Rb26 Gasket Selection And Running In

[Keeper]

RB26DETT

Ported and Polished Head

HKS 2530 turbos

Forged and balanced internals

Aiming for 350awkw

Couple questions guys;

1) Getting ready to reassembly the motor and I need to source a new set of gaskets for car. Should I use metal gaskets for the intake manifold/throttle bodies or is this overkill under 20psi?

2) When picking a head gasket I dont want to loose anymore mid range or bottom end but with the goal of 350-400kw should I buy a 1.2mm head gasket to keep things a bit safer, or stick with the 1.0mm?

3) Putting a power FC back on her, should I do the first engine start off the stock ECU from before rebuild then once it ticks over switch to FC?

4) How many KMs should I have on the clock before the first tune, a lack of good tune and the RB oil problem was what killed the girl first time round, turns out stock ECU on bigger turbos is stupid

Thanks guys

[R32 Driver]

Genuine nissan gasket kit + jap brand headgasket kit which includes the intake and exhaust metal gaskets (tomei or Hks)

my mech recommends a 1.2mm gasket

if the last tune was bad you'd want to retune it for run in before a power tune

[R31Nismoid]

When mine was rebuild (and the previous motor)

PowerFC in from the start, bed the rings, tune it up... drive it home.

Nothing more too it. Oil change 1,000-2,000km's later just for a look-see and then 5,000km as normal.

Running in is a myth - i've seen more RB's belted from the ring bed in than i have RB's that do the '1,000km' run in rubbish. None of them run any different so why bugger around for 1,000kms?

[Keeper]

A 1.2mm Tomei metal head gasket and in/out gasket kit with a nissan basic engine kit should do the job then?

Thanks Nismoid, I think I drop it at the tuner by trailer after it ticks over

[STATUS]

When mine was rebuild (and the previous motor)

PowerFC in from the start, bed the rings, tune it up... drive it home.

Nothing more too it. Oil change 1,000-2,000km's later just for a look-see and then 5,000km as normal.

Running in is a myth - i've seen more RB's belted from the ring bed in than i have RB's that do the '1,000km' run in rubbish. None of them run any different so why bugger around for 1,000kms?

Agreed.

As for gaskets i alwasy use a phenolic gasket on the inlet (big drops in IAT on a GTR and RB30's) but for the headgasket i like to know what material has been removed from the head and block during machining.

A metal MLS head gasket and a genuine full gasket kit can now be supplied in a kit (minus gen head gasket) from MDS spares in melbourne at alot less coin than everywhere else.

[Keeper]

Agreed.

As for gaskets i alwasy use a phenolic gasket on the inlet (big drops in IAT on a GTR and RB30's) but for the headgasket i like to know what material has been removed from the head and block during machining.

A metal MLS head gasket and a genuine full gasket kit can now be supplied in a kit (minus gen head gasket) from MDS spares in melbourne at alot less coin than everywhere else.

got a number i can yell for a price?

[Keeper]

MD Spares (03) 95530388 Melbourne

Roughly $360+GST for nissan gasket kit

Roughly $250 inc GST delivered to QLD for MLS 1.3mm Head Gasket (Metal)

[femno]

Nobody here can tell you what head gasket to use...it depends if the block has been decked and how much, head been has been ground and how much, what sort of pistons etc etc...everything to do with the coompression ratio. The person who is building the engine will be able to tell you...you could use a standard Nissan gasket if you wanted to be really safe.

Id go the gasket set from MD Spares. It is actually a genuine Nissan kit but without any Nissan markings on it and therefore much less $$.

Use everything except the inlet gaskets.

In their place just use Threebond, as the paper gaskets will blow out under high boost. Just make sure all surfaces are clean, do not machine any surfaces as it will create big dramas, just clean very carefully with a scraper.

[Keeper]

On my CP piston spec sheet bore is listed at 3.406

3.40600 inches = 86.5124 millimeters

Should I purchase a 87mm head gasket?

[Moodles2]

CRD sells a Nitto rb26dett metal gasket set (Intake manifold, exhaust manifold and throttle body) for $215 delivered to me, alot cheaper than the jap a/m option

[STATUS]

On my CP piston spec sheet bore is listed at 3.406

3.40600 inches = 86.5124 millimeters

Should I purchase a 87mm head gasket?

yep.

[Keeper]

MD Spares kit is cheap, I think justjap sell them a few $$$ cheaper.

A friend is assembling the engine, standard compression pistons, the block was cleaned up but I dont remember being told a heap was shaved off it, I want to run around 400kw when finished with this motor so I think I will get the metal head gasket to allow safety margins.

[STATUS]

CRD sells a Nitto rb26dett metal gasket set (Intake manifold, exhaust manifold and throttle body) for $215 delivered to me, alot cheaper than the jap a/m option

yeah the greddy ones from greddy oceania are cheap atm too, they are on the clearance list... bugger maybe it was link and Nismo items...

Edited June 15, 2009 by URAS

[Angus Smart]

whats this clearance list? and rb26 head gaskets how much?

[heller44]

With the nitto or other metal type intake manifold and throttle body gasket, are you meant to use any type of gasket cement (permatex #3, etc.) when you go to reassemble the bits?

Taking the opportunity to install a oil filter relocation kit at the same time to get rid of that headf$%k..

[Keeper]

Taking the opportunity to install a oil filter relocation kit at the same time to get rid of that headf$%k..

f**k I hate the mess taking a stock filter off in a GTR makes, im probably a tardo which is why its messy, the relocation kit is the way to go...