# RB20det



## 200sx98fl (Jan 5, 2004)

I was told by tamparacing.com that the rb20det is a crappy motor and doesnt produce any numbers is this true?


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

2 w3rds - iron block


----------



## OPIUM (Aug 18, 2002)

200sx98fl said:


> I was told by tamparacing.com that the rb20det is a crappy motor and doesnt produce any numbers is this true?



Umm... right.....


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Those people are dumb.

Hey Opie, why cant I access the pictures of your wastegate?


----------



## 200sx98fl (Jan 5, 2004)

NickZac said:


> Those people are dumb.
> 
> Hey Opie, why cant I access the pictures of your wastegate?


i agree!!! allthough one of there crx's is owning all of tampa in 4 cylinder class
i think it has a crv motor in it. pretty ugly too!!


----------



## Joel (Jun 11, 2003)

nah they are right. Its an old weezy engine with a crap turbo and terrible intake manifold design


----------



## Nizmodore (May 9, 2003)

NickZac said:


> 2 w3rds - iron block


No those words should include you don't have a clue what your talking about  If what your saying is true, then why do people change from SR20's to FJ20's in drag cars? a CA18DET with a cast iron block is LIGHTER than a SR20DET....

Yes the RB20 can produce nice amounts of power, eg 220 RWKW but you run out of head room real quick....(well compared to the other RB's), they are a very smooth, powerful powerplant, perfcct for a day to day, and weekend drag/track car (which is what most of us fit into....really) I would only suggest going to a larger RB (in a silvia) if your after a dedicated track/drag car, or you want to tow with it.... 

Joel is correct the inlet manifold is cheap and nasty (tho the old version with NICS isn't that bad to tell the truth), while the turbo.....well.....its a bit on the "poor" side.....fix these two things up and away you go! a RB30ET turbo (T3) is a good cheap upgrade (well at least where I live). Still I've heard of people hitting a wall at 300 odd RWKW due to the small inlet and exhaust valves (this on a RB30/20)...still 300kw (400 odd hp) at the wheels in a Silvia! Yikes...would you want anymore? 

I judge motors more on their power bands, rather than outright numbers, I would prefer a RB20DET over a SR20DET (*S*hitbox *R*eject, *20*, *D*on't *E*ven *T*hinkabout it) Still there isn't that much diffrence between those two motors.....and I have had *VERY* bad experiences with SR's....

Why do you think I'm building a monster RB30/25, instead of buying a cheap RB20DET? (well I do use my car to tow the track/rally car)


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

I was talking about te RB, not the SR...SR=aluminum, RB=iron

http://zhome.com/rnt/RBEng/RBEng.htm

compared to many other nissan engines, it is a great blend of power and cost effectiveness.

Edit: and while you may have had a bad experience with the SR20, I personally know many people who have had great experiences in building very fast cars (mainly sentras) with it. Their may be better engines, but the RB20 is a helluva lot better than my QR and with my current vehicle, I'm not at any standing to diss it. BTW, next time you could be a little nicer too


----------



## Kelso (Apr 29, 2003)

you gotta remember, where joel and nizmodore are, the motors we feel are great, are near shit to them. they have stuff much better than we do when it comes to this.tampa racing is a joke.way more idiots and ricers than knowledgable people with fast cars, but there are the few....the rb20 is a great choice compared to other choices we have here.


----------



## Nizmodore (May 9, 2003)

NickZac said:


> I was talking about te RB, not the SR...SR=aluminum, RB=iron
> 
> http://zhome.com/rnt/RBEng/RBEng.htm
> 
> ...


Sorry, I just get a bit upset when people start going on how Iron block motors are crap >: Like I've said my main complaint of the SR's WAS the aluminum block.....(/me has seen warped ones) 

Also that list of RB information is laughable....  there is no factory RB30DETT, the only 24v Factory 3 litre RB motor was a small one off run of N/A motors, RB30D's, no EFI, running 3x side draught Solexes....

http://www.meggala.com/nissanrb3css.htm

Prehaps you can email this link to the guy who wrote that list of RB's....


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Nizmodore said:


> Sorry, I just get a bit upset when people start going on how Iron block motors are crap >: Like I've said my main complaint of the SR's WAS the aluminum block.....(/me has seen warped ones)
> 
> Also that list of RB information is laughable....  there is no factory RB30DETT, the only 24v Factory 3 litre RB motor was a small one off run of N/A motors, RB30D's, no EFI, running 3x side draught Solexes....
> 
> ...


