VN Series 1 or 2

[Secki]

How do you tell the difference between a s1 and 2 motor? any one with pics? Car is a 1990 VN

[UNKNOWN]

Series 1 has the thermostat at the rear of the motor, just follow ur top radiator hose and if it goes to a metal pipe round to the back its series 1.

[mischa]

look for a radiator cap, series two have em.

[mischa]

oh and if you wanted to know your's is a SII. September 1989 was when they came out.

[Secki]

its got a radiator cap, and is a 90 model, but the distributor thing (forget teh name) where the leads come out is the square box type i think? and no series 2 badges on the car should it have them ?

[STEALTHY™]

I don't remember ever seeing a VN with series 2 badges.


When he says radiator cap, a series 1 just has a screw cap on the overflow bottle. Series 2 like yours, has it on the radiator, like V8s.

[Tom_1569]

Series one coil packs (where the leads come out) has leads come out on each side, 3 on each.... series 2 has 6 leads in a row on one side.

[azkwazere]

Ill summerise:

1. Check Location of thermo stat:

-Series 1: Rear of motor, near Throttle Body
-Series 2: Front, near Idle Tensioner

2. Check Coil Packs:

-Series 1: Look like cadbury choclate, single block with grooves.
-Series 2: Distinctly different, 3 seperate coils.

3. Check if you have a radiator cap on the radiator:

-Series 1: No
-Series 2: Yes

4. Pull your Throttle Body off, Got a bellmouth?

-Series 1: No
-Series 2: Yes

People try to make a SI into a SII all the time, you just need to find a few of these to classify. The Thermo stat is the best one as it means they have to try and change the whole intake manifold.

aZk.

[Secki]

Only thing i can think of its a Series 2 with a S1 motor, the previous owner told me it had been stolen and a reco engine had been put in, so to answer the questions

1. Rear of motor (joins into a pipe at front of motor)
2. Block with Grooves
3. Radiator Cap
4. (dont know yet)
So 2 out of 3 its a series 1 motor in a series 2 car. ?????

[azkwazere]

What makes you think its a series two car?

Id say you have a SI engine by the sounds of it...

The reco engine may have been a series I replcememt. which would suggest why you have the SII radiator setup.

Ill go with, series II car originally, new engine as a series one. They kept the original SI coil packs with the engine.

azk.

[Morton]

Yeah, that makes more sense. Complete engine transplant, keeping the S2 radiator (a smart move.)

[Secki]

Ok so is that bad, havign a series 2 car with a series 1 engine? i thought you wernt allowed to put an older engine in a newer car?
Series 2 cause its a 90 model

[Morton]

Nah, I'm pretty sure the series 1 and 2 motors shared the same emissions systems, so you should be alright. Besides, nobody except trainspotters are going to recognise the difference - especially since you have the S2 radiator setup. It's a technicality that you should get away with.

And it's not a particularly bad thing - unless you ever want to change your thermostat ^^ Altough I'd recommend at some point in the future you change to a S2 coil pack... the old "blocks of chocolate" as someone above described them, are prone to failure.

[dvsride]

series 1 got no badges on side fenders or indicators

[JD]

being 1990 it's actually considerd a series 1.5, dont' ask me why but they are.

[Morton]

I think it's because they had a series 2 motor in a series 1 shell. I think. There are some backwards-thinking people out there who regard the VN as series 1, and the VP as series 2. So to them, the VN with the VP motor is a series 1.5. But don't quote me on that; my folk lore is a little shabby

[greenfoam]

a VN series 2 IS a VP in my books :P. Morton lets do a science experiment and see how long till you grow chest hair with 4 girls walking around you all day. Wont be long

[Secki]

Altough I'd recommend at some point in the future you change to a S2 coil pack... the old "blocks of chocolate" as someone above described them, are prone to failure.

Is this easy to do ?

[Tom_1569]

Is this easy to do ?

Yeah very easy... Get a DFI module, coil pack, and leads off a series 2 or even a VR, remove your DFI module with coil pack still attached, unwire it, then re wire your new one and bolt it in. Hook up the leads. You can use the original leads, but the lengths are all wrong so its easier to grab the leads aswell. Takes no more then half an hour to do.

Cheers Tom

[crazyspoon05]

My late October 89 build wagz is a bitza, has some of the update features, including series 2 radiator set-up but has the original engine with a series one rearwards thermostat housing so obviously at the time Holden were putting various new and old bits on the cars, I've further bitza'd it by using a VP interior, etc

[1991_Vn2nV]

oh and if you wanted to know your's is a SII. September 1989 was when they came out.

No series 2 is 1991. Series '1.5' is 1990. Before that it was series 1.

[1991_Vn2nV]

series 1 got no badges on side fenders or indicators

No VN's had indicators on th guards and the badges on fenders means nothing. Series 1 berlina's got badges on the fenders, and that was deleted for series 2. So it is dependant on the model.

[1991_Vn2nV]

Ok so is that bad, havign a series 2 car with a series 1 engine? i thought you wernt allowed to put an older engine in a newer car?
Series 2 cause its a 90 model

It is a series 1 (or 1.5 to be picky) as it is a 1990 model.

[Secki]

Yeah very easy... Get a DFI module, coil pack, and leads off a series 2 or even a VR, remove your DFI module with coil pack still attached, unwire it, then re wire your new one and bolt it in. Hook up the leads. You can use the original leads, but the lengths are all wrong so its easier to grab the leads aswell. Takes no more then half an hour to do.

Cheers Tom

Where would be the best place to grab em ? wrteckers? or new?

[Tom_1569]

We got ours from a very reputable wrecker who were good mates with. Would be cheaper from a wrecker, we payed 150 i think for the lot with a gaurentee. Id imagine new would be expensive unless you have a mate who can get you trade.
Can probly get it all new (not sure if the DFI module is still available new) if money is not an issue.