ken666

Her friends say the same thing to her when she tells them that I spent over 100G on a car!

I always wondered why it does that. My ex destroyed the side of my supercharged XR8 while reversing it though the driveway gates... It was wet grass and she jumped sideways and dragged the gate from the rear bumper to the front guard... She got the sh!ts with me because t/c didn't do anything to save her!!

Fixed!!!!! Yay😃 FG's seem to hold they're ecu memory for a lot longer than the BA-BF series. I've had the battery disconnected a few times now, but realized that it must have a backup power supply for short durations. I found that the ecu hasn't reset until the icc clock loses the correct time. Which I should have picked up the first couple of attempts!

Haha, just read my reply from last night! (appears it was a bit bigger than I remember!) But yeah, I still switch all aids off before I leave the driveway too camo86t. Maybe it's just the comfort of actually being the one in control/responsible for my passenger's and my own safety, instead of trusting something that uses less realtime information than myself to "react"

Well........ by the look of my rear tyres compared with the fronts... My 2009 FG XR6 has no throttle reduction when DSC is switched off! And, to be honest... I am only really replying to this post cos I'm a little inebriated, and got so much entertainment from all the fireworks!! Phuck me, if someone owns or drives any type of vehicle and can't feel whether there is ANY type of programmed electronic driver aid intervening the drivers action/reaction to control the vehicle. Then maybe they should not be in that seat with the steering wheel in front of them??? In my opinion, everyone should learn to drive in an old overpowered sh*tbox with bald tyres on a wet circuit... when you can feel what a car is about to do, before it's too late to need all the electronic IDIOT proof programs, only then you should be allowed to sit for your licence.. Yes, yes, they can be great features to have (for those times you are in auto pilot), but that's always a bit of food for thought. Should you be driving a motor vehicle in this state of mind (hoping the car sees what you really should already be watching?)

How did you do the reset? Cheers Ken

Ever since I saw Dimmu Borgir perform live, they absolutely blew me away with the sound quality. Since, I have been waiting for their new album.. seven years later, they are still working on it! But here's a new track from it, whenever it is finally finished. Check this out, the tour I saw them play with full symphony and choirs! Even if you are not into the type of music, you will enjoy the show

Transmission not in park........... I have just experienced the same issue in my FG XR6 today. But my issue stems from a different situation, long story short. My family and I got soaked to the bone in bad rain a couple of days ago, the interior got pretty wet, I turned the heater on the following morning to max for 30 mins or so with the windows open an inch to dry it out. Today I went to drive it, and it cut straight out and was immobilised, I disconnected battery and got it to reset and start. Then I got a new message on dash "blown indicator globe", and had no gauges? I drove it with heater on max to dry any moisture, then the gauges began to work. But then a new problem arose Now the indicators only flash on the right side, even if left is selected.. But ONLY while the engine is running, it works normally with key on eng off? And the dash is reading that same message that seems to be haunting everyone with electrical issues in an FG?? TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK Does anyone know what the common link is that is shared by us? I'm thinking along the lines of bad earth, but haven't been able to test this theory yet.

I can't say that I have ever experienced one fail due to higher RPM. If they are in good condition, and/or rebuilt to spec with quality bearings etc. I used to rev a cleveland to 8500+rpm on a regular basis, and that was in an XE falcon. Which didn't even run a serpentine belt, it was modded to run twin V belts though as it spat belts frequently when single!

And you will find that most engines turning at those RPM (the ones that last) are destroked from anywhere between 3.2-3.9L, and that changes the whole rotating/reciprocating configuration requirements. My engine has been balanced to very high standards, and while the assembly was being done I had an extra balancer and flywheel done as spares (just in case one fails) It would be a waste of good money and so much time put into getting the balance to such high standard, if and when I need to swap one out.

Who stole pictures of my engine bay, and edited the colour from yellow to red!!! Haha just kiding! I recently fitted a GTX3584 to my Nizpro Cobra stage 3 setup and had to do the 4'' intake pipework modification myself. Only problem was, I didn't take any pics before pulling the whole engine and setup out..... It only lasted 6km before I put the oil pump gears through the pump housing and through the motor. Oh well, now I'm building a bulletproof one to replace it. You made some pretty decent numbers on the dyno with a 3540. I made very similar before I fitted a GT3584, which jumped to 490rwkw @ 21psi on 98 fuel. I ended up fitting 4.1:1 gears in the rear and changing 1st gear in the tremec to a low 3.36 to compensate for the extra 600rpm of lag... Holy ship! that woke it back up around town. Heres a shot of my setup before fitting the 4'' intake it's eery how similar they look despite the colour!

Cheers mate didn't think so, I am just about to buy a new one to suit the higher RPM range (7500+!!) of my engine I'm in the process of putting together and thought I'd check if there was anything I didn't miss while analysing the options available. I thought the money would be better spent on a higher quality unit instead. Ken

Hey guys, Got a quick question about underdriven balancer and pulleys on Barra turbo motors... Do they make any worthy gains/difference when fitted? Would prefer dyno comparison numbers if anyone has some. I know that they be beneficial on a N/A motor that is tuned within an inch (mm for the new age guys!) of the setups limits, but I keep thinking that on a boosted engine that it could actually be more of a disadvantage by reducing the cooling systems low RPM flow... especially when tuned to boost levels 21psi and higher? Has anyone here experimented with big boost, hot days and underdriven setups? Cheers Ken

yeah, bought a low k's BF2 complete engine today, it will be here mid next week... Then I gotta hope that its walls are consistent thickness and not too worn. I have .020'' pistons now, hopefully they will be suffice

yeah, it was cracked from the 2nd main going across from one side of the block and up? Was probably very lucky it was picked up at this stage, but it still doesn't seem to make me feel any better. I need to have the car finished by the start of next month to get a pink slip, otherwise it will need to get a blue slip. When the engine failed, I just bought an FG XR6 to get around in while I put a motor together in time to rego it. But I didn't factor in 2 weeks of doing two separate bottom end builds, not to mention chasing up another block?

