Rb25 swap in old Zcars

[Silver280zx]

Is an rb25det swap easy to do in old z cars? I got quoted by one guy $1800 for installation, which includes custum driveshaft, engine mounts, and wireing, and then he quoted me $2500 for the engine kit. Is this a good deal? I think im going for it this spring.

[StupidBikerBoy]

Check out NICO (www.nicoclub.com (http://www.nicoclub.com)) and www.racebread.com (http://www.racebread.com)

I think there is a few RB powered Z owners on them.

[Silver280zx]

thanks man

[StupidBikerBoy]

You could also check out www.freshalloy.com (http://www.freshalloy.com) , but I dont know if there is any Z owners on there. Good informative board though.

[TheSnail]

With a rb20 trans, you could just use the stock rb20 mounts and 280z tranny mount and stock drive shaft and a rearsump oil pan and pickup from nismoparts.com . My friend and I did it with his. It was a very simple and straight forward swap. It was an rb20 but then it blew a ringland and he put an rb25 in it a couple of weeks later. I assume he just swapped the long blocks. But for using the 25 trans you need a custom tranny mount, or mountkit and a custom driveshaft. I would say get an auto rb25 for 1100, rb20 trans for 250, rb20 mounts $50, oilpan n pickup for 200, clutch for 250 flyweel for 40-100, and be on the road for under 2k.

[TheSnail]

http://forums.hybridz.org/

[GTScoob]

^^^ What he said.

Over in Japan they made a special editon Z31 called the 200ZR which used an RB20DET instead of the stock L28DET. If you can get those motor mounts and tranny mounts you're golden, I think you also might need the oil pan from the 200ZR also. McKinney Motorsports also makes a mounting kit which mounts the engine closer to the firewall and a little lower in the frame.

You could get an RB20, throw in a stock RB26 crank and some custom rods and pistons to make an RB24 and keep with the 240Z namesake. Or just go RB25 and call it a day, my dream car right there.

[lightspeed]

Whats wrong with the L28? It works for me ;) You can make all the power the chassis can use, and it bolts right in :goodjob: Its also easier to work on.

[StupidBikerBoy]

http://forums.hybridz.org/

Also a great source for Z swaps, I just couldn't remember it.

+1 Snail

[Silver280zx]

Dont get me wrong, i like the L-series engines escpsially the sound, but the electronics are 28 years old, and my z had been sitting for 6 years when i came accross it. I just have alot of electrical problems. I even carry a fire extinguisher in my car. I also want the uniqueness, of the rb25 in an old z, its the old mixed with the new. Plus the rb25det has alot more potential than my NA L28E.

[lightspeed]

Dont get me wrong, i like the L-series engines escpsially the sound, but the electronics are 28 years old, and my z had been sitting for 6 years when i came accross it. I just have alot of electrical problems. I even carry a fire extinguisher in my car. I also want the uniqueness, of the rb25 in an old z, its the old mixed with the new. Plus the rb25det has alot more potential than my NA L28E.
I run an electromotive stand-alone EMS, so I didnt have to worry about any old electronics. I got tired of dealing with 1980's wiring harnesses :goodjob:
BTW, Ive got a Jim Wolf MAF-converted ECU and Cobra MAF setup for it, along with a lot of other stuff for a turbo conversion car, if you end up doing an L28...

[Silver280zx]

I run an electromotive stand-alone EMS, so I didnt have to worry about any old electronics. I got tired of dealing with 1980's wiring harnesses :goodjob:
BTW, Ive got a Jim Wolf MAF-converted ECU and Cobra MAF setup for it, along with a lot of other stuff for a turbo conversion car, if you end up doing an L28...

I apreciate it man, but i think i am going to just go rb25. But if i dont ill contact you. This place i was looking at, has already done the swap on a 240z. And its pretty much the same swap. With exception to the wireing, fuel pump and drive shaft, i just have a little more room in my engine bay than a 240z. I was also wandering about rear ends, should i go with and s130 turbo limited slip, or a z31 turbo limited slip?

[thursdaybuff]

my buddy had an rb20 put in his 280z and the swap worked out just fine for him.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o70/thursdaybuff/skyline2.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o70/thursdaybuff/P8100105.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o70/thursdaybuff/P8100107.jpg

[lightspeed]

I apreciate it man, but i think i am going to just go rb25. But if i dont ill contact you. This place i was looking at, has already done the swap on a 240z. And its pretty much the same swap. With exception to the wireing, fuel pump and drive shaft, i just have a little more room in my engine bay than a 240z. I was also wandering about rear ends, should i go with and s130 turbo limited slip, or a z31 turbo limited slip?
The rb25 would be a cool setup, so I hope it works out for you. Iive got a non-LSD R200 in my car, but its converted to use CV axles instead of U-joints (=no more breaking :) ) I actually bought an LSD from a z31 that was fully rebuilt, but my car has some modifications back there and it wasnt going to go in without some effort (more than I wanted to deal with.) I honestly dont know if my issue was "normal," but I know a lot of people use z31 setups. I do think it would be better than what I have, but it wasnt worth the effort.

[lightspeed]

my buddy had an rb20 put in his 280z and the swap worked out just fine for him.
Cool, is he local? Does he want to get-in some runs with an old-school L28 with a bone-stock longblock and literally 250k+ miles on it? I havent run any other turbo-converted old z's.

[thursdaybuff]

Cool, is he local? Does he want to get-in some runs with an old-school L28 with a bone-stock longblock and literally 250k+ miles on it? I havent run any other turbo-converted old z's.
he would if he hadn't snapped the rear end on it a little while ago. unfortunately he never changed it out during the swap so he left the stock one :goodjob: so now he's in the process of switching it out.

[Silver280zx]

Do the r180's use cv axels.