Tman7878's Rb26dett 240sx

[tman7878]

Update 6

So once we painted the Rails it was time to get ready to weld by sanding what we had just painted!
We sanded around where the welds would be and made sure to get the fuel line outta the way! Here are some pictures of us welding up the frame rails



Here it was after the first time through, We had to go back and fix a couple of spots on the weld but the major thing was to just go slow and take our time doing it. The sleeves were thick but the frame rail itself is pretty thin!




FInal product
Passenger side

Driver's side


And then we used truck bed liner for a scratch proof protective layer. Not the prettiest but will get the job done!


And just like that our problem was solved! Stay tuned for the next update!

[tman7878]

Update 7
In order to install the Rb26 the previous over had used a GTS-T cross member which mounts right up to s13 chassis. So the next thing that had to be done was dropping the 240 crossmember.



The wiring was still driving me crazy but that wouldn't be taken care of until the new engine was in!



Gave the crossmember a power wash because there was quite a bit of dirt and tar making it hard to work on.



While I was at it I decided to give the engine bay a quick rinse. In hind sight I really should have repainted the engine bay while I had the chance. But I guess i'll just have to pull the engine again sooner or later to upgrade some internals!



So now the engine had finally made it's way out to the cabin! Lookin good in the back of the truck.




We then had to overcome the challenge of getting the engine out of the truck. It was easily placed in there by the forklift at where I was working but to get it out proved to be a real challenge. There was about and inch or two of clearance between the lower control arms and the sides of the bed. And on top of that there wasn't much clearance between the garage door and the engine hoist.




We ended up having to seperate the transmission from the engine only to find a wonderful surprise! An almost brand new HKS clutch. The previous owner had bought the clutch for the 180sx it was in but the car was in a wreck within two weeks of installing which translates to a pretty much brand new clutch!



Transmission off



So after a good couple hours of work we finally got the engine out of the bed of the truck.



Here's a few pictures of the engine as the original pictures i posted were terrible cellphone pics:



Pulled the cover to see what condition the plugs were in!



They didn't look too bad!


Blades on the front turbo looked alright. Let me know what you think because I'm not very experienced with this kind of thing.



Next update will start to get into the really exciting part. In terms of time line wise we're in about mid july/early august of 2011. As always feedback, good and bad, is welcomed and stay tuned for another update soon!

[cschepp]

Wow the progress on this is rediculous. Have you stopped working on it since you got it? Looks pretty good.

[tman7878]

Wow the progress on this is rediculous. Have you stopped working on it since you got it? Looks pretty good.

Haha no I haven't! That being said the build has been going on for a year and a half. I should be posting another update later tonight.

[Matty]

Not trying to plug one of my guys, but if you need wiring done, this is the go to guy.
www.wiringspecialties.com

There is no one who knows RB26's into 240's better than him, especially when it comes to wiring.

[tman7878]

Not trying to plug one of my guys, but if you need wiring done, this is the go to guy.
www.wiringspecialties.com

There is no one who knows RB26's into 240's better than him, especially when it comes to wiring.

Thanks but the wiring is already done as mentioned above.

[Matty]

Gotcha
Well in the future. if you ever need anew harness, check them out. RB26 to 240 pre-made, plug and play harnesses are being released later this year I believe. 100% brand new components, no spliced and diced old harnesses.

[tman7878]

Gotcha
Well in the future. if you ever need anew harness, check them out. RB26 to 240 pre-made, plug and play harnesses are being released later this year I believe. 100% brand new components, no spliced and diced old harnesses.

okay will do thanks

[tman7878]

Update 8
OKay so now it was time for another parts order! Gotta love new parts. Here's what I ordered:


Momo Steering Wheel and Hub (thinking I want an NRG quick release so that might happen)




The fact that it says drifting is kind of stupid but it looks good so cool the beaks before they even start!

Walboro Fuel pump and Tomei AFPR, In hind sight I should have gone with a type L but hey, guess you have to learn the hard way!




Ordered a fan controller which would (after seeing fitment) would turn out to be the wrong one!



Fuel pressure guage




Shift boot



Also ordered new nismo engine mounts (you'll see why)



Brembo brake discs



And thats it for parts!

[tman7878]

Update 9

So in order to get the new engine in we needed to swap the steering rack from the old crossmember to the "new" one. So we pulled the crossmember off the rb26. Immediately we noticed a major problem. THe driver's side motor mount was torn in half. Must have happened during the accident. So that definitely needed replace, which is the reasoning for the nismo mounts shown above. Here's a few pics:


So with the callipers off we decided to sand and paint them.



And then we installed them with the new discs




Sadly they look pretty small under the rims



Next update will be about actually putting the engine in the car.

