BH_SLO32

Jackie, The boot light shouldn't be on the indicator circuit, why do you ask? I assume you have checked the main front and rear bulbs are all 21W and none are broken? What are you comparing the flashing rate of your car to, another R33 skyline? Is it significantly faster? Different cars have different flashing rates. I think the Australian design rules specifies a range within which the flashing rate must conform but someone else maybe able to confirm. I assume you are getting the same flashing rate on both the left and right hand sides?

SECUR1TY, You don't need to take your dash apart, the problem is with the indicator stalk and more precisely where it screws into the side of the steering column (just behind the steering wheel). It will be held in place with 2 or 3 screws. You will probably have to pull the steering column surround pieces off to the get to the screws. There will be a wiring plug that can be disconnected for complete removal of the stalk. The same stalk is used to turn the headlights on in the 33 from memory so be careful when pulling the switch apart to get to the contacts as there will probably be a few spring loaded parts. Its been a while since I pulled my sisters apart so I can't recall the details. Please note you don't have to pull the stalk apart as its the switching mechanism at the end of the stalk (which attaches to the steering column) that is of interest here. Once apart, the short hopefully will be fairly obvious. Things to look for are dark spots between contacts and possible melted plastic. If you are keen to give the dissassembly ago and have a digital camera, some photos of the process would be useful. Hope this helps, Cheers, Ben

XZLA.8, Still for sale? I assume it doesn't include the throttle cable? Thanks in advance for your reply. Ben

RTHRTY3, Unfortunately my sister has sold the 33 and bought a stagea so I don't have the stalk to pull apart and document. I had to fix the problem on the side of the road after a cloud of smoke appeared one day when some 100km from home. The location of the short was obvious (darkened area and melted plastic). I can only vaguely recall the arrangement of the contacts. If I had a photo I could probably recall in detail what I did. From memory the power feed is only separated from the indicator feed via a thin line of plastic. I suspect wear of the moving contact had left a conductive trail of carbon/copper across the plastic causing the short. I would have cleaned this up and probably flipped the moving contact 180 degrees. I had minimal tools and whatever I did seemed to have fixed the problem as I don't recall pulling the unit apart anytime thereafter. If you were local I would offer to pull it apart and fix it for you and document at the same time. Over the years I have had to pull countless skyline switches apart to fix wear problems. Sorry I can't be of more help. Cheers, Ben

SECUR1TY, My sisters R33 had the same problem and after some searching I found it was due to a short occuring in the circuitry at the bottom of the indicator stalk (where it bolts into the side of the steering rack). From memory it was due to wear of the sliding contacts. The short caused a small current draw causing the clicker to go mad. Pull it apart and you should be able to see where its shorting. If you leave it long enough it may start melting the surrounding plastic and then you'll see some lovely smoke start billowing out from the area! Jackie, You are on the right track. If you change the electrical load (resistance) in the indicator circuit you can change the flash rate. From memory increasing the resistance (smaller current draw) will result in faster flashing. I think you need a reasonable change in resistance to have any noticable affect on the flashing rate. In any instance, I checked the bulbs in my R32 and they are 21W. Changing the bulbs from 16W to 21W will increase the current draw and may be enough to rectify the problem. Let us know how you go. Hope this helps. Ben

Treo, I had to fault find what I believe is the same problem on my sisters R33 about a 2 years ago. The car would start ok but once it dropped to idle it would stall after about 30s. Turns out when the idle drops sufficiently to activate the idle contacts (associated with TPS but not an ECU input or output) the fuel pump idle speed ciruit takes over and adjusts pump speed. In my sisters case the resistor pack mounted on the inside face of the left boot kickpanel (where the jack is usually kept) had been disconnected thus failing to complete the fuel pump circuit and causing the fuel pump to switch off. The car would run for 30s thanks to the residual fuel pressure in the fuel rail. If you have the problem again this is good place to start. Make sure you haven't got a faulty connection at this point. Cheers

