Infiniti G37 RB swap, going all in!

G37Sam · 12-22-2012, 06:25 AM

So to keep it short, got bored of the VQ and its slush box, the engine's compression is too high to boost reliably without selling a kidney, and on top of all, the VVEL will forever be a bottle neck on this engine. Solution: RB swap

Picked up an RB30E bottom end, cast iron block, long stroke, with enough torque to move the G around, mated to an RB26 twin cam head (lowers the compression to 8.4:1) and an RB25 gearbox since I will be keeping her a RWD.

Update 24-11-2012:

RB26 head & RB30 block, waiting on head bolts, gaskets and cam belts

RB25 Pull Type gearbox

A snail crawling around in my living room...

RB26 Intake Manifold

RB26 Exhaust Manifold

VH45DE 90mm throttle body, mechanical throttle FTW!

Update: 26-11-2012

Gasket kit, head bolts and tensioner kit have arrived and have been dropped off at the shop. Aiming to start stripping down the G on Saturday!

The manifolds were just held against the head to measure clearances from wheel well, we may have to re-route the wastegate pipe.

Intake side should not be a problem

Update 28-11-2012:

The head has been sent for porting, polishing and final prep work before getting fitted back in. The block is getting painted and drilled for the tensioner.

In the meantime, this showed up at work today:

3.5" intercooler and an Oil Catch Can.

Update 03-12-2012:

Engine and head are finally ready! Car has been dropped off today to begin surgery. Here's what all the head covers and pulleys look like so far

Update 06-12-2012

Engine test fitting began and it is looking great so far!

The intake manifold inlet will he have to be slightly modified to fit the throttle body due to limited space

The turbo side however is a tight fit

The wastegate pipe is a little too close for comfort too, may have to be modified as well. No so sure yet. It is looking great so far!

Update 08-12-2012:

The following pictures will not be easy for the weak-hearted

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Doesn't that shifter look like it just belongs there?

Well it wasn't work of magic though, the transmission will have to be pushed around 26mm away from the engine to get the shifter position where it belongs. A spacer will be made to sit between the engine and transmission housing. The flywheel will also have to be pushed by that same amount. You can see the tiny spacers currently being tested.

Since the transmission's cross member will be slightly relocated, some new holes had to be made

The crank case also wanted a share of the action, it wouldn't fit properly around the engine's cross member so it had to be modified. The mechanic suggested he will be test fitting an RB25 crank case as it may be easier to work with, let's see how that goes.

Transmission alignment in progress

The wastegate pipe continues to pester around, this time around the steering column. The mechanic says the engine is not 100% aligned yet, once done it will move further away from the steering column.

Update 10-12-2012:

Great news! The shop is done with the engine and transmission alignment and I couldn't be happier. The shifter now sits 100% OEM and the best part, I won't even have to modify my center console for it.

Shifter in Neutral

Shifter in Third

Shifter in Reverse! Look at that clearance!

Shifter in Fourth

Engine mounts have been spot welded today, everything is looking perfect. Tomorrow they'll get welded and finished to look 100% OEM

The Transmission spacer is also ready, 26mm thickness

Here it is with the OEM flywheel for your reference

Turbo fitment is still tight especially on the turbine side. That line will have to be relocated for sure.

And finally, the finalized engine position. Gotta love that RB tilt!

Update 13-12-2012:

Intercooler mounting in progress

Bumper bracket modification in progress

Intake manifold inlet customzed for better throttle body fitment

Still not sure what I'm going to be doing with this SOB.. would hammering the body out a few mm's hurt so much?

And finally some beauty shots by Docaam

Update 15-12-2012:

Throttle body install.. check

Intercooler install.. check

Bumper bracket fitment, triple check!

Looks like Santa's here early.. Spec stage 5 clutch and Aluminum Flywheel :JAMIN:

BC Racing Coils!

Update 17-12-2012:

More toys have come in!! Looks like I've been a very good boy this year

G37Sam · 12-22-2012, 06:25 AM

Update 20-12-2012:

Awww dayum look what showed up!

Engine bay blasted and cleaned with every detergent on the planet! Haven't seen it this clean in 5 years haha

Engine and transmission mounts, welded and painted ready to go back in

Poor crankcase was cut and welded 270 times before they got it perfect. Will be prepped and painted to look OEM again.

Oil temperature sensor thread

Transmission spacer surfaced and painted to match the engine block. Stealth mode baby!

Eibach fronts without the engine & transmission for those wondering

Update 23-12-2012:

Everything has been bolted together and should be going in today!

