The Ultimate Alloytec Performance Thread
For anyone looking to gain from the Alloytec motor i think it is a safe bet if we roll what we know all into one. This is just a short list from what i know works if you have anything to add post up and i will add it. Should be a helpful guide to new comers!
Intake
Air Filters work by cleaning the incoming air and ridding it of impurities such as dust, moisture and insects. Air is then mixed with fuel in the engine, so to protect your engine and ensure maximum performance, it is vital to keep the air-flow clean. High flow air filters increases air velocity through your engine, giving your car an instant increase in performance while improving your engine's fuel economy.
M.C.A.I (Cold Air Intake)
Cold air induction in the form of the HSV style air box. Costs roughly $50 and replaces the bottom half of the standard air box. The M.C.A.I has a larger inlet for the air and has a second Inlet that draws air from below the headlight. This combined with a K&N free flow filter allows for a higher flowing air induction. Slight gains at the foot as in revs harder. Unproven as to what gains this REALLY gets, maybe 2 - 3 kw?
Price $40
2 Hole Mod
Similiar to the M.C.A.I but home made and cheap. Roughly same as Power gains as well.
Price $30 maybe..
Mace CAI
New generation cold air intake/box to suit Commodores VZ V6 alloytec, which is a direct drop-in replacement for your existing air box assembly. This includes an all new air box, black lid, airflow meter safe pod filter, along with mounting hardware required for complete installation.
Price $300
Mace Manifold Insulators
A replacement for the manifold Gasket which is 12mm thick and designed to reduce Intake Temps thus increasing power. Apparently makes the Intake Manifold cooler to touch
Price $150
O.T.R
There are a couple out on the market, claiming to make a whole lot of power, but ultimately untill MAFLESS tuning becomes available they see hardly any to no gains. Some say there is a big feel, but i doubt it.
Price $400
PERFORMANCE MANIFOLDS (CPR6)
Is a complately new cast intake manifold, you unbolt your factory manifold and bolt this one on quoted from their website "By adding the CPR6 manifold alone you can add 20hp to a standard V6 Commodore alloytec (6000rpm) at the tyre, and 25hp to an SV6 (6500rpm) at the tyre. Two hours and four spanners - bolt on and enjoy!"
Price $1600+
Exhaust:
Extractors
The goal of Extractors is to make it easier for the engine to push the exhaust gases out of the cylinders. During the Exhaust stroke, a good way for an engine to lose power is because of backpressure. If there is any amount of resistance that the piston has to push against to force the exhaust gases out, power is wasted. In a normal engine, once the exhaust gases exit the cylinder they end up in the exhaust manifold. The manifold is a major source of backpressure, because exhaust gases from one cylinder build up pressure in the manifold that affects the next cylinder that uses the manifold. The idea behind an exhaust header is to eliminate the manifold's backpressure. Instead of a common manifold that all cylinders share,
each cylinder gets its own exhaust pipe.
Cats
The catalytic converter converts harmful pollutants such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen contained in the exhaust gas into harmless emissions of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water. A catalytic converter became a compulsory component in January 1986, when ADR 37 was implemented. The catalytic converter is usually located in the engine pipe in close proximity to the exhaust manifold.
The standard cats on the alloytec motors are known to be hi-flow cats, so when replacing the cats on the VZ when new headers are fitted, it is advisable to stick with hi-flow cats.
Cat Back + Sizes
There are many off the shelf kits around for the Alloytec the most common used being Lukey, Redback, and Di fillipino. Twin 2.5" is probably too big, if anything i think 2.5" or Twin 2.25" would be best
Price $300 - $500
Single 2.5 Exhaust - [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQhXh1Oxksc[/URL]
Twin 2.5 Exhaust - [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svOv4MHRpkE[/URL]
Twin 2.25 Exhaust - [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kLTN2dxiGY[/URL]
Not_an_abba_fan says:
1: It is not, nor will it ever sound like any earlier version of a Commodore V6, so don't waste money on an exhaust that is similar to those. EI: single 2 1/2" cat back with or without a rear resonator. (The only exception to this is one member-can't remember his name-has a CHE 2 1/2" single cat back that sounds good-in his opinion.)
2: If possible, leave the 2 resonators under the car that look like cats, these are not cats, they are resonators, and their job is to remove the raspy, fart in a tube type quality to the exhaust.
