OEMing my VE Ute

[sjhugh]

Hopefully someone can give me some advice.

I wish to remove the aftermarket 3 inch exhaust and cold air intake from my VE Ute and refit the OEM gear while still retaining the aftermarket tune.

A few questions.

First, if I removed the 4 into 1’s and aftermarket cats will refitting the original manifolds and cats throw up a code?

Second, I have a MAFless tune so when I install the original air box can I reconnect the MAF or do I leave it unconnected?

And thirdly, will doing the above cause any upsets for the aftermarket tune?

Cheers,

[Smashfist]

It's probably going to be a bit sluggish as it's going to run way rich - removing the aftermarket air intake and exhaust will restrict the airflow in and out of the engine, and while the ECM will compensate a little it won't be able to fully correct. Why are you removing the aftermarket gear?

[BLACK 346]

Why are you removing the aftermarket gear?

If you are putting it back to stock to sell, I am sure your tuner would happily throw a stock tune back in for you. May not even charge you labour if you have used them a bit in the past.

[sjhugh]

As you could guess I’m getting rid of the car.

I’m starting to accumulate a garage full of OEM parts from the cars I buy and as I don’t get anything extra for them as a trade-in with mods I was thinking I may as well start hanging the aftermarket parts on the wall and reinstall the OEM parts.

For example a full 3 inch S/S exhaust isn’t cheap so it’s better in my garage than the original system so why not swap them over.

As I no longer live near the tuner I was hoping to avoid having to go back.

I’d be happy to have it flashed locally but at the moment I’m too pushed for time to travel.

Hence the questions, I thought there’d be many members here who been through this situation and I’d get a very quick answer but obviously not.

[Wonky]

After a month or two with no bites on my ute I was contemplating returning it to stock, but then it sold so I didn't need to. However, I had worked out that even with the labour cost involved given I can't do any of it I probably would have been at least $3,000 better off selling off the bits eg. genuine W427 bar, genuine HSV guards, full KPM 3" system inc HPC Pacies, hardlid, amp/subwoofer etc etc.. Probably over $5,000, but a lot of hassle.

[csv rulz]

If you are just trading it in, who cares if it's sluggish from putting OEM parts back in.
I did this with my VY SS and then sold the aftermarket parts on eBay.

[white lie]

I don't think it will run super rich like suggested previously, generally an aftermarket tune will lean out the factory one, not the other way around. It will be strangled somewhat but won't drive like a pig. It will be down on power from what you're making now but still be up on the factory spec.

Put it all back on and just leave the maf unplugged.

[Aus8]

Funnily enough these days It seems stock SS's and HSV's easier to sell and worth no less value than a car with 20k worth of mods. People are looking for originality these days it seems.

[Micks]

Funnily enough these days It seems stock SS's and HSV's easier to sell and worth no less value than a car with 20k worth of mods. People are looking for originality these days it seems.

I think people are looking for "Cheap or Cheaper" Is why the avg. person buys disposable Hyundai's then runs them into the ground

[Xjas]

If its safe to return the car to stock without a retune or not will depend on what sort of job the tuner did, I've seen basic bolt on car tunes where the tuner (I wont say who) has disabled the long term fuel trims and reduced the short term trims as well to cover their PE table raping, if that was the case returning the car to stock could result in the car running pig rich.
If it's not tune locked maybe you could take it to a Holden dealer and have them reflash it back to stock.

[sjhugh]

To add a bit more to the thread.

After asking the initial questions I contacted the tuner and their advice was if I changed everything back to stock it should be all plug and play with no error codes.

If by chance something did go amiss they would flash the factory tune back if I sent them the ECU or I could take it elsewhere and have it done.

As it turned out there were no problems, the car runs and accelerates smoothly and funny enough it doesn’t appear to have lost much with the changeover.

I think it’s probably the skinner tyres but now it has a tendency to spin the rears very easily if I give it a bit of stick.

I changed everything back apart from the tune and springs, I could be bothered returning it to its stock height.

Photos before reverting to the OEM setup






Photos after returning it to Stock.

[sjhugh]

Now for a couple more questions.

I plugged the factory MAF connection back in as per the instruction from the Tuner and I now have the lead in the photo left over.

Should I tie it away or cut it off?




The Extractors have been ceramic coated and as can be seen in the photos after 5 years the coating has started to blister and flake.

What would be the easiest way to deal with this, should they be stripped and recoated or could I rub them back and apply an exhaust primer and paint over the ceramic coat?

[Micks]

The lead coming out of the loom is a remote iat sensor, your E38 style maf will have an inherent iat. Un tape the loom & carefully cut it away & insulate again.

[redvxr8clubby]

Nice looking ute SJ, I have a Poison Ivy SS sedan, I reckon it's a great colour, it's a pity Holden dropped it, I'd like to see what a VF would have looked like in Poison Ivy.