253

[Redy]

Hey guys

sorry for a lot of posts.

i currently have a black 202 in my car with a 350holly carby, and its getting tired, i took it to my mechanic the other day and he done a compression test and 5 cylinders are low on compression and he said i should start looking for either a recon 202 or a v8 or w/e i wanted in it next,

So i spotted a holden 253 motor for sale for $350 he said its a good running motor only reason he is taking it out is cause he wants a bigger v8 in his car, but i am getting mixed information from people,
some people are saying they are crap others are saying they are ok, people are also telling me either a 186 motor or 308 would be the better choice.

what do you guys think? 253 motor ok or get something else?

[VK SL 3800]

In a VK its technically illegal to fit a 253 as they never came out with them, same deal with a 186. A 308 is always going to be better then a 253. A 253 is a good solid engine and will serve you well but if your after performance you should opt for the 308.

[vkberlina]

253s arent even good for landfill, dont bother,

I think the important question to ask first is how much money are you willing to spend?

Scott

[drewVHSS]

I used to have a HJ ute with a blue 253 taken from a WB, more than good enough towing power plus was a tad cheaper to run than my VH SS was to drive at the time.
A good healthy 253 is gr8 if you're not wanting all out grunt and if a 6 just hasn't got enough oomph to it.

Then again, i've seen plenty of 202's that could shame a humble 308 with a bit of work.

It's up to you mate, do you want any old v8 to have in the "middle ground" or do you want more grunt too?
Plenty of people have put vn efi onto 253's for reasonable power and economy. And i'd have to admit with 253's, just like 308's, nothing quite sounds like them!

[Darren_L]

253 is basically a 308 with a smaller bore.
So they aren't shit, but obviously they are a rather small cube V8, so you have a very similar engine weight to a 308, without the cubes.
If you have plans for more hp, then you are better of spending the extra few $$ on a 308. But if you are happy enough with a stock or near stock 253 power, then they are just as good as a 308 in every other regard.

Strangely enough, a well tuned 253 used to get better fuel economy than a 202, plus they had more torque and power. And of course the V8 exhaust note.
But as mentioned, from a legal point of view, you may face some obstacles getting a 253 VK registered as it wasn't an optional engine for the VK.

[Redy]

@scott - well i atm $1000 - 2000 probable, i can get a worked recondition 202 for $1000 so i am guessing that is my best option so far, i don't mind the 202's, i haven't driven a car with a decent one in it yet.

@drewVHSS well i have always liked the sound of a v8 and I've always wanted one, and i would like the extra power but nothing to powerful as it would be my first v8, i mean the only car's I've driven are 6cyl's and mine was a tired motor when i got it so i don't know what power is yet lol.

and the other question is, what was the factory v8 that came out in vk's 308's? and would anyone happen to know where i could look up or ring up about any recondition motors/fair good condition motors in QLD? v8 or 202's

[SL/ENUT]

Depending on year, 308 or 304.

[drewVHSS]

@scott - well i atm $1000 - 2000 probable, i can get a worked recondition 202 for $1000 so i am guessing that is my best option so far, i don't mind the 202's, i haven't driven a car with a decent one in it yet.

@drewVHSS well i have always liked the sound of a v8 and I've always wanted one, and i would like the extra power but nothing to powerful as it would be my first v8, i mean the only car's I've driven are 6cyl's and mine was a tired motor when i got it so i don't know what power is yet lol.


and the other question is, what was the factory v8 that came out in vk's 308's? and would anyone happen to know where i could look up or ring up about any recondition motors/fair good condition motors in QLD? v8 or 202's

You should be able to get a good 253 with a gearbox still attached off ebay dirt cheap. If i didn't score my VL for free, that's what i was going to do for running gear in my VB, grab a cheap 253 and truamatic, drop em in.
I usually see them going for a couple of hundred bucks.

[Redy]

if i do get a 253, can it go on to the trimatic gearbox i have? and i also heard that my 350holly carby can go on it if i get a adapter plate?

i don't want anything to powerful for now just something to cruise on the highway and run around the shops take my bro to school ect, till i save up and get a later model car then i'll keep it as a weekend car/project and do it up slowly and drop a bigger motor in it later.

this is the motor i was thinking of getting
253 Holden Motor | Car Engine Parts | Gumtree Hillcrest

oh and the year of my car is 1985

[SL/ENUT]

First off, find out if it can be passed in your car. I have a feeling it won't pass, due not meeting the vehicles emissions and wasn't available in that model.

