dingah2

Found the Ford parts receipt at last .....Part No FO-AGSP 22Z11 - Denso Iridium List Price $8:75 each. Dingah

Trying to find receipt but about $14/plug. Dingah

How is one supposed to tell the difference between the valve springs fitted in one car with another set of valve springs fited in a different car? I discovered valves ceased functioning effectively once boost levels raised beyond one bar pressure at about 4600RPM. Springs were replaced by Nizpro supplied and fitted springs and now the engine functions correctly providing 70RWKW more at max revs with new springs. The Ford Parts Dept supplied spark plug is an Iridium plug. Dingah

If it's a four speed the tranny will sound like a taxi in a few 000kms. Dingah

Go to Competition Friction's web site and contact info is there. All I know is what I placed in the earlier post. Dingah

Great news for anyone looking for the ultimate brake package. John Healey at Competition Friction (Murrumbateman, near Yass NSW) advised me today that they have a number of the John Bowe Signature series AP Racing brake kits (see my earlier thread for photos) for sale at GREATLY reduced prices. Package comprises 330mm rear and 362mm front rotors - rear is DBA 4000 slotted and front is DBA 5000 2 piece slotted together with Ferodo DB2000 rear and DB2500 front pads, AP Racing fluid, all braided lines front and rear and appropriate brackets to enable fitting to AUIII, BA and BF Falcons - X6/Turbo, XR8, GT and GTP, The only possible issue is your wheel's offset. The BA Mk II wheel will not fit over these due to offset - other questions ask John. I am running GTP 18s and the front calliper just fits inside - the wheel balance weights have to be cut in half to clear the calliper. Four spot front and 4 spot rear are around $4000 and 6 spot front and 4 spot rear are around $5500 - call John for details - Google for Competition Friction contact details. These prices are significantly below current retail and are sourced from the very folk that made the kits up in the first place. A great purchase. Dingah

I think that some of you are getting pretty precious here. You must have made a decision to part with a shedful of coin based upon the fact that you wanted what was on offer at the time. THe dealer then pfesents with what you had agreed to purchase and suddenly it's not good enough?! You are the ones that are changing your mind as to whether or not what was delivered is according to your tastes and you have the audacity to point the bone at the dealerships. Get real, dry your eyes and deal with it. Dingah

Wrighty DO NOT use Transamx Z in the 4 speed - its wear rates are very unfriendly. Stick to the TQ95 and get your changes adjusted through Edit and the system fitted with a trans cooler. Dingah

Hey Greeny: You made the RIGHT decision. Get the Oettinger re-flash and you'll be quicker than a GT and as good as a GTI on 5l/100km - fate dealt you a good hand. Dingah

Unless you have a true DSG box like the one in the VW you are not really in control of the box anyway, it is still a slusher. When changing gears in a DSG that's what you are really doing and with the electronic clutches they employ you are achieving a shift at a speed which is darn quick - about 3/100 of a second. Paddles with a normal auto are not worth the effort. Dingah

It was an opportunity out of the blue to acquire the setup for a fraction of the normal retail price (that's what happens when John Bowe signs things!) and as you can see from the photos on the thread I started they certainly add a degree of visual functionality. Second the AP Racing folk are here in Canberra 9Competition Friction) so it was also an opportunity to get them fitted by the very folk that design the kits. Third, there can be no further debate about how effective the brakes really are, which pad is best, should I use braided lines etc etc. Yet again it would have been wiser to wait with the original system and then make one change but the adventure through all the different options was interesting and a good learning experience. THe PBR Premos front and BF/Territory rear with the right pads is still a darn good option, hard pedal, a bit of heat in the pads = plenty of stopping power. Time will tell exactly how good the AP Racing setup really are but there really should be no doubt as to their capability and through lilfe cost - a far better option than Brembo or ALCON. Now the entire car is balanced, brakes, suspension, driveline and engine - nice package. Dingah

Check all induction hoses aqnd joins for leaks - ie take all off, clean and replace then go to the Ford Parts and get exactly the correct Iridium plus (about $12 each) re-gap to around 0.85 and replace plugs - make sure coil packs are all connected correctly , then give it a try. Two hours of your own effort and $50 worth of investment might well provide the answer. Dingah