Something often overlooked is road noise from the tyres. The noise can increase as the tyres wear. Had this problem on my last R32 and replaced the diff but the noise remained. Turned out to be the tyres. It was quite noticeable between 40 and 50km/h. Hope this helps Cheers

A couple of years ago I bolted a modified garrett 440hp turbo onto my internally stock RB20 (in R32) and had the factory computer retuned to run 20psi (tuning by Chiptorque). Because the 440hp garrett has a T28 exhaust flange, a turbo specialist grafted the stock RB20 housing (T3) onto the new turbo whilst retaining the garrett exhaust wheel and wastegate. This was certainly not my original plan but due to time and an error on behalf of a reputable tuning company, this is what I ended up with. To their credit the car is still going strong some 2.5 yrs later (now my fathers car!). My father putts around on 13-14 psi for everyday driving. In my opinion the key to engine longevity is strongly dependent on the state of engine tuning. The RB20's released in the R32's have some 10yrs+ development behind them and are by nature a strong motor, but incorrectly tuned and you can kill the motor (any motor for that fact). I had installed some RX7 injectors but Chiptorque couldn't get a good tune so refitted the factory units. The injectors are currently at their safe usable limit. Because I had installed a Bosch 044 fuel pump, running an adjustable fuel pressure regulator would allow further boost (an idea suggested by Chiptorque). I never did take it any further though. The car made 185kw@wheels on Chiptorque's dyno and has the potential for high 12's. Some food for thought. Cheers, Ben

A couple of years ago I bolted a modified garrett 440hp turbo onto my internally stock RB20 (in R32) and had the factory computer retuned to run 20psi (tuning by Chiptorque). Because the 440hp garrett has a T28 exhaust flange, a turbo specialist grafted the stock RB20 housing (T3) onto the new turbo whilst retaining the garrett exhaust wheel and wastegate. This was certainly not my original plan but due to time and an error on behalf of a reputable tuning company, this is what I ended up with. To their credit the car is still going strong some 2.5 yrs later (now my fathers car!). My father putts around on 13-14 psi for everyday driving. In my opinion the key to engine longevity is strongly dependent on the state of engine tuning. The RB20's released in the R32's have some 10yrs+ development behind them and are by nature a strong motor, but incorrectly tuned and you can kill the motor (any motor for that fact). I had installed some RX7 injectors but Chiptorque couldn't get a good tune so refitted the factory units. The injectors are currently at their safe usable limit. Because I had installed a Bosch 044 fuel pump, running an adjustable fuel pressure regulator would allow further boost (an idea suggested by Chiptorque). I never did take it any further though. The car made 185kw@wheels on Chiptorque's dyno and has the potential for high 12's. Some food for thought. Cheers, Ben

I assume they are from a R34 GTS-T and not GTR? Haven't been able to open any of the links to see the photos. Thanks

Paul, Just wondering if the short shifter for the R33 GTS-T requires removal of the shifter/gearbox cover plate? The reason I ask is the cover plate is a pain to access whilst the gearbox is in the car and has a couple of the star screws. I would assume this is not the case but just thought I'd ask. Thanks in advance for your reply.

I'll be chasing similar power levels from my RB25 (in R32) and given down the track I'll probably build an RB30DET, I opted for a Garrett GT35R with .82 rear housing (will upgrade rear housing with the RB30). I have seen members quote up to 280kW @ wheels with the GT30 using at least .82 rear housing. Ben Ellis achieved 290kw at 20psi from memory and he had a .82 or 1.06 rear housing. With the smaller skyline housing (.63), the motor will come onto boost quickly but will run out of puff at higher rpm. I would suggest a GT30 with .82 would be a good alround choice. Hope this helps. Cheers

