Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Ive been thinking now for a while about putting a v8 into my nissan shorty. What Im planning to do is sell the current 4.2ltr turbo diesel and do the transplant with the money from that keeping the other half happy! What Id like to here from you guys is your opinions on this. I was looking at a holden 5ltr from a mate, complete for around 500 bucks. I wouldnt mind running in a few winch comps down the track. Any info would be great.

Cheers

Chris.

one question, why?

if you want to go to all that trouble,make sure its an EFI motor

Why? Because Ive always loved v8's. I had to sell my old ute and this way I can have a v8 again in my fourby, 2 things I enjoy, 4wding and V8's. The engine in question is a EFI, but other suggestions are greatly apreciated. Or should I keep the diesel and work it abit?

I thought the 4.2 motors were very strong and can be made to perform quite well... Depends if you want the revs of a V8, or the torque of your diesel.

I know what I'd have every day

add more fuel and boost her up

Hi Newhouse,

Im running the 5lt Holden V8 from a VP SS in my GQ, it goes well.

Heres a few things ive learnt that might help.

I can defiantly recommend getting the HSV / Performance chip for it ASAP, it seems to stop it 'giving up' and stalling under 1000RPM when your trying to get up rock steps etc.

The power steering in mine needed a cooler to stop it fading on HOT days.

My engine came with the mini extractor headers, and they seem to do the job well.

I havent looked at Oil temps etc yet, but my bet would be that especially during a winch comp, you would need a oil cooler of some sort too, the Holden V8 has about 3 litres LESS oil in the sump that the old 4.2

The Dizzy and coil and a pain in the ass to get to once installed in the car, so i would recommend replacing everything back there before install. Would even be a good idea to relocate the coil alltogether.

All in all, if you can do a good part of it yourself, the conversion is worth it. Theres sooooo many mods for the engine avaliable, and parts are mega cheap compared to the nissan counterparts.

HSV 215 stroked 308

Michael.

Newhouse wrote:Ive been thinking now for a while about putting a v8 into my nissan shorty. What Im planning to do is sell the current 4.2ltr turbo diesel and do the transplant with the money from that keeping the other half happy! What Id like to here from you guys is your opinions on this. I was looking at a holden 5ltr from a mate, complete for around 500 bucks. I wouldnt mind running in a few winch comps down the track. Any info would be great.

Cheers

Chris.

man forget the 5 litre ( forget the holden motor alltogether)

get at slot in a 350 chev, make it worthwhile.

still beats me why people do this ....each to their own.

dirtyGQ wrote:still beats me why people do this ....each to their own.

do which conversion?

bogged wrote:

dirtyGQ wrote:still beats me why people do this ....each to their own.

do which conversion?

Maybe he means swapping a highly desirable 4.2 litre turbo diesel for a very average performer of a holden V8. I find it a bit strange as well.

Inline engines are better than V engines for 4WDs.

Nissan Infinity VH45....Cheap to buy,easy to convert and go pretty hard

dirtyGQ wrote:still beats me why people do this ....each to their own.

because not everyone likes putting up with diesels or underpowered slugs.

( although i was driving to oberon the other week, just cruising and this 75 series ute with all bells wistles + turbo was doing a good job of trying to keep up to the petrol/gas patrol)

by the time you get a diesel engine performing same as petrol, you have slung so much money at it its not funny.

for the price of a pump adjust and tune you can buy a good second hand small block.

then there is maintenence costs
cost when something breaks.

and then there is the goodl ald fashion sweet sweet sound of a v8 when you hit the loud pedal. this one reason on its own is enough.

Jes

jessie928 wrote: by the time you get a diesel engine performing same as petrol, you have slung so much money at it its not funny.

for the price of a pump adjust and tune you can buy a good second hand small block.

then there is maintenence costs
cost when something breaks.

I didn't know small blocks were free.

Why do people think diesels cost so much to maintain? Oil and filters cost bugger all, especially in comparison to feeding a petrol engine offroad.

plus a smallblock is an undertorqued slug compared to an inline engine under 1800rpm. hell a 2f outtorques most small block chevs (talking standard compared with standard) at low revs.

plus throwing a second hand turbo, and a high flow pump on a diesel probably doesn't cost as much as the cooling/adaptor mods required to throw a small block in a GQ.

i'm not a diesel fan myself, but it's hard to argue with a 1hz 75 series that's had a couple of grand spent on it that'll eat a small block chev powered 75 series down the 1/4 mile

cheapest I would do would be an unleaded crate 350 sb 295hp on gas. Cost about $2300 for the motor - BRAND NEW. parts are cheap, etc etc. I had a reasonable lt1 in my bundea and every noise scared me. you get tired of the will it give up this trip in the back of your head 4x4 must be relialible. $500 dollar motors arn't normally. its too musch work and expense to skimp on the main part

cheers mate

bad_religion_au wrote: plus throwing a second hand turbo, and a high flow pump on a diesel probably doesn't cost as much as the cooling/adaptor mods required to throw a small block in a GQ.