Does it occur foot flat to the floor or somewhere between half and three quarter throttle? Dingah

G'day Dan. Yes and we had to take the small balance weights off the front rims as the clearance between them and the calliper was close to negative - surprisingly the wheel balance appeared unchanged on the way home - so happy with the rims and brakes...smooooooth as. Nizdave appears to have the tranny changes sorted too, a good blend of soft when slow and firm when going hard (hmmm not quite how it was supposed to sound). Dingah

Lots of coin - retail is about $10k an d this was about 55% of that plus $150 fitting. John at comp friction indicated that he had a slightly used set the same specs for about $5800 ish I think. It certainly fills up the front rims nicely. Dingah

Just had Competition Friction at Murrumbateman fit a John Bowe signature series brake package to Grunt. An excellent and I mean excellent bunch of guys to have work on my car - VERY highly recommended for anyone looking for options and mods in the brake department. The package comprises AP Racing 6 piston front and 4 piston rear callipers shod with Ferodo DS2500/2000 pad combo biting into 362mm DBA 5000 front rotors and 300mm DBA 4000 slotted rear rotors, new braided lines and fluid etc. Too early to examine the full benefits of this combo an BF Mk II/Territory d hopefully I never will have to in anger but all feels very smooth and easy to modulate braking pressures so far. Was previously running 328mm PBR premos slotted front and 330mm BF Mk II /Territory rear with RB74/standard pad combo which was a darn good set-up so it will be interesting to see the longer term difference. Some may ask so why change up? Take a look at this and answer your own question.......... Dingah

Good write up and for the main part tallies with my impression of the GTS. Looks nice and sounds nice as a first impression but usual Expensive Daewoo door clang when closing doors soon puts paid to that, the A pillar is an absolute shocker at roundabouts, engine pulls well from low revs but it seems to stop delivering much in the way of real grunt above 4500 and beyond that sounded like it shouldn't be there. TRAC suspension ok, but the hard setting at low revs felt like someone had welded the dampers up. Love the seats though - yes I definitely loved the seats. THe instrumentation demonstrated absolute incompetence in design. Red lighting used in the manner it is is almost unreadable at a glance and I continually had to resort to the large digital numbers at speed as the lighting required far too much time with the eyes off the target to assimilate the information. We toyed with red lighting years ago in aircraft and gave it away tens of years ago; in the GTS it's next to bloody useless and border son the dangerous. Dingah

Are you certain that isn't the function of the torque converter locking up - does it happen in the nromal Drive mode?.......is your software edited? Dingah

It wil re-occur every time the car is in the air and has the steering position altered by moving the wheels and will go away in a few kms time. Dingah

Try yellow pages - it came up straight away. Dingah

When I did the same mods to mine the backing plate had to be trimmed to avoid any fouling or scraping. Removal is another option though. The pedal is certainly much firmer with the premos/braided lines/BF II rears and the pedal height is unchanged. However it all comes off next weekend to fit AP 6 spot/4 spot. Dingah

Currently have mine for sale - PBR red callipers slotted front (325mm) RB74 pads and BF II/Teritory rear (330mm), Ford pads braided lines front and back - in Parts for sale section............... Dingah

Yup saw it /them today when heading north (just in time)...it certainly precipitated some speed compliance on the Parkway this morning. Closer inspection than normal of the post-roadwork condition of the Fyshwick lights indiactes that to be either operational or darn close to it too. I wish there was a way of shoveling aside those who decide to 'park' at 75kph in the 'overtaking' lane on Adelaide Avenue, busilly overtaking fresh air......the majority seem to sporting NSW plates - got to be in the correct lane to turn right albeit in 25kms time!! Dingah

Cool, good luck. Dingah

Gaawd there's always one in every crowd! I have better things to do with my time than run scare campaigns or post rubbish e-mails. The post states that this system has been put in place and not necessarily commissioned at this stage. If you believe you know best please feel free to ignore the friendly advance warning. Dingah