V6 Engine Install

[Rogue Trooper]

It's going back to the battery box. I'm thinking of creating an airbox in the rear half of the battery compartment and will probably mount a pod filter on the end of the pipe. It's about the only place I can go underneath the van to keep it away from the heat of the exhaust pipe and try and prevent the intake sucking up water on rainy days as well. I'll still have to run some heat shielding between the intake pipe and the exhaust to try and keep the intake as cool as possible.

[Warren]

George

Regarding the picture you attached, I think it is the drawing for the engin cover, top and sides.

This picture should help you visualise it.

If you imagine it folded along the lines in the drawing you can see where there is allowances for the changing height of the floor.

The bottom bit (the smiley shaped bit) is the base and the squarer top bit is the cover.

As said before make it out of cardboard to get an understanding.


Warren 

[TheArchiTech]

does not look like the much room for any air movement she will get hot under there

[Noid]

Having carried out a v6 conversion, it is quite involved. I doubt if Pat can cover everything off and make the conversion kit profitable to sell (not making any excuses for Pat though, I used his sump only in mine). He wouldn't include the custom radiator mounts, custom accelerator cable, new fuel lines, adaption of transmission shifter, custom drive shaft, conversion of fuel filler to unleaded (must for rego) speedo adapter (I converted speedo to commodore) custom exhaust system, disk brake conversion (must for rego in the ACT) and many other little challenges you face when doing a conversion. But I will say that this has been one of the most reliable user friendly conversions I have done. The dog house is tight but the commodore radiator and matching fan work too well, definitely no over heating at any time
I fabricated my own engine cover as mentioned before by making a pattern out of cardboard first.

[Bedfordcrazy]

Hi Noid, I'm not a mechanic, i have a mechanic doing my conversion, so forgive my ignorance here. In some of the pics from pat it shows the radiator being kicked back towards the firewall, almost lobbing it in the middle of the engine bay, is there an operational reason for this, if not why can i not move the radiator forward to the grill, normal position, allowing room for air-con, and keeping bay open for bottles and other things.
 
I am planning on using the complete fuel filler and remote door from my donor car, just graft the whole lot into my beddy body.

Someone in here a few days ago said they used a 100 series landcruiser radiator for reliable cooling, is there a preference for my donor VP or cruiser radiator ?
I have no doubt my mechanic will sort it all out, but while he is doing so, i am paying, so the more time we can spend doing an not thinking the better for my wallet. I have done a 4 wheel disc brake conversion, so i should stop no problem.
George.

[Rogue Trooper]

You can put your radiator wherever you like so long as it is going to get adequate airflow. It might have been situated where it was because that is where the original hoses and transmission lines reached to and the guy who installed it couldn't be bothered sorting out longer hoses and lines.

I would say stick with the VP radiator if you already have it and then see how it cools. It must do the job OK otherwise it wouldn't have been fitted to the engine in the first place. Why shell out for something else if you don't need to.

I'm using the original VN radiator for my install. I would say the previous owner had replaced it quite recently as it is in very good nick.

[MaTTe]

the Vp radiator shoudl be fine, at that stage of the game it should be a cross flow, so provided it isn't blocked it shoudl be good. It might be wortyh takign to a radiator specialist and have it checked, or cleaned out for best results.

As was said you can put the radiator anywhere you want, you just have to find some rubber hoses to make the distance/bends which isn't hard.

Also another good suggestion was making the engine cover out of cardboard, its easy to do, easy to fix if it doesn't work out, and cheap. It'll give you a good idea of sizing, but you want to cut on the inside of the line when its on the floor of the van, and then once you've cut the floor, you want to take measurements of the floor and make your new engine cover up to those dimensions, just incase things changed between initial plan and end result.

One thing i think will be most important, and i'm not sure if you have the information anyway, is getting the engine location right. The mounts will want to be in a pretty specific position without modification, so you'll need to make sure you know where the hole in the floor needs to be to get this positioning right.

Good luck

[Bedfordcrazy]

thanks guys, our biggest decision is cuting the floor lol  there is a rib just behind the original hole in floor do we cut through that ? the pics we have appear that the hole for the engine is almost inline with the front of the seat boxes, as rogue said some time ago, it is easier to cut more floor out, just harder to stick it back. lol  One reason guys, when I do this i will make a floor template from tin, and the next guy here that needs to know, i can just send a cardboard copy to them, save them having my headaches lol the joys of custom vanning 
George.

[Rogue Trooper]

I wouldn't have thought it went back that far. The V6 is shorter than the straight 6 you're replacing it with unless the whole shooting match is supposed to sit back further.

[Bedfordcrazy]

hi rogue, according to moree, new mounts sit at back of the front cross member.
George.