bcl

Happy birthday guys.... have a good one! Brian

Having owned 8 turbo cars, all except 1 modified (wife’s car), I’m always wary of dyno results, and what is published. Different dyno operators don’t use consistent variables, yet they always claim their method is correct. We even had a situation at the C&V dyno day, when comparing results, found some people had been dyno’d with CK:8 & some with CK:6 … oops..so much for consistency… they were meant to be identical. Check out the APS graphs at their site, even though you see shootout mode you still see various differing parameters … CK:2, CK:9 CK:8. Published graphs are used for marketing purposes, and don’t necessarily reflect what you’ll get after you pay your money. These days I always ask for 3 printouts 1.power/torque 2. power/afr and 3. power/boost. If 2 cars get the same or similar power levels, they can drive very differently. One may be very laggy, then hit you with a sudden surge of power (almost undriveable), the next car may come on boost far earlier with far more consistency, and still achieve a similar level of power. People need to carefully look at the power/torque curve. Real world driving is what counts. The power/torque between 2500 and 4000 revs is more important for driveability than peak torque, unless you are into drag racing or trying to impress other people with big numbers. Some dyno operators have shown me impressive power graphs, then qualified it by saying that a bit of octane booster was added to get that result! In terms of turbo spool up I think I know what you mean. A lot of people would be surprised to learn that in a lot of turbo cars running higher boost levels you won’t hit max boost in first gear, as there is not enough time to fully spool up. Depending on how a dyno operator does the run in/into 4th gear may determine how quickly the turbo spools up, causing variations to the graph, and possibly maximum power. At low boost levels (5-6lb) there may not be a lot of difference between say CK:6 & CK:8, but at higher boost levels it may be significant, as your tests today indicate. If 2 cars are being compared an independent operator should test them. Often in the past after I have my car tuned with piggyback/replacement ecus I take it to another dyno for an independent check. Brian

It's about time ... used to love it when I was a kid 1966/67

I had heat blistering in this crossover area BEFORE I made any changes, so don't assume it's related to mods. Brian

219-189= 30 not 40

Junior, when I get my car back you are welcome to a test drive (Jimmyboy too), as it will be first Nizpro stage 3+ in Sydney. Some of the Herrod guys in Sydney are keen to have a look at it also. It will have around 300rwkw, and should be extremely drivable. Piggyback ecu solutions such as offered by Unichip, EXEDE, plus that designed by RDP are mandatory for tuning and boost control. These are cheap yet very effective solutions for most people. But I don’t believe any of these have independent control over the cams, whereas the Motec does (at a price), which could take it to a different level of tuning. However, I believe the COBRA kit with the efficient redesigned inlet, plus XEDE, gives that solution an advantage over what is offered elsewhere, and so far to my knowledge it is offered by Nizpro, GCG and Chiptorque. I don’t see a lot of benefit of going to a much higher power level at the moment, given road and limited track use, so I’ll keep that power level for a while and see how the gearbox and tailshaft takes the power. I don’t expect the clutch to handle it for too long, but even though I’m not hard on clutches, an upgrade is likely. I’ve also requested an oil cooler, as the ecu does cut power once temps reach a given level. After that, given the strengthened internals, there is far more upgrade potential if I’m inclined…. remember turbos are addictive. As for brakes, 6 pot AP Racing or Alcon will be fitted. Also, my car’s new exhaust seems to be good for an extra 15-20kw, based on feed back from Nizpro yesterday, so the end result should be a bit better than usual. Brian

bcl, is that a joke or is it real

Don't be gentle; give it heaps. Check out this link http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm Brian

The car does run smoother with MB. Brian

I think the issue with the rexes was that many octone boosters stuffed up the oxygen sensor, so they are not recommended with rexes.... but MB is OK. Brian

If you detect pinging on a turbo car you have a disaster waiting to happen. Many years ago on 2 different turbo cars I had cracked heads, but that was before the more tunable cars that we now have and when aftermarket ecu’s were either not available or sophisticated. Octane boosters or methyl benzene are only a temporary solution, although I’ve come across people who use MB all the time. I like MB, and have used quite a bit of it (but not in the Ford), as the car runs a lot smoother. If the car is stock then you most likely have a bad batch of fuel, so either change fuel quickly or go back to the dealer…. But take it easy in the meantime. If the car is modified then get the tuner to knock back the timing at the load/rev points where the pinging is occurring. I have an adjustable ecu in my Sti, and can and have knocked back the timing to stop pinging via a hand controller that modifies the ecu real-time. You should note that aftermarket tuners are now leaning out mixtures to get more power, as the factory settings run more on the rich side. Thus you place a lot of faith in the ability of the tuners, and whether they properly road test as well as dyno test their changes. If you get your T modified and use an XEDE, Unichip or other ecu mod, I’d advise people to immediately give the car a good road test, and try to test as many load/rev points asap. If you are not happy, either in terms of drivability, smoothness or detect pinging, go straight back to the tuner… I speak from experience here. Also test out drivability at light throttle openings. If you get your car tuned on 98 ron fuel, then fill up with 96 or lower ron, be careful or temporarily use octane booster. Turbo cars are now running 8.7:1 to 9:1 compression, compared to around 8:1 years ago. Higher boost levels now put a lot more stress on the motors internals, so correct tuning is critical. Pinging is unacceptable. Brian

