Unhappy Camper

[Cubes]

I flogged my old one off for 175 inc. head.

Had 145 through all 6 cylinders.

[predator]

What are you hmming about smile.gif $450-600 is the going rate for a short RB20.

really? I got $550 separated as parts for mine.. and about 10 enquiries wanting to buy it complete (i had to tell them I woudln't recommend it for a long lasting engine). Maybe people just don't know where to look.

[Cubes]

I think its all timing..

I had mine up for sale for ages..

[Roy]

$600 rb20's? hmm

LOL..yep, thats what they cost. I love the fact that noone wants an RB20

the 100k servicing needs to be done anyhow.. whether its an rb20, rb25, rb26.

I agree. Thats why i said about $1500 for an RB20. Fact is ppl see RB25 for $2500 and think thye can bolt the engine in as is. Just highlighting that on top of the $2500 etc you have all those ancillary costs that your budget has to allow for.

rb25 box, well can be left for a while with rb20 box (like mine) or buy another. An rb20 with similar power still requires an rb25 box at some point anyhow, with the tailshaft mods, etc.

Well my 180,000km gearbox with a sensible single plate clutch and good fluid is living happily. Poor old Cubes killed his RB20 box with 170rwkws and an RB30. Its the torque that hurts them...and lol RB20s even if they are making good power do not have torque So again, its something that will need to be done sooner or later and needs to be factored in, with another RB20 the box could last for years...or not

Wiring mods? quite easy.. if you have the full rb25 engine loom you can work it out, direct to rb25 ecu. I'm not an auto elec, nor a mechanic, nor ever rewired a conversion. Factory engine+ factory ecu = engineerable to get it plated. Plus you save $400 on the PFC as opposed to getting the AP version (that's near a full tune).. readily available, and under the $1k mark. Plugs right in.

I've got the spreadsheet in front of me with the numbers, roy - it's not expensive. $2.5k for .. manual conversion + rb25 - sale of old rb20 parts. Just shop smart. My engine may not last forever, like any second hand engine, but there is always the option of an rb30det, or rebuilt rb25, or simply another rb25 to slot in. The framework is in place.

But each to their own

LOL...and im not saying not to do it, or its not worth the money. All im saying is that its not as cheap as most ppl assume, and if you need the car back on the road then you cant always wait to buy that engine at the right price, that loom at the right price etc etc. You are happy that you stuck within your budget and thats great to read. Like you said its personal preference.

[Roy]

agreed! should always check tune when buying a skyline..

if it were me, i'd just slap another rb20 in (well i have a spare one in the garage), but if you can't do the mechanical work yourself, you're better off with a more permanent long-term option so you don't have to pay for labour to swap another motor if you get a dud. So perhaps consider a proper rebuild, or rb25

...and one last thing. If its a street car like most of us own, what makes you think it has to be a built engine to be a sensible long term solution? I think too many ppl sell std equipment Nissan engines short on the durability front. Wrecker motors are not pulled from thrashed crashedcars, they are pulled from std cars with low kms and with good compression....i have had wrecker SR20 and RB20s after really bad luck with the original engines. It was not a mechanical fault that killed the original engines, just one of those things. And the replacement wrecker motors were good things, and my RB20 continues to be.

Fact is whether my original SR20 or RB20s were built or not, they would have died with the problems i had...so i would have wept for years if i had spent all that money on a built engine only for somrting silly to kill it....blah, blah, blah just pointing out a few different perspectives, not sayign anyone is right or wrong

[Cubes]

Fact is whether my original SR20 or RB20s were built or not, they would have died with the problems i had...so i would have wept for years if i had spent all that money on a built engine only for somrting silly to kill it....blah, blah, blah just pointing out a few different perspectives, not sayign anyone is right or wrong

This was exactly my worry after spending so much on mine.

I really kick my self, I should have done similiar to sky30, picked up a $50 RB30e that was running dropped a head on it and off I go.

The thing is the rb30 I picked up for $150 had 170,000km's on it, running had good compression and was spotless when it was pulled apart, and I went a rebuilt it.. what a waste.

