Chev? I just fitted a 302 Cleveland to my 2+2 and using an engine of the same year model means emission laws may not apply pre july 1976. Aluminium manifold and heads would bring it back down to L Series weightish and the vehicle will need brakes capable of stopping it from 35 KPH in a distance of 12.5 meters. 10mm Clearence is required around all of the motor. Or have i said too much?

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it depends on what you want, if you want torque stick with the L28, a L28et is awsome i just done this and it goes hard as, if you want fuel economy use rb20det it will also bolt in with the only mod of the sump( if you want more info on this pm me ) the vg30 needs mods and if you go to the effort of modding it you might as well put a better bigger engine.

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hey guys, i have a 260z 2+2 that i am currently building.

 

ive been looking into the NSW rules for engine modifications/replacements and was wondering what you guys reckon would fit under these rules.

 

ive got a choice between , l28,  rb20det, vg30det.

 

What is wrong with the L26 I have just got my260 2+2 going with its original block and slightly higher compression head, the engine is running better than ever and I am over the moon. Had fun the other day shitting of hot hatches etc on the freeway. I think it is sacrelege to put a foreign engine in a Z I wouldn't object to an L28 but a ford or holden V8, you might as well buy a holden or ford. If the other two engines are optional to Zs they should be ok but apart from that how fast do you want to go.

 

Richard

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I'm having a great time with the 350 chev in mine. I bought it that way, would have preferred a windsor truth be told.

 

If you read VSB14, which all the states are pretty much following, I think you can swap in engines from the same manufacturer with up to 20% increase in cubic capacity and power of the best engine in the model. So you may be able to swap in an RB with little drama.

 

As an example, VN Grp A commodores made 215kw, so you can swap 240kw LS1 into a v6 executive without needing engineering.

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RB20 is a bit gutless... The SR20 has more torque from factory. SR is a fair bit lighter too.

.

 

Compared to a stock l26 an rb20det is far from gutless.

My rb20 will have around 200 rwkw and sti be drivable. You don't need much more than that in an s30

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all suspension/braking mods will be done, (my bro reckons i can mod to fit an s13 front end, strut tower, running z32 brakes, hes used to custom stuff like that) ..... well id say an l28 is by far the easiest, but overall a rb would be best.

 

i used to/still build and restore older fords so im pretty over ford v8s so i want somthing different.

 

has anyone made a l28 with the ld crank?????? how well do they go+turbo

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2+2 = 1200 kilos X 5 for National code 6 Litre maximum capacity. What about a Chev? I just fitted a 302 Cleveland to my 2+2 and using an engine of the same year model means emission laws may not apply pre july 1976. Aluminium manifold and heads would bring it back down to L Series weightish and the vehicle will need brakes capable of stopping it from 35 KPH in a distance of 12.5 meters. 10mm Clearence is required around all of the motor. Or have i said too much?

 

 

yeh ive looking at those rules, they basically throw the vg30dett out the window (300hp factory too much) and too heavy.

 

the rb just scrapes in with the laws as they have 212hp and are slightly heavier.

 

the l28 turbo shouldnt need any certs etc..

 

i also have a VG30et at home that would fit these laws aswell...possiblity????? never driven a car with one of these

 

 

 

 

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RB all the way if after power economy and reliability. Had an rb20Det in my 260 with vg30 turbo. few mods and boost and be hard pressed for even stroker L28 with tripples comming near it.

 

200rwKw quite easy with rb20DET with light modding. with bit more 240-250 is relatively easy. and still return around 11l per 100km.  purr like kitten every time you hit the ignition. Best mod I did to my 260Z followed by power steer and LSD.

 

Though my 3x 240z projects going all 3 way. 1st Stock, 2nd L series mod and 3rd RB26DETT. so have all 3 worlds.

 

if not daily duties or power hungry than mild modded L series will be sufficient for any S30.

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RB all the way if after power economy and reliability. Had an rb20Det in my 260 with vg30 turbo. few mods and boost and be hard pressed for even stroker L28 with tripples comming near it.

 

200rwKw quite easy with rb20DET with light modding. with bit more 240-250 is relatively easy. and still return around 11l per 100km.  purr like kitten every time you hit the ignition. Best mod I did to my 260Z followed by power steer and LSD.

 

Though my 3x 240z projects going all 3 way. 1st Stock, 2nd L series mod and 3rd RB26DETT. so have all 3 worlds.

 

if not daily duties or power hungry than mild modded L series will be sufficient for any S30.

 

 

 

Good one Reece. Hahah

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i know the power you can get out of an rb engines.

 

but with L series im at a loss ? how much work is needed to get any decent power?

 

if you turbo an L28 , can you just use the factory exaust manifold and make a flange to suit a turbo? how much is a turbo manifold to buy? and is the n42 head sufficient? or do i need to find a p90 head???

 

 

 

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Seriously after just puting an rb20 in my 240z. I think it is easyer than turboing a na L series.

