2000 R34 Skyline 4wd (ENR34), auto transmission, RB25DE swap to RB25DET from 1996 Stagea

[VancouverR34]

Hi,
I have a 2000 Skyline ENR34 (4wd) with an automatic transmission that I would like to convert to RB25DET. I have access to a 4wd, RB25DET 1996 Stagea with auto tranmission that is being parted out.
Please, help me get the part list needed for the swap. I was planning on just getting the RB25DET engine with the turbo, manufolds, intercooler, piping, downpipe and ECU but was told that the auto transmission in ENR34 that doesn't have the "manual" +/- gear selections is the weakest of all and needs to be replaced too. Thus I might be buying transmission too. 

So, I would like to ask those who know this stuff to comment please before I cash out for parts I might not need. Is that auto transmission in ENR34 really that week that it's better to replace it? Would a 1996 4wd turbo Nissan Stagea have a NEO6 engine or it is pre-neo6 engine? If it's a pre-neo6, is there much difference to neo6 to question this swap if I should do it or not?

What is better - to add turbo/manifolds/piping/intercooler/ecu to RB25DE leaving the originalengine with the head and auto transmission in the car as is or swap to RB25DET and possible transmission swap too?

If I swap the transmission to that from 1996 Stagea, would I still be able to use/keep the trim/shifter from Skylne and would it have the same gear/ratio to work with the rear diff from ENR34 or if I'm putting a Stagea transmission then I would need to match it with the rear diff from Stagea too? 

I know that's lots of questions but I would rather get prepaired before the work starts than start and make mistakes as I go to be figuring them out after it's too late.

Let me know as I don't want to miss this part-out DET 4wd Stagea as they don't come too often in Canada.

Thanks in advance!

[GTSBoy]

Point 1. If you want to do this and want to use that engine, just buy the whole Stagea. You will hate yourself less by getting everything on it all at once and then having to dispose of the stuff you don't want, compared to how much you will hate yourself if you miss buying something and it isn't there when you need it.

If you can't afford to buy the whole wreck, then you can't afford to do the swap anyway.

1996 Stagea does NOT have a Neo. It is a version of the vanilla RB25. There is a bit of a halfway-house RB25 that was in Stageas at that time that kinda look like a Neo, in that they look like they have some Neo looking parts on them. But they are not Neo. They have hydraulic lifters and the same old bottom end as the vanilla 25.

So, technically, putting that engine and its ECU into an R34 might be challenging. There might be some shenanigans with ABS communication, for example. I'm only guessing, because I've never contemplated messing around with stuff from that era.

Sadly, you probably cannot Nistune the ECU (I haven't checked, but R33 era RB25s don't have a Nistune option because they have a stupid orphan ECU). So you will possibly end up contemplating an aftermarket ECU to get it working.

You will DEFINiTELY want to take the Stagea's auto trans. The one in your car will die in very short order, especially if you turn the boost up at all. This is true even if you add a turbo to your existing stuff. Hence why I suggest buying the whole wreck.

[VancouverR34]

Thanks. I would buy the whole Stagea but have no room for it. Thus will have to get as much as I can from it. Will try my best to get as much. Will already have to rent a storage or something to put all the parts into for the lack of space. 

Interesting about vanilla rb25 in stagea vs the one in Skyline. No idea what's better, would be great to get more comments on that too. I hope that stock ENR34 ECU would work for turbo or could be tuned to run a DET engine and a stagea auto transmission but not too sure of that which is why I'll be getting Stagea ECU out of it. Won't know what kind of problems I'll be getting into until dive full head into the swap. 

Hopefully eventually I'll have a very fun car to drive.

[Duncan]

If storage space is an issue, the old "front cut" approach might be worthwhile....cut the car in half just at the back of the transmission and remove the guards, front bumper and bonnet. 

You get everything you are likely to need, importantly including all the wiring that you have not mentioned above and which will be a headache to work out between the 2 cars

[VancouverR34]

On 10/08/2024 at 3:45 PM, Duncan said:

If storage space is an issue, the old "front cut" approach might be worthwhile....cut the car in half just at the back of the transmission and remove the guards, front bumper and bonnet. 

You get everything you are likely to need, importantly including all the wiring that you have not mentioned above and which will be a headache to work out between the 2 cars

Thanks. I'm meeting a guy who is parting out that stagea tonight. Will see what options I'll get. apparently front axles are already promised to someone but the rest is still up for grabs.

[R32RB20]

On 11/08/2024 at 8:45 AM, Duncan said:

If storage space is an issue, the old "front cut" approach might be worthwhile....cut the car in half just at the back of the transmission and remove the guards, front bumper and bonnet. 

You get everything you are likely to need, importantly including all the wiring that you have not mentioned above and which will be a headache to work out between the 2 cars

 I agree with the front half cut, it the best of both worlds especially if youre low on space. and remember whatever you dont use you can try sell worst case to a metal recycler.

On 07/08/2024 at 10:04 AM, GTSBoy said:

Point 1. If you want to do this and want to use that engine, just buy the whole Stagea. You will hate yourself less by getting everything on it all at once and then having to dispose of the stuff you don't want, compared to how much you will hate yourself if you miss buying something and it isn't there when you need it.

If you can't afford to buy the whole wreck, then you can't afford to do the swap anyway.

1996 Stagea does NOT have a Neo. It is a version of the vanilla RB25. There is a bit of a halfway-house RB25 that was in Stageas at that time that kinda look like a Neo, in that they look like they have some Neo looking parts on them. But they are not Neo. They have hydraulic lifters and the same old bottom end as the vanilla 25.

So, technically, putting that engine and its ECU into an R34 might be challenging. There might be some shenanigans with ABS communication, for example. I'm only guessing, because I've never contemplated messing around with stuff from that era.

Sadly, you probably cannot Nistune the ECU (I haven't checked, but R33 era RB25s don't have a Nistune option because they have a stupid orphan ECU). So you will possibly end up contemplating an aftermarket ECU to get it working.

You will DEFINiTELY want to take the Stagea's auto trans. The one in your car will die in very short order, especially if you turn the boost up at all. This is true even if you add a turbo to your existing stuff. Hence why I suggest buying the whole wreck.

definitely take the advice on funds, if you cant afford it better to stop, otherwise it will be in the garage for a while.

and definitely make sure you get as much of the rear loom as possible make it a lot easier to connect all the sensors the ecu needs. if you have the time label them quickly as you disconnect them.

 

either way good luck 

[VancouverR34]

Thanks so much for great points. Front cut is not an option. I can't rent a big garage to keep the stuff. I'm going to rent a storage but usually it's an inside storage with a rollup door. No way I could get a cut front end in there on a dolly cart. But I will try to get as much as possible including full wiring if I can pull it out of it.