What's Pi$$ing me off today........ MY F@*KING CAR!!!! A couple of weeks ago I got a whole new lease on life, when I decide that it was time to give my "poor broken XR6t" a new engine. After a bad oil pump gear conundrum ended it's previous power plant! So I got excited once I saw the range, and price of the "really good stuff" and decided that I would build something that was basically "bullet proof" I invested in a new set of Spool pro Drag H beam rods, arp 2000 series engine studs all round, new timing chain kit and gears, new oil pump, mains girdle.... and lots of other necessities to complete the build. This was all after sending my block in to get sonic tested, bored to suit the new Ross pistons I got for it, decked and about to get the mains line honed with the studs and girdle in place....... And it all stopped there.. When the machinist thought he could see a crack opening up when he torqued the mains. After testing it was confirmed. She is good for nothing.

Today I finally got the ball rolling with my engine rebuild/upgrade! Since I destroyed the oil pump and timing chain and associated parts, I have been a little bit cautious about where and how much $$$ to spend on my turned money pit.. And consequently it sat in Dad's garage with no motor gathering dust for the past month. But last week he asked me when I'm going to get it out of his way! So I started to price new pistons, timing chain kits and all the other goodies I needed to get it back together as cheap as possible. When I suddenly come across a set of new Spool pro drag conrods advertised, dirt cheap... So I ended up buying them, and started to dream about how much power I should build the bottom end to handle! So I took the block to get sonic tested and measured up to see what oversized pistons to order. And as soon as the machine shop called me to give the ok for a 20 thou rebore, and all cylinder walls were over 140 thou thick. I ordered a new set of Manley forged pistons with rings. Gotta take the crankshaft over tomorrow to get measured up, then I will order a full set of ACL race series bearings. Now I'm starting to get excited again!

yeah, from what I have seen of the ports in the B series heads there are some easy CFM to be gained from a little blending of the ports from the back of the valve and the sudden reduction of the port size at the end where the manifolds mate up. I have done quite a bit of porting over the years on various ford heads, and it makes the job so much easier with all of the ports being the same shape and size. That allows me to do one of them to a finished state, then cc it with water to give me a volume. Then grind the rest to those specs. I ported a pair of E7TE heads on a EL XR8 once and fitted a ford AU 200kw cam, and lined it up with an EF XR8 that was fitted with GT40 heads, manifold and a much better crow cam. And by the time I hit 100km/h the other car was at least 3 lengths behind me, when we pulled up and started talking about what was under the hood he couldn't believe my heads and manifold that was fitted! He was making 50+kw more than the "HO 5L" that was originally in both our cars. Just shows how much can be gained by helping the flow with a little porting.

So I'm basically better off sticking to a B series head, due to the extra VCT and the fact that I already have race valve springs and retainers on my BA head?

Just a quick question.. What exactly is the difference with the exhaust valves? And is the FG head different from the BA-BF head? As I'm looking into building up my new motor from a very low km fg engine, and I will have a variety of parts to use from my current engine and the FG engine I plan on buying.

Is it possible to upgrade the so called "premium" stereo in a 2008 FG XR6? I would like to use my android device for music without a cable, but can only connect for phone use. Surely there must be a cable available by now to swap the standard ipod cable to a mini usb or an app for android phones that tricks the icc, and streams music through the phone connection? If not I will have to replace the dodgy ipod cable it already has, and load all my music back onto my old ipod! I just hate using apple software to transfer my music, as it never seems to all make it onto the device for some reason?

I will look into it after I wear this turbo out. I would have to replace or modify too many of the new parts that I have just finished getting together for this build. If I can't be happy with 700hp, I should find another hobby!

I gave up on the fibreglass crap! Now I am using this aluminium and black sticky sheets. So far they are surviving Yeah I don't think I'll bother. I was comfortably running 612hp at the wheels with the mildly modified GT3582 @21psi, before I fitted a GTX3584 (with some customised modifications) that I built for it recently. And I will have to say "it Freaking flew" even with just a "safe" base tune (17psi) to suit new injectors I fitted along with the new turbo, it was noticeably quicker. And the boost never spiked or lagged throughout the whole rpm. So I just can't warrant changing to an external gate just yet? Hopefully it tunes safely on 98 to 22psi, that should keep me amused for quite some time😋

Awesome! That's pretty much the conclusion I had. All I have done to the manifold previously, was give it a touch up with the die grinder to match port and clean up the contours by blending them back a little more up the runner.. I have often found that factory designed exhaust manifolds (that are not compromised by limited space under the hood) are very underrated. And can often be replaced by aftermarket products that is inferior in design and engineering. Cheers Ken

Hey Guys I'm after some data on how much power/torque difference there is between the standard exhaust manifold, and an aftermarket steam pipe low mount tube manifold? I would like to keep my wastegate internal for the time being as I have only recently built a new GTX3584 with a hand ported turbine housing that should make the power I'm chasing quite comfortably. However as I have always modified and improved the volumetric efficiency of N/A engines, I'm not familiar with the actual performance gains with such components changed on turbo engines? They are quite significant on N/A, but I'm not so confident that they are necessary to make more power, as turning up the boost just 1psi IMO would match or beat the gains from fitting $1000 worth of manifold? The money could be spent somewhere else that will improve reliability (over engineering the strength/quality required for the planned output, leaving headroom for next time you want an increase!). But, as I am happy to admit. I have very little knowledge on improving forced engine efficiency, except for pushing more air/fuel in! They are a very different animal to N/A, so help me learn. Cheers Ken