HR33 RB20e swap to RB25DE/T
Okay guys im pretty much stuck because i just cant find it anywhere online so might just ask u.
Recently i bought an HR33 gts automatic skyline with an RB20E. The lack of power is so bad, that i just want to swap it asap.
Now my questions are the following;
I have read a lot that the rb20 engines are quite bad and that it would be a better idea to just but an rb25DE or DET in it.
Now my first option would obviously be rb25det because turbo is life.
But… since i only know about skylines that have a rb25det, they also only come with manual transmission.
Since mine is automatic, i would like to know if it is even possible to swap an RB25DE or DET and keep my gearbox automatic, and if the wiring would be okay with it etc etc.
Any advise and suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Comments
Why? If you are going to do the swap, why keep it automatic?
Well, kinda complicated lol, i dont have a place nor the time to do a transmission swap as well, thats why i wanted to know if an rb25de or det would be able to fit on this auto gearbox and if i would have to adjust the wiring harness.
If that is not the case, ill just wait a few more months so i can use one of my friends storages and swap it to an RB25DET with MT.
I think you can, I’m not sure. I haven’t got a chance to work with RB engines. But, I think it is possible. Again, it makes no sense.
Reading the comments, i can see where you are coming from - an engine just needs a hoist and stand ($500 combo at sca), while a tranny needs the car to be off the ground + a transmission lift and you need to do the conversion wiring and clutch aligning and driveshafts, pedals, cylinders.
Now to the engine; they are all RB family so they will use the same mounts. There are many auto 25dets around and i’m certain that the auto box has its own computer so it would be a fairly staight forward bolt-it-in job on the transmission side. Most engine conversions include the loom - run it to the firewall and connect ecu on the other end, but i’m fairly certain that the e still uses a distributor for the sparks while the de uses coils.
The 25det is the obvious choice and they are great for tuning, but the price is about 6x higher than a 25de and being turbo, they are less reliable. If you do choose an rb25de then you instantly get 65 more hp over your e-banger and you can add a turbo later on, but you will need a 25det or aftermarket ecu, and they don’t like going over 6psi. Just a side note, the rb25de makes about 190-200hp while an rb20det comes with 215hp, and i have caught an r32 gts-t in my 25gt.
Another thing worth noting: the r33 gts is almost identical to the gts25-t, but it has smaller brakes and 4-stud hubs and every gts25t has hicas except the type s (which is quite rare). The reason i mention that is because sometimes you can get away with vehicle tests/insurance if they don’t notice the lack of hicas or the chassis code (hr33 vs ecr33).
Ok thanks dude! That helps out a lot, ill round up some friends to help out with the swap and ill get to searching for an engine. Btw, i did not see too much difference in prices considering an rb25de or rb25det, but since the power output with an rb25det is only 15hp more than a non turbo, i might as well get an rb25de and put the turbo on later! Cheers!