253 in FC

[Gordon]

HI all I'm a little confused about a few things, getting different answers to a few questions
I'm putting a 253 trimatic in my wagon
Whats the best car to get the auto column out of,has to be collapsible in NSW ?
Where can i get a cable set up to change gears and are they a good thing ?
Can i have a rear mounted steering rack,have mod HR front end, and can i fit power steering ?
Any advice appreciated Thanks Gordon
(Hoping to start my post in cars under construction soon)

[Ol_Girl_58]

Whats the best car to get the auto column out of,has to be collapsible in NSW?

Check out a column from a HT Holden, even a Commodore.

Rods Racks do rack and pinion steering conversions which couples the rack with a collapsible column, which is the bottom half of an early Commodore column mated to the top of your FE/FC column.
 

Can i have a rear mounted steering rack,have mod HR front end, and can i fit power steering?

Check out Rod's Racks website. From memory, if you use a rear mount Commodore rack on a HR front end, you'll only get a Holden 6 in there, with modification to the sump and an oil filter change. If you use a front mount Torana rack you can put whatever you want in. I stand to be corrected of any of this, though. Rod's racks utilise HQ short power steering arms, maybe you could adapt power steering from a HQ-WB Holden?

http://rodsracks.com.au/

Kind regards,

Ol_Girl_58

[propig2003]

With some ingenuity, you can run the rear mount commo rack thru the sump, as we have done on the Pig.

[mcl1959]

because rack has to be shortened, power steering is very difficult. I have heard of a Volvo power rack used in an FC - but only limited success as geometry wasn't the best.

Ken

[FCRB26]

I think they are very light for what they are with a manual rear mount rack  i think the power would feel too light ask someone on here how there power rack feels.
I dont think you would be dissapointed with a manual  one but try to avoid using front mount rack they are horrible you know its bad when you cannot do a 3 point turn its a 5 point turn and small round abouts scare you that you wont get around it.
best thing i ever did was put a rear mount in mine.

stewarts rods and customs in NSW do a shortened vb/vc/vh rack.


PETE

[fe350chev]

i wouldnt go for a traumatic ..... neither would i go for a heavy underpowered 253 (although will sound awesome), but purists would tell me i am wrong. but with the money you would have to spend getting a conversion done with all your mods and all that anyway, i dont understand why u wouldnt go for a lexus normal aspirated v8 or something light up front for a light car,or even a v6 all alloy rodeo motor (3.2l or 3.5) and if u want power steering, its obvious that you may not be a purist, sometimes you can get a good low km import motor that will be great on fuel and be light for handling and be about the same amount of work as using a 253.

Im actually thinking of building a really good RA rodeo motor and putting it into my 2000 dual cab rodeo, like a warmed up one and well balanced and just some light work to my existing rodeo engine and putting that into the fe. With extractors, they sound better and throatier than an ecotec and are all alloy and have great torque. and there are plenty around at wreckers now etc.

i know many wouldnt agree with me, but your going to be pretty limited to what you can use in terms of capacity with this new bullshit coming out. just remember that it is a light car and will be much better to drive with a lighter engine.

but at the end of the day its your choice and u need to do whats right for your budget and driving ambitions. i live in the country so dont need an auto but who am i to say that if u live in sydney that u shouldnt have an auto.

cheers and good luck.

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

What about buying a rusty LH/LX donor car, get one with a 253/Tri and column auto.
You can then use the front end, motor, gearbox, column shift and maybe even the diff?
I think power steer was available on Toranas and using the Torana front end you might have less hassles with extrators 
There is a "how to" on the FB/EK forum for fitting a Torrie front-end to an early holden.
http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3740
http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12900

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

i wouldnt go for a traumatic ..... neither would i go for a heavy underpowered 253 (although will sound awesome)

With respect, either when built properly will out perform the popular alternatives 

[Ed]

I've got a 253 / trimatic kicking in the back of my garage and have also decided to go down this route on my next project after contemplating lots of other choices.

253's are cheap and a V8 just sounds cool.

good idea on the Torana donor car Stinky.

Pete, Are Stewarts rod and customs the guys that make that really nice tubular front?

Cheers

Ed

[FCRB26]

ED

No he is a back yard bloke at edgeworth NSW does steering and diff and brake conversions.

Also i have a few mates with hot 253,s 1 has commodore cam and injection i find it revs a lot harder and quicker than a 308 and no you cant beat the sound.

Also on the sump i have seen one on the net somewhere a HK with a gen 3 and they notched the pan right out around the rack and they just ran fittings with 2 flexibile lines on the bottom inside the notch to let  the oil pass betweeen front and rear pretty good baffle i suppose.
When the pan has 5 litres in it it will pass over the top of the notch anyway.

[Gordon]

HI thanks for all the good advice. (wont comment on the negativity ) have some research to do doesn't sound as easy as i fought
Thanks again Gordon

[Ed]

thanks for that info Pete,

just back to the original question tho, I think an HK to HG column may work.

B&M shifters are cable but not column, although, I think Fatboy and Kathy both have column shifts in their cars which have been modded for Turbo 700.

I know my following comment will cause alot of disagreement, but the front mount Torana rack as made by CRS probably presents the easiest fitup for a V8 into FE-FC.  No sump mods required if you use an HQ sump.

