Barrythegreyhound
New Member
- Joined
- May 13, 2021
- Messages
- 12
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- 0
- Points
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- Age
- 49
- Location
- Sydney
- Members Ride
- VE wagon manual
Hi everyone,
newbie so be gentle.
looking for advice, or an existing relevant thread for advice for my VE SSV.
I've bought a manual wagon - originally an RS350 from Patterson Cheney in Melbourne with an OTR and stainless tubular headers and a PCM tune from new.
Its a sweet rig and they'll have to bury me in it when I die.
The motor has a slight tick, I'm assuming its heading down the sad lifter pathway.
Its got 200,000k's on it so I'm expecting its going to need more than just some new lifters and cam swap - more rebuild territory.
Its also our second car for the family so I can't take it off the road for 3-5 weeks to get it rebuilt.
So here's my options as I see them - love some advice from those who've been down one of these pathways.
1. bite the bullet for an LS3 crate swap - $15k+ when LS3's are available - noting that they're out of production as there's no cranks being produced right now.
2. L77 swap - probably $13k + again if I can find an L77 crate motor
3. buy an LS3 crate from the states and swap it in myself - not the worst option and I've built a car or two before but still $12k+ for the engine landed here
4. buy an LS3 long block from the states and hopefully all my manifolds, wiring etc bolt straight across from the L98 (I assume the can based on head compatiblity). I can get one landed here for about $8k including taxes etc it looks like.
5. some other obvious option that everyone is going to shout at me about that I've missed.
Key question is - mechanically I'm not worried about swapping an engine myself but would an Australian LS3 E38 PCM be a decent starting plug and play tune to the LS3 from the US alongside all my L98 accessories transferred across. at leasst enough to drive around a bit and take for a proper tune if its not perfect?
thanks in advance
Barry The Greyhound
newbie so be gentle.
looking for advice, or an existing relevant thread for advice for my VE SSV.
I've bought a manual wagon - originally an RS350 from Patterson Cheney in Melbourne with an OTR and stainless tubular headers and a PCM tune from new.
Its a sweet rig and they'll have to bury me in it when I die.
The motor has a slight tick, I'm assuming its heading down the sad lifter pathway.
Its got 200,000k's on it so I'm expecting its going to need more than just some new lifters and cam swap - more rebuild territory.
Its also our second car for the family so I can't take it off the road for 3-5 weeks to get it rebuilt.
So here's my options as I see them - love some advice from those who've been down one of these pathways.
1. bite the bullet for an LS3 crate swap - $15k+ when LS3's are available - noting that they're out of production as there's no cranks being produced right now.
2. L77 swap - probably $13k + again if I can find an L77 crate motor
3. buy an LS3 crate from the states and swap it in myself - not the worst option and I've built a car or two before but still $12k+ for the engine landed here
4. buy an LS3 long block from the states and hopefully all my manifolds, wiring etc bolt straight across from the L98 (I assume the can based on head compatiblity). I can get one landed here for about $8k including taxes etc it looks like.
5. some other obvious option that everyone is going to shout at me about that I've missed.
Key question is - mechanically I'm not worried about swapping an engine myself but would an Australian LS3 E38 PCM be a decent starting plug and play tune to the LS3 from the US alongside all my L98 accessories transferred across. at leasst enough to drive around a bit and take for a proper tune if its not perfect?
thanks in advance
Barry The Greyhound