screamin'

Sounds like fun! If you are really keen, consider some side draft Webbers or independent throttle bodies. I run itb's and some big cams, and oh the sound! More mild cams and itb's would be great street cred emitting sound from an early Zed. The Neo has the right turning mass for rev's, so I'm keen to see what it will pull if my old RB20DE managed 8,600rpm for six years of rallying. With a car as light as a 280 I would just look at taking some off the head, induction and exhaust mods, a tune and see how it goes. From there decide if you want to part with a lot more cash for a little more gain.

I'm building one of these for competition use at the moment, to replace my previous R32 RB20DE. I'm in New Zealand and it seems the 2.0 Neo engine made it out here in a few auto R34's. The Neo is really quite different to the earlier version, with much lighter crank, rods and pistons. The pistons also run just one compression ring, so things look good for a high revving well ballanced engine once we are done. I am not sure on the factory specs of the motor because we are modifying everything to suit my R32 head, so stock measurements in this area are not critical. Similar to my previous engine the block will be decked and a little more taken off the head. Due to the way the valves sit in the cumbustion chamber hopes to get mega compression are out the window, but hopefully the torque I will miss out on can be made up with rev's -I like that kind of comprimise! Instead of trying to bash out some calc's on this, we decided to give the parts to the machine shop and get them to go as far as practable with what we have considering the car won't do high mileage. I'm picking the single compression ring will need to be replaced fairly regulary to keep it on song, but it's not a bad thing to get in there every now and then to check how it is all going. What are your plans for the Neo? Street car?

Do it for a point of difference on a roadcar yes, but don't expect any instant gains from it. The build aspect is fairly easy if you have access to a CNC machinist that can make the adapter plate and weld to what's left of your intake manifold. The secret here is what intake runner length you end up with as to how it perfoms and this varies on what other mods you have. I built my ITB engine for a specific class of rallying. I wanted to skid an R32 and have the reliability of an RB to run in a 1600 - 2000cc capacity class. (note a turbo would put a 1.8 multiplyer on my cc rating) It took a few years of tuning and tweaking, but four or five years on it is making easily over 100hp/litre, has great throttle response and is very competitive. I wouldn't be so keen to have my setup in a roadcar (especially a daily driver) as it just isn't that drivable in traffic. Most of that would be down to the cams I run and the fact it is tuned to function in the 5,000 - 9,000rpm region. 1,500 - 3,000rpm just isn't any fun surging along. If you outsource the work, yes it will cost you a bunch of cash. It will never make hp/litre like a Honda. It will sound cool. PM me if you are interested in details of the setup I run.

Geez, rip into the guys who want to build N/A engines... A 3.0ltr N/A twin cam will go hard if you can get enough compression in it. You just have to look how well the old L series engine goes in the light Z shell to know that. So I'm the guy from NZ who rally's the 2.0ltr N/A with ITB's. Quick note on what we did to get the compression up since hi-comp pistions for and RB20 are pretty much non existent. Like mentioned above, we machined the block to get the pistions proud when at TDC and also machined the raised edge off the outside of the pistions so they could come closer to the head. To test clearance we bolted the head on with no gaskest and turned the moter over. My cams have a lot of lift, so we were pretty keen to make sure the valves cleared also. This bumpped the compression nicely and mad the moter real responsive and lively. I rev it hard because it is only 2000cc, and I can't help myself! As you know the 3.0 will produce torque and you really should only need 7k. We are pulling it down at the moment because we think we can go a bit further with these mods.There does seem to be a bit of space in there. Will be doing the old fashioned pasterscene on the piston durring the dummy up to get a measurement of clearance this time. Good luck with the build, would love to buld one of these 30/25's with carbs!

Took about three years of tuning and racing before we got it really humming. Unlike more conventional RB setups (read turbo) there are no preset maps to start with for the ECU. Stpe one was to make it start, step two idle and so on... For the last five years I've been running this setup I have had the trumpets open with individual filter socks. A real pain having to clean them all the time because of the gravel dust, but clean filters makes a big difference to the power output. I am planning on getting an airbox built, but am too busy racing it to pull the intake off and make something up, plus it's going alright atm, so no point fixing it...

Been keeping an eye on your progress from here in NZ, the Silvia is looking good. Looks to be fairly torquey pulling from low down out of some of those turns. Quite a contrast to my revvy N/A that I have to keep strung out up on the cams, good fun though. First pic above. Is that brake smoke coming out of the front wheels? Must have been a pretty big stop coming in to there.

From in-car is sounds like the induction dissapears, but does make some good sound from the outside. Just off the 8,600rpm limiter coming up to the camera. ECU is a Link G4 and cams are a must IMO.

You're right, there is f all info out there on them. Didn't stop us from building a setup though. I've been running ITB's on my rallycar for a few years now and they work a treat. http://www.skylinesdownunder.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52581&page=14 Mine are 4AGE Toyota ones off a 20 Valve, mounted on an adaptor plate and the original intake runners. Cam, head, pistion work etc has leat to a fairly angry little N/A RB20DE. Has taken a few years of tuning and trying things as no one in NZ had done one like this, so it was a bit hit and miss originally. Mine runs open trumpets with individual filters, so all tuning is done from the TPS, which works fine now. As far as the brake booster goes I had the same issue with lack of vacuum, made worse by the cams I run. I run a Wilwood dual cylinder pedal box for brake bias, which also means I can run with no booster and it is a good leg work out. Good luck with the build, even if it does't go faster it will sound fantastic!

My ITB's wide open...

Now track widened another 54mm, fibreglass GTR front guards and 30mm fibreglass rears to capture the OZ Wheels.

