is a 4 cyl diff any good?

[johnnythaboy]

gday, i just got offered a 2 litre vn that has been stripped of most of its parts. it has got a good diff in it tho.
does anyone know what ratio these diffs are? do they fit the series 1 v6 commy's?
it would be cool if they are lower than the 3.08 thats in my machine now.
i know a 4.11 ratio lsd is ideal but they are worth more than i paid for my car. im not saying i drive a bomb, i got it at a bloody good price tho.

[adam69]

Are you in NZ?We didnt get 4cyl VNs in australia.I doubt they would be as strong as a v6 one but may have better gearing

[johnnythaboy]

yeah im in NZ.
i didnt know they didnt come out over there with the 4 bangers.
apparently they are an excellent motor to use as moorings to tie ya boat up to

[jetspin_vn]

The RB20 VL's had a 4.11:1 borg warner open ender in them. Prob the same, but not certain. They were NZ only as well. As were the VN GTS.

[immortality]

The RB20 VL's had a 4.11:1 borg warner open ender in them. Prob the same, but not certain. They were NZ only as well. As were the VN GTS.

you sure on that one, i checked with one diff place and they said that that the VL's all had 3.45 like in aussie. if it is true i'll be picking up a 2ltr VL for some new gears

the only way to be certain would be to remove the diff cover and check the numbers stamped on the crown wheel, it should have a serial number and the ratio. the only VN 4cyl i know of has a different size stud pattern (smaller PCD) and regualr commodore wheels won't fit on it without a little handy work with a file

[johnnythaboy]

i have heard that is true with the turbo model.

cheers for the stud pattern info

[jetspin_vn]

Cross my heart dude. I owned one. Even the VL owners manual states it... 4.11:1 for RB20, 3.45:1 for RB30 & Turbo, 3.08:1 V8

[immortality]

Cross my heart dude. I owned one. Even the VL owners manual states it... 4.11:1 for RB20, 3.45:1 for RB30 & Turbo, 3.08:1 V8

looks like i gotta find a VL 2ltr diff then and keep the gears for a rainy day

makes me wonder what the 4cyl VN had as there ratio now. time for some investigation

[jetspin_vn]

Yep... and a new diff shop! Haha.

[azzfox]

what 4cyl motor did they use in the VN? just curious

[Cheap6]

I believe it's a Family II - JE Camira style. I'm interested to know which transmission(s) were used though, and if 4 cyl. production was continued into VP (or later).

[jetspin_vn]

No it died with the VN. The only reason it existed was because of the success of the RB20E in the VL as competition to cheaper jap cars. The 2L's sold quite well, and the power was ok for a VL sized car (provided you got a manual) but the 4cyl that went into the VN.... the word 'piece' comes to mind. I believe it was a direct descendent of the Starfire, and was available with either an auto or manual. Had the power to weight ratio of a mouse in a hippo skin.

[immortality]

No it died with the VN. The only reason it existed was because of the success of the RB20E in the VL as competition to cheaper jap cars. The 2L's sold quite well, and the power was ok for a VL sized car (provided you got a manual) but the 4cyl that went into the VN.... the word 'piece' comes to mind. I believe it was a direct descendent of the Starfire, and was available with either an auto or manual. Had the power to weight ratio of a mouse in a hippo skin.

yep, it was only built for the export market like NZ and singapore. it was a injected motor, also used in other GM cars as mentioned above. Holden built some VN's here in NZ but when the NZ government dropped the tarrifs on importing cars holden closed the local NZ plant as it was cheaper to import complete cars straight into NZ.

the inlaws have a manual 2ltr VN, haven't driven it but seems to go ok. i'll try and find out what diff ratio it has, if it's anything like the 2ltr VL's then i think it will have a shorter diff ratio then normal commodores to compensate for lack of power.

holden pulled the same trick with the 2ltrs as with the s1 V6 VN's, the auto and manual cars use different cranks found out the hard way, the original engine in the inlaws car was stuffed, when they got a another engine they found the crank was different

[FATMAT]

Yeah my bro inlaw also found that out the hard way too when he swapped his s1 calais from auto to manual. Why was the crank changed in the s2 anyway?

[jetspin_vn]

The S2's have the same crank for both auto and manual do they not?

Blame Buick, it's their engine.

[AirStrike]

Not sure on the VN, but did you NZ guys get the 2.6lt V4 VR? If so they run a 3.73:1 ratio.

[FATMAT]

The S2's have the same crank for both auto and manual do they not?

Blame Buick, it's their engine.

So it was kind of a time saver type thing. I imagine it would be due to quicker production or something like that, rather than having a pile of auto motors here, and a pile of manual motors over there, just make them all compatible, good idea when you look at it like that hey

[Cobez]

Damn a 2 litre 4 banger in a VN would be a slug and a half. They are slugs with a bog stock 3.8 litre 6 banger in them!


This older bloke at work was telling me on thursday, he worked in a car yard in late 1988, and they were one of the first to get the (back then) new VN 3.8 exec's there, and since 88, he has driven 4 banger work vans and NOTHING else. He was saying how bloody fast those VN 3.8's are, like he was blown away! He said he would love to drive one again because of how quick they were.

I was like errr mate, they are slugs, back then they were quick for a V6, but by 2008 standards, they are major fat slugs. Then i told him to get a drive in a VE Omega if he could, THEN tell me how fast the Buick 3.8's are. LOL.

[jetspin_vn]

Not sure on the VN, but did you NZ guys get the 2.6lt V4 VR? If so they run a 3.73:1 ratio.

Yea i'd forgotten about that. I've only ever seen one, back when I worked at Repco. Got a hell of a fright when I looked under the bonnet as I recall, seemed so ailen!

[immortality]

Not sure on the VN, but did you NZ guys get the 2.6lt V4 VR? If so they run a 3.73:1 ratio.

never seen that one.

[VNV6VENGEANCE]

They are slugs with a bog stock 3.8 litre 6 banger in them! I was like errr mate, they are slugs, back then they were quick for a V6, but by 2008 standards, they are major fat slugs. Then i told him to get a drive in a VE Omega if he could, THEN tell me how fast the Buick 3.8's are. LOL.

So i guess you obviously haven't driven a VE leadsled yet??? The 1/4 mile times from factory for the VE Omega are a tenth of a second slower than the vn auto 1/4. (i believe omega's are only available in auto but correct me if im wrong). So by todays standards they might not have all of the reverse parking sensors, ESP, magnetic suspension etc. (fancy crap) but they still keep up with the newest holden base model v6 holden in speed. Slugs we are not..

[immortality]

So i guess you obviously haven't driven a VE leadsled yet??? The 1/4 mile times from factory for the VE Omega are a tenth of a second slower than the vn auto 1/4. (i believe omega's are only available in auto but correct me if im wrong). So by todays standards they might not have all of the reverse parking sensors, ESP, magnetic suspension etc. (fancy crap) but they still keep up with the newest holden base model v6 holden in speed. Slugs we are not..

exactly, the VN V6's were the quickest base model car to ever leave the holden factory

[mischa]

The S2's have the same crank for both auto and manual do they not?

Blame Buick, it's their engine.

This thread explains cranks if your interested. V6 Crankshaft Info

I have a picture of the VN 4 ill go find it if i can.

[mischa]

[VNV6VENGEANCE]

how many kw's did they have? that looks pathetic sittin in a commodore bay...