VN 3.8ltr V6 in hilux

[pwedge]

G'day,
Anyone here driving a vn v6 converted lux? If so any feedback on it? Cheers.

[Green Rodeo]

Have you looked at later model V6's, such as the Mazda ones?

Lighter and far more powerful. Although spare parts prices may even out the playing field.

[Green Rodeo]

There are some stats on the KL-ZE V6 here:

offroadvw.net - Baja Wes (http://www.offroadvw.net/bajawes/index.htm)

[RODEONICK]

i previously owned a kitted out 1990 dualcab with the series1 VN 3800 engine and utiling the lux 5speed. The WORST car i have ever owned. from the day i brought it to the day i swapped it (couldn't sell the piece a) i had dramas. better ask me what didn't screw up with it? get a shorter list that way.
mine was quite strange ARB did the conversion one week after the car was sold from new with a diesel in it:crazy: i don't know why anybody would have trashed a good simple diesel lux by removing the engine.
ask specific questions and i'll answer if i can.

[pwedge]

hehe I was just wondering because I am thinking of selling my truck to get something with a solid axle and I have spotted a few for sale with the vn v6 in them... I was just wondering what sort of mileage you get out of a tank, are they a reliable motor etc?
cheers..

[Tower]

i used to own a vp sedan which the engine didnt change much but milage wasnt to bad i think 350km to a tank but being my first car and being younger i didnt drive it lightly. Try to stay away from series 1 engines as thats what they are series ones and problems werent smoothed out till the series 2 came along. i would go a series 2 if i was looking for a commo conversion thats been done, as for reliablity the series 2s are strong i sold mine with 280,000k's on it and it still drove good

[RODEONICK]

i used to get with it 20L/100kms Hwy klms
i blew a head, droped a conrod through the sump, blew a gearbox,blew a fuel pump,blew a waterpump, broke the steering arm, contantly had electrical F$%k ups, constantly overheating.

i will not recommend one to my worst enermy.

go the diesel and run it on biodiesel to save the cash and supercharge, lift and lock her.:thumb:

[boof]

Personally I wouldnt touch a Lux with a commo 3.8 in them, imo they are not suited to the car and are a waste of money.

[babylux]

They are like all engine conversions they have there problems but can be done for good results.

[crawla]

Spot on babylux.

I have seen many round but 2 of the stand out ones were and someone pull me up if I'm wrong,

madcow (jeep) has a 3.8 VN motor in her.
Seems to have gone ok over the years including tough trucks etc.

Anyone remember the monster yellow open diff hilux running around with the 3.8 also that was in the first tough truck.

EDIT.....crikey and don't forget Pat's suzuki! Look what that thing has done and he hasn't complained about the VN conversion.

My brother had an 89 model VN, got the thrashings of what many teenage blokes do, had over 350000km on it. The motor never had a spanner put on it. We new the car from new.

[babylux]

The scat had a commo motor?
The Macquarie 4x4 green lux also 3.8? both in Tuff Truck.
Also I think that bundy had one? and that paj? There was a supercharged one too in a zook?


EDIT:
Myself, I would put a LS1 in it:D

[diehard]

depends on the motor too

one of my mates has a bundy with a v6...he's got about 5 years service out of her and never had an issue

another mate bolted one into his surf, and spun a big end in its maiden voyage

[boof]

I did a heap of research into them when I did my conversion it was what I originally wanted to put in. Common faults as explained to me by workshops that did them and also people who had or did own were pretty much the same. They all complained about heavy fuel consumption, most had major overheating issues, a lot hated the torque curve especially offroad, some of the other problems were the same as the Lexus alternator not liking mud etc.

After having a commo ute with the motor in it there is no way I would ever run one in a 4wd. Thats just my personal opinion and I have met people who were happy with them ;)

[TUF-35T]

i have recently been for a drive in a hilux with a 4.3 litre chevy v6 in it built to run straight lpg unsure of what kind of milage it gets but had a 5 speed dyna g/box plenty of power the owner is very stoked with it but is not a daily driver so i guess it dosent have to be purfect mabyr some thing else to look at

cheers shane

[duza]

Any engine conversion will cost a few thou, if you have to buy bellhousings or adaptors, engine mounts etc. They all have to be engineered as well. Most conversions will also have cooling problems at the start until you upgrade the cooling system.My advice is go for the most modern you can find and although you may think now that 138kw Commy motors are a long way better than your existing setup, there are many more possibilities which will see you with much more power and with better fuel economy. I'm not trying to knock all the V6 commy 4WDs around, hell I still own one, but we all must consider fuel consumption these days and the 1UZ owners are all reporting around 15l/100ks and now Struth is claiming even better with his Holden V8. Most of the V6 Commy owners, as Boof confirms, are getting much worse than that. Mine, for instance is around 22l/100ks, if I'm lucky. They have proven to be reliable conversions for their time, but there are many better choices around now.
I'm sure someone will reply how they got a motor for next to nothing and bought a conversion kit secondhand thru Ebay for $500, so did the whole thing for next to nothing. You might be lucky, but $500 for engineers, $500 for exhaust system, etc, etc all add up and you will wish you had gone a different route every time you pull up to the petrol bowser or any time a Hyundai drags you off at the lights.