^^^ Makes me wish my N/A ITB's weren't always covered in dust...

Shane from Tauranga. Race an r32 rallycar. 2ltr non turbo itb. Doing it sideways in the gravel every weekend!

R32 Skyline RB20DE 1998cc ITB's, ported head, custom cams, Link ECU etc Stock bottom end 131rwkw

Nice, a gravel rally thread on a Skyline website. I feel quite at home all of a sudden. Skyline's in bits at the mo doing a rebuild to see if we can find some power without cheating and putting on a hairdryer It's only been a month and these vid's are making me impatient. Might have to ship the Skyline over and come for a play some day! A couple of NZ video's for ya's.

Yep fully caged, just painted black and fitted tight to the pillars because I don't want to see it when driving. We found a heap of internal engine damage when we pulled it down, so much so would wouldn't expect it to start, let along run as good as it did in those videos. Had a slight fuel issue in a Targa where we couldn't get enough 10% ethanol fuel, causing some bad detonation. Then the car got stolen and thrashed cold a month ago, just to put the icing on the cake. So there better be a good performance jump once we are done...

Yep, got a stack on You tube, a couple here:

More competitive than you might think! BDA's are $100,000 cars out here, so can't compare. Weight split is pretty good with at least 40% rearward and the lead weight of an engine helps generate good corner speed. Usually I am competing for 1st 2WD at most events against a Fiesta Cup car, that on gravel can be upto a second a km faster than me. Rotaries, turbo KE70 Corollas, A886's, and the odd WRX have been put to shame. Just so you know I'm not lying... http://www.mbop.org.nz/images/stories/results/2011/2011%20rallysprint%20series%20rnd%201.pdf http://www.mbop.org.nz/images/stories/results/2011/rcc%20rallysprint%20series%20rnd%202.pdf http://www.mbop.org.nz/images/stories/results/2011/2011%20old%20coach%20rd%20results.pdf End of the day it comes down to knowing your car and how it will respond in any given condition. It's not a world beater by any means, just a hell of a lot of fun!

At this stage we are doing all three, a little off the head, deck the block and a thin head gasket. Should get the compression over 11:1, but doesn't look like we can get much more going this way. Yes it is running adjustable cam gears. Found some bump top pistons in the US, just wont have time to get them here, bore the block and run in and tune before the next event, so will stick to the shaving for now.

The car is used in rallys and rallysprints, predominatly gravel, but also runs tarmac. As far as aiming for a power output? I can't, because no one has built an RB20 with ITB's and no turbo. Think I'm the first somehow. Has been running this setup for the last four years and it's been going well. Was last dyno'd making 135rwkw on a stock bottom end with 230,000km on it. The car got stolen and thrashed cold, so we've pulled it down and found some damage, hence the rebuild. Won't be knife edging the crank or doing anything to loose torque, it's really important that the car launches hard off the start line as being rwd you can loose seconds easily. Cams have about 1mm more lift than standard, but still has a stack of clearance when checked with no head gasket. Pistons are standard RB20DE with the valve relief. On measuring yesterday, we should gain a heap of compression the block decked and the piston sitting a tad proud. Plus a little taken off the head. Don't think I'm going to have time to get into modifying pistons, has to be running again in a couple of weeks. Cheers for the thoughts guys.

We've just pulled down my motor to re-ring it and while we are there I want to lift the compression as much as we can. Plan A is to shave some more off the head and block, fit a thinner head gasket and re-ring. Plan B if there are any bump top pistons out there we can use instead? Has anyone come across these? The engine is an N/A RB20DE fitted with ITB's. Has cams and head work etc. Has to stay 2ltr. The motor has been going well for the last five years racing, but after 20+ years the rings are finally too worn to put up with. We want to get the best out of it while it is out because it's so damn reliable it'll be a while until next time. Also, does anyone know about new/better cam followers for them too? Cheers

Some history on the RB20DE in the rally car: Come a long way from it's first run of 97.5kw! Spec's are: RB20DE (235,000km) Independent throttles (4AGE) Ported head Cams (270 or 280° can't remember) Link G4 8,400rpm Rev limiter inguaged 4176 times in 2 years. That's not counting bouncing off the limit either. Rev it much?!

Cool, sounds good. It's the same with the Skyline over here, very pleased with the results, consistantly in the top 3 in class and usually top rear wheel drive. Bloody FWD cars are so quick (dull) these days. The loose was mainly brain fade, but we also have this stuff called mud over here and the car just aquaplaned on it. The first run there was more grip because the mud haddn't come through yet. The corner caught out about half a dozen cars that day.

Just a roadbook on that sprint. I knew the corner was there, just had brain fade playing with the jammed wipers. Got a bit of whiplash and other than the body work, a bent lower suspension arm. Love how strong these cars are!

Like the Silvia, but boy some of those roads are straight! Noticed in the photo's you are running A symetrical 4WD tyres on the front. I found the best improvement on my turn in was going to a narrower 185 steering tyre, that is a different pattern. Works very well in the thick graval also. How do you find the turbo boost on the gravel. There are a couple of guys out here running various RWD turbo's and they really struggle in the twisties, I seem to have it all over them. Had a minor mishap the other week too.... 140km/h backwards.

I'd go SR20 for track use. Way more off the shelf stuff and easier N/A hp. Only reason I'm running an RB20 is because that's what the car came with and it costs me nothing to spend hours fluffing around with it. Also, I reakon the sound better, and that's half the fun! http://www.youtube.com/user/jasestu#p/a/u/0/jpoqHb4CkAg