[steve]

Just thought i'd stick this in here, incase anyone else wants to try it, or might find it interesting. I will update it as i go along, so hopefully it will be usefull for someone. No guarantees it will ever work!

2LV6 H20A Sierra Conversion

First step, make sure the motor runs.

Here's sexy stekky with the motor. It's actually running in the photo.



Then take a normal standard Sierra, like this one...



Take the motor out, remove a bit of stuff....



Then stick the new motor in...getting it to this stage is the easy bit, so don't think that i've missed anything out. The motor is just sitting there at the motor with no engine, or gearbox mounts.

To get to this stage , i had to cut some trans tunnel out, cut the standard gearbox crossmember off, unbolt the brake lines and pushthem aside from the chassis. I had to remove the Alternator aswell, i may have to reposition the Alternator with a new bracket because it would hit the engine mount in stock position.



It's about an inch from the firewall, and 5mm behind the diff, see engine sump pic.



Inside the cab seems ok so far, It doesn't intrude too much on the stock Sierra seat mounts, the rear drive shaft is centered and will line up with a Hilux diff.






Here's the challenge for keeping it low....

The sump is too close to the diff, I can lift the motor and lower the diffs, but there's the 64 million dollar issue, trying to keep all the weight low... So still some experiments with positions to go...



As it sits at the moment... next is to see how the big radiator sits...



Note: i am intending to put Hilux diffs in aswell. The standard V6 drive shafts bolt up to wide track Sierra or Hilux diff flanges. As the motor sits, the front shaft almost bolts up but is 5mm too long, so i could move the front diff forward and bolt the front shaft in for a test run, but that migth not happen.

[ODA1]

wow stekky dressed up for the pic

thats some great work, it will be good to actualy see pics of one done in aus.

[steak_knife]

Looking good, except for the dodgy looking prick in the 1st pic

I think the eng should be moved back a bit, so the back of the intake is inline with the bonnet hinge's, drive shaft's can be modified to suit.
this would get the weight back a bit & help with the diff clearance issue to, tis looking scary fast tho

Give me a hoi when you want a hand.....

[steve]

I would have to cut the firewall out to move it that far stekky?

The shape of the sump also has an overhang shape at he front aswell, so the diff kind of has to go roughly in the middle. So when i put the Hilux diffs in, the front will be moved forward an inch or so, which will suit the sump shape a little better. I checked the front shaft for movement, and it doesn't allow for much flex at all, because the standard application doesn't have any movement!, so it might to be changed slightly.

Modifying driveshafts is not an issue though.

The easy solution, is to lift the motor out of the bonnet and lower the diffs so it becomes a monster truck, but that's not the end goal.

[steak_knife]

You have a vit firewall, can't you use that?

I don't know the rules you have to built to tho, so I'll leave that up to you, I'd just put a different firewall in & make a sump mod hear or there.

Lowrange sell the slip joint kit's http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/kickdrivetrain.htm

Then you can run what ever shaft you want.

Just read it, rear use.

But still

[steve]

I would rather not cut the firewall, because it creates extra work, and i don't think it'd fix any issues.

I will move the diff forward anyway, by about an inch, but that brings the pumkin closer to the front downward curve of the sump.

There's no rules for construction except my own.... low, wide etc.

Not sure which lowrange product you're referring to? but driveshafts aren't really a problem.

[royce]

I dont think the vit shafts will have enough slip so thats why you need to eliminator kit

[joeblow]

damn dude....................you should have gone the auto version.......

[steak_knife]

joeblow wrote:

damn dude....................you should have gone the auto version.......

But he had a "complete" manual !!

[Zook_Fan]

When you go to the hilux diffs and coils will the height of the suspension change? Because it is for rally your going to be using fairly heavy springs right? And the more you move the diff foward is the same as moving the motor back but you will get more stability anyway.

[Bugsta]

WOW!!! Just found this.

Is there any further development and photos of this prohect?

[steve]

Here's the build thread, i'll add some some more pics of where i'm up to.

http://www.auszookers.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=5743&start=100

but i haven't done anything for a month because i have been busy with other stuff. Still keen though.

[303zuke]

steve wrote:

The shape of the sump also has an overhang shape at he front aswell, so the diff kind of has to go roughly in the middle. So when i put the Hilux diffs in, the front will be moved forward an inch or so, which will suit the sump shape a little better. I checked the front shaft for movement, and it doesn't allow for much flex at all, because the standard application doesn't have any movement!, so it might to be changed slightly.

Modifying driveshafts is not an issue though.

A mate is putting a 2.5 V6 into a Sierra, and as written up HERE, we have modified the Vit 2.5 gearbox to use a Hilux transfer, which is not only shorter and has a lower low range, but also has more replacement Lo gear options. If you're considering Hilux diffs later on, it would be an even better swap, just requiring changing the driveshaft lengths to suit with no mucking around with different flange sizes.
I believe the 2.0 and 2.5 share the same bellhousing bolt pattern (??), but the 2.5 box is built stronger.

[dank]

if you find you can't fit the rad in the front pinch one out of an XJ cherokee and mount it inside the tailgate and run electric pump and thermos.

I've done this but kept the engine water pump and run everything with an programmable electronic controller off a sensor in the outlet hose.

That plus around 6 metres of 32mm OD ally pipe bent underneath the cab and my temp guage hasn't moved off a 1/4 in all conditions its been in so far.

XJ jeep Copper radiator and 2 x 12" slimline 1250cfm SPAL Thermo fans and a Davies craig EWP80 electric water pump all run on variable speed relays. Maintains full rear vision and sits flush with the top of the tailgate. this is with a 20v 4age and 3psd auto.