HJ GTS Coupe

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monaro308
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 2:02 pm
cars: VT S1 LS1 C/dore track car
HJ GTS Monaro Coupe
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HJ GTS Coupe

Post by monaro308 »

Hi all,
This is my 308 red using the pre-pollution manifold.
I was keen to do this conversion for the sake of seeing if it would run,then run ok,and be pretty much driveable.
Everyone told me to just bang on an VN EFI top end set-up,but i wanted to keep everything pretty much HJish.
Also the hassle of an exhaust and cam change etc etc...didn't appeal to me(been there done that)
The added incentive was to "learn"to TIG weld.I lashed out on one of those china Ebay ones and to my surprise it works quite well.Welding a 30+ year old inlet manifold sure was a mongrel.So much crap would come out of the aluminium.....i was beginning to have my doubts about going ahead with it.
Persistance sure helps and all went well.
I used 4 x VP V6 fuel rails with the 3rd injector blanked off.The plenum is is made of aluminium checker plate and just made to fit in the space allowed.No mathematics or "high level" white coat theory was used in the design.It is bolted to an Holley spreadbore adapter plate onto the holden 4brl manifold.
Brackets were made to suit my standard V8 acc cable and the TH700R4 TV cable.
I used a VN V6 wiring loom and disected it to add the V8 ignition module and modified the rest of the loom to suit my engine bay.All the rest of the sensors were off VN V6/8 "borrowed" :lol: from the wreckers.
I made sure in the event of a breakdown or mishap...ALL parts were standard off the shelf holden parts,with the exception of the fuel rail 3 injector holes.
Vn V8 throttle body is used and VT and VN intake ducting with VN airbox.
VL external fuel pump was used,but after killing 2 of them and bad fuel surge even above 1/4 tank...i gave up and cut the top out of another HJ tank i had and fitted a VN swirl pot and internal pump and it's been as good as gold since that day.

A few months later i added the rest of my old Impco LPG set-up but adapted a 225 mixer setup with O2 controller as well.
The VN cruise control set up was added later down the track.
The biggest pain in the ass has been the VSS set-up to work/last long enough to not destroy itself.I used a well known companies VSS - TH400/GTS cable conversion twice that lasted about a month before giving up on that and adapting a workmates "t " drive set-up that he made years ago. A modified WB cruise cable went from trans drive to the centre of the "t" drive.One end had the VN VSS drive and the other end had the standard TH400 cable going back to the GTS dash speedo.As the VN VSS uses 10 pulses against the aftermarket 2 pulse set up,I used the guts of a VN speedo head hidden under my console and wired it up from the VSS to VN speedo to enable the "devide x 5" circuit back to the 808 ECU and control my lock up converter.
I have since changed to a VR manual ECU for 8196 baud rate and real time tuning/data logging using EFI-Live and an ostrich2 emulator. A W/Band is also used to keep it under control.
From first fire up (about 18 months ago) to now,it's been flawless (apart from fuel pump issues).It fires up on about half starter crank everytime,idles well and drives well.It doesn't have the grunt of a VN top-end conversion,but it sure is stronger than the ex-carb set-up.
It was alot of work but i enjoyed the challenge and learning along the way.If i ever want to sell the car or bring it back to original,all it takes is a manifold change and fuel line mods.The original wiring is still there.
With the help of delcowizzid and VL400 on a previous site their knowledge has made this easier.
cheers...mario
Attachments
EFI Manifold 068.jpg
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EFI Manifold 084.jpg
EFI Manifold 084.jpg (101.6 KiB) Viewed 8700 times
EFI Manifold 083.jpg
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Last edited by monaro308 on Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Holden202T
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Re: HJ GTS Coupe

Post by Holden202T »

love your work :)

it looks good and its good to see someone doing it this way rather than the easy way out!!

its like to know about those cheap ebay tigs that can weld alloy 8-)
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VL400
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Re: HJ GTS Coupe

Post by VL400 »

Very nicely done, looks the part and sounds like it goes alright too! The fuel rail idea is really good solution!
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delcowizzid
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Re: HJ GTS Coupe

Post by delcowizzid »

and that plenum is like a peice of artwork very nice :D
If Its Got Gas Or Ass Count Me In.if it cant be fixed with a hammer you have an electrical problem
delcosmurf
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Re: HJ GTS Coupe

Post by delcosmurf »

very nice work
monaro308
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 2:02 pm
cars: VT S1 LS1 C/dore track car
HJ GTS Monaro Coupe
CV8 V2 S3
VE SSV

Re: HJ GTS Coupe

Post by monaro308 »

Thanks everyone :D
I should get off my butt and do some more tuning with some cooler weather coming up.
I have a couple more pics here.
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delcowizzid
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Re: HJ GTS Coupe

Post by delcowizzid »

dual plane manifold is it .do you have any dimensions or any idea on plenum volume ive just been looking into manifold design and supposidly the best design is runners that hold the same amout of air as the cylinder volume in each one and plenum volume the same as the whole engine capacity.
If Its Got Gas Or Ass Count Me In.if it cant be fixed with a hammer you have an electrical problem
GONZO
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Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:53 pm

Re: HJ GTS Coupe

Post by GONZO »

I reckon this is a great conversion.

As for the manifold plenum and runner volumes. That is the ideal situation. There are several manufacturers manifolds based on the same info.

I have been developing an EFI manifold for the 351 Cleveland and it works very nicely.
I am about to get some comparisons ready for it.
VNracer34G
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Location: Gisborne NZ

Re: HJ GTS Coupe

Post by VNracer34G »

Awesome work man, seeing this and Holden202's delco conversion has triggered all sorts of ideas.

Thanx Guys........i think.....

if someone says that'll be real hard to do.....cosider it. If they say its impossible prove the bastards wrong :lol:
Build it, Race it, Break/Bend it ; Repeat.
monaro308
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 2:02 pm
cars: VT S1 LS1 C/dore track car
HJ GTS Monaro Coupe
CV8 V2 S3
VE SSV

Re: HJ GTS Coupe

Post by monaro308 »

Yes delco it is the standard HQ/HJ dual plane manifold.Someone had cut a little section of the divider out b4 i got it.
Not as radical as the usual divider mod.The adapter/spacer plate in between is a fully open centre.
I only made up the plenum to suit the space in between the rails.
I angled the back of the plenum thinking that a full dose of air hitting an angled plate towards the inlets was better than hitting a flat back....lol.
Who knows if this design is a pig or not.It is funny to see the plenum expanding when i accelerate.
It had me worried when i first saw this happening thinking that my welds will blow apart.
I have given it a few bootfuls and it has be faultless for nearly 2 years now.
I can measure it up if you want to work out the volume.
GONZO it would be good to see some pics of your conversion when its up and running. :D

I know what you mean VNracer when you see some ideas floating around,it gets the juices flowing in the head.
Don't be afraid to have a go at something different as i was proud as punch when i fired mine up the first time.
It sounded so different to the carby...the exhaust note was different as well.
It is a completely stock engine.
Lately i've had visions of doing a VT sc6 bolted to the manifold if i can score one cheap (doubt it)...or
going to the VN efi heads/cam/exh and making the manifold to suit my "gear",

My dream is probably running 2 hair driers....but i think i WILL have to brace that plenum! :lol:

Have fun all !
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