RB26DETT returns
02.04.2019
S echs Cylinders in line, 2.6 liter displacement, double turbocharging, 280 hp: it is not necessarily the pure data in series production that make Nissan's RB26DETT an engine myth. But this is also due to the voluntary performance limitation that the Japanese manufacturers imposed on themselves back then, from the eighties to the early noughties. Not only Japan experts know that the RB26DETT's performance was actually clearly upwards.
Known from film and television
But even the rumored up to 330 factory horsepower were alone not exactly the stuff car dreams were made of back then. No, the engine acquired its legendary reputation in a different way. On the one hand, because he has three generations of the Nissan Skyline GT-R has fired. Between 1989 and 2002 it made its way into the bow of the R32, R33 and R34. Notchback coupés that were only officially offered in Japan, but thanks to the “Fast and Furious” film series and racing game simulations such as the “Gran Turismo” series, they have achieved global triumph. This in turn led to a tuning hype, in which the RB26DETT was often doubled or triple its series performance. Even 1,000 hp copies are known. And the engine usually went along with the PS-pregnant game without complaint.
Not only the cinema, video game and tuning fans, but the entire Japanese scene, known as very enthusiastic, should be happy about the following news : Thanks to Nismo Heritage, the engine is now returning. Admittedly not complete: The crate engine program that had been in place for years, under which RB26DETT engines were offered for mid-five-digit dollar amounts, no longer exists. Interested parties can purchase individual parts of the engine for significantly lower rates.
Engine blocks and cylinder heads as new parts
The RB26DETT in all its glory, here in the Skyline GT- R R32.
The standard cast iron engine block for R32, R33 and R34-GT-Rs, for example, is for 170,000 yen (currently a good 1,360 euros). A reinforced block known as the N1 for R33 and R34 that can handle more power costs 300,000 yen (about 3,400 euros). An aluminum cylinder head is available for 187,000 yen (around 1,500 euros). In addition, there are parts that have been available for a long time, such as crankshafts, pistons and connecting rods, fuel pumps, filters and seals. The Nismo parts catalog should definitely become the bible for fans of Japanese automobile and tuning culture.
So the legend about this engine should live on. And this is no coincidence, because the RB26DETT four-valve engine was a real piece of engineering at the time - and it is from today's perspective. On the one hand by the ceramic turbocharger of the type Garrett T28, which heat up the row six. On the other hand, through its six individual throttle valves. An elaborate design that was rarely used in the automotive industry for cost reasons, but offered real advantages in terms of responsiveness.
RB26DETT: The name broken down
And who is still wondering why the thing is called RB26DETT: RB is the name of the engine family produced between 1985 and 2004. 26 describes the displacement. D stands for “Dual overhead cams”, ie double overhead camshaft. E denotes the electronic fuel injection, TT the twin turbos. And the experts, bored by this explanation, have long been looking at the GT-R and RB26DETT pictures in our photo show. It's worth it.
