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Possibility of Turboing 3 litre GQ
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 12:23 pm
by coke
Hi Guys,
I am wondering if anyone has turboed a 3 litre petrol GQ, with the nissan motor. I understand that the injection is a very simple install, and I can pick up a VL turbo and manifold etc for $400, ready to basically bolt onto a srtandard VL. I know I would also need the computer and a few other things, but has anyone done this and are there any drawbacks to it?
Andrew
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 4:03 pm
by -Scott-
Do some research into motor internals. The Holden version may have (for instance) lower compression, beefier bearings, different camshaft. These sorts of things are done to make a turbocharged motor drivable and reliable, so simply bolting the Holden stuff onto the Nissan motor may not work too well.
On the other hand, you may get lucky, and find it works easily.
Good luck,
Scott
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 4:42 pm
by Daisy
VL turbo - different head, pistons, cam to state a few.
Conversion isnt THAT hard.
To make things a LOT easier, you're better off chasing a VLT engine itself and changing sumps and engine mounts using your existing ones if required.
AUS4WD (
www.aus4wd.com.au ) runs a turboed 3 litre. Perhaps asking him a few questions about what to do will set u on the right track.
BTW GOOD LUCK MATE = SOUNDS LIKE SHES GUNNA BE A BEAST.

Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 5:14 pm
by HSV Rangie
Nizpro.
Melbourne.
Michael
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 6:31 pm
by robbie
nizpro are very good indeed..
Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:05 am
by Draven
I would also suggest a full motor swap....Theres a heap of difference internally in the Turbo engine. Great engine thou. Very torquey and easy to upgrade the turbo motor....(They dont even use a intercooler standard)
Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:54 am
by coke
I have looked in some papers etc this weekend and I can get a reliable VL turbo motor with all the bits for about $2k. There is no reason that I could not mate it straight to the std gearbox etc, and engine mounts are fine. All I need is the ecu, or get a custom cheap motec or similar, and then do the sump swap as suggested then I should be home and hosed. I cannot get onto AUS4WD but I will wait for his enlightenment before travelling this path...
Andrew
Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 10:09 am
by robbie
if you're going to get the VL Turbo motor, you might aswell get it complete with the standard factory ECU..
by the way, the standard blocks/internals on these motors have seen 400hp on some vehicles such as rajabs VL.. they are fairly strong motors..
Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:41 pm
by slowhilux
Buy VLT motor, implant into GQ, fit RB26 head, a couple of smallish turbos (GT25's for EG) for bottom end response, INCREASE compression ratio to approx 9.2-9.5:1 (for even MORE bottom end!!) and away she goes..........
.........this is what i would do if i had uber amounts of $$$.......
Phill
Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:09 am
by moose
wen the 3.o was fitted at AuS4WD , ( I was still there )
It was a complete Turbo VL motor !!
changed sump , mounted VL airbox
ran standard ECU , even wired up dash correctly , tacho & warning lights !!!
with about 14lbs boost , it had 165kw at the wheels !!!!
from memory , it ran 15.2 1/4 mile ( in a wagon !!!!)
Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 7:48 pm
by McJeff
hey coke,
i own Patrol with RB30 that previous 80 y.o. owner put the turbo 2 years ago for towing use... i can't remember what psi it ran on but i'm told this motor is bulletproof (the mechanic floored it while we took it for test drive) from memeory, it makes 140 Kw but no L.S.D. but it have factory diff-lock. from memory, the boost range starts at 3,500rpm until 5,500rpm... the previous owner put the turbo to tow his caravan but illness (stroke) forced him to sell this Patrol.
it also got intercooler, new heads, EFI conversion, injectors (not sure what kind i'll ask the mechanic when i put this baby for service) VL turbo manifolds, RB25 intake (i think) stock 5 cog swapper and 4.3 diff ratios.
the mechanic also warned this engine could be lethal when wet tarmac he said "this car have the similar behaviour to VL Turbo".
i think it ran on standard or nissan ecu unit.
Regards
McJeff
Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 11:07 pm
by bogged
McJeff wrote:hey coke,
i own Patrol with RB30 that previous 80 y.o. owner put the turbo 2 years ago for towing use... i can't remember what psi it ran on but i'm told this motor is bulletproof (the mechanic floored it while we took it for test drive) from memeory, it makes 140 Kw but no L.S.D. but it have factory diff-lock. from memory, the boost range starts at 3,500rpm until 5,500rpm... the previous owner put the turbo to tow his caravan but illness (stroke) forced him to sell this Patrol.
it also got intercooler, new heads, EFI conversion, injectors (not sure what kind i'll ask the mechanic when i put this baby for service) VL turbo manifolds, RB25 intake (i think) stock 5 cog swapper and 4.3 diff ratios.
the mechanic also warned this engine could be lethal when wet tarmac he said "this car have the similar behaviour to VL Turbo".
i think it ran on standard or nissan ecu unit.
Regards
McJeff
and all that was done by an 80 year old? Let me guess, only driven to church on weekends?
Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 8:14 am
by Draven
Well....I owned a VL Turbo a few years ago, and they are a great engine....I agree they are pretty much bullet proof. As far as on boost performance, I used to feel boost as low as 1800 - 2000RPM, only used to run it at the standard 7 1/4 PSI. Even with just a intercooler ive been told you can expect big performance.
Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:51 am
by mkpatrol
2K for a Rb30DET seems a bit steep unless it is hotted up. I would go for a front cut R32 Skyline with a RB25 or RB26. You should be able to get one for around that price & they are are a much more powerful motor (especially the RB26 as they are in the GTR). Might be worth a look as RB30's can only be hotted up so much.
Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 10:02 am
by Draven
I would think that max torque would be a bit lower on the RB30ET, which may be the advantage over the smaller nissan engines. Also the new smaller engines all have intercoolers and much higher boost. Doing the same thing to a RB30ET should yield pretty darn good results.
Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:13 pm
by McJeff
Hey bogged,
i'd hate to break it up... the da owner is 80 y.o. he have his fourby fitted with turbo only to tow his caravan... that what i'm told. this was bolted from original carbuettor to EFI with turbo. the mechanic told me the fuel economy on turbo is better than carbuettor, i haven't really compared it yet...
RB26 is damn bestest tuned engine, these Japanese guys did get rid of these two stock turbo and bolt in one of BIG fat turbo and intercooler... then dynoed it proves it's fuckin powerful (800 or something Kw!!!) but the stock engine alone cost $5K this's the cheapest one i know... (better engine costs more)
Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:01 pm
by Aus4wd
If you want a cheap conversion with heaps of power then the VL Turbo Conversion to a Patrol is the way to go. Ours had the biggest hammering and went faster than I thought a 3 litre would ever go. I also found it cheaper to run, for example it did have 165kw @ the wheels with 33" Mud Terrains and standard 4.3 diff gears and ran a 15.1 1/4 mile @ Calder Park but also only used $350 worth of fuel driving to from Melbourne to Tuff Truck 2002 and back with 5 people in the car and the rook rack loaded.
It was also fitted with an intercooler and 3" Mandrel Exhaust.