VJ is a 5.0L, 304ci (4987cc) and 308ci (5044cc) are both 5.0L. They never put 304 on anything and the engines were never (or rarely) referred to GMH or Holden as 304ci, they were always 5.0L or 4987cc. The blocks had HP (one side HT), 308 (one side HT to VH), 308 (both sides VK-VL) 5.0L (VN to mid VR) or blank once they started to be built as 304ci or 350ci ((mid VR to VSIII).

Many thanks Warren for giving me the ability to aquire a very comprehensive set of books detailing the Holden vehicle.

A lot of work has gone into those black books which is much appreciated, cutting my internet time down massively. For instance, I just got completely baffled in the HK and VL parts books trying to understand the 5/4.9L for instance and after about 3 hours im still not sure ive reached a answer!

Byron I understand that they never put 304 on anything with the 308 cast block carrying on along with how and why the 304 came to be.

What I don't get is that the 304 engine is referenced many times through the early commodore parts books with a specific prefix placed next to a specific designation, displacement, comp ratio ect

Its a bloody mess for me to try and comprehend with the VJ prefix 5.0L in the VL being given displacement of 4987, comp ratio 8.5 and then the 5.0L in the VK having a displacement of 5044, comp ratio 9,2:1.

VK eng for instance

VK HC 5.0L Prefix VZ - Piston Displacement Cu. Ins ....308

VK HC 4.9L Prefix VA,VB,VC,VG - Piston Displacement Cu. Ins ....304

The above figures from an external (not employed by Holden) point of view would indicate the 304 is mentioned as its own entity next to the 308 with the Ins Displacement indicating it is not a 5.0L? It never got to 5.0L?

Different internal components would also indicate the 2 engines are not the same?

In VL The LV2 option got you the standard VJ prefix 8 cylinder assembly which is written as being a 4.9L P/N (92027348)

Im confused as to why the VJ prefix is a 5L with the 4.9L 304 engine featuring a lot within Holdens early V series literature?

As an apprentice, If I was told to go and cut a 5m length of flat bar and it came back to the tradesman at a length of 4987m it would have cost me a carton as its not a 5m length?

I agree, in VK it would have been solely to make it clear that there was a difference between the engines. I know HDT put 4.9L on some of their engine air cleaners but Holden only used 5.0L from what I remember. Once they got to VL and onwards to the end of the Holden V8 in VSIII they were always called 5.0L except for those few higher capacity 350ci versions with longer stroke built for HSV that were called 5.7L used in some of the HSV VR, VS and VT based vehicles. HDT also made a stroked engine optional in VL but it was only 5.6L capacity and it wasn't made as a Holden production engine. I don't think the 350ci Chevrolet (or other SBC design derivatives built in Canada, Mexico or by GM Powertrain) engine was 350ci either, it was 349.85ci from memory.

VZ prefix was the V5H version of the 308, the base HDT engine and also Police spec engine with manual transmission that was essentially an L34 engine except with a small dish in the piston rather than flat tops and a bigger cam than the L34. So big valve heads, stronger rods and hogged out intake under the Quadrajet, just 1/2 point less compression plus the HJ onwards camshaft rather than a retarded 253 cam. VT was used alongside VZ and it was just the final evolution of the original 308 introduced in HT Brougham.

Same as that list of VA (standard 304), VB (V5H version) VC (VK Group A engine), different prefixes used for different components thus specification. AFAIK the VB prefix engine is the engine that homologated the VK Group A - they had to build 5000 of those engines and then 500 of the VC prefix variant to qualify for Group A. Remember Bathurst 1985? Peter Brock charging in a VK catching a ailing Jaguar with both front and rear screens on the VK gone - he busted a single row timing chain as the V5H version of the Commodore hadn't yet met the 5000 minimum.

If you wanted a VL Commodore or Calais you had two optional engines, the turbo Nissan engine or a V8. And the salesman would almost always have picked a V8 car off the schedule and sold you it. Unless you were buying one of the GroupA's and they cam standard with the V8 they came with. So the criteria was simply V8, although I haven't seen a VL order form to see what the tick box said if for some reason what you wanted was not scheduled already (like a VL V8 Executive wagon with black paint and blue seats).

As I said, they had all sorts of wierdo ways of doing stuff, but the VL-VSIII V8 was always a 5.0L, it was badged that way. For whatever reason they screwed around and called it a number of things through Parts Catalogues, but as always they are the least reliable source of facts as far as internal (not Sales) resources go.

Edited by user Tuesday, 17 May 2022 4:10:47 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

No just from observations of blocks since the 80’s.

200kW should have been a snack for HSV, GHM and HDT managed 196kW @5200rpm and 418Nm @3600rpm with the VK GroupA using the same DIN rating Standard, and it only had a hydraulic flat tappet camshaft and the old carby heads. The VL GroupA EFI did lose some comparable power though as it was designed for ULP so did have lower compression at 8.4:1 compared to the VK’s 8.8:1. They did manage 180kW @4400rpm and 385Nm @3600 out of the HSV enhanced VN with just cold air, exhaust and a knock sensor. With a bit more work and better exhaust 200kW @5200rpm should have been easy and it was as they got 225kW @5200 out of the VN GroupA but it also ran 9:2 compression if I remember correctly.

It is probably just a VL block. What’s its date code? Does it have the valley head bolt bosses? I’ve bothered to look at a VL Group A EFI engine to see if they were cast like every other VL V8 (with valley bosses) or if they are like a VN block. Or if the blocks do have the bosses if they are drilled and tapped or not. They are machined differently for the 4 bolt mains caps