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VN engine changeover

VNSV6

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hey everyone, so ive got a VN 'S' v6 with a good engine but pretty ordinary body and paint and a bit of work to be done to it so i decided to buy another vn s v6 off ebay with good paint and body and mostly complete but has a blown motor. Im just wondering how hard and how long will it take to put the good engine in and is there anything i need to know in advance?

Regards Adam
 

azzfox

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Well it depends on your mechanical knowledge/experience. Ive never pulled a motor before and it took me less then 12 hours work by myself to get it up to the stage of attaching a crane to it. Ive done alot of other stuff before but its not really that hard just fiddly. And now that I know what has to be done I reckon I could do it in a fairly shorter time. Im assuming sticking it back in shouldnt be much harder apart from torquing up a few things properly and refilling stuff.

Umm if it has aircon, unbolt the compressor while the engines raised a bit. Dont just unbolt the hoses or drain it yourself, illegal and dangerous. Pull the motor and box out as one, easier. Chuck new engine mounts on it before it goes back in, maybe welch plugs if youre up for it. Thats about it. If still unsure grab a service manual and read through the steps.

Im pretty much doing the same thing as you, but I stacked mine :p

EDIT: Oh and if they arent the same series motors then you will have to modify/swap looms. Series 1 the top radiator hose attaches to a metal pipe that extends around to the back of the motor. Series 2 the top radiator hose connects straight onto the intake manifold/thermostat housing on top of the motor.
 
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VNSV6

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Well it depends on your mechanical knowledge/experience. Ive never pulled a motor before and it took me less then 12 hours work by myself to get it up to the stage of attaching a crane to it. Ive done alot of other stuff before but its not really that hard just fiddly. And now that I know what has to be done I reckon I could do it in a fairly shorter time. Im assuming sticking it back in shouldnt be much harder apart from torquing up a few things properly and refilling stuff.

Umm if it has aircon, unbolt the compressor while the engines raised a bit. Dont just unbolt the hoses or drain it yourself, illegal and dangerous. Pull the motor and box out as one, easier. Chuck new engine mounts on it before it goes back in, maybe welch plugs if youre up for it. Thats about it. If still unsure grab a service manual and read through the steps.

Im pretty much doing the same thing as you, but I stacked mine :p


Ive changed a lot of 202 and 253 engines but never done a vn before!! yea i could have just kept my vn the way it was and got it roadworthy and registered but im getting sick of all the little dints, scratch's and all the annoying things i have to fix on it. The vn im getting has been resprayed and the body is straight as ever!! and it just sounded too good not to buy. Only thing is the vn im getting is 89 and mine is 90, does that make any difference? im taking the blown motor out of the good one but leaving the auto because it was recod 20000kms ago and had stage 2 shift kit put in it. Just hoping i can get this done and get it roadworthy within 1 month for when i get my licence back :)
 

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Just did this for my younger brother.. Took us 3 days 9am to 5pm every day.. Pulling it out is easy, took us 16 hours to pull out both engines and give the good one a complete clean up an tighten up..
Putting an engine in is very much the same process, just a lot harder getting everything lined up perfectly an making sure its all wired an hooked up right, gettin the gear box lined up perfect onto the drive shaft was the only part that took a lil long.. Make sure you got a few spare jacks at hand, an when droppin the engine in have the a\c compressor bracke an mount detached, line up the drive shaft then lower the drivers side engine mount into place, fit the passanger mount, then mount the gear box...
 

Super_Low 91

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is one hell of a fun job to do, im almost done putting my new motor in, just waiting for some help from a mate who should be in town tomorro,, if you have a couple mates who can help i think it would be an advantage,, as everyone has said, its just fiddly trying to line it all up an double check everything is tight an connected correctly. I personally have never done something this major to a car before, my first ever engine swap an its a huge learning cure,, lol,, have fun take it easy and if you get frustrated with something just walk away an take a few minutes
 

Red Ranger

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Oh and get a gregorys
 

VNSV6

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okay thanks heaps guys, ive done a couple of 202 and 253 engines but never with a vn. I really could have just spent more money on my first one but i am getting sick of all the little dints, scratch's and all the annoying little things, and i really just want to do this as a learning curve because i loves VN's and will always have one! The one im buying has had a full respray and the auto was recod 20000 ago and a stage 2 shift kit put in, so im keeping that auto with my engine. Mine is a 1990 and the one im getting is 89 does that mean the one im getting will be a S1 engine?
 

Red Ranger

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Yeah it will be s1 unless the last owner changed it to s2..
 

VNSV6

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okay so ive got the vn now and its a series 1, what do i have to do 2 get the series 2 engine in and will the radiator fit?
 

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I converted my VN series 1 V6 auto to a series 2 motor and T5 in less than a day (about 9 solid hours). Its very straight forward. Pull radiator, alternator, unbolt power-steering pump and tensioner block off motor and pull to one side. This allows you to seperate engine loom from motor and move it out the way. Unbolt bellhousing, remove inspection cover and unbolt torque convertor. Once exhaust manifolds, heater pipes fuel lines etc are unbolted its lift out and drop series two motor in. Run the series one engine loom, just have to peel back insulation tape on loom behind belt tensioner next to injectors to re-rout a couple of wires to front of manifold on series 2. Is a piece of cake to do. Bolt everything back up the way it came off.
 
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