Advice on 3.8L V6 Commo motor needed

[Toyo Truck]

To all the commodore gurus out there,

I am finally looking to upgrade my tired old 22R hilux motor
to a 3.8L commodore V6.

I have been speaking to a few blokes on here and the go seems to
be with a series II 3.8L V6. My question is, what model did the series 2 definately come in?
was it all the VP, VR, VS models? What about the VNs?

What are the main weaknesses of this motor?
Other than a lumpy idle and oil leaks, what should I look for when buying one?

Does anyone have any good links for information on different Commodore model specs??

Cheers,
Bart

[NICK]

vn have the series 2 motor, i think it is the 10/91 that they undate.


NICK

[CRUSHU]

the update motor is identified by having the thermostat housing at the front, the early ones had it at the rear of the manifold. early ones also had a one piece coil pack, wheras the updates had the 3 piece coil. it is unreliable to go by, though, as they are retrofitted to earlier motors. vn series 2 thru to vr is series 2 motor. vr computers require a body control module. use a vn ot vp loom and computer if you get a vr. vs/vt motor is ecotec, a better design again.

[RUFF]

I would look into fitting a Hilux 2.7ltr 3RZ before the Commo V6.

[daniel1]

i highly recommend the 3.8 v6 in a hilux its unstoppable

[Toyo Truck]

Why would you go the 2.7L over the 3.8L commo motor Ruff?
How hard is that conversion, and how much are the motors to buy?
The 3.8L conversion is fairly cheap in the long run when you look at it.

I was originally going to go for the 7M-GE 3.0L as I can get
2 of them in the next month or so virtually for free,
but I've been told that the commo engine is a better conversion due to
parts and reliability. Just to compare I am looking at buying a mates VN 3.8L engine complete for $300 maybe with a VP loom and ECU, if that falls through I know of at least another 4 good ones for under $800.
I will then need a Marks adaptor kit to fit the 3.8L to the 22R hilux box
which is around $930 or so, plus mounting, clutch kit and other things neccessary for around $800. Once conversion is done, I can just swap
out motors as needed. And there are sooooo many parts out there it
aint funny!

I think that the 7M conversion would be cheaper initially as all I will need is
a bellhousing, new engine mounts and clutch kit.
However, Both these 7Ms that I would be getting have around
250K kms on them and need some work. To rebuild a 7M is around $4000
to buy one second hand in good nick (rare) your looking at $1500.
Either way, you need to replace the head gasket and head bolts with
aftermarket items to avoid future reliability issues.

I just want something I can drive round on big trips up to QLD 4WD parks
and stuff (cause we don't have any). Obviously I want something with good pickup for highway driving, reliability so she makes it there and back, and if it breaks, I can fix it quickly for the drive back.

Cheers,
Bart

[El_Hombre]

. vr computers require a body control module. use a vn ot vp loom and computer if you get a vr. vs/vt motor is ecotec, a better design again.

If you were to drop a VT/VX motor in what sort or loom and computer combo do you think would be best?

[CRUSHU]

ecotec motor will require ecotec loom and computer, and bcm. castle auto elecs, marks 4wd etc will be able to help.

[badger]

dont use an ecotech 4 a 4by use the series 2 motor wich comes from vn series 2 thru to vr series 2, the ecotech lacks the low down tourque of the older motor but the older motor also sacrafices a the smooth idle and top end power and slightly more econamy