SPArKy_Dave

I'd always use ARP head studs... IMO, it's the best $350 you can spend on an OHC. Even for standard engines. And you only have to buy them once. With Nasons, you need to know your part numbers - they have cheap quality stuff, and also expensive stuff too. Unless a person knows to ask, you'll get the cheap stuff by default. http://nason.com.au/suppliers/ Nasons also used to have a sister company, which does engine rebuild equipment and parts - https://www.premiermachinery.com.au/about-us

So what brand of fuel pump was the ebay one, and what brand is in there now? Only use NTK Oxy sensors on these things - NTK is what was fitted from factory. A dud O2 sensor shouldn't cause bad missing. Is it a rhythmic miss, or a random irregular fish-bite miss? I would head towards a hall effect sensor in the dizzy, and/or injectors which are clogged. Another thing that can cause random missing at idle, is a burnt out idle control circuit, in the ECU.

You shouldn't pay more than $170 for a brand new OEM one outright. See if anyone has any - PAT use to keep stock I think, but not sure on their part number. However it says $320 outright - which is a bit outrageous IMO. If I really really needed one, I'd probably pay that though...

I'd like to see the figures, with a standard manifold and weber carby on it.

You can still get 99% of the parts for rebuilding your original distributor, and to keep it date code correct. Contact Performance Ignition in Victoria. They were contracted by Bosch, to assemble the last batches of the Australian Made OEM Bosch dizzy's. If you search around, you should easily find stock of them still, unless you prefer to rebuild your original one. Performance Ignition, have all the small parts (bronze bushes, screws, o-rings and soforth), and can still supply everything genuine/oem Bosch, apart from new dizzy gears, and new chopper wheels. And as per above, stay right away from the chinese copy dizzys. Apart from their unreliable hall effect sensors and TFI modules, their dizzy gear's on the bottom were often incorrectly made, and didn't mesh correctly with the Auxillary shaft inside the motor. Over time, that gear mis-alignment strips the Aux, shaft - usually resulting in engine failure. Either new genuine bosch or rebuild your original, is the only way. I'd start with the fuel pump first though.

Pinch off the fuel return line, before you stop the engine, then see if the pressure still bleeds off. If it still bleeds off, and you've confirmed no injectors are sticking open, (I'd double check for sticking injectors, after the engine is warmed up a bit) then the fuel pump is faulty. I'd fix the pump first, then go after the next issue.

Do you still have the issue of fuel pressure bleeding off straight away, as soon as you stop the engine?

Yeah it is simple - only 4 things govern the ability for fuel pressure to bleed down. An external leak A faulty fuel pressure regulator A stuck open fuel injector Or A faulty non-return valve in the fuel pump. Sounds like you've eliminated the first two, so you have either a stuck injector, or a dud pump. Given your fuel injector issues with the engine missing, my money is on a stuck injector. Pull the fuel rail, and get a container on the end of each injector. (Isolate the ignition coil obviously) turn the ign to on so the fuel pump primes, and see if any injectors leak. Then crank the engine, and observe again, to see if they're all pulsing in some realm of normality.

Lol, that wiring is a disaster. On my XB panelvan, I spent a heap of time, removing all the aftermarket stuff, to get back to a good simple base. I re-instated the points setup in the dizzy, and removed the aftermarket Bosch ignition module (same one you have). Usually the red (brown?)/white wire with a spade terminal on the end, is the starter solenoid/trigger wire. From memory, only the 351's got a remote starter solenoid. However, some of the original alternators, ran a remote voltage regulator (as mine is supposed to have). If it's a factory auto, there'll be an inhibitor (neutral start) switch and associated wiring. That red wire with the pink trace and ring terminal taped with the starter solenoid wire, could be for the oil pressure switch. The brown wire is power for the factory starter relay. Red with a Green trace, is power for the coil from the ignition switch