Transmission spacer installed, clutch and flywheel are in too!

Wastegate flange welded

Transmission mount spacer, OEM style baby!

Pics of the crankcase

Crank case painted, oil cooler/filter relocation in place

Now here's the horrible part.. there was a major communication issue over the phone about what I wanted to paint my intake manifold.. here's how it came out
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Update 24-12-2012:

Engine & Transmission are in! That purple manifold is slowly growing on me to be honest. What do you think?

Engine mounts looking good

Just can't get enough of this engine

Aftermarket swaybars shouldn't be a problem I guess

Update 26-12-2012:

Intercooler piping check!

Keeps getting tighter! (that's what she said)

Tomei fuel rail and ID injectors are in place

Turbo oil feed

Update 28-12-2012:

OEM foot e-brake out, R33 clutch pedal to replace it. I'm going to the scrap yard tomorrow to try and find a G37/370Z clutch pedal as it would hopefully be a direct swap.

Tial BOV..

Intercooler piping almost done

Turbo clearance "slightly" better

Power steering pump pulley is too close to the radiator fans, the mechanic is thinking of throwing in a small spacer to push it further out

Fuel rail with the injectors in

Cam angle sensor

Thread made for water temp sensor

Hmmm... which wastegate spring to go for..

Driveshaft customization done!

Transmission spacer

We're getting somewhere!

http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/q...p/DSCN0535.jpg

Update 08-01-2012:

Great news! The car was started to check for leaks, minor leak in the turbo oil feed was fixed and MAN did it sound like a monster. Stay tuned for video's

If everything goes as planned she should be going for ECU wiring & exhaust fabrication tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Here are some pics for now.

Oil cooler is in

OEM wiring with ignition system

Pedals are in and functioning properly!

Close up on the accelerator pedal, was a b!tch to get right the mechanic tells me

DEpointfive0 · 12-22-2012, 06:29 AM

Makes me horny!

GaleForce · 12-22-2012, 09:21 AM

Insane build! Wow! That turbo is a tight fit, have you modified the shock tower yet?

m4a1mustang · 12-22-2012, 09:40 AM

Awesome!

wstar · 12-22-2012, 10:21 AM

Insane project, can't wait to see how it turns out

KERMIT · 12-22-2012, 11:17 AM

You are going to melt things with that turbine housing.

G37Sam · 12-22-2012, 12:10 PM

Haha I look forward to it

@Gale, no mods yet, the turbo manifold face (where it bolts to the head) will be shaved a little to create more clearance. We'll see how it goes from there.

Z-Girl 12 · 12-22-2012, 12:50 PM

So freakin cool! Let me drive it!

ZMan8 · 12-22-2012, 01:00 PM

Cool

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

GaleForce · 12-22-2012, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G37Sam

Haha I look forward to it

@Gale, no mods yet, the turbo manifold face (where it bolts to the head) will be shaved a little to create more clearance. We'll see how it goes from there.

Good idea. Really looking forward to the results.

zguynate · 12-22-2012, 02:55 PM

This is awesome! Props for trying something different. I dont have the balls to do that lol. Or the money.

DEpointfive0 · 12-22-2012, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragonbreath

This is awesome! Props for trying something different. I dont have the balls to do that lol. Or the money.

That's my dilemma, in order of size (no pun intended, lol)

GaleForce · 12-22-2012, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEpointfive0

That's my dilemma, in order of size (no pun intended, lol)

I don't have anyone around that has the know how to do something like this... Having said that, if I had a bigger garage, and a lift, and knew how to weld, I would try to tackle this myself.

I need to learn how to weld...

G37Sam · 12-22-2012, 04:16 PM

Haha agreed about the welding part, but then again, I'd have to also learn how to map an engine, how to wire it, and so many other things I'd have to quit my full time job LOL

