profrat

Front or rear swaybar?

From what you say here, do the Projector headlights in BF's produce a different pattern when high beam is switched on?

Thanks guys. Next question: Are there any SCT dyno tuners in Gipplsland. Anyone have experience of them?

Hi guys. Been absent from forums for a long time. Still got my 03 BA 5 speed man Turbo. Still thinking of getting it edited for better bottom end grunt. It will stay otherwise stock and I just want to maximised low to mid range. Not interested in more top end so I am assuming standard injectors, valve springs etc could cope with that. Looking at my options. I see CAPA Ford Flash 2 advertised as: "blank, suitable for custom tuning only." Can these still be custom tuned? For how much longer? Are there any disadvantages for me in using this one compared with the xcal3? Advice apreciated. :-) http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BLANK-CAPA-Ford-Flash-2-BA-BF-Falcons-FPV-and-Territory-Ford-Flash-Tuner-/160808345020?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2570ec9dbc

Thanks K31th, Just the sort of great first hand user experience I was seeking.

Another question: How do you guys find the HID H4's? There is a suggestion in the older pinned thread that the HID low beam and high beam can't be both adjusted to equal the halogen globes light pattern quality. Was this just a particular brand of globe? Are current HID H4 globes sorted now? Is there a particular brand of HID H4 globe that stands out in this regard? Cheers, Andrew

Hi Guys, I have read through this whole thread because I am looking to do H/L H4 and High beam H7 on my BA-T. Is there any positive feedback on the kits bought from Alex, Z-labs? They appear to have DC ballasts and I have read warnings that these my be a problem. If other peoples experiences have been good with these I will try them as the price is right. If not, are there any better suggestions? Are the AutoVisionAustralia ones doing the job? http://www.ebay.com....ht_12623wt_1065 Thanks, Andrew

Ok. I am relieved someone else has this knocky/rattle thingy. I have it in my BAT and it is driving me nuts. I have had the Ford dealer mechanics check out the suspension and they say they can't find anything loose or worn. I had the local Tyre/Suspension dealer check it out (he thought it might be the sway bar mounting bushes) but he can't find it either. What do I do now? Has anyone found the cause of this? One strange symptom is that it seems to knock more when the car is cold for the first few KM's, but it never goes away completely. 2003 BA Man Turbo 165,000km. Stock in every way down to OE Dunlop Tyres.

Any news on whether the new FG has better clearance for snow chains? I saw an FG turbo with 18's today in the Hotham car park all fitted up with chains so at least something must at least fit on.

Any updates on other current FG XR6T deals being offered? Here is mine: After a bit of haggling (aided by a quote for the local GM dealer for a 09 SS manual for $42990 DRIVE AWAY!) my local Ford dealer has come up with $44,000 drive away for an '08 build FG XR6T Manual with tow bar, and leather pack. I was gunna sell the 04 BA-T-man and look for a low Kays BF but at that price I am sorely tempted to go brand new! Whats a 2% price rise if they are offering $7000+ grand off list?

I f I may also reply. Why would the cost be putting people off ?? They already have a gas model ford developed and using a gas system. Aka selling an XT Egas model. Do you know AKA means Also Known As? Also there is talk of the LPG rebate being abolished, which would put alot of people off, also the reabate is only $1000 for a new vehicle, so people would still be spending ~$3000 over the petrol version. True, the rebate is only $1000 on a new car but with the savings of mass production and being able to integrate all the current transmissions and traction/stability systems there would be big savings in the factory as well. The new systems use the same computer and hence all the systems controlled by the computer would operate as normal The gas cylinder or storage tank would replace the fuel tank so any space lost in gas would be claimed back by removal of petrol tank. This is true, but LPG doesn't have the same combustible energy as Petrol, so to get the same mileage or range out of an LPG vehicle you need to fit it with bigger fuel tanks (95L up from 68L) This is why you lose boot space. Also true but in a dedicated gas system you do not loose anywhere as much space as with dual fuel Do not understand the comment about the ZF 6 speed. Surely it is a matter of tuning and modifying the motor ECU and the valve body timings on the ZF auto ?? Possibly, but it is money Ford aren't willing to spend No need to fit the 4 speed or spend money on the 6 speed as the new systems work with the electronics of the 6 speed box. Big saving as they only need to set up for one box. Hmm.. Dynamic stability control.. That one I do not understand must be because of the placement of the gas tank on the Egas XT inhibits the suspension system. It has to do with the fact that DSC controls wheel spin by cutting torque and power to the driven wheels, it does this in a petrol car by limiting the injectors and the throttle opening. Because an LPG car doesn't have injectors, and the converter can't be controlled precisely enough, this can't be done/ But of course DSC would work with a gas injection system I suggest that the issues mentioned are minor and in a major production run would be not a huge financial impost in the production of a Gas Turbo Ford. Unfortunately the current engine would be a large investment in money, and as Venom XR6 mentioned, with the new engine coming in only two years, the cost would be prohibitive. I would argue that to upgrade the current gas system would not necessarily be prohibitively expensive, but I can see how the company would be wanting to put all their efforts into the next generation engine. I have always wondered why the gas car costs more anyhow given that all those expensive Petrol fuel systems can be left off and they use the cheap gearbox. If anything, it should be cheaper! Just my thoughts. Profrat