This is at the expense of turning circle...  Personally I would like to use a front mount rack again as it just so easy to setup, and it drives beautifully on the freeway.

I agree they are not the best, but they do have advantages for fitup.

Cheers

Ed

[fe350chev]

Sorry Gordon, looking back at my post it was sounding pretty negative and I thought u were just after comments, but I didn't read it properly when you said "im putting". 

I am like you, deciding which way to go. I have been told that it is a bit harder to do a 253, a fair few ppl reckon v6 is way to go, but 253 is for some reason a wicked sounding thing, especially without pollution gear etc.

I still like the idea of ligher options in a car that weighs just ova a ton though  .

[Gordon]

Hi no worries we all have our opinions,when i was younger my brothers and i had Six cyl and  V8 toranas and i liked my mild 253. Ive always liked the shape of the FC wagon so now i what to build a nice clean, not over the top FC small V8 modified trimatic commo brakes, stock inside with a nice set of wheels to cruise up and down the coast with my nethew who is helping build the car
Anyway a few questions about the torana steering set up,i don't remember having any issues with turning circles when driving toranas years ago Does the front mounted steering change when fitted to FC to make the steering worse ? And can this set up be fitted to a HR front end that i already have ?
Thanks Gordon

[way66]

Hello
I have just started my FC sedan project ,253 with 5Lt EFI heads & carby, i will convert to EFI at a later stage ,T700 gearbox 9" diff ,HR front end with rear rack setup ( i had a front mounted rack on my HR sedan steering was nice,  turning circle was terrible & tire wear was terrible the Ackermann steering geometry was right out , I have contacted few people  Castlemaine  rodshop  have  just made up a new conversion kit for FE & FC with HR front end with rear rack set up to suit 253 & 308 modified HQ sump & pick up ,V6 conversions in Moree also do a set up , Rod rack in Qld only do a front mount rack set up for Holden V8, I would love to get one V6 conversions new front end set ups  but its i little bit to dear at the moment, A LH,LX steering column is not hard   set up,You could fit the column change from torana , the biggest challenge is the linkages & room  in engine bay, you could try Lokar for a cable set up and i think  Flaming river columns have column set up column shift, You should  contact a engineer to find out what you can do & not, I am using Vmc Engineering 0403328574 Sydney based, He has resolved a lot of my query's
 I am going to run HR stubs with P76 disc & HZ calipers to give me a bit more clearance for my wheels, Rear is ford 11" drums at the moment
Regards Wayne

[Ed]

With the torana rack, CRS shortens the rack, and modifies the steering arms to make it work without inducing bumpsteer.

I think this is why the turning circle is compromised... not enough turns from lock to lock.

There are others here more technically qualified on this to tell you more.. but I think this is basically why.

You can add their kit to your existing front.  The CRS X member is plated across the bottom and scalloped on the top with rack mounts on the front.  A steering kit comprising the shortened rack, modified steering arms and x-member mounts is available I believe from CRS or others.

there are some clover guys on here that have done all their own  successful R&P steering fitups too.. I hope they chime in with pics and info.

Cheers

Ed

[Ed]

yeah good info Wayne,

and yes, there will be bugger all room for the linkages for a column shift with a V8.

i'm not saying it cant be done because I bet somebody can and will.

Cheers

Ed

[Ed]

I trolled my photos and found this.

253 in FE.

You can see the column (UC torana).  It was shortened at the bottom to get a better steering shaft angle and clearance to the pipes.

I have another set of pipes which go out through the guards which would give more room.. but still tight.

planning to use this engine and "out through the guards pipes" for next project.

[fe350chev]

Just other ideas, unless you already have the 253 and are set on it, u can get the vortec 4.3 carby v6 engine as a complete long motor minus intake, these are used in boats and other non ADR vehicle, since the fe doesnt need ADR's it might be worth thinking about a buick or vortec v6 for projects to get that 'ole school' look with a big carby on top. its much easier to fit one and would allevaite a lot of hastles if u dont wanna go chopping up the fe/fc etc.

same capacity and a brand new engine or near new can be had quite easy if u shop around and they look more like a 350 chev with the other 2 cyl cut off. its just an opinion but I actually like a really simplistic ole school small block chev looking motor, even though im considering a land rover v8 or lexus 4.0l v8, but my engineer has told me that i cant go anything past 4.4 litres due to these new regulations being adopted in Vic. Here is an example of a vortec v6 on ebay but there are heaps of these around, some say the buick is better. have many people used ecotec or holden v6's and converted them back to carby does anyone know?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/CHEV-V6-262-4-3L-VORTEC-ENGINE-ROLLER-ROCKERS-/170602740796?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27b8b73c3c

[fe350chev]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nq5DH9IM64&playnext=1&list=PLE063213CD9161CFD

see these, the exhaust note is very good and if u had a carby one with no ADR stuff, it should sound good with twin exhaust. I think u can get 4.3's pretty cheap for what they are, but does anyone know whether u can use the roller rocker v6 marine version? I think they sell them off by the truckload cos nobody can get past ADR requirements anymore etc. Thats not an issue with an FE 

They sound very cool for an FE. What do u guys thin k of the sound and has anyone has much to do with the vortec 4.3 v6? timing chain is the turn off.