To turbo an l series you will need to decide if you want to go suck through carby or blow through fuel injection. If fuel injection, you have to worry about if your injectors, ecu, and fuel pump are up to the task. You will also need to think about changing to a modified locked dizzy or find a propper turbo distributor.

Turbo manifolds come up from time to time and usual sell for around $200. You could make up a jay pipe and run it off the standard manifold.

Once the turbo is mounted you have to run oil and coolant lines to it.

 

So it's not quite as simple as bolting a turbo on and bobs your uncle. It takes a bit of planing.

But it has its rewards.

 

Mick

 

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It really all depends on what you want, a vintage racer feel would be to stick with the L-series. I love these engines, easy to work on, sound great and aesthetically look good in the engine bay. I also find them relatively good on fuel too!

 

Another reason why I will more than likely keep the L-series is that you won't get hassled or defected by the Police. If you pop the hood and it's a stock looking L-series I think you'll get less hassle myself. Even though I've been in an L-series still on twin SU's that produced 280HP and it was absolutely nuts!

 

You're not going to make gobs of power though without spending some time and money on it. It's definitely not an economical way to making power.

 

If you are interesting in building a serious L-series speak with Peter Mac on here, there are various threads showing the work he's done with them and power he's obtained but it won't come cheap.

 

If you like the idea of a turbo in a vintage car like the 240z then an SR20, RB or similar would be best. However if you want old school muscle feel a V8 would be awesome.

 

To  be honest these cars are so light that you don't need massive power to make them go, I would like to see what a 13B or 20B turbo would be like in these, I know in my FD which is about 200KG heavier it feels very very quick, I imagine a single turbo 13B with say a GT35R making about 400-450HP would be absolutely insane and wouldn't cost a fortune.

 

The other advantage of the rotary is low weight to power ratio, you could stick that well behind the front wheels and have an almost MR drivetrain layout. However it depends on what you can live with :). Rotary's do use a good bit of fuel.

 

Again it all comes down to your build direction, I love the old L-banger but it is dated now.

 

Perhaps ask for someone to take you for a spin in their car to get a feel for it? I know after being in a properly worked L-series powered Z I was like 'no need for engine swaps' :).

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Seriously after just puting an rb20 in my 240z. I think it is easyer than turboing a na L series.

To turbo an l series you will need to decide if you want to go suck through carby or blow through fuel injection. If fuel injection, you have to worry about if your injectors, ecu, and fuel pump are up to the task. You will also need to think about changing to a modified locked dizzy or find a propper turbo distributor.

Turbo manifolds come up from time to time and usual sell for around $200. You could make up a jay pipe and run it off the standard manifold.

Once the turbo is mounted you have to run oil and coolant lines to it.

 

So it's not quite as simple as bolting a turbo on and bobs your uncle. It takes a bit of planing.

But it has its rewards.

 

Mick

 

 

so essentially you would be spending $$$ just to get the same power out of an stockish rb20det.

 

did you have any clearance issues fitting the rb into the zed? what gearbox did you use? and did you need any sort of certificates or anything?

 

cheers

 

 

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Most important question is how much $$ do you want to spend?

 

well least is best. when i build/restore old fords i spend usually around $5000 all together (i do everything at home eg paint nd panel , rebuilds/performance) and i would try any buy everything 2nd hand.... i got the rb20det for free off a mate and have 2 L28s at home and a couple of VGs so dont need to spend much for the motors.

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It really all depends on what you want, a vintage racer feel would be to stick with the L-series. I love these engines, easy to work on, sound great and aesthetically look good in the engine bay. I also find them relatively good on fuel too!

 

Another reason why I will more than likely keep the L-series is that you won't get hassled or defected by the Police. If you pop the hood and it's a stock looking L-series I think you'll get less hassle myself. Even though I've been in an L-series still on twin SU's that produced 280HP and it was absolutely nuts!

 

You're not going to make gobs of power though without spending some time and money on it. It's definitely not an economical way to making power.

 

If you are interesting in building a serious L-series speak with Peter Mac on here, there are various threads showing the work he's done with them and power he's obtained but it won't come cheap.

 

If you like the idea of a turbo in a vintage car like the 240z then an SR20, RB or similar would be best. However if you want old school muscle feel a V8 would be awesome.

 

To  be honest these cars are so light that you don't need massive power to make them go, I would like to see what a 13B or 20B turbo would be like in these, I know in my FD which is about 200KG heavier it feels very very quick, I imagine a single turbo 13B with say a GT35R making about 400-450HP would be absolutely insane and wouldn't cost a fortune.

 

The other advantage of the rotary is low weight to power ratio, you could stick that well behind the front wheels and have an almost MR drivetrain layout. However it depends on what you can live with :). Rotary's do use a good bit of fuel.

 

Again it all comes down to your build direction, I love the old L-banger but it is dated now.

 

Perhaps ask for someone to take you for a spin in their car to get a feel for it? I know after being in a properly worked L-series powered Z I was like 'no need for engine swaps' :).

 

 

thanks for advise.

 

i think the main problem i have is the fact that i have never driven/been in or even had to do much with L series engines, so im at a complete loss with how quick they actually are...

