Ve - Vf engine and ecu swap

[Corzay]

Hey all, first post so go easy on me! Call me stupid if you like but I've put a bit of research into this and I'm thinking of quite a large project, and I'd just like some clarification and insight. My plan is to purchase a Ve sv6 commodore, and replace it's engine and ecu, including full wiring harness (and some of the interior) with one straight out of a Vf. So the ly7 engine to the lfx engine. Obviously this is going to be pricey, I'll need a lot of professionals to look at it constantly as I'm going along, and I'll need to make several modifications in order to make this work. My current thoughts are that I'll probably need a new fuel pump, may need to have the air con lines and system all upgraded, and the central locking system too. I'm unsure as to whether or not the added features like parallel parking will need anything further implemented, same goes with the electronic handbrake, or whether I'll need new driveshafts, etc, as I can't seem to find much info on it. If someone could help me out, call me a d*ckhead that doesn't know what he's on about, or what I'll need to make this work, that'd be fantastic, cheers!

 

[Deltak]

Hi,

Anything is possible with enough money and effort. Maybe I am missing your point.

Since you don't seem to have a VE SV6 yet, maybe you should just buy a VF with the LFX and add any extras you would like. This would be cheaper than altering a VE, less hassle with insurance as well.

 

[_R_J_K_]

Well, I guess the obvious question is "why"? What possible reason would you want to do this for?

 

[Corzay]

Cheers deltak, I'm aware of the costs and what not, that's not really a big issue. The reason why I'm not just going to go buy a Vf is cost, and it just has a lot of unnecessary features that throw on more expense (also, the back of it looks ridiculous). My biggest concern with a project like this is whether or not a lot of the Ve parts will be compatible with the Vf, even if they needed slight alterations, as I don't want to have to buy literally every part of a Vf to put in a Ve. Rjk, to answer your question, I love the look of the Ve-Vf, so I want a nice looking car, and something that has a bit of power in it too. And I'd like a project car, something to actually work on.

 

[_R_J_K_]

Why not just buy a late series VE that already has the LFX SIDI engine in it? People already have enough trouble swapping the same motor in the car it was supposed to be in.

My biggest concern with a project like this is whether or not a lot of the Ve parts will be compatible with the Vf, even if they needed slight alterations, as I don't want to have to buy literally every part of a Vf to put in a Ve.

Expect to. I doubt you will have problems physically getting the engine into the car, but as far as I've read the electronics between the Alloytec variants and anything VEII onwards are totally different.

You said you wanted something with "a bit of power" in your first post. IMHO the difference in output between the two engines really isn't worth the effort and money that you will end up pouring into this. Inevitably somebody will mention that you should buy something that already has an LS, but if you really feel inclined to go with that V6, buy a VEII.

 

[Corzay]

You may be right on that one rjk, the Ve II's performance and the Vf's isn't that different, and it isn't as if I'm running track. The electronics do seem to be a reoccurring problem, I'm hoping that the Vf wiring harness and ecu will let me hook up a lot of Ve parts and work properly. I'll be replacing the aircon, parts of the ignition (hopefully not all of it), the assisted steering (some consider it a downgrade, but if I can parallel park in bigger towns, I couldn't care less), most likely the steering rack, the instrument cluster, fuse box, lights, not sure about brake pedal and throttle, and I think that about concludes it. I really don't want to be having to replace half of the engine bay through incompatibility.

 

[vongy10]

Why waste money and time with a swap? Just buy a MY12+ SV6 that already has the LFX....

 

[Corzay]

Because the llt and Lfx aren't awfully different, I think I'll go with the llt (my10 Ve sv6). I'll still be putting the Vf wiring harness and ecu in, but I'm unsure as to what would be compatible and what would need to be replaced. And vongy, I'd love to, but I don't have a gold mine anywhere near my home

 

[_R_J_K_]

There would be absolutely zero to gain from swapping the loom and ECU (that's even if they're different), not to mention that you need to work out how to get it to work with that BCM or the LLT sensors. If you're really that pedantic about it spend that money getting somebody to custom tune it and get something decent instead of worrying about dicking around with factory performance.

And vongy, I'd love to, but I don't have a gold mine anywhere near my home

You'll still need a gold mine to do what you have in mind. You're only looking at short term cost in terms of parts. Nobody ever factors in their own time or effort or the end reliability. You're pretty much trying to reinvent the wheel for minimal gain.

The vehicle that you want already exists, but you're taking the most difficult/expensive/inefficient way to get it.

 

[Corzay]

I definitely see where you're coming from. But I have considered the costs of professional labour, and the amount of time I will be putting into this. I still believe it'd be cheaper to pretty much take the technology out of the Vf, and throw it in a Ve, rather than purchasing a Vf. I've read that other people have taken the harness and ecu from an Lfx engine into an llt engine car, because the Lfx has an ecu that is easier to tune. The wiring harness should also come with the Lfx sensors, which if I am correct are the same model as the previous version. The only real problem is the electronics, the problem that a lot of the Ve parts will not be compatible with the newer technology, although even if I had to get all those parts replaced, it'd still be cheaper than buying a Vf, even if it was second hand.