12-22-2012, 06:25 AM	#1 (permalink)
G37Sam A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Dubai, UAE Posts: 1,507 Drives: RB'd G37 Rep Power: 21	Infiniti G37 RB swap, going all in! So to keep it short, got bored of the VQ and its slush box, the engine's compression is too high to boost reliably without selling a kidney, and on top of all, the VVEL will forever be a bottle neck on this engine. Solution: RB swap Picked up an RB30E bottom end, cast iron block, long stroke, with enough torque to move the G around, mated to an RB26 twin cam head (lowers the compression to 8.4:1) and an RB25 gearbox since I will be keeping her a RWD. Update 24-11-2012: RB26 head & RB30 block, waiting on head bolts, gaskets and cam belts RB25 Pull Type gearbox A snail crawling around in my living room... RB26 Intake Manifold RB26 Exhaust Manifold VH45DE 90mm throttle body, mechanical throttle FTW! Update: 26-11-2012 Gasket kit, head bolts and tensioner kit have arrived and have been dropped off at the shop. Aiming to start stripping down the G on Saturday! The manifolds were just held against the head to measure clearances from wheel well, we may have to re-route the wastegate pipe. Intake side should not be a problem Update 28-11-2012: The head has been sent for porting, polishing and final prep work before getting fitted back in. The block is getting painted and drilled for the tensioner. In the meantime, this showed up at work today: 3.5" intercooler and an Oil Catch Can. Update 03-12-2012: Engine and head are finally ready! Car has been dropped off today to begin surgery. Here's what all the head covers and pulleys look like so far Update 06-12-2012 Engine test fitting began and it is looking great so far! The intake manifold inlet will he have to be slightly modified to fit the throttle body due to limited space The turbo side however is a tight fit The wastegate pipe is a little too close for comfort too, may have to be modified as well. No so sure yet. It is looking great so far! Update 08-12-2012: The following pictures will not be easy for the weak-hearted . . . . . . . . . . . . . Doesn't that shifter look like it just belongs there? Well it wasn't work of magic though, the transmission will have to be pushed around 26mm away from the engine to get the shifter position where it belongs. A spacer will be made to sit between the engine and transmission housing. The flywheel will also have to be pushed by that same amount. You can see the tiny spacers currently being tested. Since the transmission's cross member will be slightly relocated, some new holes had to be made The crank case also wanted a share of the action, it wouldn't fit properly around the engine's cross member so it had to be modified. The mechanic suggested he will be test fitting an RB25 crank case as it may be easier to work with, let's see how that goes. Transmission alignment in progress The wastegate pipe continues to pester around, this time around the steering column. The mechanic says the engine is not 100% aligned yet, once done it will move further away from the steering column. Update 10-12-2012: Great news! The shop is done with the engine and transmission alignment and I couldn't be happier. The shifter now sits 100% OEM and the best part, I won't even have to modify my center console for it. Shifter in Neutral Shifter in Third Shifter in Reverse! Look at that clearance! Shifter in Fourth Engine mounts have been spot welded today, everything is looking perfect. Tomorrow they'll get welded and finished to look 100% OEM The Transmission spacer is also ready, 26mm thickness Here it is with the OEM flywheel for your reference Turbo fitment is still tight especially on the turbine side. That line will have to be relocated for sure. And finally, the finalized engine position. Gotta love that RB tilt! Update 13-12-2012: Intercooler mounting in progress Bumper bracket modification in progress Intake manifold inlet customzed for better throttle body fitment Still not sure what I'm going to be doing with this SOB.. would hammering the body out a few mm's hurt so much? And finally some beauty shots by Docaam Update 15-12-2012: Throttle body install.. check Intercooler install.. check Bumper bracket fitment, triple check! Looks like Santa's here early.. Spec stage 5 clutch and Aluminum Flywheel :JAMIN: BC Racing Coils! Update 17-12-2012: More toys have come in!! Looks like I've been a very good boy this year frost, RoshDawg and Dzel like this. __________________ '14 Viper GTS '08 RB'd G37S - Sold Last edited by G37Sam; 12-22-2012 at 06:34 AM.

