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My LH 6 to v8 conversion...


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#26 _74LH_

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Posted 12 August 2015 - 07:56 PM

Nice one dude! Looks awesome. Any chance you can tell me if the original 6 cylinder hard fuel line pipe needs to be different? Or are they the same?


As in line from tank to pump or pump to carby?

#27 toryman76

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Posted 12 August 2015 - 07:58 PM

The hard line from the tank to the pump



#28 _74LH_

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Posted 12 August 2015 - 08:01 PM

Looks pretty good Daniel top stuff you must be stoked


Definitely!

Forgot to mention, I am sorting out the engine bay, gonna go with a simple DIY spraycan job, not enough funds or interested to do a detailed bay...it is gonna be driven a lot after all haha

#29 _74LH_

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Posted 12 August 2015 - 08:05 PM

The hard line from the tank to the pump


No, my old set up had a hard line into the engine bay, then a rubber line onto the old six filter/pump. All we did was leave the solid line as is and change the rubber hose length to the new v8 pump and we're away...unless yours is set up different?

#30 toryman76

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Posted 12 August 2015 - 08:12 PM

I am running the standard mechanical fuel pump so I should be sweet to re-fab my line exactly as the old one. Thanks mate.

Nothing wrong with a non detailed bay. Like you say its going to be driven. Looks great regardless!

#31 _74LH_

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Posted 12 August 2015 - 08:16 PM

I am running the standard mechanical fuel pump so I should be sweet to re-fab my line exactly as the old one. Thanks mate.

Nothing wrong with a non detailed bay. Like you say its going to be driven. Looks great regardless!


Look at my very first post on this project page, the last photo you can see to the left of the engine the rubber hose leading to the old set up for reference.

Yeah I don't want a show room quality, but a nice satin black to match the rocker covers will look sick I reckon... Gotta make that engine the center of attention haha

#32 _74LH_

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Posted 22 August 2015 - 05:06 PM

It's back! A few teething problems and a few little things yet to do, but I am beyond stoked...especially with the new wheels. I'll give it a good wash and detail (and get around to touching up the engine bay) then I'll put up some more pictures. Til then enjoy!

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#33 toryman76

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Posted 22 August 2015 - 06:36 PM

Mate you have to be stoked with that! Super effort!!!! Happy driving :-)

#34 GMH-01X

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Posted 22 August 2015 - 06:58 PM

Awesome Daniel great job mate, seems like you had it well organized.
What was the price on the Fenix radiator ?

#35 _74LH_

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Posted 22 August 2015 - 07:19 PM

Awesome Daniel great job mate, seems like you had it well organized.
What was the price on the Fenix radiator ?


Cheers mate, somewhere in the area of $400 from memory. Mechanic had to do some minor modifications to get it to fit (was a tiny bit wide) but that was no big deal

#36 Ice

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Posted 22 August 2015 - 08:08 PM

Well done Daniel looks bloody great mate nice ride
good combo paint and wheels

#37 _74LH_

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Posted 23 August 2015 - 06:01 PM

Just thought I'd thank and shine a light on the people behind the build (Melbourne area):

Engine Rebuild - Frank @ Headspec Engine Reconditioning, great guy with a real understanding of his trade. Moreover he goes that extra mile to help his clients.

Transmission - Pat @ J&P Automatics. Another bloke who has a real understanding of his trade and what these transmissions need to last, full of advice and knowledge and more than happy to help out.

Differential - Jack McNamara Diffs. Although I only went with a banjo center swap, Jack was no nonsense and quick with his work, his workshop is something to see haha

Aftermarket parts - Richard @ Bursons Springvale. Now there are a lot of Bursons around and most are much of a muchness but Richard has been really helpful, no matter what I ordered or needed it was always the right part and arrived within a couple of days.

Wreckers - Clayton Holden Wreck (Micheal) and Dinkum Autos (Chris). If you're after a wreckers who are no bs and stocked with all the right parts (and always at a fair price) then these are your guys.

And finally (and most importantly) Throwing the combo together - Tony Risso @ Indy Automotive Repairs, this guy is the real deal. Everything installed and swapped out on the Torrie (minus the exhaust) he did. Tony really knows his classic cars, he came recommended highly from many people and he did not disappoint. His work was of the highest quality, was very reasonably priced and he was faster than I expected. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him and his business to anyone.

Anyway that's enough from me.Thanks for the support guys, feels great to get it out and about today on a rare sunny Melbourne day. Here's another one from this afternoons spin, now I've given it a wash and detail. Still smiling!