thanks ktford, IMHO the Cobra kit (that's what they call it) is the best on the market, as it addresses the design inefficiencies of the factory inlet system. Peak HP is not the main objective, but excellent mid-range torque and drivability is. The stock T is relatively poor down low (sub 3k revs) for a car with VVT... I expect this upgrade to address this. With regard to mods and component durability it's still early days, but I don't mind throwing money at things to test them out. There'll still be plenty of upgrade potential after this one, if I choose to go after more peak rwkw. Brian

1axr, No I did not notice a wastegate problem. Moving forward, both my wastegate spring and blow-off valve are being replaced as a part of the upgrade.... to handle higher boost pressure. I've had a number of wastegate problems in the past with others cars, however I wouldn't normally expect just an exhaust change to cause wastegate problems... having said that I don't know how weak the stock wastegate spring is, nor the extent of "wastegate creep". You can pressure test the wastegate actuator to see at what pressure it opens. (Don't ask me what is standard is). With other cars in the past I've had attempted remedies such as adjustable actuator arms, replaced items with stronger springs, cut/shorten/reweld actuator arms, and external wastegates. brian

I've got a new exhaust after the turbo dump pipe back, larger 3.5” down pipe, 3.5”high-flow new style cat with steel-mesh internals and ceramic coating (for higher gas temps & faster flowing gas), larger dual 2.5” diameter pipe all the way back, prototype rebuilt rear muffler to accommodate larger dual 2.5" pipe instead of the stock 2" pipe, so a very low restriction, free flowing exhaust…. It looks stock from the rear, as I’ve retained the rear tip, and it has a much sportier sound mid-range, overall a very deep sound. I drove from Sydney to Melbourne yesterday. The otherwise stock car feels like it comes on boost a bit quicker, is smoother and more responsive. At freeway (123kmph) speeds, 2800 revs, it is fairly quiet inside the car with no drone. This is a prototype exhaust, much better than standard, as I wanted a good exhaust set-up (and high-flow cat) before the major Nizpro upgrade that is happening now. Brian

Last night was the 4th game I’ve seen the Wallabies play this year at Telstra stadium. Their lift in standard compared to previous games was unbelievable, as was the atmosphere last night and crowd support. Every player played well and lifted their standard, very little dropped ball. The timing of their passing and running onto the ball was significantly better. Early game tactics were different, with no kicking early in the game so not to give the All Backs a chance to run. And what about the Wallabies defence; simply stunning. It was one of those dream victories in sport. I will remember last night’s game for a long time to come. I hope a few of them get over their injuries quickly. Bring on next week…I’ll be there cheering. Brian

I also went through the same exercise. You might like to also checkout Redhawks old thread http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/index.ph...posts&hl=&st=25 My comments from 24/9/3 were as follows: Now, 2 months later, I'm sure I made the right choice in staying with the turbo. I will put the money into mods, (Herrod springs, 6 pot brakes, special exhaust, Nizpro kit, 19" wheels) as I have no problems modifying my turbo cars, and will have a T that will easily eat the GT. I won't have the sound, seats or street cred of a GT-P, but I will have a car that goes substantially faster and outbrakes the GT with a similar level of handling. Lowered T's with 19" wheels do look great. As for the sound, yes it's very hard (near impossible) to replicate that great GT sound, but the the T can be given a far better sound. I think the T will gain more street cred as time goes by, but it needs to be better supported by Ford, with quality improved. If you do want something better than the T, and won't modify the T, or you are not happy, then change over to the GT if you can afford it. But I would not do it now, but at least wait for the next version to appear. The current GT is a heavy car .... too heavy, which takes the performance edge off it, and I'd expect Ford to do something about it sooner or later. Brian

