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All good advice gents, I'll add to that with how to check the various joints and pivots for wear. First you have to establish that there is in fact play in the system, and that you're not just feeling sidewall flex from the old high profile tyres. Open the window and shake the steering left to right while watching the rim on the driver's side. You can see that the rim will move but the tyre tread lags behind. This will contribute to a sloppy feel. I like to go as high in pressure as the tyres will handle (often written on the load rating on the tyre). This will increase road feel. Start by putting the car on ramps or blocks. The wheels should be at ride height. It's really a 2-person job, so get your Mrs or one of your kids to wiggle the steering left and right to take up the slack in the system. They'll need to be prepared to do this for as long as it takes to check all the joints that affect steering slop. All joints will need to be checked using this wiggle method. Start inspecting at the box. Watch the input from the rag joint and feel the output from the Pitman Arm. If there is a delay in movement as the coupling turns left to right, there is play in the box. Adjust as described above. Also check the mounting bolts for tightness. Pitman Arm joint wear will show as movement in the arm before the drag link moves. Detect by placing fingers on both components and feel for excessive movement. Replace Pitman Arm if needed. Inner and outer tie rod joints will be the same, detect play by using same method as above. Outer rod ends often wear more than inners due to their proximity to debris and water thrown up by the wheel and the range of movement. Bottom ball joint may also present as worn with side-to-side steering movement but it is better to lever back and forth with a large screwdriver to check. Wear in this joint will often show as vagueness while changing direction. Top joint won't show any symptoms as it is always under load. The only truly correct way of detecting wear in this one is to take the load off the rest of the suspension while containing the load in the spring, either with a spring compressor or a block between the chassis and the top arm. This unloads the top joint so you can check it at correct ride height (where it will wear the most). If doing the lower joints, you would replace the uppers as a matter of course. Radius rod bushes can also contribute to sloppiness but only while on the move and detectable with movement in the back and forth direction. Wear in these bushes will give excessive squirm under brakes due to the loss of castor effect at the wheels, as well as vagueness in steering response. Lastly, a simple one but often overlooked is wheel bearings. Jack up and check for play, adjust if needed. If the grease is really dirty, they'll likely need replacing. Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

Steering box - they can be adjusted and tightened up, there's a nut/screw on the top of that which allows for adjustment. Is it loose in straight ahead/just as you turn position? Or the whole way through the turning? A manual box will wear out in the straight ahead position the quickest. As Dean said, I just had mine replaced in my XF, with a reco exchange unit through Repco. Worth doing the Pitman Arm if you replace the box. Also check the condition of the flexible coupling that connects the steering box to the column. If it needs replacing I'd try to track down an original type, not urethane for manual steer. Front end - have a look at your tie rods, ball joints and bushes. If the ball joints are riveted into the upper and lower control arms they're original, and probably due for replacement. Have fun getting the rivets out. Tie rods, if they're worn replace them, and make sure you get decent ones - ask Dean about his incident with eBay ones. I recommend WASP ball joints/tie rods. Bushes - you should be able to see how stuffed they are. Few cracks in them doesn't mean they're stuffed but if they're missing any chunks I'd be replacing. Particularly your lower inner control arm bushes - they control camber, and the radius rod bushes under the front radiator support. I've got a full Nolathane front end under both my XFs and have had no issues. They also now do a "classic" bush which is black instead of the normal red, which looks more original. Lowering - my XF ute is lowered 2.5" with Kings in the front and blocks in the back. My wagon is lowered 1.5" with Pedders front and blocks in back. 2.5 looks good but is definitely bumpier on the road and will need shortened shocks and short/cut bump stops. 1.5 retains a lot of road comfort, doesn't need shortened bump stops - is on the limit for shortened shocks (I have them). Make sure you get a wheel alignment after lowering if you do.

I ended up just using the XF wiring. The grommet from the XF light fits the XD backing so I just transfered them over. As for wiring, I just cut the XF parker plug off and joined the XD terminals onto it. Then I just cut the seperate high beam wires off at the plug. Easy as Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Dean beat me to it, but yeah should be easy as. Almost all Falcons have had H4 (or sealed Beam) as their main headlight, including XD/E/F. XF had H4 (which does high and low beam), as well as a H3 for just high beam. All you'll be doing is bypassing/ignoring/deleting the H3 because the H4 will work the same way.

I’ve done it, on the car, no issues in years, but went slow. but why don’t you just buy the non viscous fan water pump?

pedders quotes for old falcons can be ridiculous, excess of $2000 easy.. this is because the labour in particular kills it. for eg, the rear springs fitting on my gemini was quoted at $88(1hr i think) i said i can do them in less than 10mins.. not paying $90 for 10mins work(gemini springs.. undo shock lower end, lower diff, springs come out.. refit is just as quick. but they have a "NO BULL" policy, i have always been able to be shown the wear while it's on the hoist. might be because i always wear work boots and look like i know what i'm on about? the key think i've learned with dealing with them for 20yrs is say, i'm not in a postion to do everything right now, but i want to fit tyres, what's needed immediately for a wheel alignment to hold.. then you'll see the change to.. well, you'll get away with the control arm bushes worn for a while, but the caster bushes are falling apart, need them, 2 ball joints and idler arm(idler arms don't last long.. might be due to being lowered also) shocks etc won't affect wheel alignment/tyre wear much.. but they make the car feel much safer when they are ok.. another tip.. as Mr Polson touched on, if you don't go super lows springs, you can get away with much cheaper standard shocks, which have a bonus of being a comfy ride rather than a choppy sports type ride.. (personally i prefer the best shocks in the budget, you do notice the difference in driving confidence, almost as much as decent tyres) you can do a lot of the work yourself, grab a gregorys manual, and a $120 ratchet set and you'll get 80% of the easy stuff done on your own time. before i bought the $30 socket big enough for castor bars, i used to pay pedders to fit them(the nut is big, and tight all the way, ugga duggas on a rattle gun make it quick work) changing a pitman arm is also a job i get them to do, for similar reasons.. quick job with the right tools. and if you are replacing the rag joint on the steering box, i'd consider farming that job out also(power steering one is painful, not sure on the manual one)

