installing second hand vs ecotec. what i need

[96vswgncommodore]

hey people i bought a 1996 vs s2 acclaim wagon about a month ago for 500 just for something to get to work with and that had rego and dude let me drive under his rego till run out.

but since then the engine has been running like **** and knocking or rattling on idle and gets even louder and faster when you rev so i was prity sure the engine was out of it then. checked with a commodore wreckers they said 1500 to get second hand engine thats done around 180-220 000 ks that with labour in putting it in and new engine mounts aswell. is that a decent price?? please let me know.

or

one of my mates mate got a engine at his place that came of his 1996 vs auto sedan done 198000 ks he said in good condition starts and goes good he will sell me for 300 but does not come with alternator, starter motor, coil pack, and power steering and air con pumps.

sorry for being such a noob at this dont know much bout cars bout my mate does and he said the old accessories from my engine will go straight into this other engine? might just have to buy some new engine and transmission mounts.

also please let me know on what else might be needed as were planning to do this weekend in my garage cause dont have 1500 to spend.

[Andrew426]

Your mate is right, the bits off the old engine should bolt straight up to the new one

[redrags]

replace your rear main seal this is essential otherwise it will crack then you will need to do the whole thing again because it is located at the back and bottom of the engine the seal is around 20 to 40 bucks depending on where you get it and get new mounts if it looks like you will need it dont forget also if it is an auto there are 2 hard lines that run from the radiator to the gearbox to cool down the trans fluid you must disconnect them at the gearbox and DO NOT BEND THEM AT ALL! keep us updated plz. good luck with it where are you located?

[96vswgncommodore]

replace your rear main seal this is essential otherwise it will crack then you will need to do the whole thing again because it is located at the back and bottom of the engine the seal is around 20 to 40 bucks depending on where you get it and get new mounts if it looks like you will need it dont forget also if it is an auto there are 2 hard lines that run from the radiator to the gearbox to cool down the trans fluid you must disconnect them at the gearbox and DO NOT BEND THEM AT ALL! keep us updated plz. good luck with it where are you located?

hey thanks for quick replay guys.. yea.. will definetly replace the rear main seal.. dont want to have to do it all again. as i was getting a whole engine was just going to replace the mounts ( not sure if the need changing but was doing for my own piece of mind). how do u tell? i will remember that about the 2 hard lines.. my mate said he was going to pull old engine out and my trans so we can fit trans on new engine and drop them in at the same time.. that possible... he has done this before and his car goes sick...

thnaks for the heads up crouchy

[redrags]

its possible to do it like that when i did mine i did them seperately but i thought it would be easier. try and do it together if you can. the mounts will probably not need it (considering you drive every day no problem) but in the long run rather than the mounts being the next thing to go on you your better off replacing them. if theyre out of shape or cracked badly they need replacing. clean your engine bay and the engine as well while it is out. looks alot nicer and is easier to work on because you can see any oil leaks for example use a couple of cans of degreaser to do that.

[96vswgncommodore]

i was gonna do that clean it all up so looks cleaner and tidy. what else do you suggest to do while we get engine out.. any cheap mods i can do that will make it run and look better.

[96vswgncommodore]

good luck with it where are you located?

im from miami, gold coast

[96vswgncommodore]

ok... i have bought that engine of my mates mate.. he ended up basically giving it to me for just 250. plus his gonna give us a hand putting it in... engine will be here tonight after work.. hopefully can get my old engine ready and get lifted out tomorrow so i can clean and degrease the new one going in. clean the engine bay and do whatever whie we got engine out.. also thinking of getting c.a.i. sometime this week.

[96vswgncommodore]

hey guys have started to take things of the car got the new engine and car in my garage ready to go.. got a gregorys manual for the vs. my mate wont be able to help until this weekend and i just want to do as much as i can. ive taken the bonnet of but have no idea how to reduce the fuel system pressure. please someone let me know cause that the first thing it says to do. then i can get started with removing all the radiator and stuff.

[Brett_jjj]

Just go to the fuse box under the bonnet,find the fuel pump relay,and while the engine is idling,pull out the relay.The engine will stall.Thats it,fuel system pressure reduced.It should have instructions on how to do this in the Gregorys manual under the fuel section.

[96vswgncommodore]

Just go to the fuse box under the bonnet,find the fuel pump relay,and while the engine is idling,pull out the relay.The engine will stall.Thats it,fuel system pressure reduced.It should have instructions on how to do this in the Gregorys manual under the fuel section.

thanks.. yea it said it was under the fuel management section but could not find.. anyways now i will be doing that after lunch and get on with this.

i will start to post some pics on her as i go. to keep a update with wats going on.

[96vswgncommodore]

hey guys got radiator and a few other things out the way.. gonna get on this now.. my mate coming this saturday to help us out but i want the engine ready to be lifted on staurday cxause im hiring a hoist for a day from kennards. but im stuck here.. dont know were this hose is..

it says:

Disconnect the charcoal canister hose attached to the heater hose?

anyone know were it is..