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#38 Heath

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Posted 23 August 2015 - 09:29 PM

Car looks great. Glad to hear it has all come together and is running.

#39 _74LH_

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Posted 25 July 2018 - 06:21 PM

Alright...time to revive this old thread because it's time for a new engine!!

Yes, it's only been 3 years, why new engine? Let's just say the current one has had some pretty serious issues that have not given me a lot of confidence in its longevity, had it looked at and tuned multiple times and we are at the point where we can keep throwing $$$$ (literally thousands already) or we can start again....

But most importantly I have a new engine builder who has poisoned my brain...so new engine means more HORSEPOWER

Which means stroker haha

So we are going 355, gonna be a simple streeter combo with tried and proven parts...Ausgrind crank, VT block (sonic and crack tested), A9L rods, flat tops, VL big valve heads, and a solid Clive cam that is yet to be decided...may go with solid roller but we will see as it may be overkill. Dual plane manifold and quaddy will remain.
HP figures aren't really the big issue...honestly 420hp as an approximation, maybe more or less

The problem solving part will be in the decision for myself to keep running the trimatic and banjo combination in the running gear...dangerous stuff I know but I'll get it looked over by an expert and definitely swap out the standard torque converter for a 2500 stall.

As always it's about keeping it simple and strong but kinda stealthy. Also means I can reuse parts of the current combo like intake/carb, front dress, extractors/exhaust....

Tell me what yas think, photos to follow!!

#40 dron

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Posted 25 July 2018 - 10:49 PM

I stuck with a trymatic and Std diff too long with my last toy. It was a wb 1 tonner and I did load it up but 3 transmishions and several diff's later I went to t400 , 9"diff with a 3" tailshaft. Never killed the drive line again, Spent more keeping the old stuff running than the new trans and diff cost to set up. When I retiared the 1 tonner I shortened the diff and droped it and a 355 stroker into my UC and it is still going strong.
 

The lighter car may not distroy the trimatic but you may end up driving to not brake the diff/ trans rather than just driving it.



#41 _74LH_

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Posted 27 July 2018 - 05:50 PM

I stuck with a trymatic and Std diff too long with my last toy. It was a wb 1 tonner and I did load it up but 3 transmishions and several diff's later I went to t400 , 9"diff with a 3" tailshaft. Never killed the drive line again, Spent more keeping the old stuff running than the new trans and diff cost to set up. When I retiared the 1 tonner I shortened the diff and droped it and a 355 stroker into my UC and it is still going strong.

The lighter car may not distroy the trimatic but you may end up driving to not brake the diff/ trans rather than just driving it.


Yeah I'm onto a transmission specialist who will work closely with the engine builder on it...at the end of the day comes down to how I drive it really. But yeah I'm being cautious

Its only because I'm stubborn and want to keep the coloumn shift and bench seats for extra stealth and grandpa factor haha

#42 _74LH_

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Posted 08 June 2019 - 11:13 AM

Finally an update...

Found the block after going through 3 of them that all failed sonic testing.
It's been to the machine shop, been bored to 020 and had all the other usual machining done (line bore etc) also had the real maim converted to chev type.

I spent a whole day grinding the block yesterday, as you can see pictured, long and dirty job but needed to be done and it's better than paying the engine builder to do it.

Machine shop also have the a9l rods resized and replaced all the bolts etc.
Crank is an Ausgrind cast crank, it has been ground and finished.
Engine builder managed to find the last set of SRP 020 pistons in the country so that's a huge relief.

Next is dummy fitment by engine builder, then back to machine shop for decking the block and balancing the rotating assembly, then we assemble the short block

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#43 koalasprint

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Posted 20 June 2019 - 04:12 PM

Nice work on the grinder Dan!

 

I'm keen to know about the sonic testing. My block is at 60 over and I want to source a block and stash it away as insurance for the future. But keen to get one with plenty of meat on it. Imagine storing one away for years then to find it has thin spots.

 

What sort of thickness did the rejected blocks have and what did you end up with?

Where did you go and what sort of cost to test a block?

I've heard that VT(VMxxxx) roller blocks are prone to core shift but what about VN-VS(VUxxxx) blocks. Any recommendations?

 

I'm assuming that the earlier blocks will likely be thin due to corrosion and at least one re-bore.

 

Cheers, Steve.



#44 _74LH_

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Posted 20 June 2019 - 11:03 PM

Nice work on the grinder Dan!

I'm keen to know about the sonic testing. My block is at 60 over and I want to source a block and stash it away as insurance for the future. But keen to get one with plenty of meat on it. Imagine storing one away for years then to find it has thin spots.

