FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

 just wondering if it is legal in n.s.w was talking to engineer said rb30 turbo  would go over r.t.a rules

Your asking a bunch of guys who play around with 80hp motors in 50 year old cars with drum brakes???

Doesn't make a lot of sense to me...

Why don't you look up the RTA guidelines for light vehicle modifications that will give you the appropriate formulas to work out the allowable capacity to weight ratio.

Then you can get together with the guy on this site who wants to put a VL strut front end in a EH and plan it all out?

I'm pretty sure the guidelines will reinforce what the engineer said in the first place though.

I thought this was a help forum? Not everyone is driving 50 year old technology in their cars. I have two utes and want to keep one original and am looking at what I can do with the other one that is a bit different.  Was attempting to hopefully avoid pitfalls based on others experience/s.  Also, not everyone will be as mechanically savvy as yourself and would suggest if you're not patient and understanding of others you might like to avoid the HELP forum.

not sure, if you can go up to about 314 ci, check out the rta site, the ci to weight ratio changes when you go turbo but i think it will be under, you will need to meet the requirements for a v8 like colapsible column etc.
a gut at work put one in a 86 skyline on the weekend and has been going nuts with it out the front off work, lots of power but still a japanese motor.
and if my grey painted red motor has 80hp i will take to it with a sledge hammer even though half the people here probably have half of 80hp.
i myself dont like the jap motors but one thing for sure is they can get up and go without spending alot.

 Thank you, so you reckon go v8? I have hq slotted disk for front vl v8 diff slotted disks  vl brake booster vl  steering column, 3inch tail shaft  open to suggestions on motor options

Check out the RAT rules @
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi06.pdf

There are formulas on page 3 that will allow you to calculate what you can do for N/A or super/turbo charged.

Check with your engineer but if you have brake, steering and driveline upgrades you should be able to get a full engineers cert with the more powerful engine.
Make sure you ask lots of questions and if possible get responses in writing (esp. from the RTA).

I'm the fool they were taking about attempting to put VL struts in my EH.

Glutton for punishment!!!!!

Rod,

I thought you were running a red and triples?

The code of practice for light vehicle modifications is your BIBLE if you plan to do a conversion.

Find yourself a good engineer who is amenable to conversions in the first place.  Many engineers out there simply will not authorise large power upgrades in this day and age of litigation and public and professional liability.

Work out the specifications of your conversion which will adequately meet the rego requirements and present this to your engineer in a logical manner including a rationale for selection of parts.

Then go for it.

First of all work out what you want…

Ed

PS i dont think a turbo RB30 is over capacity, but if you rock up with a head full of dreams and no plan, your engineer isnt going to be very kind.  Engineers appreciate planning.

So Ed, what you are saying is that planning a project around a collection of mismatched brake components is not the way to go...

Interesting...

yep.. pretty much.

How can you say that the parts are mismatch components when 80 percent  of people use the same parts on their project

Rod,

they're not a total mismatch and the brakes will work but you end up with HQ stud pattern on the front and commodore on the rear, with different stud patterns.

Cheers

Ed

Ed So by your reasoning the car is substandard because it has two different stud patterns the difference is 1/16" PCD between the too bolt patterns. I think it might be more beneficial to offer criticism that would actually makes a difference to the derivability of our cars Mark

yeah ur right Mark.
sorry.

Ease up fellas.

Rod any info you get about legalities of conversions from this forum should be checked with first and engineer and second the RTA. These are the people that are going to say yay or nay to rego.
AFAIK, there are not a lot of RB series conversions done on FCs, hence the lack of feed back. You would have been flooded if you asked about Red 6s, V6s or V8s.

No one suggested a car is sub-standard by running two different bolt patterns. The amount of PCD difference is irrelevant.

I'd suggest a V6 conversion, the power would be up and over a Grey and Red 6, closer to V8 but you won't have all the weight over the front-end and the car will handle better.

Rod,

Have sent you a message re your project.