[tman7878]

Update 10

Okay heres the long awaited (well not really) update on the engine install! First of all the firewall needed to be bent in to accomodate the massive (in relation to the 240) new transmission. This was accomplished using a very high tech process called repetitive battery using a large blunt object, ie a hammer!



So since the engine is too big to be put in from above we needed to raise it up from below. Normally this wouldn't be too hard of a task with a hoist. However being the garage hobbiest I am this was going to be quite a difficult task. So here are the few challenges we needed to over come. First of all the engine need to be able to roll underneath the car. Second the car needed to be raised enough to allow the engine to fit underneath. Finally the engine and transmission needed to be raised simultaneously into place.

So the first problem was solve by placing the front supports on snowmobile ski rollers, and the transmission supported by the small transmission jack. This was a somewhat simple solution and worked rather well!! Heres some pictures:


Now to solve the second problem. With the crossmember removed from the car there was nothing to jack on in order to raise the car. The only solution we could possibly think of was to chain the engine hoist to many parts of the front support and lift the car high enough to slide the engine underneath and then lower it back onto jack stands.



and done!




So now we needed to make the engine as contained as possible so we could squeeze it up into the engine bay.




Fire wall all bent out



So now all chained up it was time to lift the engine.



This picture of the turbo's is one of my favorite. Too bad my cousin lurked the background



Cresting....




And bolted up



Looks like were going to have some hood clearance issues



It was time to make our way to autodream in calgary! First time on the ground in almost a year



Looks like the ride height needs to be adjusted as well hahaha



Scene of the crime!



Next update will be about the trip to calgary!

[frankiman]

nice to see people still doing the RB swap instead of the hyped LS1 (and other v8s) swaps

[tman7878]

nice to see people still doing the RB swap instead of the hyped LS1 (and other v8s) swaps

Can't match that RB sound. Plus I'd rather beat a vette with something japanese. Also you should know your build has been quite the inspiration! keep it up!

[tman7878]

Update 11

Now that the engine was in it was time to go get wired! The guy that sold me the RB26 recommended the guys at Autodream in Calgary and they gave me a decent price so it was time to load it up and take it down there!

Red Deer


So once we got to Autodream and they had a look at the car they were rather disappointed that the car would not be driveable when they were done. I informed them of this before I came and it seemed that it would be no problem. Either way I asked them to do the wiring and then if there was a wiring issue I'd bring it back. They reluctantly agreed. I also had booked the appointment for the car 6 months in advance to ensure that it would be done in a week or two. It too Autodream a total of 2.5 Months to finish the job. From the reviews I've read this seems to be an Isolated incident and I'm hoping that this was simply poor timing! About 2 months after I dropped it off I was getting impatient and they weren't returning my phone calls. I finally got through to them. I was informed that against my request they had started the engine... THe engine had year old oil in it. No radiator, no oil filter, and they by passed the PS lines. The engine was also missing a downpipe and and intercooler. Lets just say they were very lucky that nothing was damage but according the their head mechanic the engine fired and ran for a quick second before they turned it off. I am happy that the engine started but not so thrilled with there customer service. On top of them starting the engine. When I returned to retrieve the car they had not finish reassembling the car and on top of that I would spend the next 3-4 months trying to get parts they had forgot to give back to me, back. I picked up the car in mid novembre and just received the last part I needed from them 3 weeks ago. Overall not too impressed but the wiring is done! I'm hesitant to take it back to them but as far as I know they are the best option for a tune around so I guess I'll just have to deal with the shitty customer service and trust that they know their stuff!

Any ways the wiring was much cleaner than before which made me happy!


SO there were a few issues we needed to fix! First of all the transmission mount did not line up properly and we could only use 2/4 bolts and on top of that the engine was sitting too high. I felt this would cause major problems so I ordered the Mckinney Motorsports conversion mounts!

Here's a picture of the clearance we had. THis was too close for my liking!


New tranny mount lined up nicely. They Motor mounts are going in on sunday!


Anyways more about the engine mounts later!

While the car was in the shop I ordered some new goodies! OOOOO package from japan....What could it be?

New intakes and BOV


New greddy intercooler


So many packing peanuts!


Also got a new tool box ( was using my cousins for all of the build, I owe him big for lending me his tools!)


I also had quite the Christmas!:
Flex-a-lite Pusher fans and the right Koyo rad



Greddy Profec-B boost controller


Greddy underdriven pulleys


Tomei fuel rail and 600cc injectors






circuit sports coolant tank


Thats all for now! stay tuned for more!

[Sri-LanKING]

pretty smexy can't wait for more!