G'day guys

Just curious... When I do the BBM conversion I'm contemplating changing the head over to a VCT one...

Just wondering whether those with VCT experience can help fill me in? I will only be running the stock EEC computer, so the VCT isn't going throw any sensor readings out and send the computer nutso? I'll just use a frequency switch or some nature... Guess you just pick up off coil- for that?

Also, as far as cams go? I can just run a standard wade in it alright? The grind doesn't need to be anything special? Do you need to do anything special when you time it? If you can time it? Can you buy an adjustable gear for them or something like that?

I understand what it is they do... Just need to expand on that clarification a bit...

Cheers,
Tim

PM Troyman in regards to the VCT head and std cams.

As far as I know, the VCT function gets disabled if you put in a non VCT cam. There was a rumour about VCT cams being made a long while back, but I don't think anything came of it.

To be honest, I think it will be a waste of time, and you would get a better result using an AU HP XR6 head (non VCT) with a suitable cam.

Cheers
BenJ

yep, you can use the rpm switch if you want to use the std vct cam, its pretty much just an on off solinoid.. the rpm switch gets its signal from the tacho signal from the tfi module..
joe at cms had mentioned to me he had done a couple of vct regrinds but at the time had not had much feedback on how they went..
jmm do vct regrinds but you would have to sell your left nut to pay for it..lol
wade dont do vct cam grinds, so what i had done was i removed the vct cam and cam sprocket, i then fitted a wade au regrind cam and fitted a e series vernea gear, (e series and au cam gears are interchangable).
the vct solinoid is still mounted but has no connection to the cam in anyway, i have also removed the vct oil line and blocked the oil port in the vct unit with a bolt..

so esentually mine is a vct in looks only..lol..

unless your going to use the vct? i would just look for a non vct hp head, but in saying that i noticed there are alot more vct heads around compared to the hp heads..

Cheers Troy,

Is it worth just running the VCT cam then? Or you noticed more gains without the VCT and a std cam? I assumed the VCT function would work with any cam, just changed where the cam worked in the rev range...

Yeah VCT heads seem to be a dime a dozen... I have an EF tickford head here, that was my initial intention but not I am not really sure what the way to go was... The VCT gear does look flash... But may be just better running the EF head with me wade 1636...

Not sure what the best route is currently...

Cheers,
Tim

the only noticable difference with the vct cam was the vct cam gave much more down low torque compared to the std cam or regrind.. but overall you will get more maximum power with the regrind over the std vct cam..
the reason you cant use just any cam with the vct connected, is the nose of the cam where the cam sprocket bolts is phisically different, so there is no way you could bolt the vct sprocket to a non vct cam..

me personally, i would go with the ef tickford head if you already have it? over buying an au vct head..
i originally only went with the vct engine at the time because the wrecker didnt have any hp engines..

Sweet... I'll go with that then... In the slow process of aquiring an EF/EL so I'll have an entire donor car for the BBM conversion... I'll run with the EF Ticky head I have stashed away... Saves buying another (AU) cam then and needing to worry about the VCT side of things... I'll chase up an AU rocker cover and get it painted up...

Cheers,
Tim

Troy,

One last thing if you're still subscribed...

Is the VCT head basically the same as a HP Au head (except for the larger hole in the front) as far as the engine is concerned? Valves, chambers etc? You're right, a VCT head is easier to find...

If I went with the VCT cam and phaser, is it noticable over the non VCT with log I have now? Only reason I ask is I'm not chasing every last rwkw... I'll be changing the head and fitting BBM at the same time... I'm just chasing a bit of something lower down in the revs... The boys at Wade told me the 1636 will work down the bottom and the car doesn't pull until 2500-3000rpm and I don't drive it there (it is a daily car)... Just would be nicer to not have such a flat bottom end...

Did you have forced induction with VCT at all? Curious how it worked with that... I have a small AiResearch turbo here to get rebuilt and go on it one day... Wont be for some time yet... Just no sure what is right for what I want...

VCT sounds to be a good idea but so few run it... Thought I stumbled across a HP head but it is a VCT so now stuck in thoughts again...

Cheers,
Tim

hey tim,
afaik yes, the vct head is the same as the hp head eg:valves,springs.ports ect.. except for the casting of the front of the head for the solinoid, cam sprocket and cam shaft.
i had mine n/a with the vct connected, i then fitted the supercharger and i was having a few issues (that i later found out after changing the cam that it was not related to the vct but was ecu related)..
anyway i disabled the vct and fitted a non vct xr6 cam and there wasnt a real difference in performance that i could notice, if anything it would have only been a 3 or 4rwkw, not enough to really notice..
i then fitted the wade au1645 (977b) and gained 13rwkw.. went from 203rwkw to 216rwkw..
i am now still running this same engine with the same wade cam with a turbo set up and its making 267rwkw, been running boost into this engine for 2 1/2 years now..

Where do you find your Wade works in the rev range?

I'm a torque person... Love the feeling of something sitting you right back into your seat from the word go... Not having to wait for it to near each the redline... Keeping in mind it is much of a standard ED motor presently... They weren't the fastest reving thing designed...

Thinking I may end up in the same boat as you... Fitting the VCT head... If I get jack of the VCT I'll get an AU Wade cam and fit the std gear on it... I don't mind the look of the VCT rocker cover and that... The VCT heads are really a dime a dozen...

Cheers,
Tim

Hey Tim.

I have a Wade 1673 in my wagon. It pulls from 2700 odd, but is doughy under that, on petrol. Different engine completely on LPG however.

Cheers
BenJ

Cheers for that Ben...

Nice post count BTW...

