3.8 commy conversion

[albey]

im doing the debated commy v6 conversion with hilux diffs

just wondering what a zook weighs after the conversion

i have a GVM of around 1350kg i dont wish to exceed

and what mods i will have to under go for such a conversion

this is her now>[img][img]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o122 ... 0002-1.jpg[/img][/img]

[CWBYUP]

Personally I dont see the benifit of all that weight up front in a SWB, Its even debateable in a LWB.

I looking into this very seriously and came to the conclusion buy a bigger truck so i keep the zook and bought a GQ.

If your looking for horse power why not look at a vitara motor and hook up a blower, It would be cheaper and probably more HP.

That aside you need

- lux transfer
- lux diffs
- adaptor for gear box to transfer $1000- alone
- new shafts
- massive bracing of the chassis
- mod firewall and floor pan

Thats the main ones but there obviously heaps of little things.

Don't get me wrong I love the idea and Otis is a cool truck but personally I think its a waste. Buy a GQ cut the back off it or buy a hilux. But thats just me.

Nick

[MART]

I had problems with gvm with my suk,the way the engineer described it is that each person ways 75 kg according to the RTA,plus luggage,he said arround 20 kg. Take this of your total,this means you are limited to 1160 kg,good luck getting it passed. I raised my gvm by 160 kg on my engineering report. Dont forget every thing you adds to total gvm,so i cheated and weighed my car with bare bones. The more you raise your gvm,the more suspicious the rta get. I weighed my car parts on house hold scales as a rough estimate. Also once weighed,i didnt register my car for over a year,hope this helps,Cheers Paul.

[nicbeer]

Searchew threads on it.

[fool_injected]

Dont forget every thing you adds to total gvm,so i cheated and weighed my car with bare bones..

It's not cheating manufactures do it
Bet your truck weighs more than the rego papers say it does
They have the car weighed with no petrol, oils, spare tyre and accessories
Guy at the weigh bridge was telling me of guys stripping their trucks in the driveway (pull off bullbars, LR tanks, sliders etc) to dodge the extra rego costs
NSW rego fees are governed by weight

Size of vehicle Tare Weight Private Business

Cars, station wagons and trucks

up to 975kg $212 $312

976kg to 1154 kg $232 $344

1155kg to 1504kg $261 $393

1505kg to 2504kg $372 $567

Trailers (including caravans)

up to 254kg $50 $129

255kg to 764kg $139 $194

765kg to 975kg $212 $312

976kg to 1154kg $232 $344

Motor cycle

$98 $98

[albey]

Suzuki are a known underpowered and useless offroad vechile i wanna give mine some poke and make it half decent offroad

[lay80n]

Suzuki are a known underpowered and useless offroad vechile i wanna give mine some poke and make it half decent offroad

It will have poke, but absolutley now blance offroad. Have a quick search on previous threads for this conversion. Heaps of go from a boat anchor of an engine that will weight the front end down and make the thing a dog to handle on and off road. As far as underpowered and useless off road, Tim(redzook) ran the 1.3L in his rigs, and managed to win nissan trials open class a few years ago, up against v8 cruisers and the like. Look at a 1.6 vitara conversion, or simillar size motor. Heaps more advanced motor, better on fuel, nicer motor, and easier conversion. Still keep the car's balance. Less power will mean less chance of breaking stuff too.

Layto....

[suzuki boy]

I was always considering this swap untill i talked our heard people talking that had done it!

Cant go down a hill because there no weight in the back! CHanges the whole car off road!

On road awsome! Drag heaps off but off road crapola!

As for it being no good off road! WTF It's slower than most but once your in the bush you will keep up with what ever and out drive what ever is with you!

If you have to change the engine go the vitara or if theres nothing wrong with the engine at the moment dont change it till it is broken!

[Huggy]

why dont you consider the v6 out of a grand vitara they are light and go ok

[MART]

One of the most critical things to think about is tyre selection,the bigger the tyre the more stuff you will break. This means a commodore v6 is a very torquie motor and if not driven right can mean a lot of trouble very quickly. The boys recomended a vitara 1.6 conversion,thats the go,get a multipoint so the engine will run upside down. The v6 would mean a change of the whole driveline,motor,gearbox,transfer,diffs. Attached to that is brakes,booster, braklines plus tailshafts. Unless you move your diffs front and rear,also height becomes an issue for tyre clearance while travelling suspension. If you go bigger tyres,you will have to think about suspension type and style,stock zuk springs wont transfer power to ground without damaging them. Also if you stay a leafy you would have to move your spring mounts and do a chassi extension. This wold also change your shock positions and type/length. Another thing is the engine bay wolud need mods as well as the transmission tunnel,plus a custom exhaust so that when the suspension travels it does not fowl driveline. These are some things to think about,also in NSW the laws regarding mods are changing,restrictions on tyre size,suspension,engine capacity,plus insurance is a bitch. Good luck on your decision,CheersPaul

[suzuki boy]

One of the most critical things to think about is tyre selection,the bigger the tyre the more stuff you will break. This means a commodore v6 is a very torquie motor and if not driven right can mean a lot of trouble very quickly. The boys recomended a vitara 1.6 conversion,thats the go,get a multipoint so the engine will run upside down. The v6 would mean a change of the whole driveline,motor,gearbox,transfer,diffs. Attached to that is brakes,booster, braklines plus tailshafts. Unless you move your diffs front and rear,also height becomes an issue for tyre clearance while travelling suspension. If you go bigger tyres,you will have to think about suspension type and style,stock zuk springs wont transfer power to ground without damaging them. Also if you stay a leafy you would have to move your spring mounts and do a chassi extension. This wold also change your shock positions and type/length. Another thing is the engine bay wolud need mods as well as the transmission tunnel,plus a custom exhaust so that when the suspension travels it does not fowl driveline. These are some things to think about,also in NSW the laws regarding mods are changing,restrictions on tyre size,suspension,engine capacity,plus insurance is a bitch. Good luck on your decision,CheersPaul

couldn't have said it better my self!

