Advice on the next step?

[MY03VYS]

Hi Steve, and everyone else who may assist.

I'm currently working out what my next step is for a few little mods to this VY V6.

To give you a baseline on what is already done, and the state of the engine... it's an unopened VY V6 Ecotec with 250,000km on it. Full service history, oil changes done regularly, always used good oil and filters, seems like a clean motor from the top end when I've had it apart.

Mods already done-
MACE Cold Air Intake
Mace 12mm manifold insulator
MACE manifold gaskets

Mods being done so soon they may as well aready be done-
SuperCat 2.5" cat back with rear resonator


Basically history of how I do stuff... I'm one who will do the job PROPERLY the first time. Like when I did the inlet manifold gasket, I replaced every o-ring on injectors, every gasket that needed it, all the o-rings on the heater hoses, the water pump. If I take it apart, everything that goes back in is done right and with new stuff.

So my plan is to go the next step.

I was thinking of doing 69mm throttle body, 1.9 rockers with pushrods, plenum spacer, and then a tune to suit.

My questions are-
1. Should I replace the lifters while I'm in there?
2. Should I replace the valve springs with the 105lb ones while I'm in there?
3. If I'm doing the valve springs, should I also do the double row timing chain at the same time?
4. If I'm doing the timing chain and lifters, should I also bite the bullet and put the Crow Cam to suit in?
5. Where do you stop???

My concern is that with 250+km's on this motor, that the chain will be getting a bit tired, the lifters are already noisy, and that increasing spring pressure without doing the chain is going to cause it to fall apart.

Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MACE]

Hi MY03VYS,

"1. Should I replace the lifters while I'm in there?"
If they're getting noisy or beginning to get sticky, it wouldn't be a bad idea if you're planning on keeping the car for a while.

"2. Should I replace the valve springs with the 105lb ones while I'm in there?"
Depends on how hard the car is driven. If it sees the limiter fairly frequently then it wouldn't be a bad investment.

"3. If I'm doing the valve springs, should I also do the double row timing chain at the same time?"
Definitely, considering the amount of kms the vehicle has traveled.

"4. If I'm doing the timing chain and lifters, should I also bite the bullet and put the Crow Cam to suit in?"
This is entirely up to you. If budget and time allows then you're better off installing a cam without the high ratio rockers as our cams generate enough lift on their own apart from the crowcams cam to suit high ratio rockers.

"5. Where do you stop???"
Again, it depends how deep your back pocket is.

"My concern is that with 250+km's on this motor, that the chain will be getting a bit tired, the lifters are already noisy, and that increasing spring pressure without doing the chain is going to cause it to fall apart."
As mentioned above, the double row timing chain is almost a necessity when installing a set of stiffer springs.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Kindest Regards,
Damo