Yeah, sounds good. I paid $3k for my motor, loom and ecu. My R33 gearbox cost me $1650. I have been quoted $1850 for motor only with no loom, ecu or turbo. Does a flywheel and clutch come with the motor or is it an auto engine? Don't forget to factor in clutch master cylinder, slave cylinder, pedal box interior trim etc. You will get all this with a front cut. Asian at Slacks Creek have quoted me $900 for a manual conversion kit for the R32. An R32 front cut from Asian will cost around $2200 for comparison sake. Don't forget that if you want to buy an engine and wiring package you need to make sure you get everything you need. If you would like me to have a look at the package and its not too far for me to travel (I'm at Springwood) I'd be happy to help you out (it won't cost you anything). Cheers

Dioxide, Got my R32 with RB25 on the road yesterday and I must say it is very smooth. I still have a minor issues to sort out with the gearbox but should have it all resolved on Saturday. If you aren't planning on super high power outputs, the RB20DET route with matching 5 speed is a good package and hard to beat for price. My last 32 (now my Fathers) had a modified Garrett 440hp turbo and tuned ROM (tuned for 20psi). The motor has never missed a beat and gearbox is still going strong (2 1/2 yrs old). Admittingly, for daily driving the car only runs 13-14 psi. The RB25 route is more expensive but has the advantage of greater mid range torque and is better suited to the larger turbos (GT30 or GT35). In the quest for low 11s, I will be bolting a GT3540 onto the side of the RB25 and hence the reason for the engine swap. An intermediate level would be the RB25DET bolted to an RB20 five speed. The RB20 manual should yield fewer headaches than bolting in the RB25 gearbox. Do remember though, the RB25 ECU's cannot be rechipped. Hope that helps. Cheers

604cefiro, Last weekend I installed an RB25DET in my R32 and wired up the RB25 loom and it runs with the factory computer. This option enables factory control of the VVT and boost solenoid etc. You can then run the RB25 power FC if you desire or a plug in Haltech (I'm told it should be available in the coming weeks), wolf etc. Don't know what it costs to burn a new chip for the R32 RB20's down south but Chiptorque at the Gold Coast charge $600 + tuning (about $700 in total). This is about half the cost of a Power FC. All depends on your budget. Hope this helps, Ben

Andrew, An update as promised. Took the old motor out Sat and the new motor went in yesterday and I've been busy today hooking things up. Started the old girl this evening and she idled beutifully. Thats as far as I managed to get before giving it away for the night. I haven't modified the mount for the RB25 gearbox yet and I have a couple of days to wait until I get my tailshaft back following modifications to accept an RB25 yoke. Hopefully I should get it back on the road next weekend. I'll provide another update when its back on the road. Cheers, Ben

Andrew, I'm a little short on time at the moment as I'm preparing to do the engine and gearbox swap this weekend. Provided Murphy doesn't try and get to involved in the events of the weekend, the motor should be ready to fire by Sunday evening. I don't anticipate getting the gearbox mount modified this weekend, but the motor and gearbox should be at least sitting in place. If I get some time next week (or even this week) I'll get started on a rough guide. I assume you have a multimeter and can solder reasonably well. Are you running the R32 or R33 automatic gearbox? I have the wiring diagram for the R32 auto ecu but not the R33. Judging by the engine manual for the R33, the main outputs from the engine ecu are similar to the R32. Without looking at the detail, it may be easier to run the R32 auto but will need to confirm. I'll post another reply next week to let you know where I'm at. Cheers, Ben