Another update. I managed to get away with using the standard wheels all last ski season. Well, there was virtually no snowfall anyway. :-( Didn't fit chains at all last year. This year I went back to the standard 16" steel wheels on the rear for the first couple of trips up the hill. There was plenty of snow and I fitted chains both time. I got a fright on the way home the second time though. Cruising into a slightly damp tightening corner and the rear started to slide a bit. Plenty of grip on the front. Those standard rears have stuff-all grip on a wet greasy road!! A quick small correction caught it but my daughter was not impressed! Since then it's been the 17" rears only! As luck would have it, no more need to fit the chains anyhow on subsequent trips. One pair of standard steel wheels and tyres going cheap! I will just have to put up with skun knuckles!

Is it possible to fit a donut tank in the spare wheel well on the XR6T? If I do this I want full boot space. Don't need the spare wheel. Havn't used one for donkeys years. What capacity is possible with a donut tank?

I assume that was the dash reading? Did you do the calc on the KMs and Litres? Interesting to know how close they were.

2003 BA Mk1. 5 speed manual. Stocker. 82,000 klicks. Live in a country town. 90% of kms done on the highway on weekends. Averge over the last 65,000 is 12.5 / 100. This was calculated from the log book I keep on every fuel fill. For all but the last 15,000 I used mainly Optimax with the occaisional 95 when I could not get Optmax. Last 15 thou I have used mostly Shell 91 (I just could not get my hand to pick up that Optimax nozzle no matter how I tried :-). The interesting think is that the dash calculator says I have ebeen getiing better mileage that I really have been. When I was running on Optimax it was always reading worse than I was actually getting. Weird. Now the qualifications. Just driving round my small town with cold starts and 3km to work or trips to the shops 2 km away I get very high consumption. 17-20litres per 100km. I think this is entirely understandable. The car never gets warmed up and is running super rich. Check your instantanious readout as you leave home with a cold engine!! On the other hand, cruising on the highway at (around) the legal limit with occaisional brisk overtaking returns better than 10L/100km and quite often as low as 9! Best I've seen on an easy 150km trip was 8.8. Trips to the ski fields on very tempting windy, hilly roads gets me 14.5 on the way up but by the time I am back down (hill) the average is back to 12.5 to 13. That is without the missus of course. Make that 13.5 and 11.5 ave with the throttle dampener on board. Towing my light trailer with sporting gear knocks the highway mileage around to about 13-14, but I consider that pretty reasonable. Summery: Cold starts and very short trips chew fuel. 16-20 normal! Easy highway miles are quite economical. 9L/100km quite achievable. Sporty driving in the hills 13-16L/100km. Varies with quotient of enthusiasm, and can be briefly a lot worse on the right road! I have tried to calculate the difference in mileage I get from Optimax v's 91ron. It's a bit tricky/inaccurate without a long average test in the same sort of driving but, but rough observations, it appears to be around 2 to 3% better on Optimax. Given the price premium of about 7% for Optimax in my area, it is not an advantage purely for economy, but of course it has other benefits. :-) It would be interesting to hear from others who have done mileage comparisons between 91 and optimax or equivelent.

Thanks Mal, I will get the oil changed as your recommendation and see how it goes.

Hi Guys, I have a 2003 Mk1 Turbo Manual with 80.000 easy highway km on it. I am hearing a strange rumbling noise when I turn sharp corners. Like when I turn around the pumps in the servo. I was in a country Ford dealership recently for another matter. The Mechanic drove it into their workshop and heard the noise and said I should get my own dealer to put an additive in the diff. What is causing the noise? Is it a potential expensive problem? (Warranty is over 3 yrs) Is the guy correct about the additive. What is it and what does it do? Thanks Andrew

Well, I've had a few trips up the mountain with the 16" wheels now (an just because I had them on there was no call to fit chains - Murphys Law) and found one little problem I had not thought of. The 215/60-16's are slightly larger in diam. than the 17's. (This actually made my speedo close enough to spot on rather than 3% fast - checked against the GPS). Problem is on a greasy road the ABS gets a bit confused and want to kick in way too early. I guess it sees the front wheels turning faster than the rears far too well! It didn't create any dangerous dramas so far but it has me thinking again. Saw an XR6 T at Hotham with a set of standard Fairmont 16" mags on it. At least that gets all the wheels the same diameter. Now that it is late in the season I have put the 17's back on for the last trip. It's unlikely I will need chains now and if I do have to fit them for a short distance, I will just have to put up with the skinned knuckles. I think I will keep my eyes open for a nice set of 6.5" or 7" x 16" Mags.

