Is it easy to drop in a 3.8 V6?

The Beast · newbie Joined: 31 Jul 2003 Posts: 8

hey i got a Te gemini and now am goin to drop in a V6 3.8 lt but i need to know how hard it is to do b4 i go ahead and if there are any mods which need to be done if there are it would be great to hear bout them! cheers fellas, N!ck...

Winterheart · tinkerer Joined: 04 Dec 2002 Posts: 144

From memory when I looked into doing it in the ACT, there needed to be a 3/4 chassis built into the body of the gem, substantial stiffening carried out, very substantial brake upgrade carried out, and then it all needed to be checked and certified by an RTA engineer. I decided against doing it simply from the sheer cost of it for those reasons.
HTH Cheers Smile

MR_GEMI

this particular conversion has been spoken about soooo many times that ppl are getting sick of answering!! so i would recommend doing a search of the forums, there you will find an enormous amount of info on fitting these motors, and even some contacts who do conversion kits and who would also be able to answer any questions or concerns!

cheers,
kevo
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Gene FJ20DET · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 10:35 am Post subject: its easy

iv done it 3 times for mates now

u need to strengthen the boddy of the gemini as it has no chassis to start with.
get two 2metre long pieces of 1"x1" box steel and get under the car and ether hex screw or weld (depending on how much time uhave) the box sections to the inder side (one on left one on the right)

i used porsche boxer engine mounts to mount the engine. these site the v6 perfictly. just there a bit expencive ($200 for the 2). u need ot redrill the holes for the engine side of the left mount. but thats eays.

sump. well u just lowered the engien in till it hit the crossmember then where ever it fouled i smashed it with a hamer till it fit. works fine and saves $$

tail shaft. u need a shorter one. i used one out of a 99 wrx. there the prfict size. but u will need to change the front uni and spline for the one on the commodore.

fuel system. cheap way i did it was run 6 gemini stock pumps. 2 to fill the surg tank (old milk bottle) and 4 to pump to the engine.

its and easy conversion man. i recon u and a mate could have it done in about 2-3 days
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goons hired goons · petrol head Joined: 04 Jul 2002 Posts: 3268

dont listen to him, all you have to do is unbolt your 1600, and drop the commo injun in,and bolt it up, its simple as. gene just likes to make things diffucult for newbies

MR_GEMI · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 12:22 pm Post subject: Re: ah bullshit gene

or u could just bore out ur 1600 to a 3.8 litre V6 that way u can use ur existing motor!! YAY!!
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Gemini Driving Yobbo · petrol head Joined: 26 Feb 2002 Posts: 3897

or if u had money you could just drive your car into a workshop and say fit a 3.8 in her and walk away. preety simple

Loz · backyard mechanic Joined: 05 Oct 2001 Posts: 943

If it was easy, then every second person would have done it instead of a turbo conversion, or even a rotor.

PLZ51N · tinkerer Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 75

MR_GEMI

*fart*
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zzz · petrol head Joined: 16 Jan 2002 Posts: 1298

check v6conversions.com.au
i think thats the site
it's not that expesive for the parts but enginering
would cost a bit i think
the vn-vt motor is actually lighter than a stock 1600
so handaling would improve as well

Mooch · backyard mechanic Joined: 17 Oct 2001 Posts: 573

Don't use the VN Series 1 motor, they have offset crank journals and are thereore pretty shitty for performance apps. VS on ecotecs are a better way to go. Only thing is they have an alloy sump so need to be modded by a profesh. Castlemaine rod shop does em - As do rod tech i believe here in SA.

The ecotec motors are slightly smaller than the non ecotecs too, and are a much better engine all round.

cheers
mooch

Green Machine · tinkerer Joined: 08 Jun 2003 Posts: 142

Thank god someone asked this, i was beginning to think that people might have got the idea that it is basicly pointless!

IDAREU2 · tinkerer Joined: 07 Oct 2001 Posts: 423

Thanks for the rap mooch (wink)

aluminium my specialty

http://clik.to/bowtieracing

BlueTC · petrol head Joined: 22 Oct 2002 Posts: 1148

More Cubes, More Louder, More PHATter,

A V8 would be the Best way to go all day,

One Day, Leroy will be in contact, a long time in the near future (say 2 years for a conversion kit)

regards