Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I have a 1985 fj73 with the 3f engine. It has done 318000 km's and needs a rebuild. I have called around and got quotes from $2500-$4000. This made me wonder if a 3.8 v6 commodore engine transplant would be cheaper. I want more power, better fuel economy. I live in victoria and i'm 17 so under the new rules i cant have any V8 or turbo charged engines. How much would it roughly cost to have a 3.8 v6 or another recommended engine put in with an engineers certificate.

Id consider ringing VicRoads.. i think under the new laws you are allowed a turbo diesel if that tickled your fancy... otherwise it would be pointless replacing the engine with a 3.8. You would probably be looking at that sort of cost anyway to do the transplant and you would be losing the longer stroke of the 3F...coupled with all sorts of adapting problems. Have a look at the members thread by matt.mcinnes for ideas on what you can do with a 2F and 3F combined

Would you consider doing the rebuild yourself? there are normally a few rebuild kits on ebay, and if you minimise the work you get a workshop to do (eg. preparing the heads) you will save a few dollars and learn allot more about your car!

I wouldn't bother with the 3.8 combo engine..... Try and find out about the Turbo first and see what Vic roads say.....

Cheers!!!

The engine you are allowed is defined by power to weight ratio.... you've got a f'n heavy car, so i would'nt be to concerned about the more powerful engine transplant legallities. Oh yes, if you do have the cash, stick a 12ht in it !
Ben

the conversion kits can cost a bit of coin also, but the power increase is great, no problems overtaking anymore

You can fit a little camshaft to these engines, tidy up the heads, up the compression, give it a balance, fit extractors, 2 1/2 inch exhaust and retune the carby and they actually go OK.
If you could supply and fit a decent v6 (not one with 300000k on it also in need of a rebuild), do the converion kit, fit an ECU, fuel pump, thermo fans (no pump driven fan on a V6), connect the steering pump and alike and pay for it to be all fitted, there is no way of doing all that for $4000

Joel

why is it everyone is bagging the v6 i know its alittle different but after doin a conversion on my lux to a v6 it has made it a completly different rig and so much mre fun with way to much power blows vs, vt commos off from the lights on 35s funny as hell. if yur mechanically minded and can do the conversion yourself you can get away with it for about 2grand. i says go for it yull love it big revs flat out in the mud = . if you want2 know nething just pm me and for the kits try these 4. marks 4x4,v6conversions.com,castlemain rodshop and dellow autos. recently got quoted 1g for a v6 into a 60 series kit.

big lux wrote:why is it everyone is bagging the v6 i know its alittle different but after doin a conversion on my lux to a v6 it has made it a completly different rig and so much mre fun with way to much power blows vs, vt commos off from the lights on 35s funny as hell. if yur mechanically minded and can do the conversion yourself you can get away with it for about 2grand. i says go for it yull love it big revs flat out in the mud = . if you want2 know nething just pm me and for the kits try these 4. marks 4x4,v6conversions.com,castlemain rodshop and dellow autos. recently got quoted 1g for a v6 into a 60 series kit.

BIG DIFFERENCE between a lux and a 73 series.

a commo V6 has no torque down low. it's only useful when space is an issue. in a cruiser it is no issue. a big straight 6 or a v8 is 1000 times better for these rigs. why would you go to a SMALLER DISPLACEMENT engine with less torque?

as for better fuel efficiency, you have to be joking. you'd be ringing the v6's neck to get it to move all the time that you might as well just be pouring the petrol down the injectors with buckets.

the earlier commo motors, ie. vn to vr have plenty of low down torque to move any wagon, and when you combine them engines with an aftermarket chip reprogram with 'lean cruise' then you have the best of both worlds.

Don't give up too easy on what you have. The old F series engines are a real work-horse and very reliable & easy to work on. You can do rings & bearings without removing it from the truck. Take the head to a head shop for a valve grind & shave the head. Hone the bore & replace rings & bearings & she's good for another 300,000km. I did that to my 2F for around $500 all up. It really isn't a difficult job!

Thanks guys i have given up on that idea and muddy12 which head shop did you go to?? $500 sounds quite cheap.

Local guy here - a one-man band so no high overheads. But freight cost would be a killer for you to get it done in NZ....

Look around though. I stripped the head, and had a spare head so he could select the best valves. A good old-fashioned mechanic won't mind doing it that way to save costs. A bigger outfit will just want to replace everything with new stuff whether it needs it or not. And for a slab of beer, he loaned me the cylinder hone & ring compressor to do the block myself.