What sort of thickness did the rejected blocks have and what did you end up with?
Where did you go and what sort of cost to test a block?
I've heard that VT(VMxxxx) roller blocks are prone to core shift but what about VN-VS(VUxxxx) blocks. Any recommendations?

I'm assuming that the earlier blocks will likely be thin due to corrosion and at least one re-bore.

Cheers, Steve.


Thanks mate, should have seen me afterwards, covered head to toe in black iron dust. Took me close to 8 hours as I did the underside of the block and the bit behind the timing chain cover....basically anywhere oil is, can't have metal getting loose and end up somewhere it shouldn't!

Sonic testing is critical if you want to make hp and keep it for a while. If you're building a stocker to poke around town in then it's a different story.
My engine builder recommends nothing under 2.5mm on a virgin bore engine. So in my case, with the Ausgrind crank and standard rods, we would have to go oversize by .020 to get 355ci displacement.

What part of the country are you living in?
If you're in Melbourne, then there's no one else for the job than Crankshaft Rebuilders in my opinion. Failing that then any decent machine shop that will give you a complete sheet afterwards showing each bore and it's thickness on all 4 sides of each bore will do. Once it passes sonic test, then get crack testing done, as you would be surprised how easily these old blocks hide hairline cracks.

The worst block I had was a VT roller, it was 1.8mm on the worst bore, completely useless for anything. Sonic testing is usually around the $300-350 mark from memory. Usually the shop will have to hot tank the block first, so keep that in mind.

As for which blocks are susceptible to core shift, yes the VT are notorious for it. But really it could be any of them. My engine builder has a virgin bore VK Brock motor in his shed with a bore of 1.5mm on one side. He has another 186s block that has around the same. He has another customer with an RB30 in a race car that has less than 2mm also so its not just a Holden issue.
The problem is they were all made at a certain cost, Holden were there to make money like any other business so keeping quality control to bare minimum was the norm, as long as it worked it didn't need to be perfect. So the whole one block being better than the others is impossible to know without checking, it's all luck. And unfortunately now good virgin blocks are getting harder to find.

#45 koalasprint

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Posted 25 June 2019 - 08:18 AM

I bet the shower felt great after that effort! Thanks for the info on sonic testing. I'm in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne so Blackburn is not far to go. I had no idea just how thin cylinder walls are. I imagined them to be twice as thick. So they are about the thickness of an Easter egg.



#46 _74LH_

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Posted 25 June 2019 - 08:07 PM

I bet the shower felt great after that effort! Thanks for the info on sonic testing. I'm in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne so Blackburn is not far to go. I had no idea just how thin cylinder walls are. I imagined them to be twice as thick. So they are about the thickness of an Easter egg.


Then definitely get down to Crankshaft Rebuilders for all your machine work, great work and reasonable prices.

I should add, they are only thin on one face of the bore (I believe it's the thrust side from memory) which means the opposite side is somewhere in the area of 5-7mm...kinda funny that they are like that but when you look at the block architecture and the thin/thick spots on a report, then it really shows how susceptible they are to core shift

#47 _74LH_

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Posted 01 August 2020 - 06:58 PM

Covid may have slowed it down a little but finally got an update, short block is assembled! Very happy with progress, coming together nicely. Just gotta get some paint on her and the welsh plugs in and then its valvetrain time (sump has since been installed)

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#48 _74LH_

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Posted 01 August 2020 - 07:02 PM

Engine builder invited me in today to do the easier work with porting the heads, the aim of the build is torque and driveability so porting heads and flowing them to the enth degree is pretty much pointless. So in order to save myself a buck the engine builder let me tackle the polishing of the chambers for cc'ing and simpler parts of de-burring the heads.

 

The heads are VL carb heads, which are factory big valve heads with hardened seats as standard

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#49 yel327

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Posted 01 August 2020 - 08:43 PM

Seats are only flame hardened I think. Once you cut them during rebuild they are probably not that hard anymore?
Did you cc any of the chambers? I’ve never had VL heads to do it to.

#50 _74LH_

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Posted 01 August 2020 - 08:49 PM

Engine builder doesn't seem concerned about the condition of the seats, he's planning to cut into them when he fits the valves. I would assume they're suitable for my use as they were installed by Holden for use with unleaded fuel?

I polished the chambers, he will cc them next week sometime, I can ask him the cc when he's done if you like? Builder will balance the chambers and finish the port before sending them to the machine shop




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