Searley

Here's an old video circa 2007 with my phone taped to the steering wheel running from zero to 180 kph (i was inventive back then) of my pick a part special 4.0 it made 144rwkw around this time, and it made 177 rwkw with a tune later on (video quality is representative of its time) it was in my xh ute with an ex taxi au short motor (from memory had more than 860,xxx ks), ef xr6 head (94 dt) ea cam, el bbm intake, super cat extractors, crow vernier cam gear, yella terra billet flywheel, high flow cat 2.5 inch exhaust, t5 and 3.45 gears, it was a lot of fun to an 18 year old me, I put over 180,xxxks on that engine before it let go when the stock valve train decided that 2 years of turning to 7000rpm was enough and it dropped a valve, after it was tuned the rev limiter was set to 7200rpm and it saw it every time it was in 1st gear (18 year old me was hard on the equipment) and sometimes more often than that, I wouldn't mind getting another e-series one day and replicating this combo, although it would be really fun in something lightweight like an xp falcon

Hello Fordys, Ha-Ha _ _ _ Just reading these stories makes me Larf _ _ Coz we've all been thru these experiences and Miraculously Lived to Tell the Tale. Grandpa was probably so shit scared of driveing that XF Ute he just left it in the garage and left it. As for the ZG Fairlane _ _ and they are'nt small & light. Bloody Car Yards & 2nd hand car salesman selling an obvious deathtrap to a young man in his prime with his whole life before him! It could've been a young family man with a wife and 2 Bubs needing a bigger car! Should've been used in a Ford Versus Holden Demolition Derby! FFS! I've driven some Scary Lemons when I was Younger and Fearless But that would take more than I've got. Nerves of Steel Cables and Balls made of Titanium_ _ and some Genetics borrowed from Evel Knievel. Have a Happy Safe Sane Day.

What can I say, I like to make things faster than they were stock for minimal cost, taxi engines are usually a very good starting point for a performance build as they usually never completely cool down and if they have been regularly serviced about the only part of them that usually need attention is the rings

My mates first car over 30yrs ago, a ZG fairlane bought from a car yard with RWC had stuff so rooted, it chewed tyres out on the front in very little time, and what we didn't know then would have been how to check what was loose or stuffed.
when you looked at it from the front, it was towed out and negative camber.. put it in reverse and back up 6 feet and the wheels would toe in and camber to approx zero.. 
you can imagine the driving experience of that one lol. 

reminds me of normal x-series steering... 🤔@deankxf
 
When I drove the $300 Grandpa XF ute back from near Maldon, (in the dark and rain mind you), it was extremely taxing to steer.
Terrible even for an XF...
I wasn't comfortable going over 80.
 
A look over in the following days, revealed an idler arm with no bushing left on one end.
Some further investigation, showed it'd been off the rd for almost 10yrs!
 

You must be Quite a Character  Most Guys go to the Wreckers and try hard to get a motor with the lowest mileage & wear. You get the bits that should have been Melted and Resurrect them to Glory. Just goes to show!

You must be Quite a Character  Most Guys go to the Wreckers and try hard to get a motor with the lowest mileage & wear. You get the bits that should have been Melted and Resurrect them to Glory. Just goes to show!

The XH seems to have a reco'd steering rack and power steering pump, plus newer lower ball joints,
but all the shock absorbers appear to be original still.

Hello Fordys, All I can say is Wow about the Hi-Mileage. Its not the Main Steel Components that wear out is it?? Usually the smaller fiddly diddly things that break down.But what they say about Taxis don't turn off only for a service and to refuel.And most Taxis run on Gas or Used to(can't explain how they get hi-mileage from Gas when Mr. Civvy St burns his Heads out) What about the rest of the car? Was the handleing loose and sloppy? Thanks for the Posts Guys Mucho Enjoyable.

The au short motor in my ute was from an au taxi at pick a part and had 885 000ks on it, when I tore it down for a re ring and bearing it was still within factory tolerances

The 03/98 XH panelvan I'm cleaning up atm, has 566,000km on the original bottom end (and transmission too looks like).
Cyl head was done at 520,000km-ish.
It seems quite perky, and a COLD compression test showed an even 165psi across all cylinders.
 
It's the highest km XH I've ever seen.

You've got it, about the only other thing is the bellhousing, it will bolt up to the block but the sump won't bolt to the bellhousing unless you swap to an au bellhousing, I recently found an in car video on an old sd card of my ute circa 2008 after it had the hot 4.0 but before it was tuned, I don't think i ever uploaded it back then because it was a zero to 180 pull, it was quite capable of getting ot of its own way and it lived through 180,000ks of p plater abuse

on My bucket list, is the moto sparkydave lives by.. keep it stock, and work on more important/enjoyable things  (you'd barely be able to enjoy the power of a stock EF these days if you were being a hoon, fuel prices and cops and the risk of breaking something else is always in the back of My mind)
 

Hello Fordys , Yes Lets Face it? When I look back on my Younger and Not-Wiser Car Days I sometime shrivel with fear & embarrassment that I'm still Alive and Plus I did'nt Kill anybody else. _ _ _ and I was'nt a Hoon_ _ _ These Days I like going @ the speed limit coz I want to get home to a Nice Hot Dinner and Chill out and be in a Cozy Warm Bed_ _ not in Hospital or being Grilled @ the Cop Shop _ _ Do it Safe and Happy _ Enjoy Driving & Life.