Hmmm, I want to try this. Seems like Jaycar Dust cans (not to be confused as Dustpans ) are R134a! https://www.jaycar.com.au/dust-remover-spray-can/p/NA1018 http://www.ebay.com/itm/ATD-3-In-1-Side-Mount-Can-Tap-Valve-3526/132193936650?rt=nc&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D47507%26meid%3Db3b62163e3cd4efeb0acaf948d4b9373%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D152676436470&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 http://www.ebay.com/itm/JB-Industries-Can-Tap-R134a-R12-Clamp-On-w-Small-Can-Adapter-/400940298636?epid=1123664882&hash=item5d59e7718c:g:bugAAOSw6LBVBC6t&vxp=mtr https://www.ebay.com/p/Robinair-10102-Side-Can-Tap/1111862475?iid=401212947552&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D47507%26meid%3Db3b62163e3cd4efeb0acaf948d4b9373%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D152676436470&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Does anyone know what the standard length is, for stock pushrods in an Alloy Head Crossflow? I've got lengths of 9.682, and 9.652... which one is correct? Also, what performance options are out there for pushrods, and are they worth it? (knowing that pushrods are kind of a safety mechanism for Crossy's)

Where do you get these Trend pushrods from?

x3 of them are banana shaped.... I don't think I can leave them, LOL! Do you know, what the stock length is?

Howcome you have 9.8?

What about NC Fairlane Sportsman Snowflakes? Didn't they run that 'ESP' center cap too?

What were the actual opening temps like, vs their stamped ratings?

If you have the time, maybe try boiling each of the spare thermostats in a pot of water on the stove, (one at a time) with a probe type thermometer in the water. I'm intrigued to know what temp they start to open at.

The bypass, should be that little passage adjacent to the bolt hole, on the water pump.

On this cooling issue - Here's a NOS Genuine Ford waterpump, for Escorts - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MK1-MK2-RS2000-ESCORT-GENUINE-FORD-NOS-WATER-PUMP-ASSY-/222195987922?epid=1478996246&hash=item33bbe9b5d2:g:0cwAAOSw4s9Xk1FD And here is a NOS Escort thermostat - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MK1-MK2-MK3-CORTINA-ESCORT-CAPRI-ANGLIA-GENUINE-FORD-NOS-THERMOSTAT-ASSY-/322673100780?hash=item4b20d0c7ec:g:KrEAAOSwNqtZnYSg The pics answers some questions.... We can see that like x-series, Escort water pumps have a built in bypass. The NOS thermostat also shows that like x-series - they're rated at 88 Degrees, and have a small air bleed jiggle pin, but nothing else. What does the current thermostat look like? If markedly different to the NOS one, is it possible that the prior owner installed a different type, in an attempt to fix the previous overheating issue?

There are only a couple of manufacturers left in the world, who make conventional thermostats now. RobertShaw is a big one, and WaxStat is another - they used to be British, but are now Indian owned I believe. And there is one other chinese one, I can't think of. All the likes of Tridon, Dayco, Stant and such, are just re-branded from the above.

From factory, or just comparing cars? Edit - I added some more info, to my earlier post.

By nature, Diesel engines are very cold running beasts.

The Escort cooling system must have some kind of integral Bypass system that's not working properly, as what's happening doesn't really make alot of sense. It's a petrol engine, not a diesel...... It could be, that the modern day thermostats listed to fit Escorts, are not quite sized correctly? A case of near enough is good enough? A prime example of this, is the thermostat debacle with the early Jag 6cyl's, and to a lesser extent with the Cleveland V8's. By default, thermostats will remain closed (blocking the flow of coolant) till the coolant has heated up to opening temp. The fact that this is not happening, suggests that a significant measure of coolant, must be externally bypassing the thermostat, and traveling through the radiator. This in turn, suggests the listed thermostat, is not quite correct for the application. (doesn't have to be out by much) In the case of the Jag's and Clevo's, they have internal 'quick warm up' bypass systems. In one action, the correct thermostats were supposed to open the flow to the radiator, plus block off the internal bypass, using a small foot on the end of the thermostat. However somewhere down the line, the design of the available thermostats went out of spec (they were made shorter) by a few mm. In changing the design, the Bypass was no-longer getting completely blocked off, hence the full measure of coolant was not flowing through the radiator, and this in turn, caused the engines to run hotter than normal.

The XG Fuel pump relays live next to the battery.

Dont over think it... XG Electrical systems are very simple. It could be a fault fuel pressure reg, a faulty relay, or a faulty smart lock module. Those are the three things I'd be going after. Eliminate the fuel pressure reg and pump, by pulling the relay and hotwiring the pump. (whilst watching a fuel pressure gauge) If you can force the pump to run good, then go after either the relay, or the Smart lock module.