Graeme

thank you Greame for your time rod

Hi Rod,
I PM you earlier...sorry for the delay as I was away o/seas....anyway to sort a few things out until I get them photos....

1. It will cost a few dollars to get it completed...a good complete donor VL is a must and will save you tons of money and stress in the long run....you will need most of the wiring loom...motor and bits and gearbox and bits and also some of the vl floorpan to suit the auto...and the dash for speedo/sensing unit etc which can be made to fit into a FC housing...don't go manual as the parts/supply is harder....or use a different box...but this adds to the cost
2.Get a set of Holden service manuals for this motor and gearbox and electrics...you/your mechanic will be gald you did.
3.Put a HR disc brake front end in the FC....powered of course
4.The RB motor is a lot longer than an old grey.I run twin thermo fans and the firewall has also been modified to suit. Space is still at a premium.
5.The VL motor is heavy which will affect the steering weight.I know of one S.A member doing a R&P conversion to overcome this problem...not sure how far he has progressed....not much room in there
6.You will need to run the electric fuel pumps in the tank.
Placement is important so they don't foul the fuel level indicator inside the tank.
7.Both computers will be needed of course.I am toying around trying to mod the dash so they are packed out of sight...currently on both walls of the footwells
8You will need to run cats in the exhaust for emission regs.
9.I have chassis rails?? welded in the underbody for strentgh...the gearbox mount bolts onto this.
10.Putting a twin cam head on as found in the GTR Nissans is doable and I have seen it in a basic Skyline...costs a bit but don't be fooled into thinking it will boost output to 175Kw at the wheels or whatever...the RB30 I think is good for 100Kw in basic form..adding the head will not boost this by ny significant amount unless you spend big dollars...most states will not allow the TURBO option
11.Good Luck

Before you start anything go to your states REGO DEPT. and ask them...they will have advice on what they will or won't pass as LEGAL....no point doing anything unless you have a clear plan of what is to go in making sure that all mods will be allowed...I did this and had a clear understanding of the outcome before I started...it passed the rego board first time there....all they asked was that I place amber lenses in the rear light housing for indicators....not sure if I have as yet!!

Hope this list answers some of your queries.
Spybo

the capacity limit is stated in the Code of Practice as follows.


for a mono contructed car (in NSW)

normally aspirated limit.
in cubic inches original weight (kg) x 0.294
in mL original weight (kg) x 4.82

for supercharged or turbo limit
in cubic inches original weight (kg) x 0.244
in mL original weight (kg) x 4.0


so based on this..
the kerb weight of a std sedan= 1084kg (unsure of this is spot on but you can check).

1149 x 4.0 = 4336mL.
so i cant see a problem with 3.0L turbo..
the engineer may not like it but they can't reject it.

HTH

Cheers

Ed

 i would like to thank everyone that wrote back   thank you for your time  and Pain one more silly question how fare back can i put the computer boxs ? can i put them in the ute tray where the battery is going thank you again rod
;)

You can put the computers where you want, but you will need to add a lot of wire into the loom to put them back in/underneath the tray, and there are a lot of wires, annoying but definately do-able.

They have been putting the RB25DET head onto RB30ET's for years, there are plenty of how to's done by VL owners, just google it. It is not as simple as it might sound though!

The RB25DET is not the skyline GTR motor as someone mentioned that is the RB26DETT (two T's for twin turbo), both heads are do-able on the RB30ET but the GTR's is harder (not to mention the RD26DETT stuff will cost you a LOT more $$$).

If I was going to do the swap I would buy a nissan skyline front cut from an importer with an RB25DET (there is also a 2.0 liter version the RB20DET, but I would steer clear of that). Mainly because you can get a much newer motor, already fitted with the DOHC head.

As Ed has mentioned a Turbo 3.0 shouldn't be a problem, you may just need to look for a more accommodating engineer.

Hi Inchyeh, there is an EJ Holden in Canberra with a strut front. Can give you contact details if interested. Thanks.