Holden engine help

[ShaneJ]

So the facts are that I know zero about holden motors.

I need a motor and transmission for my van to get it going for the time being so I can do some weekend camping trips. It would be a bonus if I was able to tow my boat up the highway.

I currently have what I am told is a  173 with 3 speed manual. Beats me if it really is a 173 or not?? I believe the engine is in good condition but the 3 speed blows goats.

The 3 speed with the crappy linkages has to go. I was planing on finding an auto to fit but I am concerned that I may loose too much go go through an auto.

People have told me to find a 202 with an auto attached and bolt this in. But I am told the 173 is a lot more fuel efficient than the 202. And not just because of the capacity difference.

I am happy to stay with a manual if a 4 or 5 speed can be fitted easily. I am not interested in doing a Celica conversion however.

So... Can anyone tell me the difference in power between a 173 and a 202? Would I notice much difference between the 2 with an auto?

Any help?

Thanks

[matty]

sourced from Wikipedia,

Engine Displacement           Compression          Power              Torque
                                                                  bhp, kW             ft·lb, N·m
2.84 L Red I6 173 cu in       Low                     112, 84              160, 220
                                        High                    118, 88              168, 228

3.3 L Red I6 202 cu in         Low                     129, 96              190, 260
                                        High                    135, 101             194, 263


If there was an noticable difference in economy I would of thought the 202 would be the more economical having the more
power and torque. my thinking behind that is more power equals less throttle.

my opinion, if your plans aren't for a holden six to be your final motor then save your dollars and run the motor you have with a better box (manual would be my choice). 

[ShaneJ]

I looked at the wiki page earlier and couldn't see the power specs. Probably should of looked over to the right 

I'm not sure what my final motor will be. I was planing on an EFI 302 but with the price of rego these days I am trying to look elsewhere. What ever it is I doubt it will be a holden six. The idea for the van is to be able to tow my boat around Oz.

Anyway, so apart from the current 3 speed or a Celica box, what other options are there for a half decent manual?

[matty]

ausie 4 speed would be a better box then three speed and straight swap I believe (never done myself). another box of interest could be a 4 speed
auto from a vn/vp commodore (otherwise known as a turbo 700 or a 4L60) advantage it has the overdrive down side conversion cost would be over 1000
 I have one in my van and it seems like it would work well but my particular gear box isn't to crash hot.

ever looked into the diesiel motors getting around these days, plenty of power and torque and might be a little cheaper on rego then a V8
 but could only assume cost of conversion would be much higher.

[ben]

but those gearboxes are dirt cheap matty just grab another one for 50 - 100 bucks and pop it in:)

[aka5000]

The Aussie 4spd is a straight swap for the 3 spd, and has the same kinda shifter and linkages. What's wrong with Celica conversion? It's a good gearbox

[Warren]

Shane

How heavy is the boat ?

When I first got Boris he had a 202 on gas, with a 3 speed manual 3.08 diff, was a bit sluggish so I bolted in a aussie 4 speed.

It made a quite noticable difference in the drivability of the van, I have used it to tow a Aliner camper trailer which weighs about 1.2 - 1.3 tonnes and it would do it quite well, sat well at 110 k. The van was actually more comfortable and smooth towing due to the extra weight on the springs.

The camper I'm now driving has a a 173 and 3 speed auto, I'm not sure of the weight of the fittout in the camper but it is a lot slower than the 202.

I have a late model EFI 202 to put in it in the future which should make a marked improvement.

If I was you I would look out for a aussie 4 speed and bolt it in and see how it goes, its a staight bolt in and you should be able to pick one up for around $100.

Do some checking as there are two types (M20 & M21 I think) one has a taller 1st gear and would be the better of the two I think (not sure what mine is)

And a speco 4 speed shifter out of a HQ can be simply tweeked to work in the original gear shift position, I can let you know of a few tricks to "tighten up"  the selector if its sloppy.

Warren

  
    

[cfjeff]

I have a 186 holden and trimatic out through a bedford/ crester 3.45 diff. It goes really well and has done for the last 21 years, its ok towing smaller loads but i once tower 1.6 tone of paving slabs on a tandem trailer back from Ashburton about an hour from here. was a slow trip in places and took a lot to get up some speed. However its fine towing smaller loads and flat towing other vans back from dos when they break down. Only thing is a 3.08 or 2.75 diff ratio would probably help but finding one of these to fit a beddy is not easy or cheap. So if you are considering a holden six don't discount the 186, these are often described as a happy in between, and with their shorter stroke a bit revier (prob spelt wrong). Just my 2 cents worth hope this helps.

Cheers Jeff

[ShaneJ]

Thanks guys.

Its the shifter in my van thats causing all the problems at the moment. Its completely worn out and extremely hard to select a gear.

If I get an aussie 4 speed do they use the same kind of shifter setup?

Warren the Speco shifter you speak of, is that the twin lever thing?

I might look around for a 4 speed as I would probably prefer to keep the manual setup at this time to keep things simple.

Thanks

[ShaneJ]

The Aussie 4spd is a straight swap for the 3 spd, and has the same kinda shifter and linkages. What's wrong with Celica conversion? It's a good gearbox

Nothing wrong with the celica conversion. I have a bunch of celica boxes here. Just that I dont want the hassle of doing the conversion when I wont be keeping this engine setup for long.