3: Bigger is not better. Keeping the stock exhaust keeps the alloytec quiet. The only exception to this (unashamed plug) is a Manta 2 1/4" twin into 3" single which is louder and deeper than stock with no drone.
Clutch & Gearbox:
The Alloytec 6 speed gearbox hosts a Dual mass flywheel, which is designed to slip to allow for smoother driving and such. These are renowned to wear out fairly quickly and are designed this way. If you are a spirited Driver or tow a lot This is for you. Please note that you dont always have to replace the standars Slave Cylinder.
Extreme Clutches
It comes as a complete package including high performance carbon moly flywheel. This replaces the factory dual mass flywheel, which can be prone to failure under high performance driving conditions. Also available in Xtreme Organic, and Xtreme Motorsport versions.
Price $1400
Exedy Clutches
Kit includes replacement Single Mass Flywheel and Concentric Slave Cylinder
Price $??
Exedy Website
Tuning:
Vcm suite is a package that allows tuning workshops to crack into the holden factory computer to adjust vehicle parameters to improve performance and economy.
Vcm suite is a combination of programs, The package includes these three main components - VCM Flash, VCM Editor and VCM Scanner.
The process works like this:
VCM Flash is used to read the current software and calibration settings from the VCM.
VCM Editor is then used to make any changes (for example, to change your fan on and off temperatures).
VCM Flash is then used to write the changes back to the VCM.
VCM Scanner is used to verify that the changes had the desired effect (start the car up and monitor the temperature at which the fans turn on and off).
While this is a very simple example, the process is basically the same for other changes. Of course, there's no substitute for experience and common sense. Use experienced tuners - they are your best friend!
Price $900 - $1000
http://www.vcm-suite.com.au/outlets.html
Aftermarket ECUs:
Only a handful have jumped into these water, Proflows Turbo Ute, CPR6 Performance Manifold ute and his Alloytec Torana (i think). Motec, ViPec, Haltech to name a few. It is my belief that if you have the money to spend do it. Only dreams can tell us what is really achievable with these very expensive bits of kit.
Price $3500 upwards for ECU not including the cost of tuning
Diff Gears:
As most would realise the alloytecs are sluggish of the line, this can be easily fixed by replacing the final drive ratio. Common replacement Diff Ratios to the Alloytecs are
3.08:1; 3.46:1; 3.7:1; 3.9:1.
Alloytec V6 Ratio: 3.08:1
Alloytec 190 V6 Ratio: 2.87:1
Differential Gear Ratio determines the number of times the drive shaft (or pinion) will rotate for each turn of the wheels (or ring gear). So if you have a 3.46:1 gear ratio the drive shaft turns 3.46 times for every turn of the wheel.
When changing the diff gears you are setting out to change 2 things, Torque(acceleration) and RPM.
Changing to a lower ratio (3.46/3.7) your car will accelerate better but will also rev higher (2400RPM@100kph) High ratios like standard are better for freeway driving since they run at lower RPM’s (1800RPM@100kph) and offer better fuel economy.
Moves power down the speed range with diff gear changes, as for what is best, i believe the 3.46's for the auto are proven handy with a 14.3 being pulled by a tuned VZ. As for the manual from what i learnt the gearing in the manual is eqaul to having a 3.46 in a Auto?
Underdriven Pully's
Cost:????
As for the underdrive pulley:
Yes essentially it drives your alternator, water pump, a/c, power steering etc 20% less.
By reducing the power used to run these things, more is freed up to be used at your wheels.
I was worried to begin with, that driving these less might be noticeable somewhere, but it isn't, steering feels exactly the same, no electrical or voltage problems (checked with multimeter too, difference is next to nothing), no overheating or temperature related problems, and as for the a/c, I haven't timed the difference it takes to defog the windscreen, but it still seems as though it hasn't changed at all.
Which makes sense, think about it... When your driving, you're between 1500- 6000+ rpm, that's a huge variance in drive speed already.
reducing that by 20% even at 1500 rpm, basically means ur only running the accessories at 1200 rpm... Which is still well above idle and more than enough to drive everything...
Thanks to ImpulseSV6 with his help on this thread. I stole some of his knowledge from elsewhere.
Please help us out with this thread, i hope it helps some out and this becomes a useful guide somewhere.