Also as a side curiosity... Can the EF/EL engine mounts be fitted to the ED K-Frame? If anyone has compared the two side by side? The EF/EL ones are those fancy gel filled bags instead of rubber blocks like on the ED...

Cheers,
Tim

Wooo!

FG airbag turned up this arvo... I have already stripped the detonator and bag so I am left with a nice safe horn pad now...



Here it is in halves minus the bang bit...



Some comparison pics... It is different from a BA unit, for those wanting to fit and FG wheel to a BA or BA wheel to an FG... FG bag is in two parts, the bag itself and the detonator which is separate... The BA is the white bag which is now covered in all sorts of crap from sitting on the bench for a year or so...











Shockingly the FG bag appears larger sitting side by side with the BA unit but they manage to shrink the size of the horn pad... It also isn't neatly folded like the BA bag... What has me confused with the detonator, is if that steel cap blows off the end, what stops it from hitting you in the head through the bag itself?

Anyway... Find me some time and finish off wiring the switches up and get it on the car...

Cheers,
Tim

Well...

What a weekend for me...

Saturday

Got up sort of early and loaded some gear up and headed off to a good mates shed to start wiring his race up... VR commodore with a VK K frame running a 202 black motor which has had work done to it... Runs in a class they call Gossa (think it's spelt like that)... He asked me to wire it many months ago to run here in Leeton by Nov 19th on our speedway track... So it was all set to go a fortnight ago and we said this would be the weekend... My old man was sourced to do the brakes (bias tap and value)...

Dad gave me a hand to start and by Sat night I had the larger majority done... Had made the body harness up and heatshrinked it all... Tried to hide it as best as I could... All about the aesthetics... My old man wired the engine up while I made that body loom... And then I wired the gauges up and then the relays... Old man was the helpful second set of hands here...

Pics at Friday lunch:

Body Loom




Driver's Side Wiring




Sunday

Headed back off to finish the car... (Daylight savings sure messed with the day)... I finished the earths up under the dash for the gauges, interior lights and relays... Finished routing the body loom into the boot... Fitted off the termos (EL thermos & ED radiator, I swapped the motors with each other putting the plug at the bottom of the fans)... And then Fitted off the battery leads, earthed the thermos, and made the engine earth which is from the back of the trans to the cross member... Dad did the brakes up while I was doing this...

Hooked the juice up, tested the relay block, put in the relays, fans worked, but wouldn't crank, turns out the starter relay was cactus, swapped it with a fan relay and it cranked fine... Finally got the fuel up the motor and started and run beautifully... Very stoked... And my mate thinks his interior lights are great... Wont have anymore issue trying to do his seat belts up in the dark now...

Went a little bit flash with the switchgear... Missile Cover on the Ignition Switch... Jaycar started button with LED illumination... Wasn't real happy with it as they supply it with a steady LED... So Ipulled that out and put in a flashing one... Wired it up via the alternator... So when you when you hit the ignition it starts flashing... Once the motor starts it goes out...

Pics:

Boot Earths (Main + Thermos)


Boot Interior Light


Switch Box (Interior Light - Ignition - Starter - Thermos)


Re-routed Thermofan wiring


On Stands


Various Others








Fairly happy with the result... And the owner is over the moon...

Monday

Today was the completion of the FG wheel... Made up the buttons for the cruise... Pull another wire into it for my ODO button... The rest was just time really... Changing some plugs... Changing the clock spring... Finishing the hornpad off... Pulling the cluster out to add in the ODO scroll wire... And lastly reprogramming the steering wheel interface for the FG resistances...

Here is the final wiring for everything... I used 5 core trailer wire to each side of the wheel and then into my controller board for the cruise on/off and then into the clock spring... Controller board lives where the airbag used too... Quite like the look and contoured feel of the wheel...

Wiring:


Of the cruise switches, the On/Off (Red), Ground (Brown) & Sense (Green) Wires went into my controller, the ODO (White) went around the board. Basically the board goes in series with the loom from the plug to the buttons... Fairly easy...

Controller:



And Installed Pics:





That's about it for this weekend I feel

Cheers,
Tim

Better...

The FG wheel has less bulk on the back... So they don't hit at all... before if I pulled on the wiper arm for the washers the wheel would hit... now I have miles of clearance... There was some comparison shots in here way back when I got the wheel... The "offset" of the wheel is identical so distance to the arms is unchanged... The BA & FG combo arms appear near identical... Main difference I notice is the FG has a Fog light switch on it...

Only issue I think I have is the hole in wheel just hits on the plastic around the clock spring wires that stick through into the wheel... May need to file the hole out a fraction... And one day I'll dress the back of the wheel up against the shrouds...

Cheers,
Tim

No Major news...

Still having computer dramas... Car stalled in Griffith... And then a few minutes later starting jerking and behaving like a b**ch... So pulled the computer and put the EL tickford one in... Has a big flat spot without having the BBM but it runs better and hasn't given any grief of yet... So all my weird issues are looking to be either that computer or the J3 chip...

Will source a BBM locally and swap the head over to a tickford one so it makes it easier to change the pipework around to suit the BBM... Change to a MLS head gasket and all that... So that'll be a fairly packed sorta weekend whenever I get the parts here and all ready to go at it...

Last night I borrowed a spring compressor and went about fixing my weird ride height... Car sat with the back guards level on top of the back tires and the front about 3/4 to an inch higher than the tire in the front...

After some trial and error this is the final result which I quite like...




Car sits with the guards level on top of the tires now which gives it a little forward rake by the looks... Looks better than being lower in the rear... Just looked stupid before and bugged the crap out of me... I know lower in the a*** is the new "modern" look... But it doesn't do it for me... So this is more me...

Cheers,
Tim