Brutus VTII LS3 Berlina Wagon

[Zom]

Have been searching for some better rear end stability. Time for Harrop Truetrac to the rescue :dance:

 

[Husky]

Love the wagon mate. Exactly what I'd like to do to mine one day in the future (I'm in the same boat, the wagon section of the VE onwards is too small).

How did you go getting the car through engineering or emissions testing?

 

[Zom]

How did you go getting the car through engineering or emissions testing?

Thanks. I am really happy with the result. VE wagon is more of a hatchback ... (sorry VE owners)

You will probably need engineering if you change the engine from 3.8 to the performance LS3. I think the rules have relaxed a bit since I did mine so probably worth checking again.

Anyway, I found an excellent engineer with a really good attitude (fair not slack) in S. E. Melbourne. All he wanted was slightly larger CATs which helped exhaust flow anyway. When you need to know PM me for his details.

The emissions measures were done for the engineer by the tuners. Passed easily because the emissions rules tightened after my model and they are not retrospective.

 

[Zom]

So after a lot of mucking around I now have a Wavetrac centre in the diff.

The Truetrac was not what I wanted. I did a lot of research and found that maybe the Harrop Truetracs do not behave the same way as the Eaton Truetracs in that the Harrop does not have the same preload. In any event the Truetrac was far too loose with one wheel having near to no traction, and I had to get it out and put the stock centre back in and put up with the understeer.

Since then the Wavetrac has gone in and it is a MUCH better animal. It behaves "properly" when one wheel 's traction is compromised, and the understeer from the tight stock centre has vanished. It is a great combination of helical gear drive and clutch LSD. VERY happy with it so far. And it comes with a genuine documented lifetime warranty unless it is the crown, pinion or housing that fails first.

Anyone who is considering a Truetrac should have a really close look at a Wavetrac before you decide.

PS. Anyone want a near new Harrop Truetrac?

 

[Zom]

Put my custom up-sized Hardy Spicer tailshaft in today. Nice big unis and CV. Toughened centre bearing and donut. Chromoly tubes. Yum.

It is necessary to go with the upsized drive shafts ...

to be ready for the blower ...

 

[Timmah]

Looking awesome man, I like it a lot! This is exactly how a wagon should be done

 

[Zom]

Looking awesome man, I like it a lot! This is exactly how a wagon should be done

Cheers! .

 

[nathanVY]

Nice car Keen to hear more about what was involved in fitting the LS3 into an older series car - did you have to change much?

 

[Zom]

Nice car Keen to hear more about what was involved in fitting the LS3 into an older series car - did you have to change much?

Going from an LS1 to an LS3 is no biggy. There are a few minor changes. The two largest of them is an adapter needed to convert the crank pulse rate of the LS3 to an equivalent rate that the LS1 ECM expects, and a new throttle body for the cable throttle.

I ended up putting all the LS1 accessories on the front of the LS3, like alternator, water pump, AC compressor, steering pump, pulleys etc., so I would not have to buy a new set of accessories or brackets. It all went on OK.

If you are considering using the performance LS3 like I did then you need to think about toughening the transmission, but maybe the manual box will be OK. My stock auto would not have lasted long

And of course, get it tuned by someone who knows their stuff.

I had the change engineered so there would be no questions further down the line ...

Apart from those it just bolts in.

 

[Nchalada]

How much stuffing around did you have to do to get the subs in the tailgate?