Don't forget that more boost and more fuel on many diesel engines is simply adjustment.
How easy and expensive is it to get a similar result from a petrol engine?

bru21 wrote:cheapest I would do would be an unleaded crate 350 sb 295hp on gas. Cost about $2300 for the motor - BRAND NEW. parts are cheap, etc etc. I had a reasonable lt1 in my bundea and every noise scared me. you get tired of the will it give up this trip in the back of your head 4x4 must be relialible. $500 dollar motors arn't normally. its too musch work and expense to skimp on the main part

cheers mate

This motor?
http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/results.cf ... r=12499529

chimpboy wrote:

bogged wrote:

dirtyGQ wrote:still beats me why people do this ....each to their own.

do which conversion?

Maybe he means swapping a highly desirable 4.2 litre turbo diesel for a very average performer of a holden V8. I find it a bit strange as well.

Inline engines are better than V engines for 4WDs.

why?


i agree that a 4.2 would be better than a v8, but what makes inlines so good for 4wds?

Thanks for all the responses guys, its been very interesting. Bru, didnt you have a LS1 in a GQ? Like Jes said its just a V8 thing. If these 4.2 TD are what people say they are then why are most comp trucks V8? Most of the guys I know have thrown the diesel in favour of the V8. What about a LS1 with maybe a cam and chip? And Bru, do you have any more info on the 350? Is it fuel injected?

Thanks again for all your replys.

Newhouse

Newhouse wrote:Thanks for all the responses guys, its been very interesting. Bru, didnt you have a LS1 in a GQ? Like Jes said its just a V8 thing. If these 4.2 TD are what people say they are then why are most comp trucks V8? Most of the guys I know have thrown the diesel in favour of the V8. What about a LS1 with maybe a cam and chip? And Bru, do you have any more info on the 350? Is it fuel injected?

Thanks again for all your replys.

Newhouse

because in comps its often about being quickest, and diesels are generaly speaking not quick.
also it usualy doesnt matter so much if the speed in which they hit an obstical causes something to break coz they often have sponsorship behind them the cover anything like that.

diesels hav the torque down low in the rev range, meaning they can crawl up and over things nice and slowly, and not do damage.
also diesels can hold lower revs so they are less likely to stall when doing slow work. its all about what you want from it really. do you have the money to replace the diff that hit a rock 20 times faster than if it was being pushed by a diesel?

jessie928 wrote:
because not everyone likes putting up with diesels or underpowered slugs.

by the time you get a diesel engine performing same as petrol, you have slung so much money at it its not funny.

cost when something breaks.

and then there is the good old fashion sweet sweet sound of a v8 when you hit the loud pedal. this one reason on its own is enough.

Jes

About the only post you've made that I agree with 150%

The other thing to add is once people have spent all that cash making the diesel go as hard as a petrol they have now in most cases lost the so called "reliability" of the diesel.

I know a shit load of people that have changed from diesel to petrol or wish they had just gone petrol to start with. Don't know anybody that has gone from petrol to a diesel.

I've had diesels and now I am a petrol head threw and threw and will never have another diesel.

and then there is the goodl old fashion sweet sweet sound of a v8 when you hit the loud pedal. this one reason on its own is enough.

x2 sweet sweet sound

macca81 wrote: because in comps its often about being quickest, and diesels are generaly speaking not quick.
also it usualy doesnt matter so much if the speed in which they hit an obstical causes something to break coz they often have sponsorship behind them the cover anything like that.

I think you'd be very surprised how many people/teams are truly sponsored and get things fixed/replaced/repaired free of charge. Most are just running stickers because they think it looks cool. Or if they are sponsored they only get their entry fees paid for and trust me that is the CHEAPEST part of competing and in the end this can end up costing you money as your sponsor may expect you to be at a comp that you really can't afford to be at because of all the things you had to replace from the last comp.

diesels hav the torque down low in the rev range, meaning they can crawl up and over things nice and slowly, and not do damage.
also diesels can hold lower revs so they are less likely to stall when doing slow work. its all about what you want from it really. do you have the money to replace the diff that hit a rock 20 times faster than if it was being pushed by a diesel?

Crawler gears fix 99% of problems for a petrol to be able to crawl. The type of breakages you are explaining here have nothing to do with motor type. They are more from people that can't drive and don't know when to back off.

macca81 wrote:

chimpboy wrote:

bogged wrote:

dirtyGQ wrote:still beats me why people do this ....each to their own.

do which conversion?

Maybe he means swapping a highly desirable 4.2 litre turbo diesel for a very average performer of a holden V8. I find it a bit strange as well.

Inline engines are better than V engines for 4WDs.

why?


i agree that a 4.2 would be better than a v8, but what makes inlines so good for 4wds?

because inlines generally have a longer stroke. if a V8 has a long stroke, it makes the bastard too wide to fit into anything.

long stroke a in a 351 clevo? or the ford 5.4?

well ford motors generally are better down low than the holden donks. ever tried to fit a 351 cleavo into something that wasn't made for it? they're farken wide.

Ok. Ive got crawler gears and to date I havent broken anything whilst Ive been out driving, other than the odd panel or light, but who hasnt Does anyone know of anybody on here that has done a LS1 conversion? Im starting to think it would be better than the 5lt.

Guts wrote: Crawler gears fix 99% of problems for a petrol to be able to crawl.

so we spend the money on the petrol donks, then more money to be able to make them go slow....