Fitting VS-VY L67 into VR commodore

General Requirements for L67 conversion into factory 5 speed manual (T5/getrag) commodore

• Mirror balance flywheel to flexplate (balance pressure plate to FW for added security)
• Get the crankshaft drilled for flywheel dowels to fit flywheel
• If running the factory loom then several wires must be extended including:
• Fuel injectors
• Crank angle sensor
• Temperature sensor
• High flow fuel pump (walbro 255LPH EFP-057/GSS-342)
• PCM/memcal must be recalibrated.
• These following steps regarding wiring only apply if your undertaking a complete conversion (meaning Ecotec/Buick V6 and automatic transmission swapped with an L67 and manual transmission)
  - bridge neutral/park safety switch permanently for the car to start
  - wire up the manual speed sensor to the dash (3 wires)
  - wire the manual reverse switch to the reverse lights (2 wires)

 
General Requirements for L67 conversion into factory 4 speed auto commodore

• If running the factory loom then several wires must be extended including:
• Fuel injectors
• Crank angle sensor
• Temperature sensor
• High flow fuel pump (walbro 255LPH EFP-057/GSS-342)
• PCM/memcal must be recalibrated
• Make sure you retain the L67 flexplate when purchasing the motor as the ecotec and L67 have dissimilar rotational harmonies
• These following steps regarding wiring only apply if your undertaking a complete conversion (meaning Ecotec/Buick V6 and automatic transmission swapped with an L67 and manual transmission)
  - bridge neutral/park safety switch permanently for the car to start
  - wire up the manual speed sensor to the dash (3 wires)
  - wire the manual reverse switch to the reverse lights (2 wires)

You are much better off using the original VR wiring loom and ECU with the one knock sensor from the VR engine. Ecotecs harness 2 knock sensors which are different to the single VR one. The L67 coils & DFI unit should be compatible with the VR DFI plug without needing to modify anything.

A VS Ecotec / VS L67 heater tap is needed to hook up the heater/coolant hoses correctly.

There may be several plugs you need to rob off an ecotec loom such as the alternator wiring harness to main loom (most likely for the fuse box). If your donor engine is from a VT onwards then you will need to drill & tap the lower intake manifold (LIM) and insert the sender for the temp gauge that sits in the cluster exactly like you would with the VS commodore.

You will need to get a hold of the VS ecotec power steering lines and auto transmission lines that run from the transmission to the radiator if you’re sticking with the automatic transmission.

The VN/VP have the same air-conditioning pump (compressor) as the VR's, so re-use the compressor mated up to the VN/VP passenger side alloy engine mount bracket. The VN/VP engine mount brackets have locating holes for the VN/VP compressor. The VN/VP/VR compressor will pick up three of the holes and you need just to reuse a bracket off the VN/VP/VR set up. The 4th mounting support bolt passes through the bracket which gets bolted to the block and has a nut fitted to the end of it as shown below:

If installing an L67 with the factory 4L60e auto that came with it into earlier commodores like the VN-VR, a portion of the box will need to be shaved in order for it to sit comfortably inside the transmission tunnel. This will be a case of trial and error until the right amount has been removed. Also, at least one of the auto transmission lines that run alongside the block will need replacing as it is different. Swapping to hard steel line from later models will work.

In most cases Mace Engineering will be able to provide a memcal or PCM/ECU recalibration for you to be able to run the L67 without any worries. Unfortunately we cannot modify the factory ECU for the VN-VR commodore at this time; a full custom dyno tune will be required to run an L67 safely. However, if a simpler conversion is desired, we recommend using a VS L67 or Ecotec loom and modifying that accordingly running alongside the VS L67 ECU or Ecotec ECU. If this path is taken then we can accommodate a tune for that ECU, please see the ‘VS commodore running the L67 with factory VS ECU’ hyperlink below and submit to us a report thoroughly listing all specifications of your vehicle including any current modifications prior to making a purchase.

VS commodore running the L67 with factory VS ECU
(select set-up from drop down menu)