Help With Rb26 Plenum Removal

[portaz]

Hey all I am not sure if this is the best kept secret on sau but in gods name how do you get the plenum off with the engine in the car I have spent 3 hours and have stopped twice out of frustration, I got all the mounting nuts off pretty easily, took the iac valve off and then every time i move it there seems to be another hose, my plan is to remove alternator and water pump to try to gain access, is this job possible or should I bite the bullet and pull the engine out? I mean there are so many things attached to the plenum I am not sure I will get them all back on correctly, if the answer is to pull all the hoses from where the iac valve attaches how the hell do you get them back on? can someone do a tutorial on this as I have been searching for a week and mainly rb25 stuff comes up and the only rb26 thread is after the plenum is off.

Thanks in advance

Scott

[turboedsloth]

why the hell would you take the water pump off to get to the plenum? There are quite a few hoses under that need to be removed but it is fairly easy, i find the more frustrated i get with a job the longer and harder it is to get done. Just take your time with it and it'll be easy

[portaz]

i am doing timing belt and water pump as well I just thought it may add some clearance for my fat hands lol

[Tony Brown]

I would be interested to read a tutorial on that as well.

I too have "fat hand syndrome".

Edited February 27, 2011 by Tony Brown

[portaz]

while I am at it does anyone know the best place to get a hose kit from? as i am going to all this trouble may as well change them and if it is oem does anyone know kit p/n as my nissan dealer is shit.

Scott

[Piggaz]

I have pulled my stock plenum off 3 times with the engine in the car..... however thats in a R33 GTR.

What I can suggest is go down to bunnings and grab yourself 3 or 4 12 mm $1 spanners..... they have a box there with cheap shit spanners..... heat them up and bend them.

It can be done. It took me 4 days to get my stock one off.... fkn flamin mongrel of a job. To fit a Nismo plenum..... you would rather put a fire out on your face with a fork!

[SiR_RB]

after just doing my 100k service, when the fan and radiator are removed you should be able to poke you head near the plenum and see where the hoses are to disconnect, and associated nuts etc

wouldnt be as hard as removing and replacing turbos on a gtr, and i did that in 1.5days

[portaz]

Now I know why people sell their cars instead of fixing them! Price u pay I guess

[MrStabby]

There's no need to pull the engine out. I've done the plenum on my 32R. Sure, its an absolute bitch of a job, but motor out is harder. If you find yourself getting frustrated, walk away for a while.

For the hoses, here's my list. IIRC i missed the fat 90 degree ones that go either side of the IAC.

Coolant pipes on Drivers side and rear of motor;

21307-05U02, 14055-05U11, 21307-05U04, 14055-05U01, 14055-05U02

Water/heater: 92410-05U00, 92402-05U00, 92401-05U00

Lower radiator hose: 21503-72L00

I had some photos... i'll see if i can find them, they may help a little.

Good luck

EDIT: they photos are here: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/gallery/album/15274/4185-plenum/

[heller44]

Clearance is a little better on an r33 due to not having the hicas block in your way as well, makes it a little easier to get your arm up in there.

Perseverance is what is required. Took me about 2 days to do mine, every time I got frustrated I walked away, closed the shed.

If you look at MrStabby's pics, and refer to the pictures in the service manual, you can get a fairly good idea of where everything is even if you can't see it.

[BLITZ-26]

Keep going at it man it will be a hose or bolt on the iac holding u up took us 2 hours to get mine off and we had no idea caz there are no threads on here but its faily simple once u get it off its just a pain due to the space and I have jap hands

[Deano 1]

I did it on my 32R took about 4hours to get it off, there's not really that many hoses, the hardest part of the job is geting them 3 bitch as screws that bolt that mess of hoses on the iac thingo. I just pulled the plenum off and left all that in, I think there was only 3-4 main hoses to take off, wasn't that bad. Your best to do it this way anyway atleast than u can make sure u got all the hoses connected on the iac back on, than new gaskets and drop the plenum back on and bolt it all back up.

[portaz]

thanks guys I finally got it and the inlet manifold off I can see why I need to change all the hoses though I dont want to go through that again!

[Adriano]

I wouldnt get one of the ebay/jj hose kits, they have dramas with going soft and leaking.

[portaz]

Good to know I guess oem then?

[MrStabby]

I wouldnt get one of the ebay/jj hose kits, they have dramas with going soft and leaking.

+1. I tried ebay silicon radiator hoses. They always weeped, and the top let go after about 18 months. I'm back to OEM now. As you say, you dont want to be doing it again, so get something trustworthy.

[Beer Baron]

Good to know I guess oem then?

either oem or samco. unlike the cheap shit the samco ones are good and actually last.

[portaz]

so would you say the hoses listed are the only ones that need replacing? i count at least 17 hoses but I am not sure weather to buy them all as it will be over $300

[Beer Baron]

unfortunately it's bloody expensive restoring these cars properly. check out the samco kit. it comes with a fair few hoses but yeah the cost is not cheap (no idea off the top of my head but I'd say $200-$300).

[portaz]

Any idea where to but a samco kit? My search function doesn't work on the iPhone (or I don't know how lol)

scott