Hi, I have just finished integrating the main R32 body plugs into a series 1.5 R33 automatic loom to make it 'plug and play' for my R32. I will not however, be running an automatic. It is my intention to produce a guide (with photos) to assist others such as yourself however this is a little down the track yet as I need to get the motor running in my R32 first (and thereby verify the arrangement) before I go publishing such data. Although the ECU pinouts are ALMOST the same as the R32, the wiring loom is somewhat different. The R32 gets its main power feeds for the injectors, coil, ECCS relay and ECU ignition and battery power signals from the grey plug in the engine bay near the power steering reservoir. On the other hand, the R33 gets the main power feeds from the plug inside the car. So its not straight 'plug and play'. Furthermore, judging by the wiring diagrams I anticipate the R33 series 2 loom to be slightly different to the series 1. Mine is as per the series 1 arrangement. The R32 has a separate power feed for the injectors and coil whereas the R33 loom utilises a common feed for both. After some thoughtful deliberation I decided to set the power feed arrangement up as per the R32 setup thereby not inadvertantly overloading any particular power circuit. Do you intend running an auto or manual? What series is your motor? If I manage to find some time I can probably put together a rough guide which may be of some help to you. I would prefer to test mine first but the engine conversion may not be ready for probably 3 or 4 weeks (still waiting on engine or gearbox parts to arrive from suppliers). I am not an autoelectrician but I am a mechanical engineer and I have a reasonable handle on 12V systems with plenty of hours experience wiring up factory ecu's (FJ20 in bluebird, RB20 in R31), car immobilisers/security system, sound systems etc. I would offer to convert your loom for you but because you are in the UK it could be a bit difficult. If you would like further assistance let me know. Hope this helps, Ben

Ed, I have recently traced the wires on a manual loom. Can't quite figure the orientation of the photo, is it the original R32 loom? Is it an automatic loom? I think I know the plugs you are talking about but if you could take some close-up photos of the 2 plugs I can confirm. Cheers

Sounds like you have the main power feeds sorted. I would also suggest you wire in a power feed for the air regulator (Black with yellow stripe in 16 pin plug). The R32 provides power from the same source used for the fuel pump. It draws its power downstream of the fuel pump relay (ie it only sees power when the ecu earths the fuel pump relay). The power supply to the O2 sensor heater is the light brown wire in the small 12 pin plug. It receives power when the ignition switch is turned on. You are right about the earth, the ecu ground (pin 50 and pin 60) and the ecu injector grounds (pins 107, 108 and 116) earth via the 2 ring connectors secured to the intake manifold below the fuel regulator. Provided the engine is earthed this will be fine. The earth wire belonging to one of the loom plugs inside the car that I mentioned in my last post, I believe joins to the consult connector. The reason I say this is the other 4 consult wires are also included in this plug. Incidentally there is continuity between the two, although being an earth this doesn't mean much. With respect to the ecu short, I would suggest there is a strong possibility the ecu is damaged. The ecu doesn't like big currents hence the use of relays and power transisters etc. My brother-in-law has a loom for a manual RB20DET which I currently have lying on my chair. I was going to buy it off him as I would like to use its body plugs to adapt an RB25DET loom for my R32 (fitting a S2 RB25DET in the coming weeks) but I can use the loom from my motor if I have to. If you are unable to locate a loom let me know because I know he wants to sell his. Hope this helps.

Have you sorted out the wiring or do you still need help? I have an R32 and have identified all the wires in the plugs that attach to the body loom (4 off). Is it an Australian delivered R31 skyline? The ecu gets its power (pin 58 and 59) from the ECCS relay. This relay receives its power from the gray plug in engine bay near the power steering reservoir (white wire with black stripe). This plug also supplies power to the ignition coil relay via the white wire with purple stripe. The black wire with red stripe provides an ignition switch IGNITION signal to the ecu (pin 45) and provides power to the ACC valve. The remaining wires in this plug are for the neutral switch, power steering switch and AC (AC cut signal). The plugs near the ecu itself (3 off) have several important wires namely: 1. ECU ground 2. Air regulator power supply 3. Heater (O2 sensor) power 4. Ignition switch START signal (pin 43) 5. Fuel pump relay (pin 18) Other less important wires include speed signal, tacho output, check lamp, water temp gauge and AC switch. Give us a jingle if you need further assistance. I've put an R32 RB20DET into an R31 passage back in 2000 and wired it up successfully. Cheers