Please Help Me. Need Advice.

[don1]

First let me say that I bloody love Skylines but I don't know much about engines. And now I'm borderline friggin suicidal.

I recently bought a beautiful R32 GTS4 Skyline with a RB26 GT-R running gear. I was having heaps of fun with it until a fateful day last week when on the way to the beach all of a sudden the car started revving high without power transfer to the wheels. I pulled over and the car wouldn't start again, making a horrible clunking sound when I tried.

I have finally got the car towed to a mechanic that deals with Skylines - R E Customs in Springvale. He tells me the engine is not holding any pressure, and will need to be taken out and completly taken apart to find the problem.

He tells me one of these 'engine rebuilds' is likley to cost me between 5 and 20 grand!!

Does anyone know if I can trust these R E Customs people?

Are they the best person to go to for this sort of thing?

How much should I expect to pay for getting the engine taken out and looked at?

Why did this have to happen to me?

[Kaz200]

were you booting it at the time?

Also did they do a compression test?

[Paradizzle]

RE customs looks after many members here (including mine).

I have not heard any bad things about them (against forum rules to criticise businesses in open forums on this site anyways)...

So in my opinion they definately can be trusted.

GTR engine rebuilds, i think every1 knows, are very expensive!

the rest of the Q's i cannot answer.

[LTHLRB]

you will be looking at easy 5k upwards...

No oil pressure? or no pressure at all? rings hav shat themselves, melted pistons, oil pump finished which may have rooted engine.. Many reasons.

[Omurru]

I'd say you'd be looking at about 1500-2000 to have the engine pulled out and looked at. Though normally they should be able to tell you the exact nature of the problem and have a good idea as to whats causing it without pulling it out. To me "not holding pressure" isn't a valid explination of the problem. Sounds more like you've broken something internally.

As to rebuild prices, if the bores are still good and you only do a basic rebuild to get it running i'd be expecting to pay about 4-5grand all up. but while the engines out you may as well do some bits and bobs to it, well worth it in the future. For a good engine rebuild i'd say about 15g's getting someone else to do it....

[R31Nismoid]

Does anyone know if I can trust these R E Customs people?

Are they the best person to go to for this sort of thing?

How much should I expect to pay for getting the engine taken out and looked at?

Why did this have to happen to me?

1) A simple search would tell you a lot of members use them, and are happy with them.

2) Depends on what you want.

3) $1500

4) Because thats life

[krzysiu]

Or if you cant afford that much then buy a second hand rb26. Sure its one hell of a risk, you might get lucky.

At least when you rebuild it you will know that it should last you a while.

[don1]

thanks for your help guys. though i must say it seems a bit dumb that with the forum rules if RE customs WERE rip-off merchants you couldn't tell me about it.

this is what i gathered

1) it should cost about $1500 to take it out and figure out the problem - but about $5000 all up to fix it

2) R E Customs dont seem to be a shady operation.

3) might be worth getting the engine looked at while its out. but thats gonna cost more money.

two more questions:

if i do get it taken out - is there anything obvious (and reletivly cheap) I should get upgraded while it is taken out? new turbos are what $5k? is there anything else easy I can do to increase performance while leaving it street-legal?

what the hell is tuning? and should i get it done?

thanks again

Edited February 13, 2007 by don1

[don1]

oh yeah i got another question a little off topic

is there somewhere good i can read about how skylines/turbos/motors in general work and what all the bits mean - or do you just pick it up over time?

im not stupid, and i am technically minded (ive done a degree in electrical engineering) but i dont have fcks clue about how a engine works and what all the bits are

[R31Nismoid]

though i must say it seems a bit dumb that with the forum rules if RE customs WERE rip-off merchants you couldn't tell me about it.

Piece of advice.

Flip the coin over, and take a look at good look at it.

If you still dont understand it, then dont comment on it

[R31Nismoid]

is there somewhere good i can read about how skylines/turbos/motors in general work and what all the bits mean - or do you just pick it up over time?

The Forced Induction section

I've looked after it for nearly 4 years now.

It has absolutely everything. There isnt a lot that is not covered in there these days

[Mavric]

Mate u can trust RE Customs Ray is a top guy and will help you out as much as he can.... You have decided to take the car to the right place....

Good luck with your repairs.

[Snowman]

new turbos are what $5k?

A new pair of garret 2860-7's should cost you about $2.5K which is all you will need unless you want to get some 2nd hand stock ones for $800 or something.

But as a rule a good RB26DETT rebuild you should allow $10K for. I think for a rebuild with all factory parts will be around $6K.

[don1]

If you still dont understand it, then dont comment on it

check

The Forced Induction section

I've looked after it for nearly 4 years now.

It has absolutely everything. There isnt a lot that is not covered in there these days

rockin'. thanks mate

Mate u can trust RE Customs Ray is a top guy and will help you out as much as he can.... You have decided to take the car to the right place....

Good luck with your repairs.

thanks man

A new pair of garret 2860-7's should cost you about $2.5K which is all you will need unless you want to get some 2nd hand stock ones for $800 or something.

But as a rule a good RB26DETT rebuild you should allow $10K for. I think for a rebuild with all factory parts will be around $6K.

so a basic rebuild where they just take it apart, clean it and put it together again is ~$6k - but if i want all fancy parts put in I would be looking at ~$10k? Are garret 2860-7's more powerful than the stock RB26 GT-R turbos?

also I'm thinking about an A'PEXI PowerFC. one of those (with installation) am I to understand is about $1.5k? I'd also probably have to get the car tuned for it right? which would be more again.

god damn this shit is expensive.

[KamikazeR33]

if ur looking at a turbo upgrade ud b looking towards getting a powerfc to make use of it

just remember u will have 2 run the engine in to start with anyway b4 u do 10 sec passes or wateva. but ray will tell u that anyway.

powerfc - 1k. then est bout 400-750 to tune it

btw im sure ray will do a better deal on labour with the more work u have done most places do

gtr turbos are piss poor.. anything is better really altho the stock ones can make close to 300awkws

[TracidTrax]

i can say only good things about Ray @ RE Customs, top person and easy to deal with

+1

[dezz]

check

rockin'. thanks mate

thanks man

so a basic rebuild where they just take it apart, clean it and put it together again is ~$6k - but if i want all fancy parts put in I would be looking at ~$10k? Are garret 2860-7's more powerful than the stock RB26 GT-R turbos?

also I'm thinking about an A'PEXI PowerFC. one of those (with installation) am I to understand is about $1.5k? I'd also probably have to get the car tuned for it right? which would be more again.

god damn this shit is expensive.

'installing' a powerFC takes all of about 2 minutes....it should cost $0.

[Mavric]

'installing' a powerFC takes all of about 2 minutes....it should cost $0.

Possibly safe to say 1.5k will cover install the unit and also a tune...

regardless ppl have to make a living cant do it for nothing even if it does take about 2 mins dezz

[dezz]

the point is do it yourself. anyone that charges to 'install' a pfc is ripping you off.

[DogKnight]

I have finally got the car towed to a mechanic that deals with Skylines - R E Customs in Springvale. He tells me the engine is not holding any pressure, and will need to be taken out and completly taken apart to find the problem.

My knowledge of engines is rather small so I may be completely off the mark, but if there is no compression could it be the head gasket? That would explain it not starting. Depending on the damage done I cant see that costing the amount mentioned if thats what it is. Most cars to fix a head gasket would be between $1-2k. Being an RB26 it will be more, but not in the $15-20k mark like you mentioned.