Hi deankxf. I don't think there's anything really wrong with the motor in it(129,0000 . But you see on Marketplace a bloke had an AU with a Fresh Tickford Head, an MLS gasket, ARP Head Studs and a few other goodies attached for $500  _ It was Tempting _ _ But until I heard about the other Dramas. Nah I'll keep what I've got. But on my "Bucket List" is to do "Thoms SOHC Mods" with another motor. So far I've done about 9,000 in 9 years So I don't think I'll wear it out. Cheers.

Hi deankxf, I'm  Celebrating that today after many Moons I've finally found a Scanner that not only Fits the XH Socket But is Specifically made for the Ford XF XH and the E Series. Made by T.I. Performance for about $270. Yes there is a God!
EA EB ED EF EL Falcon Diagnostic Code Reader – T.I. Performance 2.pdf

I think in @Thom  Thoms 4.0 thread, it mentioned the air con pump won't fit with the XH log manifold(intake) 
sump is bulkier (alloy) and may require the front brace on the k frame moved also ? 
see if Thom replies,  he had similar in his XH once. 

Hi SPArKy_Dave ,Yes I'v been reading about the Ford Key thing. One thing I know is this time I did'nt use the original key with the transponder. Just a spare key without a transponder. Until Next time. Have a Nice day everyone.

Do a key relearn, that should fix it!

Hi deankxf, I know thats Why I keep my Cross-Flows in the Shed and not take them to the Tip! I'll eventually get it going and learn something. Probably like keep the battery charged and start it every 3rd day with clean fuel.

yeah none of that makes sense to me above either. suffice to say i'm avoiding any of these "modern" cars built from 1993 onwards ideally. 
i 

Hi deankxf, Well its like this. I can only get to the car a few hours every 2nd day so progress is intermittent and moving forwards then things go sideways. First the fuel pump works and a new fuel filter and drained the tank of old fuel and put new fuel in. And there is a real good spark when the spark plugs are out so the ignition is Ok. My mate thinks the fuel regulator on the back of the fuel rail is shut. And it looks like you can't Unscrew anything to check. There is a Red Hand Signal that comes on the top left of the Dash. Which I think is a Anti-Theft Security Light. My other mates Blue-Drive Wi-Fi Scanner said the following Code. Something like the "Motor Drive on the Air-Flow" . He pointed out these 2 small circular components mounted opposite each other with electrical wires and plugs attached just by the Air Intake with the Butterfly Flap. Like even when I squirted petrol vapour into the manifold it turns over but didn't Fire at all, not even a Bark. Anyway We towed it away back to my Cabin in the Caravan Park with his 351 F-100( which he just put on the market) . Its Safe and Out the Way coz its The SA Schoolies next week and they stay in the Caravan Park. I'm pretty tied up and Busy right now with someone whose in Hospital so I'll get to it later. My mate was saying you can reset the "Anti-Theft System" by taking out 2 x main fuses which need a small socket( the fuse box under the bonnet) while keeping the key in with ignition on or something. Its a bit of a mystery coz  I was driving it around the Caravan Park back & forth a few times.I'll try the Reset first.Then I can salvage parts from the other donor ute same year same motor that goes. My next car will have a Steam Engine and a Coal-Fired Boiler. Ha-Ha.

Hello Fellow Fordys, Now that I've seen what a Scanner can do and pin-point where Issues are I'd like to get one.Can anyone recommend the Good Cheaper ones that have Worked for them? One mate had a small thing that plugged into the socket and transmitted to his smartphone and uploaded heaps of relevant information that cost around $100.Nearly as good as my mechanic mates $5,000 one.I've seen those ones that can plug into your laptop which is more what I'd like to use.Any Feedback is always enjoyed and appreciated. Have a Good Safe Happy & Sane Weekend.

Ok SPArKy_Dave, My mate plugged in his "Super Dooper" KingChrome OBD Scanner and it showed "No Codes".We did that 3 x separate times and still No Codes came out. But upon fiddling with the ignition key It starting to turn over freely. Fuel Pump working and fuel coming thru.I'll check the plugs and coils tomorrow and might try swapping the coils with the BA that goes. Now I'm not at all familiar with the workings of the Barra motor. So they have a Coil on Plug arrangement or that Funny looking big long coil with separate outlets on it.? I'm also going to look @ the BA Manual on the computer tonight.I also reckon I might have to change the key ignition barrel too.

Hi SPArKy_Dave, So PATS is the BAs version of Smartlok? I've been takeing the battery in and out a few times and I've noticed thats when these Issues start to occur.. Thanks again, Will see How it goes.