 

im wanting a fairly powerful car (ive grown up around 300zx's and old V8s) i dont expect it to be as quick as a 300zx z32, but i want it to be fun.

 

the rb 20 as i got it free would be good, if it comes under all the new rules that have come out (im pretty sure it does) and an engineering cert should stop it being defected.

 

im over v8's ive owned 3 old fords  a 289 a 302 and a 351 and although they are a quick car, i dont think they suit the zed too well haha

 

ive driven rb20det (bog stock) and they are sort of quick in an r32 which are heavier, but in a 260 with just a few mods should be quick enough.

 

is an L28 turbo with just usually mods , eg cams, injectors, coolers and exaust etc enough to be able to keep up with the rbs?

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Unused a rb20det 5 speed from  r32 skyline. The only clearance issue is. The sump has to be changed from front bowl to rear bowl. Another plus with the rb20 over the l28 will be fuel consumption. I am not saying one motor is better than the other but the rb is more refined.

I am in south australia so our transport rules are different to yours but I will be getting am engineers  certificate for the road. 

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Sorry guys i love the L series but you cannot compared them

To next gen Rb series even the baby of the silver top rb20det in stock form

Is potent motor 155kw and around 250 of tourque from memory (correct me someone) will still be better in every aspect than any mild l28.

 

Vg turbo, rechip, and cooler 17psi will eat even the hotter and turbo L series that u have to spend 15k on motor alone.

You sound like me and like doing everything yourself rb conversion will be cheap and easy. Mine cost me besides the motor and few precautionary changes not more than $1000. Yea did spend 100hrs plus rotating the sump modifying engine brackets and gearbox bracket btw not necessary but i wanted engine bit closer to firewall. But that what i do why would i pay someone.

 

RB20det gutless compared to SR20det i wouldnt say so. Have both and massive fan of sr.

But rb has more power and tourque is roughly the same.

 

RB is cheaper to modify than SR for given kw.

Only advantage sr has its lighter and smaller.being a 4 pot may look a bit tiny even with 6 there ample room

In front of.

 

As a track car sr will be best where weight is a concern.

 

Rotary is good but with so many nice nissan engines theres no need to look elsewhere. Ive got 4,6,v8 and rotary but sr,rb,vg are still my favourites. Ultimate be vh45dett hybrid. Best of all the worlds. Lightweight high tech turbo nissan v8. But not easy conversion.

 

Btw do you have the red top or silver top rb20det. One is nics and other eccs. The silver is one to have.

 

Gearbox u can use rb20 or sr20 without issues. Sr stick is bit further back so suits z better but u can mix sr shifter on rb and bring the stick further back 2"

 

If want more info pm me and i point you in right direction.

 

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Sorry guys i love the L series but you cannot compared them

To next gen Rb series even the baby of the silver top rb20det in stock form

Is potent motor 155kw and around 250 of tourque from memory (correct me someone) will still be better in every aspect than any mild l28.

 

Vg turbo, rechip, and cooler 17psi will eat even the hotter and turbo L series that u have to spend 15k on motor alone.

You sound like me and like doing everything yourself rb conversion will be cheap and easy. Mine cost me besides the motor and few precautionary changes not more than $1000. Yea did spend 100hrs plus rotating the sump modifying engine brackets and gearbox bracket btw not necessary but i wanted engine bit closer to firewall. But that what i do why would i pay someone.

 

RB20det gutless compared to SR20det i wouldnt say so. Have both and massive fan of sr.

But rb has more power and tourque is roughly the same.

 

RB is cheaper to modify than SR for given kw.

Only advantage sr has its lighter and smaller.being a 4 pot may look a bit tiny even with 6 there ample room

In front of.

 

As a track car sr will be best where weight is a concern.

 

Rotary is good but with so many nice nissan engines theres no need to look elsewhere. Ive got 4,6,v8 and rotary but sr,rb,vg are still my favourites. Ultimate be vh45dett hybrid. Best of all the worlds. Lightweight high tech turbo nissan v8. But not easy conversion.

 

Btw do you have the red top or silver top rb20det. One is nics and other eccs. The silver is one to have.

 

Gearbox u can use rb20 or sr20 without issues. Sr stick is bit further back so suits z better but u can mix sr shifter on rb and bring the stick further back 2"

 

If want more info pm me and i point you in right direction.

 

 

yeh i see where your coming from, and $1000 or under would be awsome hehe. ive got the silver top eccs ( i got it free  ;D haha just needs rebuild) , did you just make a new sump and then just make another oil pickup , or did you find a similar sump and make it fit????

 

the rest i shouldnt have problems, it was just the sump i am worried about.

 

if you mount the motor in just the normalish spot (not very close the firewall) do you have many clearance issues , exaust, shifter hitting dash etc? sorry for so many questions, its just i havnt measured anything up yet haha.

 

ive had a few sr20s and id rather the rb cause of a light car, dont need to worry about torque too much

 

is the 300zx z31 gearbox the same/similar to the rb20?? if so i dont need a gearbox hehe

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