[Brett_jjj]

It must mean the vacuum lines that run from the back of the engine to the charcoal cannister which is near the radiator,Its the round black thing with 3 hoses going to it.I cant see where the heater hose joins that though.The only vacuum lines that go to the heater hose are to turn the heater tap on and off.And that line comes through from under the dash.

[edals]

IF you could take some pics it would be awesome mate, be able to help out some other people with wanting to change there engines over. Im thinking of getting a Ecotec, rebuild it and have it ready for the VR. Dont know if i can just bolt it straight in with the trans already there. More research into this project hehe

[redrags]

ecotec will not fit into vr they have different bellhousings. you didnt have to take the radiator out either. also it may take more than a weekend to do your engine so plan to havve monday tuesday off and tell the hire company

[96vswgncommodore]

ecotec will not fit into vr they have different bellhousings. you didnt have to take the radiator out either. also it may take more than a weekend to do your engine so plan to havve monday tuesday off and tell the hire company

im going by the big old bible. gregory's manual tells you to remove the radiator and fan assembly. prob to have more room to work and lift engine out i guess. anyways i have been trying to take some pics but wont let me upload them...

yea i thought that was thats wat it was taking about the canister next to the radiator but i connot see were the ++++ thing attaches to the heater hose... skipped that step anyways and kept on going.

thats just my hopes bro .... hopefully finish this weekend. or at least get old one out and new one cleaned and ready to put in by early next week... going shopping at repco, super cheap and autobahn tommorow. its just all a learning process once i have done it shouldnt be that hard the next time because i was going to have a go at stuffing aroung with the old engine that will come out and try and rebuild it.. prob take a while but i will spend some time on it and cash to get it working and prob get something with a blown motor and stick it on there.

thats in the long run though... gotta worry about getting it out and car running first.

[mojododo]

See the bit of pipe going from that canister and into the engine area? just unplug it from the canister and leave the rest of it attached to the engine, it wont get in the way while removing the old engine. thats what i did.
if your replacement engine doesnt have those bits, then it will be a heap easier to see and remove when its out of the engine bay anyway.

oh and yes, its a fair bit easier with radiator removed, one less thing to bang on the way out of the engine bay.

[96vswgncommodore]

See the bit of pipe going from that canister and into the engine area? just unplug it from the canister and leave the rest of it attached to the engine, it wont get in the way while removing the old engine. thats what i did.
if your replacement engine doesnt have those bits, then it will be a heap easier to see and remove when its out of the engine bay anyway.

oh and yes, its a fair bit easier with radiator removed, one less thing to bang on the way out of the engine bay.

thanks for advice mate... yea thats what i thought. that skinny black hose attached from the cannister to somewhenre in the engine to unpluged that and kept going.

[96vswgncommodore]

quick update guys.. today was the biggest pain in the arse but we got the old engine of and the new one in there but not wired up and connected yet

fuel hoses were a pain to get of but with that pen lid tool gregory's manual shows you to make makes it so much easier to get of.. we got the old engine ready to be lifted out and realized we need to make up some brakets out of 3mm think metal and had none. took the risk of wrapping the chain around the exuast manifoldssince the engine was seized anyways didnt really car... and to put the new one in since we had a long chain we wrapped them up around the engine mountings lifted them in and was sweet.. took a while to actualy line it up and all sit in there wright but got it in just need to finish it of tommorow and get it all hooked up and hopefully she fires up.

was going to take transmission of with engine but that didnt happen cause we thought would be easier found out half way trying to get the new engine in that it would have been better to take the transmission of because it was the biggest pain lining them in hay....

and plus was stoked wen go to see the mounts and they were basically still new and sweet. save my self at least 80. didnt really get pics ppl drinkin and working and chattin were in our on little world in the garage aye. take some tommorow cause it a bit late.

quick question i was wondering if anyone has tried getting some of there engine parts chromed up because we know this place that will chrome the top pit of my engine i think it the plenum chamber and the manifolds and the thermostat cover and a few bolts and stuff for 180 - 250 bucks depending on how much i want chromed and he said the more you bring in the btter and it wont cost as much. garantueed to last at least 2 years. i wouldnt mind getting it done for that price just to see wat it turns out like.. i know it not a good engine or anything but a little dress up look will make me feel good about it aye.. just wondering.

[redrags]

good to hear its going smoothly. will check tomorow to see how you went would look sick chromed

[96vswgncommodore]

sorry for not getting on this in a while guys but have been busy over the weekend getting my engine in (which is in and going sick) also with australia day.

finished putting my engine in on sunday around 7.30 at night and started first time. nick my mate is a legend man didnt excpect that to be done this weekend but we got stuck on it all day saturday to get old one out and new one sitting there.. then from lunch to night on sunday wiring and connecting everything together. everything went smoothly and when it came to start it was a bit scared to tell the truth but engine sounds good runs good and no probs.. also installed a pod filter on there and painted the engine cover red, fuse box, and radiator area.

looking to install a mace cold air intake or do a diy cold cai from bunnings. anyways stocked and sorry did not really take any pics but got a few pics will post soon..lol too busy working and on the coronas for the last 4 days.. should see my bins both yellow and green full of bottles..

will check back later