I was implying that iron block is better  than aluminum...all rotary engines use iron, always have and will until they start using titanium. Aparantly we are on the same page. :cheers:


----------



## OPIUM (Aug 18, 2002)

NickZac said:


> I was implying that iron block is better  than aluminum...all rotary engines use iron, always have and will until they start using titanium. Aparantly we are on the same page. :cheers:



Renesis Rotary Specifications

Engine type: 1.3L twin-rotor rotary

Displacement (cc): 1,312

*Block material: aluminum*

Bore x stroke (mm): N/A

Horsepower (SAE net): 238 @ 8,500 rpm

Torque: 159 lb.-ft. (216 Nm) @ 5,500 rpm

Specific output: 183 hp/L

Compression ratio: 10:1

Application tested: RX-8

Fuel economy for tested vehicle (EPA city/highway mpg): 18/24


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

OPIUM said:


> Renesis Rotary Specifications
> 
> Engine type: 1.3L twin-rotor rotary
> 
> ...


damn, i stand corrected


----------



## Nizmodore (May 9, 2003)

Yeah I was thinking that they where aluminum...only the endplates are cast iron (And I'm no rotor fan.....Hell I barely know what I'm talking about with them!)


----------



## 2Fass240us (Aug 2, 2004)

The SR20DET "acronym" makes me laugh. The thing that amuses me is that if the SR is so crappy, why is it so revered in Japan? And why do so many people use it?

The SR is the logical choice for S-chassis here in the States, IMO, for a number of reasons that have probably already been beaten into the ground. The RB's are becoming more propular, and with that popularity brings more Stateside OEM and aftermarket support.

I would pay no mind to the tamparacing.com comments about the RB20DET...it's an extremely capable engine that doesn't deserve a bad reputation. But like many others, I feel that the RB25DET is the better way to go, albeit a more expensive route to travel...


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Yes, the SR may have some short commings but I got a 93 SE-R with an SR20 for 500 bucks.  The SR20 is not all that expensive. I'de imagine the RB20 and definately the RB25 and RB26 engines are all much more expensive. While I am a supporter of iron blocks, I dont know if it is more expensive to make (but I would be willing to bet it is harder to work with than aluminum since it is so much stronger.)


----------



## 2Fass240us (Aug 2, 2004)

NickZac said:


> Yes, the SR may have some short commings but I got a 93 SE-R with an SR20 for 500 bucks.  The SR20 is not all that expensive. I'de imagine the RB20 and definately the RB25 and RB26 engines are all much more expensive. While I am a supporter of iron blocks, I dont know if it is more expensive to make (but I would be willing to bet it is harder to work with than aluminum since it is so much stronger.)


I'm not so sure the production cost is something that should even be considered in the argument of which engine is cheaper. Supply and demand, on the other hand, play a very large role in dictating the relative engine prices. Years ago before the SR's were popular, you could get one for much less than you can currently.

Most RB20DET's are cheaper than a SR from what I've seen, assuming similar mileage (kilometerage?  ), condition, etc.


----------



## Kelso (Apr 29, 2003)

the sr20 from an SER is different than the sr20 we speak of.same basic motor, but its different enough that it will not work in a 240 unless you do plenty of modifications to it


----------



## Nizmodore (May 9, 2003)

Yeah I have myself seen "warped" a SR20's, you go down to our local drag stip and ask the Datsun drag raceing people what they think of the SR20 as a drag motor....and you'll get laughed at....The only motor they like is the FJ20DET.....Still 6cyl motors are what I'm more into  BTW I got that saying from them 

Don't get me wrong the SR20 is a good, reliable low (low meaning 200+hp  ) to mid power motor, it has great torque for is size and will provide enough power for any of us to use on the street.....(Unless you use your car to tow...like me)

The problem is when you push the evelope a bit you run in to problems, the cooling system and the oiling system are not that good compared to the CA motors, the valvetrain doesn't like high revs, yes these things can be fixed, but how far do you want to go? Its also not that small, or light. Its a heavier motor than the CA18DET (only by around 5kg I might add) and size wise, its huge! I'll post up a pic of a CA18DET block and a SR20DET block next to each other......

It has its good points, like oil squirters on the pistons (RB30ET doesn't have that, yet all the other turbo RB's do!) which enables you to hammer the pistons with lots of boost (hence the rumor of a unkillable bottom end....which is half true  ) Do the same in a RB30ET and you'll melt a piston (But and its a full round "but" you can install oil squirters from a RB25DET into a RB30 Block.....but its a **** to do, I've alrady stuffed up one block trying) 

Other good points include, Great aftermarket support world wide, (you can get bits in the states) a lot of shops know what they are doing with them, I'd imagine the Americans would be far more advanced in playing with them as they have quite a few more SR's over there....hell untill a few years ago Australians where ahead of the Japs when it came to RB tuneing.....


----------



## ScEtCh (Jun 18, 2004)

So im trying to decide which engine to get. ive heard great things about the sr20's and the rb's. im lookin to drift and to race in auto crosses. where can i get specifics on all rb's (size, prices, etc..). i love the fact that the rb's are cheaper and more powerful. i need to also look at the fact of being evenly weighted. i found an rb25 det for $2g and a sr20det s15 for $3400. i need some info thats all. much appreciated guys. 

Thanks
ScEtCh


----------



## 2Fass240us (Aug 2, 2004)

ScEtCh said:


> i found an rb25 det for $2g and a sr20det s15 for $3400. i need some info thats all. much appreciated guys.
> 
> Thanks
> ScEtCh


Er, wht the S15 motor? Why not a 180SX motor (blacktop or redtop)?


----------

