The SkyLife Archives

RB26DETT Engine Assembly and Rebuild How to Guide for the RB26 Twin Turbo Motor

Nissan Skyline GTR Oil Pump Failure Problems

AWD service Bleeding ATTESA pump system

Nissan RB26 Engine Removal Guide - Pulling the Motor out of a GTR

Removing HICAS Delete 4 Wheel Steering How to Guide

The HICAS system is Nissans' attempt at a super-handling 4 wheel steering type of thing, for anyone who's driven a car with 4 wheel steering in any sort of spirited driving, you realize pretty quickly that its less of an aid and more of a downfall.

You see, driving faster than 80 km/hr the system will become active, and as you turn around a corner or make quick steering changes, the rear wheels will turn one degree in and out, for a total three degree sweep while you're driving. This system works really well if you want to change lanes really fast, but if you're more into putting the car sideways in a four wheeled power slide, then the HICAS will become your worst enemy.
As the rear end steps out, the HICAS activates to counter the rear end slide, but because you expected the rear end to come out you've already begun to counter steer. So as you turn the wheel, the HICAS turns the rear wheels, and undoes what you've just done! Suddenly you're swerving wildly a…

Nissan Skyline GTR Build

Picking the right one... October 8, 2008
After the experience I'd had with my first Skyline, I was on the hunt for one that would more suit my level of experience. In the very back of a warehouse, covered in dust, I'd found A 1991 Nissan Skyline GTR in Pearl Metallic red, with roughly 110,000 km on the clock, the reason I chose this one in particular was because it was 100% stock. It had ZERO modifications, not a single thing! and that's such a rare thing to find in these cars, its one of the only ways you can be sure the car is in good condition. We had it up on the lift where we did the inspection, no leaks, nothing out of place, not even any dents or scratches on the frame rails where you usually see evidence of improper jack lifting.
Then we had at it with a compression test... Everything showed above 150 PSI. Stock motors fresh from the factory will see 160 PSI... so showing above 150 on all cylinders was really good, I had found the gem! the oh so rare, un-abused Skyli…

RB26 Engine Turbo swap Upgrade and Engine Overhaul Guide

RB26 Engine Turbo Swap & External OverhaulThis guide picks up where the Pulling the RB26 Engine walk-through left off. Having just separated the transmission from the engine, we now look to remove the old turbos and then set up the new ones. There is a lot of patience needed to do this, as there are a many fragile parts. It does take quite some time to complete this, maybe even a day or two if its your first time. First thing to do is remove any intake piping that may still be attached, put it off to the side. There is an array of metal and vacuum hoses just above the heat shields, and it wraps around the back-side of the engine, remember to label each line that you disconnect.There is also the water feed line, which spans the length of both heat shields, these lines have been heat cycled for 20 years - and unless you plan to replace with stainless steel braided lines (as I have done) - then you need to be very careful when removing the lines or they will crack, as in the picture b…

700 HP Wide Body Nissan GTR Slammed on Air Ride Suspension

If you've ever been to Montreal - aside from the general condition of the roads, the perpetual state of construction and the on-going Festival des Cones - you might have noticed a giant orange just off the highway...

The Orange Julep! Often the meeting place for car enthusiasts to gather, if you pass by on any given night between 5-8 PM you're likely to see sports cars, muscle cars, imports and exotics and motorcycles and speed bikes - depending on which day of the week it is, and how nice the weather is.

On many occasions, I've been to meetups at the Orange with my own Skyline GTR, so when I noticed this wide-body, slammed Nissan GTR, I had to stop and speak with the driver, about the specs.

The driver explained, this Nissan GTR is on Air Ride Suspension with 20" x 10.5" front wheels and 20" x 11.5" rear wheels. Pushing 700 HP out of the motor with a Cobb intake, BDS Exhaust, an uprated fuel pump and an ECUTek chip

Related Story: 230 WHP Turbo Honda Ci…

How to do a Engine Compression Test - Guide to Cylinder Pressure Results

An engine compression test is used to investigate the condition of the engine. The basic theory is that by using the starter motor to crank over the engine, you remove the spark and fuel and see how much pressure each cylinder will build.

The compression test is often confused with a leak-down test. We always start with a compression test because if the compression across all the cylinders is above the minimum required spec, and each cylinder is within 10% deviation of all the other cylinders, then it's fair to assume the engine is in good shape.
The engine leak-down test comes after you perform a compression test, if one or more of the cylinders showed bad compression. By adding a few drops of oil through the spark plugs holes at the top of the cylinder you can effectively temporarily seal the piston rings. Then you re-do the compression test and see if the numbers improved. If the compression holding did go up, then you know the problem is with the piston rings. If the numbers did…