some of my friends were arguing that it would be dumb to get a rb25det in my s13 but i think it would be sick. would it be really front heavy? sr cant be that much heavier than a rb.

 

Tell me why you think it would be sick and I'll give you some of my own input.

 

shipping weight on SR20DET motorset : 440lbs
shipping weight on RB25 with big tranny: 770lbs
shipping weight on RB25 with small tranny: 720lbs

yeah theyre a little heavier hahaha

 

Go midway. Get an RB20. They use a smaller tranny (like the KA) and only add about 70-80 lbs to the swap from the sources I have read. It makes similar hp numbers to an sr swap, but has more tq on the bottom end of the revs than an sr swap.

 

RB20s are a horrible idea. plain and simple.

and rb25's use the same tranny as a KA also on most models. it has to do if it has hicas or not.

 

so rb25 swap is more than 300lbs than sr swap??

i wanted a well balanced car with reasonable hp so that i can corner very fast. lately ive been reading about rb20s and rb25 swaps and i think heavy front end with lots of torque would be a beast to take around corners. i have a stock ka in my s13 right now.

i guess i was hoping that rb25 would help my s13 oversteer in savage ways.

 

I suggest you simply go with a SR20DET instead. It's less expensive, there's less required in the swap, it's lighter, and with the money you save you could probably make the SR just as powerful.

 

Has anything else been done to the car? Before you drop 4 or so grand on an engine swap, you should consider addressing the wheels/tires, suspension, brakes and chassis which are the real problems for the S13.

Take your car to the track, and see what you think is hampering it the most. After a trip to the track, I decided my S13 needed suspension, sway-bars, brakes and new seats... not a new engine.

 

THANK YOU!!!

 

This thread is ****ing awesome, Henry being gangster and Taylor laying down the cold hard facts. HOLLER!!

 

People have different opinions as to why they don't like a motor. Why not swap an rb20? I'm open to you opinion as to why.

 

Because it would be cheaper, easier, and more effective to turbo charge the KA.

RB20's are big fat heavy 2 liter engines that have no support in America. If anything breaks on it, your screwed.

 

KADET is the way to go IMO. Abel racing proved that the engine can make over 380WHP with a DSM ECU swap, 1G parts, and CAS (NO ecu tuning required). The internals are good, although people claim that the ringlands on the KA aren't sufficient enough, people don't realize KA piston diameter is much larger dispersing a wider quenching area than the sr, theres less pressure applied to the rings than people think.
The after market support for KA's is growing on a very large scale. So large it is becoming bigger than SR20det after market support.
FACTS are no matter how bullet proof you make the KA or the SR they will both MAX out at 850WHP due to displacement and the fact that they are 4 bangers.
RB25det can max out at about 1200WHP with an internally built setup, and can easily make 550WHP on stock internals.
It's really what type of power you are looking for.
KA is heavier than an SR, while an RB no doubt is heavier than KA.
What you should research are 1/4mile times find the best times people have to offer for there vehicles and then factor in the weight distribution and then build your suspension and braking. The weight distribution of the engine selected and chassis will determine the spring rate that you will use on your suspension set up.
Now as far as selecting the RB20 you would be insanely crazy to select that as an engine of choice unless you were able to to get one cheaper than what you can build a KADET for. KA weighs less than an RB20, and do to the massive 96mm stroke of the KA it makes about as long and high peek torque as an RB20. You would be crazy not to go KADET over an RB20.

 

i was gonna do ka24det till my ka blew up...then i found a good deal on an rb20 down the road....i believe in the long run ill be spending much much more on my rb than i would have on an sr20 but i am happy with my choice so far

 

You're happy so far and you don't even know if it runs :-)