Thread: Finally ordering a VVL! need help with shopping list!

sup duuudes..

ive finally raised enough cash to buy a VE! soo i need a lil help figuring out what i need to make the swap into my b13 SE-R. Anyone familiar with my situation?
few subjects i need to dabble in:

do i need a new wiring harness(if i have my old SR20 one)?

new ECU?

where abouts of cheapish AFC's to tune with.

any help would be the shit! thanks guys!

Your harness will work, you will need ECU with daughterboard (Calum, Nistune,..). Some kind of rpm switch for VVL.

But use search button, you will find enough info about swap in general.

You can use the factory harness no problem. You just have to extend a few wires such as the IACV. I just cut open the harness and pulled out the wires a bit to where they fit. Everything else is pretty much straight foward.

If your tight on cash, you can run the car on the low lobes and worry about purchasing a unit to activate the cams such as an MSD 8969 at a later time. You can also run the stock ecu and maf for the time being for the 333 injectors that the VE has. It will run ok but I would find a chipped ecu such as the calum unit and have it programmed for the 333's, N60/VE maf, etc.

I'm helping him with the swap. We can't wait to get this engine in and have some fun.

I've tried talking him getting a chipped ECU (i love my basic), but we are tossing around the idea of an Apexi Neo-AFC. That way he can tune and run the cams on the same unit. I know he could nearly get a chipped ECU and msd switch for the price of a Neo, but saving a little is better than none sometimes.

I'm looking to do the same exact swap in the near future. Hope it all comes together well.

If u run the stock ECU, it will run crappy no matter what piggyback you put on there. Wrong compression ratio, wrong injector size, etc...

Don't get me wrong, it will start and you can drive the car, but it will not be as impressive as the engine is capable of.

I am not familiar with the neo-afc. Doesn't that unit limit you tuning up to the factory rev limiter? I would spend few extra bucks and pick up a Calum ecu. I believe there are a few guys on the forum who also do daughterboards similar to the Calum unit which allow you to run some decent base maps programmed for the VE.

Mines well grab an N60 MAF while your in there, Can be had for like $30.00 also a cheap SSAC Header or DE Header with Notched bolt holes ( stock DE doesn't line up )

Swap your distributor ( cut off one leg ) make bracket for your coil, etc

Search the forums there are some very good swap guides, I was going this route before I decided DET so Ive looked up everything I woulda needed before hand.

All the SAFC Neo can do is give you a 16 rpm x 2 lo/hi throttle positions piggyback fuel map (add or substract from ECU stock fuel map) and a simultaneous VVL activation point. You can also change the stock MAF for the N60 with this. But no timing altering at all, so you have to trust the distributor advance and be limited by knock down low and also as pointed above, stuck with ECU rev limiter.

With their similar price, between the Neo ($350 new), an E-Manage Blue ($350 new including timing harness and special laptop cable) and a basic chipped ECU + chip burner + consult cable($150+$100+$75), there is no better choice than the chipped ECU.

Get a custom license tag that says VTECLOL, ha just a thought. And a nistune is a must.