[dead32]

if since asked a few mates, ive come up with a rb25 for $1800 just engine, has everything but a turbo (use mine). the car was set to be tunned 2 weeks to the day of when it popped,the car gets daily driven, i dont want a 10sec car, i want one that is smooth and gets me to work, im only 21 and live away from home. money is the issue here, im just wondering your opinions, its easy to say ahh slap a 25 in it, i wish i didnt have this hassle, im thinking just get another rb20, bolt it in, run like less then or around 10pounds, the car never pinged or knocked, it did puff fuel smoke though,not alot, i just figured it was std for a plug and drive ecu to basicaly not do all that much except to dump a shitload more fuel in, satanic, im listening ... problem is my budget atm to get it going is $2000-3000 and 3000 is absolutly pushing it, i wuld prefure not to go that high, keep on posting up, im taking all your opinions in thanks fellas

[MerlinTheHapyPig]

...and one last thing. If its a street car like most of us own, what makes you think it has to be a built engine to be a sensible long term solution? I think too many ppl sell std equipment Nissan engines short on the durability front. Wrecker motors are not pulled from thrashed crashedcars, they are pulled from std cars with low kms and with good compression....i have had wrecker SR20 and RB20s after really bad luck with the original engines. It was not a mechanical fault that killed the original engines, just one of those things. And the replacement wrecker motors were good things, and my RB20 continues to be.

Fact is whether my original SR20 or RB20s were built or not, they would have died with the problems i had...so i would have wept for years if i had spent all that money on a built engine only for somrting silly to kill it....blah, blah, blah just pointing out a few different perspectives, not sayign anyone is right or wrong

I guess it would depend on your circumstances.

If you were intending on doing a build (or rb25/26/30 conversion) at some stage in the near future, now is the time to do it!

Buying second hand motors (even from wreckers with warranty) is a bit of a mixed bag. Most wreckers can do a compression test, but that's about it and comp tests won't reveal everything, and if you do get a dud and have to claim warranty, i doubt you'll be able to get them to pay for labour to swap the motor again.

Also, any fundamental problems such as tuning etc. need to be rectified regardless of stock/built

[Roy]

With that said then try EKW for an engine with warranty...if your in Melb then i may be able to help you out with a bottom end...i will have to ring and see if its sitting at the workshop. It ran fine...you can have it, so then your up for the cost of a gasket kit and timing belts etc. May not be too bad an idea to throw some new bearings in t but i wouldnt bother

[dead32]

i feel stupid but ekw? and i noticed in your sig it has mentioned dutton 2006' my mate from work competed in the dutton rally this year, just wondering if thats what u are refering to. he ran a evo 6.5 makinon nugget, im from syd but thanks for the other much apreciated mate...

[dead32]

p.s im sorta after specific locations e.g websites/numbers etc, i work 12-14hr days mostly kinda hard to find time to ring around. cheers fellas

[Roy]

I got my RB20 from http://www.ekw.com.au/ short motor was $600

I got my SR20 from http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/

Then there are some other places around whom i have used for parts for various imports i have owned such as :

http://www.ichiban.com.au/

http://www.japperformance.com/

http://www.justjap.com/

http://www.japimports.com.au/

Most wreckers reputable wreckers knwo the car that the engien was pulled from, they typically remove the sump and do a visual inspection and also a compression test. Ask a few questions and make uo your wone mind. Its not the only avenue open to you, and im not saying its the best, buy i suggets you at least call around and get a feel of whether you will be comfortable with buying an engine off them.

Another thing is, that a std RB20 with std ECU and unmodded woudl take a hell of a thrashing before it has troubles...of course that doesnt mean the engine wasnt run on old 10yr old oil, so there are still considerations

[Abo Bob]

I often think a second hand replacement of the original engine is the better way to go unless, as mentioned above, you intend on a full rebuild at some stage anyway.

When I blew my engine the cheapest second hand NEO I could find was about $3500 from memory and that had problems with it too. (Cracked plenum) Now I'm selling a NEO with ECU and loom for $2200 and getting no takers. (same one as stan mentioned for those reading) If that was available to me at that price when I blew mine that would have been what I did but it wasn't so to me $3500 for a NEO with an issue or two vs fully rebuilt for $5-6000 I thought why not.

[satanic]

Adam, you forgot to mention that the NEO comes with Loom, ECU, Turbo, Coilpacks, AFM etc etc...

Can even lump together a gearbox Auto though