[evanstaniland]

would something like a subaru engine work like a liberty or wrx engine???

if you want poke look at some street cars as doners like the Lexus v8 is sweet for a hilux so you might want to look at the smaller ones!

liberty engine
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/RECONDITIONED-SU ... dZViewItem

WRX engine
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Subaru-Wrx-1998- ... dZViewItem

Forester engine
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/SUBARU-IMPREZA-F ... dZViewItem

Lancer engine
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mitsubishi-Lance ... dZViewItem


Evan..

[albey]

Suzuki are a known underpowered and useless offroad vechile i wanna give mine some poke and make it half decent offroad

>i did not write this my f@#khead mate did sorry for his stupididty

[redzook]

you will be doin well to keep it under 1350kg

[albey]

what mods are in a vitara v6 conversion?
and what would be the wieght differance?

[nicbeer]

Subaru engines are not a good choice as from a previous thread as they are v/wide. + boxs are weak.

[Guy]

what mods are in a vitara v6 conversion?
and what would be the wieght differance?

The problem with a v6 vit motor as I understand it is the bottom end of the motor is quite wide..

If I had a bigish budget and wanted a Hi-Po motor, I would look closer at some of the ricer donks (Joey's very neat SR20 conversion springs to mind) or a 4agze for something rather differnet a Mitsu 4g63t (Lancer Evo motor.. that would give a 3.8 commo V6 a few things to think about)

[albey]

they are all good points, but how bad is the conversion?

for you all that have commented how manny have owned or own a zook with a commy v6 in it is it really as bad as it is made out to be?

[CWBYUP]

I mocked it all up it the front of a LWB chassis with clamps / jacks so if i changed my mind i could pull it all apart.

Other than the weight factor it was how much work needed to be done to get the body to fit.

I then changed my mind and was going to go coiled GQ diffs and V6 auto but through that out the window and bought a GQ.

If your really keen I may know where theres a SWB chassis and shell that has had a ute conversion started on it ( its cut ) the rear, 4 link coiled with GQ and the V6 mocked up in the engine bay ( mounts are tack welded )

Think he was looking around $1,500 for the lot.

Cheers Nick

[nicbeer]

Search

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
theres more there also.

use Gutless as search author

Nic

[Guy]

they are all good points, but how bad is the conversion?

for you all that have commented how manny have owned or own a zook with a commy v6 in it is it really as bad as it is made out to be?

Ive not owned one, I have not even driven one ..

I have seen a few of them 4wding, and like a lot of mods it made the vehicle better at some things and worse at others...

Descending hills is pretty poor, climbing under higher traction conditions is great, under low traction conditions is worse as the front end seems to want to wash out a lot more (I.E slide back down the hill) ..

And like other nose heavy vehicles it appears to be reluctant to change direction both on or off road.

This is based on two vehicles I have seen .. both were set up be the same person.. so may be more indicative of the builder that the parts.

[lay80n]

Been there done that.

WAY too heavy for a zook. It makes the handling FAR worse. Bigger brakes are needed for the extra weight, not the extra power. they only have 125KW, so for the extra weight issues you get, there are better ways to achieve similar power and keep the wieght in the front end under control.

From
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/viewtopic ... highlight=

Layto....

[redzook]

any one got a weight on the commy motor?

or is it just heavy?

[albey]

might stick it in my buggy and see how it go's if i like ill put the same in my every day'er thanx guys

[nicbeer]

Block - estimate around 45-50kg
Crankshaft - 22-25kg
Inlet manifold - 4kg
Exhaust manifolds - 6-8kg (different for each side)

I think that overall the complete engine in VT form was about 185kg.

[albey]

that is heavy what things can be done to the 1.3 to make it go better (a lot better)

[tOiletduck]

that is heavy what things can be done to the 1.3 to make it go better (a lot better)

A 1.6 swap is your best bet.

[Gwagensteve]

Albey,

Before you pour too much hate on the 1.3, make sure the car is a) not over weight and B) is geared spot on.

Standard and empty, a stock 1.3 sierra feels fun. It might not actually be quick, but it is OK. Any bigger tyre starts of hurt the performance and in a car with a marginal power to weight and low torque to start with, it will start to feel like a dog.

A 1.6 swap is a good idea, but a G13BB jimny motor runs pretty close to a vitara for HP and is very close to a bolt in.

Personally, I don't think there are useful gains to be had all round with working the 1.3 motor. It will tend to result in more top end, which is fun, but if the gearing is not right and the car has more tyre creating more traction off the line, it will feel like a dog.

The 1.6 vitara EFI feels very strong in a Sierra too, but many of these are quite old now and the ones that come on from Japan have some subtle differences that make them harder to find parts for.
The Grand vitara motors are very expensive and would be complex to install.


just my 2c worth.
Steve.

[Red_Zook]

ok after bagging the conversion..
im now looking at doing it.
just wondering does any one know what kinda price im in for in the addaptor. to x-case
and total weight in the conversion.

the reason im looking at it is. i have thought about it
for power, reliabilty and proberbly econemy.
it must be auto..
couldnt realy go past it for price!!
come on like 130kw heeps of taque and all for like $800
and since im now going to be running GQ's and coils might as well go all out!!

does any one actualy have pics of one in a zook??

[albey]

thanks steve, thanks everyone.

what diffierance is there in bolting in a vitara 1.6i motor to a zook
and what transfer case does a vitara have?