hello this is my first ever post hope i didnt do anything wrong :P just a couple of days ago i baught a 1990 holden vq statesman series 1. it has 168xxxkms shown on clock and is currently stock as a rock. after research i found out from factory they had 165kw and would love to get that too 180kw+ i was thinking of buying a hsv chip to increase the kw to 185 but wanthing to know where i can get them from and exactly what i need to install the chip. i researched alittle about them and came across being able to buy fake ones which trick ur computers in ur car and do more harm then good too the engine is this true? how do u know if u are buying a proper one not an imatation version? Thankyou!! very appreciative if got a few replies Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Don't bother even with a genuine HSV chip as it will make almost no difference at all. The HSV spec motors had a knock sensor fitted and the HSV chip took advantage of being able to advance the timing more based on the knock sensor to make the extra power. Do the job properly and get your car retuned/reprogrammed by someone who can do it on a dyno. Is probably worth installing the knock sensor as well as any other mods you want done at the same time. Corsa

did VQ's have variable steering?? If so, you can't run a knock sensor with the variable rack as the extractors won't clear both. The only ones that do are the HSV ones off the grange etc. Nobody makes an aftermarket set that suit both knock sensor and variable rack, I looked.

VQ 5000i had a knock sensor

Only some VQ's have the variotronic rack, Series 2 (93 update only) model received it standard. The OP's will be a non-variotronic rack so should have no issues fitting the knock sensor.

Headers, exhaust, intake and a tune will give you 180-200kw, and change the diff gears to 3.45s and you will have a good increase in performance

Had a vq caprice completely stock engine with no tune, pacemakers, full exhaust, built trans with stall and diff gears to run: 60ft: 1.918 sec 660ft: 8.837@77.4mph 1320ft: 13.906@96.99mph this is back when Adelaide had a strip and is about as fast as you could get an unopened 5L to go.... kept up with a wrx that ran flat 12's to 660ft so on the street was great fun So what im saying is get a stall and some diff gears.. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

out of curosity, what diff gears? I'm assuming 4.11's??

Quote: Originally Posted by Injection [View Post] out of curosity, what diff gears? I'm assuming 4.11's?? still on 10degrees base timing / 3.73's / 4k stall (hence the reason a tune would have done basically nothing), you run out of legs with 4.11's and factory cam/intake... the stall was pretty good on the street too..

pretty damn good for a stock motor.

i just brought a vq myself. and here is the award for the most stupidist question of the year..... What does the knock sensor do exzactly??

it's a little sensor mounted on the drivers side of the block (on the 5L) that detects engine detonation (knocking) and retards the timing to prevent engine damage from pinging.

would that have anything to do with my car running rich atm running rich atm

most likely not. could be something like coolant temp or manidolf air temp giving the wrong readings. motor may think it's colder than it actually is so puts in more fuel.

ok yea always reads that it runs cool. Better just book it in. thx inj.

Mate if you want some 3.9s PM me i have a complete diff freshly built sitting in my shed. Has no oil and teeth are blued up so you can inspect if you wish.