3.8L Supercharged V6 into Hiace Commuter.

[grotty100]

Hi to all.... New member here! Looks like a great forum!

I am about to fit a Supercharged V6 Commodore motor into my Hiace Commuter with a Getrag 5-speed box behind it. I will be using the Pat Gardner conversion kit. I was just wondering if any one has already done this and might be able to give me some pointers.

The first step is to fit the UPC Hubs / BA Discs / R33 GTST Calipers. Then the MA70 Rear Brakes set-up (but with the R33 Rear Calipers instead of the MA70's), Motive 3.25 ratio LSD and some 'sports' suspension (bearing in mind the extra weight of the V6). Once I'm happy with the way the Hiace handles and brakes, then I'll concentrate on fitting the motor and gearbox.

The engine will be 'slightly' worked, hopefully about 270Kw. I haven't thought much about the exhaust yet so any ideas would be most welcome!

Cheers.
Grotty.

[Sprinterboy]

Sounds like a nice setup your gonna have there.

just one thing, Once you swap over the motors, the braking and handling will change.

I use to have a LWD 92 HiAce. All i could really do suspension wise was 4in lowering blocks for the back and some king springs and short stroke shock up front. Sat nice and low, but I wouldn't say it turned the best. (fun in the wet)

I'd go a 1UZ over the ecotec motor any day. IMHO

[grotty100]

just one thing, Once you swap over the motors, the braking and handling will change.

With adjustable suspension and the built-in adjustable brake bias the handling and braking can be dialled-in.

[JustenGT8]

Vote No2 for the UZ.

Keen to try this insert with a townace or similar.....if a drivetrainless one appears for the right price one day.

[wa5]

The engine will be 'slightly' worked, hopefully about 270Kw. I haven't thought much about the exhaust yet so any ideas would be most welcome!

A local bloke used to perform this conversion but only with Naturally aspirated series 2 engines.. seemed like a very sensible conversion.
glad you are looking at the handling and braking and not just concentrating on power....

Adding 100 odd Kw is "slightly " worked ?

welcome to the forums

[Esteban]

Buick == No
1UZ == FTW

[grotty100]

Here are some parts ready to go into my Hiace this week.

UPC 504 Slotted & Cross Drilled Discs:

[grotty100]

UPC Billet Hubs with Ford Studs:

[grotty100]

Blue R33 GTST Calipers:

[grotty100]

Braided Lines and Banjos:

[hiacehunter]

Hey, howsit goin?

Im just finishing off a pretty similar conversion. I've got a toyota hiace 94 commuter that I'm putting a vn series 1 v6 in, so pretty much the same minus the supercharger(will be going turbo when i get the cash tho). I'v been researchin these types of conversions for years and it came down to a small block chevy, 1uj, 3.8 vn or a 1jz. anyways, ive also went wih the pat gardner conversion kit and its great aside the very, very..........VERY brief instructions, wireing loom and other little bits he hasnt mentioned which you'll thank your stars im replying to this for. sooooooo.

speedo cable:
is a bitch - you have to re-rout it to reach the adapter he gives you comfortably which im still trying to figure out sorry,

tail shatf:
he says to adapt the two (from the vn and hiace) although if you spend the money (around $400) get a canadian tube 1 piece tail shaft with a two uni joints. If the two peice tail shaft is any degrees out, over time it will wear the bearings which gets costly ive heard. also the canadian tube is what they use in the custom hotrods and off roaders so its tough.

radiator:
use a diesel hiace radiator as is bolts straight in and cools better. for the bottom water jacket from the vn hose actually just fits if you trim it a bit. for the top one take the old hiace radiator and the new diesel radiator to a radiator shop and get them to put the open tip from the old 1 onto the new diesel one. you'll understand why when you fit the other hose. If you go to auto bahn and get a flexible radiator hose it will fit.
use a vs fan as its smaller and cools efectivly although you will have to trim the hood or housing whatever u wana call it. there are actual bold holes in the front of the radiator. drill holes in the fan housing and find a bolt to harness it on. dont be hesitant to trim or cut the housing to fit, as long as its safe.

Electrics
with the loom you get in the pack and what not i just got my electrician m8 to physically adapt the hiace body wiring with the pat gardner wiring loom and the vn harness so sorry i cant really help there.

fuel:
Im running mine on straight gas for simplicity and efficiency. Ive done about half my fuel system as in lpg so just reply if your doing the same

I cant think of anything else and ive just thought that i didnnt look when u posted it hahaha sorry.

but cheers its good to know my money and time wasnt that worthless

[XR Pilot]

I for one certainly couldn't recommend the supercharged buick. We had to tune one at work in a VT that has been converted to manual. Its on an aftermarket ecu, setup using a FIT intercooler kit (basically a sandwich plate between the charger and motor that feeds the air into the front mount, and back into the motor) which from what I understand is 2-3K worth of kit, which despite all advice his running around 12 pound of boost through it and can't keep head gaskets on it. The net result of this is about 280rwhp, and its generally a pig of a car. So I think 270rwkw is very optimistic, unless your talking at the flywheel which would be do able but factor in the cost of an intercooler kit for it.

[Duk]

which despite all advice his running around 12 pound of boost through it and can't keep head gaskets on it. The net result of this is about 280rwhp, and its generally a pig of a car. So I think 270rwkw is very optimistic, unless your talking at the flywheel which would be do able but factor in the cost of an intercooler kit for it.

Surely a tune related issue???? Aren't the yanks getting some of there ugly Buik turbo things to run 12-11-10s with this horrid engine?

[XR Pilot]

Air/fuel was monitored on a wideband o2, and was setup on the slightly rich side of what you would consider normal for a turbo engine. Ignition timing was set on the dyno, monitored for both audible knock and logged from the factory knock sensor via the ecu. So I wouldn't exactly consider it a tune issue, more to do with tryin to jam 12 pound boost into a motor that was designed as a stop gap replacement in 1961 as a solution to the fuel crisis in america, designed for all of about 100hp at the flywheel.

If your still not convinced, look up the difference in the factory power figures between the NA engine and the super6. Not a huge difference.

[hiacehunter]

The engine will be 'slightly' worked, hopefully about 270Kw. I haven't thought much about the exhaust yet so any ideas would be most welcome

[/QUOTE]

I wanted to go with 2.5" duel pipe from each extractors although it wouldn't make much power just noise i spose. any ways im going with just a single 2.5" pipe off the "Y" piece. if you look up "scots rods" hes in qld, he makes a bolt on kit for the vn's although with some brackets it should be perfect and posts oz wide.