The Lemon Index
Nissan's 2.6-liter inline-6, twin-turbo. This page covers the versions we have sourced so far: the Nissan Skyline GT-R, model years 1989–2002. The engine is used in other cars too; those aren't covered here yet.
Middle of the pack: YouTube owner tone None/100, #56 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); no engine-related recall on record, 5 known issues listed below.
Known issues on record
- Oil pump drive failure (Outlet report). Wikipedia says early R32 engines had the crank surface that drives the oil pump machined too small, which can make the pump fail at high rpm. PistonHeads calls failing oil pump drives a persistent RB26 problem that ends in terminal engine damage, and says to look for about 2 bar of oil pressure at idle and 4 bar higher up. Fix: Later engines got a wider oil pump drive (Wikipedia says from the Series 3 R32; PistonHeads says from February 1993). Aftermarket collars and spline-drive kits also fix it.
- Ceramic turbine wheels (Outlet report). The stock turbos run about 0.8 bar. PistonHeads warns that pushing them past about 1.0 bar can make their ceramic wheels fail and wreck the engine, and that neglect or poor upgrades can make the turbos break apart.
- Coil packs and misfires (Outlet report). PistonHeads says misfires usually come from a failing coil pack or a bad plug, and the coil loom can cause trouble too. Replacements are cheap.
- Oil pushed past the turbos (Outlet report). PistonHeads says crankcase pressure can push oil past the turbos into the intake, and too much oil in the head can starve the sump and spin a bearing. It says to change the oil at least every 6,000 miles.
- Split vacuum lines (Outlet report). PistonHeads lists splitting vacuum lines as one of the R34 engine weak spots. Fix: Replace the vacuum lines.
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 52/100 across 14 model years, from 143 videos about this engine and its cars (#56 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- Building a Modern Day (Fast & Furious) R34 Skyline 3,291,471 views
- Building an R34 GTR in 20 Minutes 3,254,785 views
- Here's Why You Can't Afford An R34 GTR Skyline 3,222,572 views
- Between FEAR & AWE: Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R on the Nürburgring! 1,523,824 views
- RB26DETT rebuild, reinforcements and improvements. Nissan Skyline GT-R 1,216,935 views
Counted from video titles and captions: praise words against trouble words, weighted by views. Videos only count when the title names this engine or a car that had only this engine in those years.
Owner complaints and recalls
The cars on this page were never sold new in the US, so NHTSA has no owner complaints or recalls for them.
| Car | Years | Owner complaints | Recall campaigns | NHTSA files it as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R32 (BNR32) Skyline GT-R | 1989–1994 | – | – | Never sold new in the US |
| R33 (BCNR33) Skyline GT-R | 1995–1998 | – | – | Never sold new in the US |
| R34 (BNR34) Skyline GT-R | 1999–2002 | – | – | Never sold new in the US |
Specs by generation
Nissan RB26DETT: R32 (BNR32) Skyline GT-R, 1989–1994
- Layout: Inline-6, DOHC 24-valve, iron block, aluminum head, belt-driven cams
- Output: 280 PS (276 hp) at 6,800 rpm, 353 Nm (260 lb-ft) at 4,400 rpm in the R32
- Bore x stroke: 86 x 73.7 mm, 2,568 cc
- Turbos: Two turbos in parallel with ceramic turbine wheels; NISMO and N1 engines used steel wheels
- Throttles: Six individual throttle bodies instead of one
Nissan RB26DETT: R33 (BCNR33) Skyline GT-R, 1995–1998
- Layout: Inline-6, DOHC 24-valve, iron block, aluminum head, belt-driven cams
- Output: 280 PS (276 hp) at 6,800 rpm, 368 Nm (271 lb-ft) at 4,400 rpm in the R33
- Bore x stroke: 86 x 73.7 mm, 2,568 cc
- Turbos: Two turbos in parallel with ceramic turbine wheels; the R34 got ball-bearing units
- Throttles: Six individual throttle bodies instead of one
Nissan RB26DETT: R34 (BNR34) Skyline GT-R, 1999–2002
- Layout: Inline-6, DOHC 24-valve, iron block, aluminum head, belt-driven cams
- Output: 280 PS (276 hp) at 6,800 rpm, 392 Nm (289 lb-ft) at 4,400 rpm in the R34
- Bore x stroke: 86 x 73.7 mm, 2,568 cc
- Turbos: Two turbos in parallel with ceramic turbine wheels; the R34 got ball-bearing units
- Throttles: Six individual throttle bodies instead of one
What we don't have yet
- The engine's other cars: only the versions above are sourced so far.
Quick answers
What cars have the Nissan RB26DETT engine?
On this site so far: the Nissan Skyline GT-R, model years 1989–2002. It is used in other cars we haven't covered yet.
Is the Nissan RB26DETT reliable?
Mostly, with known issues to check. YouTube owner tone None/100, #56 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); no engine-related recall on record, 5 known issues listed below. Owner complaints are filed by car, not engine, and cover the whole car, so none of these numbers is an engine failure rate.
How much horsepower does the Nissan RB26DETT make?
276 to 400 hp in the versions on this page (factory figures).
Sources: Wikipedia: Nissan RB engine · Nissan Heritage Collection: Skyline GT-R (1989: BNR32) specifications · Wikipedia: Nissan Skyline GT-R · Nissan Heritage Collection: Skyline GT-R Nürburgring Time Attack (BCNR33) specifications · Nissan Heritage Collection: Skyline GT-R V·spec II (2000, BNR34) specifications · PistonHeads: Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) PH used buying guide (Lewis Kingston, Nov 2018) · PistonHeads: Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33) PH used buying guide (Tony Middlehurst, Jun 2023) · PistonHeads: Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 PH used buying guide (Tony Middlehurst, Mar 2020). Complaints and recalls: NHTSA (api.nhtsa.gov).