for Me, lowered falcons don't drive well if they are lower than say Pedders or King Lows or lovells etc. the biggest DIFFERENCE you'll notice will be nolathane sway bar links, best cheap mod.. (other than non rooted parts) i'd check everything, if you have a pedders there, get a check.. "worn" doesn't mean replace it, ask if they'd do a wheel alignment with the worn parts.. that determines if they NEED replacing. steering box is adjustable, and it can be topped up with whatever they take(oil i think) @Mr Polson recently replaced his worn manual steering box. might give some pointers i don't trust CHEAP PARTS there's a thread here of my experience

Just for those after the gear stick for the floor. Had trouble sourcing a XE so I ended up at the GT SHOP. To see what the has and if I could use it, the had repo ones for a XC that worked a treat Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

burning spark boots on the exhaust? How to Install Accel Extreme 9000 Ceramic Boot Wires

I think the point of separate earthing is to avoid the reliance on a good electrical contact between the mount boss, the bolt, any spacers in between, and the block which all or at least some may be painted or rusty and not conduct whatever amps the alternator is capable of. Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

Yes you will, but as chestnut said, will be the larger, so better for less cavitation.

No you won't affect anything inside the pump, but if only for the risk of butchering things, access with a grinder/cutoff disc might require removing the belt and pulley. Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

The biggest hassle of making it all work is going to be actually getting pipework made up to suit the V8 installation (if its much different to 6's), the systems arent remarkably different, ED's use a TX valve and receiver/dryer to manage refrigerant flow, whereas AU's use an orifice tube and refrigerant accumulator. Assuming the pipework is adaptable, its simply a matter of connecting up the AC clutch and the pressure switch wiring. Other than that, theres no reason why there should be any difficulties making things work. The climate control in EA-ED's works with the heater box under the dash, and the limit of its communication with the ECU that aircon has been selected. There is, however, feedback from a second temp sender in climate controlled cars that sits in the steel heater pipe near the oil filler, in non climate cars the sensor is replaced with a threaded plug. Atm, I'm more concerned as to why you seem set on using an ECU from an AU The easiest way to achieve ECU functionality for a V8 swap without the benefit of a donor car would be to use a standalone harness kit. Bare bones EECIV needs barely any wiring outside of the engine harness 1: -ve 2: +ve in for constant for memory 3: +ve in for ignition on 4: +ve in for crank/start 5: +ve out for fuel pump 6: (optional) +ve in for A/C on All that can be set up without upsetting pretty much any of the car from the firewall back

For the hassle, why not use whats meant to be in there?

Just an update pulled water pump off as it was leaking full of silicon as a gasket and O ring for return heater pipe Not sure what people are thinking, all that time ripping off belts,fan and water pump albeit draining fluid (dirty/greasy job) and can't go down and spent $8 from repco/supercheap for a gasket/O ring But all is well it has a brand new water pump and I have a spare one if I get another falcon.

the last power steering box i had done on change over(they actually used mine and did it on the spot, while i waited because they didn't have a spare XG one, where the pipes differ at the top) they charged $90 for the NEW original type rag joint including fitting. so it definitely pays to shop around.(this could have been close to their cost price) steering mobs having the right tools etc make light work of some jobs.

Au motor had same plug and basic shape. But the shaft that connects to the linkages Is the wrong shape. I tried to swap em around but they’re setup too different. Stripper the original motor down and cleaned it and out it back together again. Havnt managed to get it reinstalled yet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Dean that helps a lot. I'll run the XF wires through a new gromet and solder them back together. The XF indicator globe holder fits the XD indicator so I'll pop that in and seperate the wires from the main loom Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

short answer.. yes. should be almost plug and play. the XF "separate high beam" is not really needed. if you asked this before chopping up the loom i'd have given the tip to remove the wiring from the XF headlight shell intact(fun job getting the gromet out) then you could plug the headlight plug straight onto the XD light. possibly plug the blinker globe holder straight into the blinker housing? possibly plug the parker wires straight on the parker globe wiring "done" you can neaten it up from there.. this info should give you all you need to solder/join the wires back up .. the XF had high beam on the H4 globe, and also on the H1? like a spotlight. where the XD is "missing" the spotlight (XE GHIA light would be direct plug in for eg)

Cheers Guys all sorted, came off quite easy with a longer spanner did find a broken 10 mm bolt on water pump pulley so glad I did this

there's not complete pics in here(i used someone elses at the time)

Kool, thank you I'll give it a go tonight if I get home before it gets dark otherwise tomorrow.

Thank you so much.

Annnnnnnnnnnd 295x50x15's fit on my ute...even get a bit of tuck

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