RB20 reliability?

mattwelby

mattwelby

Wanabe Drifter
How well do the rb20 engines take to big bhp figures?

How many miles can they do when tuned to f**k? (450bhp 1.2psi)

I can afford the car but not if after i have bought it its gonna set me back thousands needing a rebuild.

The guy im buying off cant confirm or either hint at what mileage the car was on when work was done. Hes done 20k klm in it since hes had it over the last yr and all thats gone is the alternator.

Work was all done in japan, so should have been done very well.

i wanna use it for drifting (not so much competion use just every now and again) which it seems to have been built for in japan, so its gonna get some hammering, which worries me about it going wrong

it dont help that i have just sold a cossie and ur always thinkin with those that its gonna go wrong

Ne ideas or advice please let me know thanks alot

matt
 
From what Ive heard they are pretty bullet proof engines. If your concerned you could always turn the boost down a smidgin for drifting then wack it up when u wanna go fast.
 
450 out of a two litre? At 20psi sounds like it has been done right. But that is seriously stressed for a RB20
And
Think how long a cossy engine would last at 450 and the work involved as they were race engines de tuned at 200bhp.
There is a big difference from 300 to 450 brake
If you are buying it for the engine then I would get someone to seriously check it over before you buy it.
Alex
 
i'll tell ya now

im very interested in buyin this skyline

its timk's r32 gtst

i know what u have said bout gettin it looked over but by who?

matt
 
it always happens that when you set out to blow an engine up, it survives.

We have tried before with cars and they just keep going and going.

its sods law that the one you want to look after and spend money on will blow up more easily.
 
That is alot of power for any 2.0turbo engine to be putting about with stressing it. Deffo worth getting it checked over, what work has the engine had internally?

i think for drifting you'd want to turn the boost down for reliability,

thats alot of power for 1.2bar, has it got a massive tubby?
 
i may as well add my bit,a local respected tuner had it on the rollers and when the car got up to around 300 bhp the turbo (td06) really came on song and lit up the back wheels (it had 215's stretched over a 9j rim,so traction was'nt great),the tuner estimated about 450 bhp using his experience.
He may have been out in his estimation and it might not even be running that much bhp,regardless of bhp its f'#king quick and has not let me down over the last year and over 20000 kms.
gary at ap tuning has also looked over the car recently whilst changing all the fluids and may offer an unbiased opinion of the car,but i guess none of us can say for sure unless its stripped down.
From what ive read about the rb engines they are strong but as with any car if they're not looked after and/or driven by a tit they can go bang,no engines indestructable you just have to think long and hard with your head and not buy on impulse :D
 
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sorry mate im not trying to go behind ur back or doubt u on anythin to do with the car i just need to understand the engine.

at the mo all i have had was a mini, saxo, mi16 205 and cossie so never been near nethin jap (yet)

so this is a situation where i need to learn as much as i can

thanks

matt

and the other point is as im only 22 insuring a car of this value tpft is a huge risk to take. cant really say i declared the mi16 conversion thou but then that was only worth £2000

wud the car still perform ok at drifting if i say halved the boost? or wud it just not get newhere?
 
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no worries mate i understand totally :thumbs:
i think i wouldnt run lower than 1.0 bar
as its got a lower compression engine to allow higher boost but that sacrifices lower down grunt (i think,im no expert, im sure someone will correct),the power at 1 bar will be more than adequate,just gives a safety margin,when i got the car it was running 1.8 bar and i dropped it to 1.2 for peace of mind,so dropping to 1 would just increase that i suppose.
all ive said may be bollocks as i said im no expert,so itd be good to hear from others on here who may know a bit more about it all.
 
was the spec list u have quoted given to u by the importer?
i know its easy to see what it has on the outside im just on bout the internals

i know u have found alot more things since u have had it

oh and do u no what ecu is it running?

matt
 
re the spec,some from importer, some from tuners who have worked on the car.
re ecu nissan with chip
 
i remembe looking at this car. from what i saw its been put together well. with the right set up tweaks it should be a drif :smash: :thumbs: t MONSTER
 
I've just bought a RB20DET for my S13 and as so have done lots of reserch into whats best.

I've been told the stock internals are good for 450bhp, headgaskets are crap so change it for a steel one asap.

I belive the injector size is tiny at only 270cc each, a few CA18DET injectors at 370cc will do the job :D

Apart from that and maybe a nice turbo upgrade they will run forever :D

People i've spoke say the RB20DET is such an amazing engine, its got none of the electric crap the RB25/26 has got, SOILD LIFTERS :D loving that :D

get it and rev the tits off it :D

enjoy
 
RB20has been rekoned to a CA18 with some extra cylinders :smash: haha, they dont drop bottom ends like a CA tho!!! :wack:
 
I think thats just what CA owners tell themselves to give some meaning to their existence though?
 
Spec;

its got the GReddy td06 turbo with hardpipework, custom manifold, external wastegate, apexi acv-r, hks metal head gasket, hks induction, uprated fuel pump and injectors, z32 afm, uprated cams and pistons, iridium plugs, trust fmic, alloy rad, gtr v-spec oil cooler

Matt
 
RB20has been rekoned to a CA18 with some extra cylinders
Click to expand...

Yup, if you look at the rb block it looks very silmilar to a ca with 2 cylinders banged on the front.

As for the r32 its hard to say how long itll last. If its been built properly then itll last a while but just because the engine has been built in Japan doesnt mean itll be perfect, also 450bhp is a little bit optimistic for a td06 at 1.2 bar.

Still think the car is nice and sounds like its been cared for. Aslong as u keep that up you shouldnt have any problems with it.
 
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