Quote:
Originally Posted by toddy101
Hey Matt, The Holmart engine is pretty bare, no harness, alternator, belts, idlers, starter motor or AC compressor. Some of these you can purchase from Holmart with the engine, the rest I purchased from Holden at a reasonable price (compared to Subaru Prices!).
I have just sourced a whole heap of brand new LS engine wiring harnesses, so will get these modified with the FA20 plug shortly. With the E38, just purchase a 2nd hand one (or can buy new from holmart), you will need to remove the VATS anti-theft (the unlocking) and a few other options to run correctly. I can also do this, however if you plan to get a tune done, probably best to get your tuner to do it. To get into the ECU you have to purchase credits for every unique ECU, so if I (or an unlocker) unlocks the ecu will cost credits, then your tuner to edit the tune will have to also purchase credits. Most cost effective to get the tuner to unlock it, then only one shop has to purchase credits for your ecu.
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I probably won't use Holmart now. No matter how much I ask Mick nicely he seems stubbornly stuck on the fact that he doesn't want to tell me when his engines were manufactured. Even telling him one of the conditions of achieving the certification for the modification approval here in Qld is ensuring the engine is newer than the car he is now telling me if I pay him $110 he will get some of his employees to pull the engines down from the pallet racking and check the engine numbers, dates of manufacture etc. Even getting him to this stage was like pulling teeth. When asking him dates of manufacture on his engines I was just advised when the LS3 was used in the different series of commodore. Then the old "all in all my years I've never heard such questions....". Then another time when asking about the MAFS type, injectors type etc so I could ensure the correct harness is ordered I got met with the old "If they don't know what an LS3 engine is, take your business elsewhere". Honestly, how a business can deal with someone asking simple questions about their $15,000 products they are trying to sell in such a condescending manner and then be asked to pay for their poor record keeping and stock management practices is just ludicrous in today's world.
So it's a big fat no from me on using Holmart. I'll probably use Eagle Auto Parts in Brisbane now. The delivered price of their engines are pretty close to Holmart.
For the additional items like alternator, compressor, starter motor etc, I'll probably just use ebay or maybe even a US based site if I can get the items cheap enough. Maybe Eagle auto again or as you say, Holden direct.
Can I assume your harness is compatible with the different MAFS location, type, MAPS type, Injector type? If you have a look at the ordering page at Sikky or wiringspecialities for their harnesses they ask a series of questions to ensure the harness they supply is correctly configured for items like this.
https://www.sikky.com/product/standa...iring-harness/
It would be good to know if your harness already answers all these questions.
On the E38 ECU, is there a series or model of ECU that I should be aiming for? New units from Summit seem cheap enough....
https://www.summitracing.com/int/par...rolet/model/ss
Also it seems some of them have three port connectors, but others only have two (the port in the middle is missing on some models). I think that I would be needing to get one that at least has enough of a flash with VATS removal and a startup tune to at least be able to start the car, ensure it is running in stock form, run the car for testing etc then once I believe everything is running correctly in terms of all other modifications take the car to the tuner for the final performance tune. Sure, I know this is going to mean a few wasted dollars on the ECU thing, but I don't think I have much choice otherwise. Powertorque in Brisbane seem to be the go-to tuners for Commodores around here so that is probably where I will end up going.
For a nice story about good customer service, I had a good phone call with Craig from Performance Auto Inspections today. He seems very knowledgeable and was happy to give advice and guidance on things I should be looking out for when doing my conversion, in order to make sure he can then provide the certification/mod plate easily enough when I am at the end of the line. If anyone in the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast area needs mod-plate/certification/roadworthy service I would recommend him for sure.