Senator: Nah mate. I want a sports sedan not a tipover truck! Harvyk: Well you could always do as did last year. Get good low clearance chains, skin your knuckes, fit them real tight and take it very easy. Might be worth looking into the more expensive brands...... Another alternative I was thinking about was a set of 7"x16" alloys for the rear and some good quality 215-55-16 tyres. That was the expensive option. I went for the cheap option. 2 steel wheels and tyres for $100 the pair. Oh, I nearly forgot. If you value the shiny finish on your wheels you will need some sort of pad to stop the chains rubbing the wheels. I have seen these. All they are is a felt or synthetic disc shaped pad that covers the wheel inside the chain and is held in place by the chain. Some chains have plastic coated fitting which help a lot but can still scuff the wheel.

I thought I should give an updte of my experiences with snow chains on the XR6T. I read all the posts and decided I would try to fit good chains and be careful. I got prices on some very high quality and expensive low clearance chains (Keong) and was about to order them when I happened to see some cheapies in the local Auto barn that looked thin and might fit. I grabbed one an tried it and sure enough it fitted, just. There is very little clearance on the inside front suspension bolt but they do clear. Bought them. Lots of money saved! I only had to fit them a couple of times last season and because I was very careful they worked well. (Don't forget to turn Traction control off though. Otherwise you can grind to an embarrasing halt. Chained wheels need to slip a bit to work.) The biggest problem was getting really cold, bruised hands. There is very little clearance to get the hands around them under the guards and it is a slow, fiddly process, even for someone like me who has been fitting chains for 30 years! The worst that happend is that on one trip the chains 'walked' sideways a bit on the tyre and the inside hoop started to rub on that suspension bolt. I stopped and fixed it but it did wear a bit of the plastic off the hoop. First trip this year I had to dig the car out of 40cm of new snow and fit the chains to come home. On the way down I heard that ominous rub - rub - rub sound and I knew it was the plastic hoop rubbing on the bolt again. Before I could find somewhere to pull over and fix it there was a loud BANG! This does not sound so good. Apon inspection I found the left chain had ripped itself off and was nowhere to be seen. Buried in the road in the snowstorm. I was in no mood for an extensive search. I drove the rest of the way with one chain and truth be told, I would not have known unless I had taken a look. Good LSD I guess. Luckily there was only very minor damage to the spoiler extention on the bumper behind the wheel and a small self tapper fixed it back in place with no other visible sign. Rethink time. I decided to get a pair of standard steel 16" wheels ($30) and 215/60/16 tyres ($70 - 10% worn SH). I will fit them before any trip where I think there is a chance of having to fit chains (probably most) and remove them when I get home. The same size chains (100 - autotecnica) fit the 235/45/17's and the 215/60/16 which is good. I guess I will have to drive with due regard on the way up there with the lesser tyres on the rear. Bugger!

Now I am replying to my own posts! Bad form I know: Found it! http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/index.ph...wtopic=7490&hl=

Thanks Guys. PM sent. I was refering to some posts by someone who fitted a 'behind the numberplate' light bar to a BA falcon. I remember there were pictures of the proceedure at the time. cheers,

Hoping someone can help. I have seen a thread on this about a year ago but now I can't find it. Does anyone have a link to the thread or can anyone help me out with how to do this the best way? many thanks, Professor Ratbaggy

Hmmm... Looks like this may be a LPG sticker on the numberplate. Hard to tell exactly.

This is an area I have had interest in for quite a while. This is what I have found through mainly research on the net, but also by talking to a few people who work in the LPG autogas industry: Liquiphase seems to have disappeared after promising a lot! There are both liquid and gaseous injection systems on the market in Europe where gas is cheaper and petrol is like liquid gold. All the systems seem to be made for small capacity engines. There is a guy in the USA who is/was marketing liquid propane injection systems for large pickup trucks (V10's no less!!). A guy (in Sydney?) has just started to market a gaseous injection system that I think may be the one mentioned by eMPee. Seen on the ABC's 'New Inventors' recently. One think is for sure. Only some sort of computer controled injection is worth the effort. Non injection systems have too many serious (explosive) quirks for a modern turbo engine IMHO. IMHO, The big advantages of LPG in a turbo are: 1. Propane has a very high octane rating. - Yeeehaa. Turn up that BOOST! (unfortunately - our Autogas usually has a lot of Butane mixed with it which lowers the octane a lot but it is still higher than Optimax.) 2. This is potentially the BIGGIE! If you inject liquid Propane into the inlet port, as it converts to gas it takes a huge amount of heat from the air around it. Instant intercooling!! - Yeehaa. Turn up that BOOST! I have observed that numerous attempts at commercialising LIQUID LPG injection have failed over recent years in OZ. This has led me to believe there are some very difficult problems to overcome but no-one seems able, or willing to disclose what they are. I am sure if the problems could be overcome Ford and Expensive Daewoo would be pumping out LPG injected Taxis already. They are not............