stockvs said:
I have just purchased an VT Supercharged wreck and am planning to put the engine and box into my VS.
Is this an easy swap, I am assuming it is but what about looms and wiring I hope its not too complicated.
Has anyone done this swap?
I have also heard I will need a S/C fuel pump. so will the VT one fit in the VS.
Any info on the swap would be appreciated.
Hi, I have put a VS Series II version of the same motor into my VS. I think I have learnt a few things that might help, but maybe someone who has used the VT motor might be able to help with the exact detail.
The motor will need the exhaust manifolds from the VS ecotec as the VT ones wont fit as they are too wide. The VS has two catalytic converters and a dual system until after the front mufflers. This gives you a pipe from each exhaust manifold to a separate cat, which makes fitting them easier. I had an exhaust shop make up a 'Y' piece to feed it into the standard single muffler, as I have a wagon, and two would be difficult to fit. The VT probably has two as well. Either use the ecotec setup or see if the VT pipes fit (I don't think they will).
I think the looms are not the same, but the computers definitely aren't. In the VS there is a special computer that is used with the SC memcal. I think the computer is different so that it can drive the SC bypass valve and the 2 stage fuel pump. The more I think about the looms, the more I expect that the VT one won't work as the connectors for the engine bay may be different or in different positions.
You could try and use the VT computer but then your BCM won't talk to your computer and the car won't start. You can either get the computer reprogrammed, or better still get the V6 ecotec computer itseld modified. I think the guys at v6conversions.com.au can do this for you, and give you a new loom as well. If you can track down an original VS SC motor PCM that would work, but I doubt you will find one anywhere other than at Holden, and they aren't cheap. There are other options too. I actually tested the SC memcal in the ecotec computer and it ran the SC engine fine, although I have no idea if the blower bypass valve was working, as the engine was still in the wreck. The ecotec memcal in the SC computer ran my car fine as well. The only difference is really the extra driver circuits that are in the SC computer to drive the extra stuff.
The gearbox probably wont fit either as it is wider and doesn't have the cutouts in the bellhousing to allow the exhaust pipes to pass. Take a look at the space around the exhaust on a VS and note how cramped the space is. I think the VS supercharged gearbox is the same as a VS V6 ecotec apart from the larger/stronger torque converter, which you should be able to swap with no hassles, so use this instead.
As far as fuel pumps go, the VS ones are different to the VT. The standard VS one will work okay, although I don't know if it runs out of flow at higher power. I doubt it. Having said that I swapped the SC one from the VS statesman that I used into my fuel tank. It is meant to operate at two speeds which slows the fuel pump down unless the higher fuel flow is needed, but this is not strictly needed. The VS has a module to do this that is located behind the rear seats. I don't know about the VT. I still haven't wired mine in, which means my fuel pump always runs at the faster speed.
You of course need the top radiator hose for a VS Series II Statesman or Calais Supercharged V6 motor. The lower hose is the same as the ecotec.
The cruise control module for the SC motor sits about 100mm forward of where the VS ecotec one did. It does this to clear the radiator/aircon hoses better. I redrilled the body to fit this where it came from out of my wreck. The cable from the cruise control to the throttle body appears to be unique to the VS SC motors (its shorter), so see if you can get hold of one from Holden. Mine had the actuator cracked so I swapped the cable from the broken one to a spare V8 actuator that I had which worked fine.
The throttle cable is also unique to this car, and if you can, get the right part from Holden. The standard one looks like it will work, but the angles are too tight. The proper one passes around near the radiator and then loops back to the throttle body.
While you have the motor out, do what I didn't and fit new rocker cover seals, new platinum plugs (well something that doesn't need changing as often anyway), and the thermostat as well. I would have preferred to do these as its much easier when the engine is out of the car!
What I did do though was replace the rear main oil seal which from what I have read appears to be a consumable on all commodore ecotecs! Mine was leaking there, so I replaced it.
I have no idea what the engine mounts on a VT look like, but the V6 ones on the VS are the same for the ecotec and the SC motor. If you can spare the cash, its a good time to buy new ones instead of replacing them down the road.
The fuel lines from the VS ecotec, V8, and the SC motors are the same and just unclip, and clip in. I think the VT look the same, but I'm not sure. These are easy to swap when you have the right tool to do it.
You will have to use the aircon compressor from the ecotec engine. VT are very different. If you are lucky you can unbolt it, and tie it to the side with some wire, so you don't have to unbolt the connections and have it regassed.
All the VS series II SC motors are fitted, as far as I can tell, with power steering pumps for speed sensitive steering. My commodore had normal power steering, so I just unbolted the pump from the old motor before it came out and bolted it back to the SC motor when it was in the engine bay, and there was no need to disconnect the hose for it. You cannot/shouldn't use the wrong pump on the steering rack.
The air intake from the air cleaner to the throttle body uses a unique hose/pipe as well, get one from Holden.
I hope for your sake that the connectors on the alternator are the same, as on the VS they just clip in place. The VS SII SC motors have a different alternator with the connector at a different position to the ecotec. You cannot use the ecotec because of this. If you are lucky, it will just connect up, or you might just have to swap the regulator across. While you are at it, check the wiring for the alternator to battery feed, as these often overheat and corrode and over heat some more until they break. This would be a good time to fix/swap this.
Well, I think that's about it. I was lucky that I used a VS motor as everything plugged in and worked exactly as the factory intended. I only did the swap just over 6 months ago, so most things are still fresh in my mind.
Let me know if I have missed anything!
Dale.