pcmhacking.net

So before i begin this i would like to say up front, this is a minimum cost zero fucks given build.

The car in question is a 2006 VZ SV6 Ute, with 294,000kms on the clock and fucked timing chains
I bought this car new, did 240,000kms then sold it to my brother in 2013 when i got a new car, he then did the remainder of the km's until it started to run like shit, he then parked it up for a while thinking one day he'd fix it, but eventually he got over it and it was planned to go to scrap metal, so i thought i would see if i can get it to run properly and use it for some R&D.

So i pulled the timing cover off and sure enough the tensioners were on their limits and im not 100% sure but i think from lining up the timing marks that one cam at least might have jumped a tooth (it was running rough as like it had a big cam and no vacuum to brake booster)
So knowing that this was the issue, and also being able to see which type of chain kit i needed i decided to spend $140 on an ebay timing chain kit (yes i know it will probably snap in 6 months time)
So with the chains replaced and the engine sounding much more like i remember it running, i was happy to start working on the next phase of the project, which was to install the old gemini turbo to it

To do this i wanted to rear mount it, for a few reasons, but most notably its less fab work on pipes, and it takes alot of heat out of the engine bay, so i needed to work out a way to return the oil from the turbo, and i found a boss in the timing cover which i believe is for a east-west engine mount, in this car its just a blind hole, so it looked like a good option for putting a return line into, so i drilled and tapped the hole to suit.
I then ground a slot into the back side of it to allow the oil to drain from it, i wanted to do all this while the engine was apart so no metal shaving got into the motor.
As you can see here, the fitting fits nicely behind the PCM! This was a part off the FX for test fitting, i ended up getting a 90 degree npt fitting with a barb on it which will be slightly more streamline.
So when i got this car it has had the seats pinched and the mags, so i got one of the old Bedford seats and knocked up a basic seat bracket to hold it! this car will never see the road again so legalities are not an issue.
It certainly makes moving the car a lot easier!

So then it was onto making a mount under the rear to support the turbo, i did this with some offcuts i had in the shed, and i got to use my new nutcert kit to put some nuts into the chassis rail! This spot is basically where the rear muffler normally fits, and also there is no spare wheel under the back anymore.
With some very rural pipe work added we had the turbo connected to the original exhaust. Its worth noting on these cars, they have twin cats, twin mufflers then it merges into a single pipe just before the diff, it worked out to be one size smaller than 2.5 inch, which meant i could easily slide the 2.5 over the top and weld it up.
All thats left to do now is get a bit of 3 inch pipe to put a dump out the back of the turbo, more to direct heat away from the body, but it should also pop out the stock exhaust pipe hole nicely

So in the background i had been working on some other parts of the equation, i found some info on the stock injectors which indicates they are about 22-23lb capacity, so i got some adaptors to fit some LSx injectors i have, which i believe are 32lb-ish, so that will definitely give me enough fuel for a few PSI.
Also in the back ground i found a reasonably priced oil scavenge pump, its apparently good for fuel/oil etc and it is able to run dry. I also tested it with some old oil i had, it emptied a 5ltr oil container in about 30 seconds with a -6 pipe on the outlet hahaha!
I've also been going through the tune to remove torque management and increase shift pressures etc, the plan is to remove the turbo setup, take it for a drive up the road as is with the shift changes to see what difference they make, also to make sure the engine goes ok with the injector change, then once thats all happy i'll re-install the turbo, and finish all the pipe work for oil feed/return and inlet, then see what it thinks of 7psi.

My research indicates the 5L40E is rated to 340Nm and the stock 190kw Alloytec is rated to 335Nm, so my thoughts are its not going to last very long on 7psi, but we'll see, what i dont know is if the rating is clutches slipping or if it will actually destroy itself!

Im also hoping the MAF has enough head room for 7psi, but i do know this, i am going to find the limit of either the MAF, the fuel system or the gearbox one way or another

Nice.

Love it. Can’t wait to see it in action.

this reminds of the shit I used to do when I had paddock bombs. Ultra cheap botched together builds haha

that's Mint

What are you using to tune it?

i've had a HP Tuners licence for this car since they supported it, back then it didn't have any of the trans stuff, so im keen to see how that changes it.

In the time you and your brother have owned this, how many PCM's did you have die??

its still the original!

Man another project!!

you know me, easily side tracked!