12-22-2012, 06:25 AM	#2 (permalink)
G37Sam A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Dubai, UAE Posts: 1,507 Drives: RB'd G37 Rep Power: 21	Update 20-12-2012: Awww dayum look what showed up! Engine bay blasted and cleaned with every detergent on the planet! Haven't seen it this clean in 5 years haha Engine and transmission mounts, welded and painted ready to go back in Poor crankcase was cut and welded 270 times before they got it perfect. Will be prepped and painted to look OEM again. Oil temperature sensor thread Transmission spacer surfaced and painted to match the engine block. Stealth mode baby! Eibach fronts without the engine & transmission for those wondering Update 23-12-2012: Everything has been bolted together and should be going in today! Transmission spacer installed, clutch and flywheel are in too! Wastegate flange welded Transmission mount spacer, OEM style baby! Pics of the crankcase Crank case painted, oil cooler/filter relocation in place Now here's the horrible part.. there was a major communication issue over the phone about what I wanted to paint my intake manifold.. here's how it came out . . . . . . . . . . Update 24-12-2012: Engine & Transmission are in! That purple manifold is slowly growing on me to be honest. What do you think? Engine mounts looking good Just can't get enough of this engine Aftermarket swaybars shouldn't be a problem I guess Update 26-12-2012: Intercooler piping check! Keeps getting tighter! (that's what she said) Tomei fuel rail and ID injectors are in place Turbo oil feed Update 28-12-2012: OEM foot e-brake out, R33 clutch pedal to replace it. I'm going to the scrap yard tomorrow to try and find a G37/370Z clutch pedal as it would hopefully be a direct swap. Tial BOV.. Intercooler piping almost done Turbo clearance "slightly" better Power steering pump pulley is too close to the radiator fans, the mechanic is thinking of throwing in a small spacer to push it further out Fuel rail with the injectors in Cam angle sensor Thread made for water temp sensor Hmmm... which wastegate spring to go for.. Driveshaft customization done! Transmission spacer We're getting somewhere! http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/q...p/DSCN0535.jpg Update 08-01-2012: Great news! The car was started to check for leaks, minor leak in the turbo oil feed was fixed and MAN did it sound like a monster. Stay tuned for video's If everything goes as planned she should be going for ECU wiring & exhaust fabrication tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Here are some pics for now. Oil cooler is in OEM wiring with ignition system Pedals are in and functioning properly! Close up on the accelerator pedal, was a b!tch to get right the mechanic tells me rAiN, Imtired and Dzel like this. __________________ '14 Viper GTS '08 RB'd G37S - Sold Last edited by G37Sam; 01-08-2013 at 04:21 PM.

12-22-2012, 06:29 AM	#3 (permalink)
DEpointfive0 Premium Member Bitches Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: SoCal Posts: 14,824 Drives: a lot Rep Power: 17151	Makes me horny! Zteven and DavidZ370 like this.

12-22-2012, 09:21 AM	#4 (permalink)
GaleForce A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 21,749 Drives: Varis Arising II Rep Power: 51865	Insane build! Wow! That turbo is a tight fit, have you modified the shock tower yet? __________________ >>>GaleForce's Build<<< >>>FaceBook @3GsCustoms<<<>>>Instagram @GaleForce370z<<< Varis Kamikaze-Z

12-22-2012, 09:40 AM	#5 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6962	Awesome! __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

12-22-2012, 10:21 AM	#6 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	Insane project, can't wait to see how it turns out __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

12-22-2012, 11:17 AM	#7 (permalink)
KERMIT Enthusiast Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Republic of Wadiya Posts: 301 Drives: Ms. Daisy Rep Power: 13	You are going to melt things with that turbine housing. Last edited by KERMIT; 12-22-2012 at 11:20 AM.

12-22-2012, 12:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
G37Sam A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Dubai, UAE Posts: 1,507 Drives: RB'd G37 Rep Power: 21	Haha I look forward to it @Gale, no mods yet, the turbo manifold face (where it bolts to the head) will be shaved a little to create more clearance. We'll see how it goes from there. GaleForce likes this. __________________ '14 Viper GTS '08 RB'd G37S - Sold

12-22-2012, 12:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
Z-Girl 12 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Florida Posts: 4,105 Drives: Spirited Rep Power: 11716	So freakin cool! Let me drive it! __________________ 2012 Z-SOLD 2014 Nismo #565 Fast Intentions CBE/HFC/Swift/SPC/RJM/H&R-15/20mm/Z1 CAI/Headers/Intake Manifold w/Uprev Tune 328.31whp/263.64tq

12-22-2012, 01:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
ZMan8 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 5,844 Drives: 10 370z 40th M6 Rep Power: 659	Cool Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2 __________________ 2010 370Z 40 Anniv., 6 MT \| Fast Intentions \| Swift Springs \| SPC \| Z1Motorsports \| JWM \| Redline Oils \| 35% Window Tint 2015 Mazda6 \| 370ZChicago: Chicago Area Cars & Coffee

12-22-2012, 02:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
zguynate A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Strangeland Posts: 1,054 Drives: 09 370z Rep Power: 73	This is awesome! Props for trying something different. I dont have the balls to do that lol. Or the money. GaleForce and DEpointfive0 like this. __________________ 2009 370z touring w/sports package

12-22-2012, 04:16 PM	#15 (permalink)
G37Sam A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Dubai, UAE Posts: 1,507 Drives: RB'd G37 Rep Power: 21	Haha agreed about the welding part, but then again, I'd have to also learn how to map an engine, how to wire it, and so many other things I'd have to quit my full time job LOL DEpointfive0 likes this. __________________ '14 Viper GTS '08 RB'd G37S - Sold

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