Ya'll have to forgive my ignorance on this one. But, I hear guys at work talking about it all the time. And on this forum I've noticed it a couple times too.
But people are always referring to different engines by a order of number/letters. One I recall is RB26DETT.
I honestly have no idea whatsoever as to what that is.
This is only my 2nd car to own. The others been my 65 Mustang. I know that car top to bottom. But this Datsun is completely new to me. Now I was lucky enough to have my Mustang be an original I6 so I'm quite pleased to see that the Datsun has a removal intake, though was hoping it'd be a crossflow head. But didn't make it there. But thats a completely different story.

Is there a place I can goto start reading up on this sort of thing? I'm not even sure what to call those digits actually. Any help in understanding this lil matter would be greatly appreciated.
Luke

 

there really isn't a place to go to that has different engine ID numbers, or at least not to my knowledge. the RB26DETT is a twin turbo skyline motor, fyi. The motors for the early Z's were the L series motors, and then whatever the literage of the motor is. For example, my 240Z has an L24 series motor. As for the rest of the engine ID's, you'd have to ask around.

 

RB is the 'model line' and indicates the primary 'family' for the engine.
The 26 indicates that it's a 2.6 litre motor.
The D and the E indicate variations in the basic design.
The TT = Twin Turbo.

For instance, US market stock 1970 to 1983 Z motors are "L" series and are discussed as L6 to refer to ALL "L" series motors or they are indicated within the family as L24 = 2.4L = 240Z; L26 = 2.6L = 260Z; L28 = 2.8L = 280Z & ZX; L28ET = 280ZX Turbo.

The 1984 300ZX used a new engine design that was designated with VG30E & VG30ET.

1990 300ZX had some major changes but the same basic block and is called a VG30DE or VG30DETT for the Twin Turbo.

The 1990 ZX has a VG series motor, is 3.0 liters and has a sub-code of DE and TT for twin turbo.

The new 350Z uses a new motor with the 'VQ35' designation of which there are several variations.

I'll let you decipher that one...