Task - Installing VN external coilpacks to replace the standard RB20det ones

Why - Mainly because its cheaper than buying new/ aftermarket ones. The VN coilpacks also fire 2 cylinders at the same time one to fire a piston and one fires on the exhaust stroke (wasted spark) which helps reduce emmisions without sacrificing power. The VN coilpacks will also produce a spark for a longer time (so im told)

How much - in total after making the bracket and all it cost me $210aus with buying the coilpacks from a holden dealer (u will pick up second had ones MUCH cheaper but risking a failure)

Whats needed - VN coilpacks x 3, Sparkplug leads (get lengths to suit where ur coils will be muonted) Heat Shrink, Electrical Tape, spade plugs crimp (please ensure the right size to fit the coil plugs), corrigated split tube (not essential)

Tools - Pliers, Hex Keys, Screw Driver, spanners/sockets, crimping tool, multimeter silicone(gasket goo or similar). [ Drill, hacksaw, files ] only needed for bracket



WHAT TO DO?

Firstly you will start with undoing the decorative cover in the middle of the block which is undone by some hex keys and a few bolts on the ignighter itself.

Then unplug the whole coilpack loom so its completely out like this
[attachmentid=351702]

Unbolt the RB coipacks at the brackets so that the whole brackets come out like this
[attachmentid=351703]

This is how the standard coilpack is set up,
[attachmentid=351704]

This is wat we want to achieve for each coilpack,
[attachmentid=351705]
Heres a pic of wat the VN coil looks like
[attachmentid=351706][attachmentid=351707]


Before making any cuts to the loom its self study it, note the black loop which is also included in cylinder 1 (this is for timing lights) and the earth wire ring, both the timing wire and ground are black, the rest are all colored, pink being the main color, when looking at the seven pin-plug with the locking clip towards you right to left is Ground, cylinder 6, cylinder 5, cylinder 4, cylinder 3, cylinder 2, cylinder 1. cylinder 1 is also connected to the timing wire. You will notice that, coming out of the three pin-plug is a slightly larger white wire this is the power wire to power the coil.

Get a mulitmeter and put one probe on the 7 pin plug end and then probe out each wire and mark it with(use some white tape and a nikko) and work out which cable ends where.

Take apart the whole loom so that u will have no more tape or corrigated tubeing then u will have a big group of wires then arrage all the pink wires together, all the white wires together, all the black wires together, u can cut out 3 of the white wires (only need 3 powers not 6 with the RB setup) same goes with ground but DO NOT CUT OUT black Cylinder 1 cable which is black. It should end up somthing like this,
[attachmentid=351708]

Then u need to crimp the spade plugs onto the ends of the cables and shrink wrap over the top and these are the ends u should have 3 sets of this
cyl A&B, Power, Ground (power and ground can be in any order as long as each of the 3 coils have one of each)
The cyls are joined in the order of
1 goes with 6
2 goes with 5
3 goes with 4
(cyl 1 is closest to the front of the car and it works back)

Just test the loom with a multimeter to make sure this is achieved correctly

Now u have to make up your bracket to mount the coilpacks onto i went with a kinda difficult setup but its very solid and easy to replace/change parts, and makes it neater. This is how mines is set up
[attachmentid=351709]

Mount ur bracket on the car, join up the new coilpack loom the the ignighter and power plug and put the spade lugs cyl a&b power into either left or right in each coil doesnt matter as it will work either way and wired should look somthing like this.
[attachmentid=351710]

Once thats done time to plug the sparkleads onto the cylinders remember to hook them up to the same as how each coil is done so it should be 1&6 on coil 1, 2&5 coil2, 3&4 coil3.
[attachmentid=351711]

NOW your ready to test it and WALLA if uve done it right ull have ur Rb20DET running with VN series 2 coilpacks, If it runs then use the silicone to seal ur plugs from water and also to help them stay in.

heres mine on and finnished
[attachmentid=351712][attachmentid=351713][attachmentid=351716]

Problems you might faced and how to fix them,
Spade plugs not staying in? Go shopping and take ur coil with u there are plugs that FIT perfectly in width and length (they should click when deep enough in) then use silicone to keep them in tight and sealed

Not running on all cylinders? check all plugs are in properly

WONT START? make sure everythign is grounded where it should be ESPECIALLY UR IGNIGHTER

Running very rough? make sure u have correct clys wired together and also right leads to the right coils




Thanks guys and good luck HAPPY MODDING!
QUIGGA

Props to
http://www.dsd.co.nz/coils.htm (for the ideas)
Mr foster and Frosty for a big help and tools

very nice mate thats some useful info

For a bigger gain, MSD make a Better vesion of the factory holden coils. they are bright red too!

why did u do this with the vn coilpack when nearly every vn ever has changed the coil packs over to the VS ecotech packs due to massive failures with the VN ones?

CAUSE ITS NOT A SHITTY HOLDEN THAT BREAKS DOWN!!!

LOL

he did it because it was a cheap SUBSTITUTE for the standard rb coils without paying the huge price of MSD's and Spitfires ect ect... RBS DONT HAVE ECOTECH LMAO!

Sorry we dont know the ENTIRE HISTORY of holden.... fuck off with the gay comments and contribute somewhere else like the www.imaboganholdendriver.com post in the WANKER forum

btw ure already posting shit turndowns in the forums after 3 posts...... geez arent u gonna be a great bc.com member

hang on wat NVMYSS is saying is tru i no of at least 4 vn commodores having coil problems besides ecotec's hav coils simular to the vn there just better as they fixed the problem from prevous models anyway great article

It's a completely valid point. VN coilpacks are cheap because nobody wants them, they're constantly prone to failure so everyone upgrades them to VS-VX coilpacks, and they themselves are only $100 new. Quigga can let us know when the VN coilpacks break down, you can then apologise for being a wanknut.

ROCK ON
R~R

eat me cock boi! they havent broken down yet!

7 months and still absolutly no worries with them? prone to failure?

just for argument sake, its actually the vn series 1 coil packs that are prone to failure. vn series 2 to vy all run the exact same coil packs, they just changed the mountings on the bottom of the base plate. the series 1 coil packs were prone to failure due to the way the contacts in the coils were arranged. when they were heated up the contacts would move and limit the spark that they could supply, therefor making the engine run strangely. oh btw the msd coils are a great upgrade too, i have them on my vn and they work a treat .

Yeah Quigga used the series 2 coilpacks. No failure yet =)

i have same setup on my ca18det and only ever had a problem when i didnt plug one wire in 100%
run a little rough but that was my falt never had a prob

I own a 5 speed VN V6, yeah shutup its beaten its fair share of quick cars with a good launch and needless to say flatchanging, but hey it took 3 of my mates before me owning it, over 4 years with me doing the final damage to break a gearbox and diff in the same month... the 1st one of my mates that owned her upgraded the coil packs on it to the ones used in series 2 VN onwards, i think they were still used on Ecotecs. To buy them genuine from Holden its only i think from memory $1 whole cheaper than the red MSD blaster Coils, which are better in any case. Steer well clear of series 1 VN coil packs, they are rectangular ontop and downright crappola!

MSD coil packs for the VN2 onwards engines can be bought for $65 each if you shop around