Help with VR V8 manual conversion.

[HDTXV-2]

Hi guys this is my first post and I'm sorry if i bring up some questions that have been asked a thousand times but i'm still scratching my head as to which way to go about doing the wiring for my conversion.

Ok here's the problem I have a VR V8 exec and the auto died on me so i've bough a manual conversion but i did'nt get a wiring loom with it. After a bit of searching i've realised how rare they are and damn expensive too. After a fair bit of reading of this forum I've decided not to use the auto loom and computer, i don't like the idea of the computer not getting a reading from the VSS.

I've seen a few people mention that they should use a loom from a VN/VP V8 which is good cause i have a spare one and an 808 hanging around in my spare parts collection. Also when i bought the conversion i was given a VS V8 manual computer service no. 16206305. Where I'm starting to get a bit confused is am I able to use the VS computer with a VN loom after doing some re pinning? Or should i use the 808 with a conversion board? Bear in the mind the car is just a daily and i'm not chasing performance i just want it to drive and behave like a stock manual car.

Finally if i do have to do some re-pinnig of the loom is there any diagrams alvaliable of what i have to change and where it goes?

Sorry for all the questions guys, but some help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Jayme]

ok, you can put the VN v8 loom and the 808 computer with a v8 memcal in it and it will run fine, but it can be hotwired as the 808 has no anti theft. if you dont care, then thats it, drive it like that. the only diffrernces between vn/vp v8 and VR/VS manual v8 looms is the plug on the dizzy is different (you can swap it over from your auto loom) and the aldl data lines going in to places where there are no pin in the VN ecu plugs.

if you really want anti theft, then you can use the VN loom still, and add the aldl pins yourself and wire them to your VR BCM. you would then use the VS v8 manual ECU, but you need to swap the memcal for a VR v8 memcal as the code for the anti theft is different.

also, on a v8 if you have stock cast headers you use a stock based tune, if you have extractors or the 185 '4 into 1' headers, then you need to use a 185 based tune on the memcal.

wiring up the VN loom into your VR wont be too hard, if you have the wiring diagram as some of engine loom > body loom plugs are different. I think there are some diagram son this site somewhere

[HDTXV-2]

Cheers Jayme, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head for me there. I'm not too worried about not having anti theft. She's just a stocker with cast headers so a stock tune will do. I might have a go at getting the aldl pins out and trying to wire it up just for the challenge. The mechancial side of things are a walk in the park, i'm just a bit funny when it comes to efi, too used of working on carbys! haha

Thank mate

[Jayme]

so you pretty much just have to lay the vn loom in, swap over the dizzy connector from your auto loom and wire in the body loom connectors and happy driving.

[VK_3800]

Even if you don't wire up the anti-theft straight away you may as well use the '305 as its a drop-in replacement for the '808 and provides high speed comms as a bonus (unless someone offers you silly money for it I guess)

[Jayme]

true the ecu is capable of high speed comms, but whats the point? to do that youd have to use a VN memcal anyway (which wont allow high speed comms to work rendering it pointless) OR buy a eprom burner to open a VR tune and turn off anti theft or it would never start, and to use the ghigh speed comms youd have to connect up the aldl which is all you need for anti theft to work anyway. so in my opinion, either go the whole hog with VS ecu and VR tune and anti theft working, which is the preferred method especially if you are going to do some tuning. or sell it for $$$$ and use the 808.

[VL400]

I think with the 808 or the manual ECU and VN memcal there will also be an approx 2 second delay from turning the key till the starter kicks over due to the BCM not getting a VATS response from the ECU Might need to take control of the starter relay away from the BCM if that gets annoying.

[VK_3800]

true the ecu is capable of high speed comms, but whats the point? to do that youd have to use a VN memcal anyway (which wont allow high speed comms to work rendering it pointless) OR buy a eprom burner to open a VR tune and turn off anti theft or it would never start, and to use the ghigh speed comms youd have to connect up the aldl which is all you need for anti theft to work anyway. so in my opinion, either go the whole hog with VS ecu and VR tune and anti theft working, which is the preferred method especially if you are going to do some tuning. or sell it for $$$$ and use the 808.

OK fair enough. Was just thinking its easy to hook up - I have the VK set up with $12P (you could also use a VR based manual tune) and just ran it to the original diagnostic plug so I can plug in with the right adapter. If you can get good money for the ECU then by all means hock it off, otherwise may as well leave it there until the day you decide to do something else with it.