i need any and all help I can get. just bought an rb 26 engine and rb 25 tranny. 4 grand. Car shop quoted me for 4 grand to drop into the z and get running. any advice and/or help anyone can give me?

 

Good luck. If the shop has never done it before then you are about to get ripped off IMO and either get sub-par work or a car that doesn't run like it is supposed to. 4-grand is way low especially if they are including the custom driveshaft, new EMS (unless your gonna use stock RB ems) an tune.

I would be warry.

 

4 grand sounds about on par to me. That's almost as much as I was quoted by a few places for a V8 in a Miata swap... including oil pan, drive shaft after me bringing just the motor and tranny.

There's someone here in Virginia that was talking about doing that same swap. He got a built motor and the dude wanted to straight up swap him his rb26 to put the built VQ in his domesticated Skyline... not sure if they actually went through with it though sorry.

 

Is that Nigel at premiere that quoted you that? Last time he quoted me that it was labor alone. Not driveshaft, EMS, extras you need to buy., It's going to cost alot more in the end FYI.

 

If you want it done right call Farley or Chris @ GR Technologies up in Davie. 954.916.6660
It's not going to be cheap but it will be done correctly.

 

I think $4G is too low as well. It is a very intensive changeover. You will get a better powerband and more torque if you simply build and boost the VQ. RB engines are funny. There are many reliability upgrades you have to do on them just to keep them...um...reliable. It is so easy to drop 20G into the engine/turbos alone on the RB. For example, a good oil pump for the RB is apprx $1000. The rev-up VQ oil pump is very robust and only $300. There is no point to the RB swap other than exclusivity. Unless your doing some super-swap with AWD. The RB is heavier than the VQ. Most states won't even let a Z/G pass inspection with the RB.

I'm not bashing the RB26. I have 3 of them. One is a 2.8 stroker. I have worked on them in great detail. They belong in GTR's...or S13/14/15's. Most of the used ones for sale in the US are "beat up from the street up". I know how much money it takes for them to make great power. The stock RB turbos suck. You can only run ~15psi with them or they like to explode. Max power you'll see on the stock HG/Turbos on the RB is barely 400. The stock VQ with an APS twin kit will easily make 430 at the wheels through cats. Unless your in it for the "oooh aahh" factor, the VQ is the better choice.

Just my opinion. Good luck with it.

 

^^^^
As far as I know if you swap the oil pan from the RB25 onto the RB26 you will lose a bunch of weight as long as you are going for the RWD only setup.

OP
Just be careful with what you do. This is not a swap for someone on a budget unless you can do the majority of it yourself. IMO if you are on this forum asking for input and have not been able to o much research yet you should wait. Otherwise you are more then likely going to run into some additional costs you may not be ready for.

 

I looked at this a while ago... First, I would have the RB26 engine looked into. Was it refreshed/rebuilt or just taken out of a skyline? how many miles?
I would guess the engine would need about $1k work on it alone.
As for the install, you will need a new clutch, braces and mounts (either custom made or I *think* there is a shop in MD and possibly even in FL that has done this before and sells a mounting kit for like $1,500).
Then you need the EMS and all of the wiring harnesses, again not easy to find and VERY labor intensive to wire up correctly.

I think you got quoted a VERY low price, but I could be wrong.
Good luck, but PLEASE research very heavily on the boards, call some of the guys up who have either done this or tried this. It is a MASSIVE undertaking and by my estimate last year should cost around $11 - 13k (not including doing new turbos with the setup)