Guys, Removing the centre muffler definitely adds power. As for drone it's a subjective issue.... and I did go up in size to 2.5". The centre muffler does do a lot for noise reduction, which is why it's there. The approach taken was also to look at what can be done with the rear muffler to alter the sound, with some very good results today ... a very deep sound much like a V8.... but a few other major things have also been done. I'll write a paper next week on what's been looked at, as the work is not quite finished, but it's looks like another option. FYI, here's a pic of the guts of the rear muffler. Brian

Geeseman, The Ford turbo runs low boost... 5 to 6 lb; half that of a rex, and lower compression ratio and should be very reliable. The Ford T is my eight turbo car in 21 years, and I've yet to blow up an engine. You'll have to double or triple the boost to cause major dramas, and those dramas are usually drivetrain before engine. If you never fiddle with it then I'd expect no engine problems whatsoever, but the temptation to increase power is like Adam in the garden of Eden. The real issue for many people is the extra ripoff charge of the insurance companies, but don't let that stop you. Go the turbo. Brian

Happy Birthday Mondie; wish I was 34 again .... so long ago. Have a good day. :D :D :D Brian

I had the centre muffler removed yesterday. I replaced it with mandrel bent dual 2.5" rather than the standard 2.25". It is a bit louder at idle; a definite drone and sportier, but does not drone at 100-120kph. I'm happy with the result, as mid-range feels a bit stronger, and it feels like it revs out better. It was done by Tuffy's (who do my exhaust work), who are right next to C&V. We tested the noise level back-to-back against the C&V APS exhaust, and it was around 3db quiter at 3500revs than the APS exhaust. Brian

I'm going to try my best to make this, even though I'm going to the Rugby Sat & Sun nights. Should be a good drive, as I went past Sofala yesterday after a 4WD weekend to Hill End. Here's a pic of a typical moment.... not to be attempted in the XR6T. Brian

WBT56, 1. Is the T56 you refer to the same as the Tremec T-56, as described in the following link http://www.ttcautomotive.com/English/products/T-56.asp , or something different? 2. Do you know how that differs from the 6 speed that CAPA are selling for $8,335? I remember someone previously clarifying that the T5 we use is not the same as the Tremec T-5. thanks, Brian

Guys, This topic has been done to death, if you want to read many other comments please refer to the earlier thread I started at http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/index.ph...wtopic=4689&hl= Also I'm reasonablyl qualified to comment on this topic as I have 3 rexes at home, including a reasonably modified Sti. I believe my soon to be modified XR6T will be easily quicker in a straight line than my STi. To do sub 12's in a rex you need over 200kw at the wheels, which requires in most cases a stroked motor and a big turbo ( and maybe a dog box), and in most cases not a good road car. To get the same result in the XR6T will be far easier, and a far better car to drive for normal circumstances... just make sure the brakes and suspension are upgraded. As for what modified car goes quicker around the track, time will tell.... brian

Cro, The 01 rex is a slug, the slowest of all rexes. I have driven an 01, and could not believe how slow it was.... it screams out for mods.... so a stock XR6T will easily beat a stock 01 rex. (the 01 rex had the revised shape & bug-eye and a lot of extra weight). The 03 rex & Sti are a different matter. Stock versions are notably quicker to 100kph than a stock XR6T. Brian

Last night Thompson Ford re-installed another shifter. Problem fixed. Spring tension is as it should be. Went for a test drive. Much better, but I found I still couldn’t fast shift smoothly under hard acceleration from 2nd to 3rd. Rob Herrod contacted me yesterday about the issue, and I spoke to him about the issue this morning, It seems like I’m now shifting faster as less shifter distance to travel, but the gearbox synchros can’t handle the faster shift time. According to Rob the Targa Tassie also had the same issue with their car. With a bit of practice I can now shift smoothly; I just have to slow it down a bit. This does not appear to be a problem with the V8, as better synchros. I’ll now get used to the shorter shift. The real problem for me is the poor quality gearbox. The new shifter helps, but at the end of the day this gearbox with slow synchros and notchiness still lets the car down. Would I get the shifter fitted again … yes. Is it worth the money …. For me yes, but maybe not for others. For any other forum members based in Sydney, who own a manual and want to check out the new shift, please email me via the forum and I’ll see if I can organise a test drive for you to check it out. I’m pleased and grateful that Rob took a personal interest in this matter, and I would recommend Thompson Ford. Rectifying a problem was no trouble for them. What I really liked was being able to drop the car off to them at 5pm on the way home, get a loner car from them, have dinner, then go and collect the car between 8&10pm…. as they have an afternoon/evening service team. Brian