Vlad's rides thread

[vlad01]

easiest way to get a tailshaft out when the car is too low Angle grinder!

Just wanted the front half incase the tail shaft guys HQ recommended need a sample of the front half to make a new one out of a rust free auto one I have, when time comes to do the VP S

also raiding the front end so I can rebuilt complete struts and joints and bushes and do a swap on my nephew car and then it can be raised and handle again.

So I found these had new pads and genuine old disks lol. Ether they were changed to new genuine at some stage or the are the factory ones, it has had a skim machining so it might be factory originals.

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while I had the grinder out, I open one of the door sills to see how its constructed inside so that I have an idea how to go about cutting out and welding in a new section on the vacationer after its got crunched badly years ago trying to get out of a driveway that was too narrow to turn onto the street without going over the curb. Looks very simple unlike the VW ones I'm used to with triple skin and rust!

No rust what so ever despite being the most rusted holden I ever personally dealt with and thats coz its a beach car. Heavlly coated with wax inside, love that e-coat durability!

scrape back the dirt and wax, yep, no sign of rust.

[Holden202T]

lol its strange looking at that after all the old cars I've worked on!

[vlad01]

Finished the water pump pulley.

mating faces masked form the top coat, but left to primer as the etch is very very thin but very good anti corrosion primer.

same for the screws. This is the very part I learned the mistake of painting where bolts go. The pulley was a one thread away from falling off on the VP all those years ago haha.

I knew of some unknown NOS holden valves from years ago on the net, was at the shop this week and I thought maybe I take a look as they seemed to look like V6 intake valves looking at the pic. Well I was right! there are NOS GM VN-VR intake valves in 0.010" oversize stems, you beauty! The guy gave me one as a sample, next time I'll buy a few sets as they are cheap as. 5 bucks each!

Interestingly I compared to series 3 ecotec valves (1.84") You can see how much heavier the pre ecotec ones are despite smaller diameter. the stem is heaps thicker and the head also. Weighs about a 1/3 more than the ecotec one.

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[vlad01]

Thanks to HQ355 for welding up some deep corrosion pits on my manifold.

Going to have 0.030" machined off each face, 0.010" for the deck, 0.010" for the heads and extra 0.010" just because the stock seating of the manifold is too high up.

Could go 0.040" but will start with 0.030" and see how it cleans up and fits.

Just planed of most of the weld with my body file so the machinist doesn't have to go over it a billion time before even getting to the manifold faces.

On other news, I got NBN fixed wireless installed today and went smooth as. Now I get good fast and reliable internet connection cheaper than the ADSL2+ I had before.
25/5Mbit theoretical speed. I tested it at 17/4.5 on average. Not bad at all! The upload is great!

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[immortality]

I knew of some unknown NOS holden valves from years ago on the net, was at the shop this week and I thought maybe I take a look as they seemed to look like V6 intake valves looking at the pic. Well I was right! there are NOS GM VN-VR intake valves in 0.010" oversize stems, you beauty! The guy gave me one as a sample, next time I'll buy a few sets as they are cheap as. 5 bucks each!

Interestingly I compared to series 3 ecotec valves (1.84") You can see how much heavier the pre ecotec ones are despite smaller diameter. the stem is heaps thicker and the head also. Weighs about a 1/3 more than the ecotec one.

How do the lengths compare between the 3800 V6 and ecotec valves?

What I was thinking about if the valve lengths are fairly similar, you could possibly use a thick wall bronze K liner to get the 3800 head valve guide down to the ecotec 8mm valve stem size, then use some ecotec valves with the heads machined down to suit. Would have a much lighter rev happy valve train

[vlad01]

Same length.

Only one problem, there is virtually no room for larger valves in pre ecotec head. I dropped this ecotec valve in a VN head and the valve overlaps the exhaust by about 1mm.

I had the same idea too, but its a no go or at least not worth increasing the valves by a fraction of a mm. You might get 0.25mm more from both valves but thats about it.

[immortality]

You would need to machine down the ecotec valve head to the diameter of the 3800 valve.

Ecotec valve will probably flow better and is lighter so although you will still have the same size valves they should flow better and you will have a lighter valve train.

[vlad01]

had a go at these on ebay just to have a spare set, thinking under 60 bucks would be the most they would ever cost.

Wtf is wrong with people lol.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/131557176620 ... fresh=true

[vlad01]

So I started to strip the other panel. Damn thing had been sprayed over with 2 pack so the old acetone wash trick was no good.

Making a mess of it with paint stripper. The first application.

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After 2 more applications I got 2/3 of it to bare metal, very difficult to get the paint off using stripper as the e-coat is very resistant to attack and the 2 pack just goes into a gooey mess that re-sticks to the panel.

Will get there eventually. Interestingly, before the e-coat goes on the metal is treated with some sort of oxide or something. Does not rust even left out in the rain. Im sure it will long term but in the short term it doesn't rust.


other news, my engine bits are being balanced as we speak and also blue printed as it got to the point of some of the stuff needed to be done, I said might as well just do it. I will double check the measurements when I get it anyway, its a must.

[vlad01]

Did a tune for the VP, feel free to use it.

Stock VN-VP engine.
pacemakers.
no Bell mouth
65TB
Stock injectors.
Knock disabled, perfect for rattly old engines.

make sure you use min of 95 oct.

Goes heaps better than the greenfoam tune I had on it, mainly due to knock retard disabled, a VE table and AE tuned accurately with WB to suit not a ball parked mail order tune.

Has a quicker lean cruise. set at 15.6 AFR, so hopefully it will get good economy.