From 1,100hp Supras to 1,000hp Skylines, there seems to be no limit to what Alex and his team of mechanics can accomplish. Our initial plans before talking with Alex was to initially build a 2JZ motor in hopes of eclipsing the 1,000hp marker on 100-octane fuel. The five-digit horsepower numbers were a realistic goal that have been tried and tested throughout the years. The 3.0-liter mill seemed to fit the bill for our build but we ran into a series of problems within the competition rules that would affect our winning outcome. If we decided to stroke the factory displacement to a 3.4-liter and were given the penalty of using a forced-induction setup by a multiple of two, we'd divide our target horsepower of 1,100 and get 161.7 hp/per liter. Not a bad number to work with but if our competitors decide to build a 4G63 or SR20DET engine, the 2.0L engine multiplied by 2 and divided by a target goal of 650 hp would net them 162.5 hp/per liter. Close to half our 2JZ horsepower figure but a better horsepower/per liter ratio, which would give them the winning edge.
So what is a team hell-bent on taking home the winning trophy and bragging rights to do? It's rather simple. We take our engine selection to the next level and build a noteworthy RB26DETT and decimate the competition. If high-horsepower 2JZ buildups are regarded as the staple within the SP repertoire, believe it or not, their knowledge of the RB26DETT comes in even stronger. If we target somewhere in the 1,000hp range and receive all the parts we have been talking about, its not hard to make this a realistic goal because in all truth, it's been done before. It's typical to see 1,300 to 1,400 hp cranked out from the RB26DETT. When we built my RB26 a few years back I didn't even go crazy on the engine so we weren't really pushing the engine. My R33 put down 980 whp and wasdynoed while running a hollinger transmission so I'm not even worried about having to push this motor. With a smile and look of confidence Alex continues by saying Hirofumi Kondo, our chief mechanic was working at Blitz Japan for eight years before he began full time at SPEngineering. Turbocharging, supercharging and computer tuning is Hiros specialty so I have full confidence in him. Hiros been installing and tuning the HKS V-Pro with exceptional knowledge because he's been there and done that for some time now with an advantage of over four years of tuning ahead of U.S. tuners.
While all details on the engine aren't finalized as this article goes to press, one thing we're certain is that the 2.6L mill will be stroked to a 2.8 displacement and for good reasons. The theory behind stroking the RB rather than going with the factory displacement comes down to thefactory crank. The crankshaft isn't fully counterweight, Alex says. When you buy a stroker kit it comes with a full counterweight crankshaft, but not from factory not like the 2JZ. That's the weak point of the RB. The powerband with the RB26DETT possesses a broader scale power range compared to the 2JZ powerplant at the same horsepower level. If you overlap a RB26 to a 2JZ dyno sheet it will become apparent the major differences with the power curve. The 2JZ powerband is so short; it's crazy in comparison to the RB26DETT. This becomes a major factor when determining the top point's leader in the Power Under the Curve category for the Castrol Syntec Top Shop Challenge.
One word of advice to our competitors: We're in it to win boys, so you best pack your bags now before it's too late. Stay tuned as we begin our RB26DETT buildup in the next issue.
wwwSyntecTopShopChallenge.com