[drewVHSS]

I dont see why he couldn't
I've seen plenty of VK's with Blue motor 308's in them, if anything the 253 blue motor's would pass emissions in that respect...
Red motor's on the other hand you'd have some sort of issue unless you added in the missing pollution gear.

[SL/ENUT]

It won't, cause as i've said, they weren't part of the VK run, simple.
With the blue 308s, maybe been painted or late 83 or early 84 version, WB Stato's had them still.

[vkberlina]

technically you may get a 253 passed running VK pollution gear etc but the effort required may not be worth the effort.

A budget of $2k would be tight for a V8 conversion buying the parts with a decent engine, personally I would look for a doner car with a buggered body and good running gear I bought a VP calais and after parting it out had a completely free EFI 304 and T5 5 speed, just took a bit of work. Then you could have $2k to complete a conversion.

Else consider a V6 conversion or dare I say it an RB30/25 conversion, cheap, economical and better power to a 202.

Scott

[Redy]

i was thinking of a v6 conversion but when i suggested that to the mechanic who works on my car he said its a lot of "stuffing around"

i think my best option is a worked 202 at this point as it will be in my price range and won't have to muck around with conversions either that or i get lucky and score a 304, 308 v8 cheap, might ring up the wreckers and see what they have?

[vkberlina]

Not reallt alot of stuffing around IF you get the right doner car VN-VP would be ideal. buy the complete car if you can drive 2 in and one out :P

Honestly you are wasting your money on a hot 202 I have been there twice I should have spent my money on the 5L.

The engine should be removed from the doner car, yours removed and new one in in a day its really easy. then extra work like running fuel line for a return line, working out wiring on fuel pump, wiring in the ECU and your in business

I would say in a properly equiped workshop 3 days work

Scott

[ari666]

2k budget means you are pretty much stuck with a 202, or if you are lucky a cheap, running 308. enginers cert is needed for 253 or V6, so there goes 500-1000 bucks (depending on how many visits you need) dunno if you are on your p's or not, but mod plate laws are also something to be considered.

low cylinder pressure could just be dud rings. a re-ring on your existing motor will cost you around 500 bucks.

you will be surprised at how fast 2k dissappears on a transplant.

[VK SL 3800]

you will be surprised at how fast 2k dissappears on a transplant.

Its rather scary....

[Mad84VK]

you have to put a engine from that year or newer in.... it is the law now

[ari666]

you have to put a engine from that year or newer in.... it is the law now

lol, no it isnt. the 253 never underwent pollution testing for unleaded petrol, since we no longer have super (leaded) fuel, OP would need to make it pass emissions somehow, which will require an engineer to tick it off. prolly sticking a couple of cats on would do it, along with retaining the OEM EGR and whatnot.

but still he will need that tick of approval.


you can put any engine (apart from size limitations) in any car as long as it passes all the relevant ADR's and you have a certified engineer say its OK.

[Mad84VK]

i herd that if it wasnt from that year it had to be newer.... must of been wrong :\

[tigervh]

lol, no it isnt. the 253 never underwent pollution testing for unleaded petrol, since we no longer have super (leaded) fuel, OP would need to make it pass emissions somehow, which will require an engineer to tick it off. prolly sticking a couple of cats on would do it, along with retaining the OEM EGR and whatnot.

but still he will need that tick of approval.

There's no need for an engineers certifiate as the 83 onwards VH 253's complied with ADR27c and they are a derivitive of the 308/304 fitted to the VK. All you need to do is have the emission control gear fitted as per the 1983 Vh. They may require a blue slip to confirm the correct gear is there but that would be all. Its pretty much an owner certifiable modification.

[ari666]

83 onwards VH 253's complied with ADR27c

AH i stand corrected, yet again!

[VBRED]

"what do you guys think? 253 motor ok or get something else?"

Something else.

[DerekP]

If it were my only option, I'd rather a 253 than a 202 any day.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

This reminds me of a post in another thread that said all those people knocking X Force have never had one.

Same here, any of you people knocking the 253 actually driven a 253 Commodore? It doesn't go half bad. As said, as long as it complies to emissions standards of the year of the car it is being fitted to, it won't be a problem.

Tuned correctly with the right sized carby, they rev hard and go quite well. With the wrong gearing they can be a slug off the line though, so if you have 3.08:1 diff gears, change them to a 3.45 or similar.