V6 Ecotec into a VP

[Full Spectrum]

Does anyone know if i could buy a second hand Ecotec V6 and slot it into my VP without swapping trannys? or anything to major.

[90VN55]

i thought the ecotec had a electronic gearbox. but i might be wrong

[CSL]

yeah the shifts are controlled by the ecu for vr's/vs's,
look mate your gunna need to ring around a few places, or talk to to a few seperate people who have removed these motors.
personally, i have removed my s2v6 and replaced it and it has an 8 bolt flywheel and an inspection cover on the auto, if the ecotech has an 8 bolt flywheel then i reckon you'de be good to roll,

[Full Spectrum]

You know what my thought is, The VS on wards was a better running engine smoother etc, But the Electronic 4 speed was it's biggest hold back in the first 60., So i was thinking with my Tranny it would a super ride No holding it back through the transmission. But yeah i better give some Engine places a bell around and see what they can say and hope someone might know something here someone might have done it i hope. Thanks Guys

[Dezza]

wat about a manual or will you need a manual out of a vs - vt?

[Full Spectrum]

Yeah that might be a good idea, Just that after paing out the $$$ for the Tranny i wanted to give it some use. It's sometime i have always thought of that the Electronic trannys hurt the performance of the Ecotec engine.
I would love to try it and see.

[fnlow1]

my biggest concern would be any differences between the vp engine management system and the later model management systems. can any body tell me if there is differences between these systems and how it would impact on such a conversion? Assuming of course the original vp management system was to remain.

[Full Spectrum]

Yeah thats a good question something i haven't thought about.

Something of late i have been thinking of though is this.
If a VR V6 Buick engine can be mated with a Electronic transmission like the Ecotec engine, then you can stick a V6 from a VR into a VP-VN easy as, Then why cant a ecotec engine be matted to a T700 tranny if a VR engine can be matter to a Electronic 4 speed same as the Ecotec's, And the VR's Buick V6 can be stuck into a VP VN with T700 then the ecotec must be able to be matter with the older Transmission.

[Aurc_2]

im realy sure its do able
ive been doing some looking into it a while back and i think
i remember the vs manual computer is the same as the vn/vp auto if so you should be able to use the manual computer(standalone) and use your 4L60(standalone) transmition and match it with the eco-tec instead of useing the 4L60E from the eco-tec.
and youl need to rig up the kickdown cable as well

i just couldnt find out if the bolt patterns for the crank or for the bellhousing were the same

[vt1538]

The engine management is different as the ecotec is sequential injection & the VN to VR is bank injection. Also the late buick & the ecotec run a cam angle sensor where the early engine didnt.
I am pretty sure that you will be able to bolt the ecotec to your old tranny. I am not sure of the mods you will have to do to the tranny electricals to run the TCC.

[Mr_Slim]

What if you already had a VP manual with an 8 bolt flywheel. The Ecotec was 8 bolt, and theyre the same size engine, and therefore it should fit.

In theory all you would need is time and a new ECU?

[foammedia]

You can run an ecotec off the VN ecu, the VS V6 manual computer is not the same as the VN-VR one (only in the V8 VS manual). If the normal T700 gearbox bolts straight on and I guess it should be just fine. Dr Bob mentioned once that the ecotec likes a bit less timing than the stadard VN memcal so you would probably need a slight retune, the VR tune might be better for this job

[Full Spectrum]

It's got me thinking so much i always believe the thing that stops a VS from being the fastest Commodore with 3.8LT engine is the Auto, I would love to prove it.
But i might be able to score a second hand engine for $500 $400 fitting maybe? Find someone who will do the ECU work and bingo a smooth running quite as a mouse VP with sleeper engine. It all sounds great it might not go as fast as i think Make me look like a tool.
In the next 12 months I'm thinking Diff and engine for the long haul, Done the tranny tail-shaft, Springs brakes exhaust is up soon.
Also the Ecotec had much better manifolds to they don't crack like the Buick ones which i have already replaced one.
That ecotec engine and the older VN-VP tranny makes my mouth water what do you all think it would go like? Would it still have the VS slow take off's?

[foammedia]

Will it have a slow take off? I'd say like most Commodores that would be programed into the tune with very low spark timing at low revs so grannys don't spin them out in the rain, so that should be fixable

[Full Spectrum]

Beauty Funny how they killed the take offs but that made for a more power burst as the revs built, Way back in 95 when the VS was new we had one for 2 weeks on hire i did a u-turn from a park the lanes were 5 wide floored it didn't get a boost in power till i was 5 meters in a straight line after the u-turn, then it spun the wheels very easy.

I been thinking all night about this engine and i wish it was on the to do list in June

So the check list would be.
Engine
Manual VN-VP ECU.
VS Radiator and fans?.
ECU tune.

[Mr_Slim]

As some of yo uhave probably noticed, im not exactly an expert when it comes to car modification / repair.

I was looking on eBay for an ecotec motor. The full motor was around the $800 mark. But then there was one listed as the "short motor" and was priced at $50. It had the block, and some other stuff i forget.

What is the difference between the short / long motors? And seeing as a lot of the parts are compatible, would you need to buy the entire long motor to do the Ecotec to VP conversion?

[foammedia]

So the check list would be.
Engine
Manual VN-VP ECU.
VS Radiator and fans?.
ECU tune.

You allready have the ecu, auto and manual are the same in the vn-vp. The normal radiator and fan will be fine. But you will need a complete auto motor, as in pulled from the car with everything attached minus the gearbox and you might have to do some little bits of rewiring here and there to get everything plugged in right and pulled all the MAF sensor stuff off and get it map sensorized instead and tuned it should make something close to 120rwkw. But there will allways be things not accounted for

[Full Spectrum]

Power steering pump also? Anything attached to the engine bring it all.
So get the engine. Have it fitted then contact someone like doc bob? 120rwkw sounds very nice to me with my tranny do you think it might have some extra punch No limits on take off revs like the electronic ones have. My friends VR is slack off the mark also. I told my mum tonight i got plans for this car now. I got a list of about 10 things this month to do, But next June i will save a little extra and try and have the engine done and get a LSD and new rack and pinion also, Drive line is 50% new right now and it feels good i would love a diff it would round it perfect right now but thats 12 months away. But everything i have planed is under the skin might be 2 years before a paint job comes or tattslotto first would help

I went to a wreckers today and had to park on this silly park that needed to be driven up on over a rounded gutter that was a good 3-4" High, As i was going down slow something under the front of the car hit very very hard left side the bang came from under the bonnet hard, would you know what that might have been strut maybe? Scared crap out of me and I'm about to lower it

As some of yo uhave probably noticed, im not exactly an expert when it comes to car modification / repair.

I was looking on eBay for an ecotec motor. The full motor was around the $800 mark. But then there was one listed as the "short motor" and was priced at $50. It had the block, and some other stuff i forget.

What is the difference between the short / long motors? And seeing as a lot of the parts are compatible, would you need to buy the entire long motor to do the Ecotec to VP conversion?

I'm no expert either i dont know the answer to that also

[foammedia]

Ask at vicroads first if it's a straight up swap with no need for an engineer to see it. That might be a 50-50 call :0

[Full Spectrum]

I was just going to ask you that question I'll contact them I'll be 11 months ahead with everything I'll know what and when before i got the $$$$ to do it, I guess it's better to be ready then not ready