SPArKy_Dave

7 hours ago, XF EDDIE said:

I pulled some lifters and yep she ate the cam. The break in went horribly

Again?

Was it a new or sec/hand cam?

New or original or sec/hand lifters?

Most unusual... I can't say I've ever had that happen!

@deankxf

It really shouldn't have done that so quickly, let alone at all.

Did u check the pushrods and lifters were all spinning?

460's are for F-truck's IMO... nice open engine bay, and plenty of room for spark plug access.

If u were to do a V8, I'd only recommend a 302 Windsor tbh.

No issues with heater hoses at the firewall, and the lightest V8 from that era.

Is that a proper vacuum gauge?... the scale appears to be in reverse.

I'd expect around 18inches of vacuum at idle or better.

This is my XF wagon, vacuum and oil pressure, around 2,000rpm

Crossflow rocker cover gaskets, usually cost $10-15

Cheapest over-the-counter place I found for them, was Rarespares

As in it won't idle properly?

Do u still have that vacuum gauge?

1 hour ago, XF EDDIE said:

Well I'm...  way retarded and I the dissy won't move... how its supposed to go

Assuming it's an EST Distributor still,

the large 3 pin plug, usually points towards the front of the car, slightly towards the passenger side headlight.

Do u have a pic of your one?

You'll need to find one, which has a Weber carby adaptor (oval shaped hole).

Ebay usually has one or two listings.

7 hours ago, XF EDDIE said:

Good news and bad news. and put the distributor so the rotor faced cyl 1 when it was in

U mean the rotor is pointing at the 'Start' line on the dizzy spacer,

or physically at no.1 cyl?

Could also have it timed 180degrees out?

(do one more crank revolution, then point rotor at start line)

On 7/12/2024 at 9:42 PM, XF EDDIE said:

access to the cam was simple enough and I even pulled it out enough to see the first lobe

Doing this ^, without first removing the distributor, is what's likely jammed it.

IWIS or Romac (Rollmaster) usually do good chains.

Crow brand is one of the above, in a crow cams packet.

Stock XF exhaust is 2inch I think? @deankxf

Pretty sure my XE stock exhaust, is 1.75inch?

And from memory, XG/XH is 2.25inch.

A crossflow's main strength, is low-down torque.

To my knowledge, a too large exhaust diameter can make it doughy down low in the rev range,

negating benefits of a mild cam.

IMO, x-series utes are quite loud in the cab, even with a stock exhaust.

At the most, I'd probably go with either one size up in pipe diameter and stock style (tri-flow) mufflers.

OR Stock pipe diameter, with a chambered muffler.

XG ute stock/factory exhausts are pretty much direct fit, but larger diameter piping.

On 6/16/2024 at 9:35 PM, wok said:

can the Bosch versions still be found/ brought new ?

7 hours ago, deankxf said:

@SPArKy_Dave didn't you recently link this somewhere

Performance Ignition Services in Nunawading Vic, is the only place which has the proper ones brand new.

Hunting idle, could just be a vacuum leak, a slightly sticking IAC valve,

OR as you've suggested - unsteady timing.

2 hours ago, XF EDDIE said:

Any recommendations for break in oil? Asso what do I run after I break in the cam

I'm unsure on the best break-in oil,

for every-day oil, I run 15w40 Diesel (mineral) oil, as it usually has higher levels of zinc, etc.

Green/Red is permanent 12v ignition, and also powers the carburetor's choke coil and carby fuel-cut solenoid I believe - @deankxf?

(sometimes also tapped into, for LPG converted vehicles)

Pink/Blue is the tacho wire, only in use when running a tacho cluster.

The EST has a wire to the carby throttle stop (basic on/off TPS)

Three wires to the distributor in one connector

A 12v supply,

a negative wire to ground the coil as required

an A/C compressor on/off reference wire to bump timing/idle speed

plus a couple of wires to a diagnostic connector, near the brake booster

4 hours ago, Fordfella said:

I have the car pulled apart to fine the problem all I rember that Friday after noon it just stoped right in the middle of a intersection with no fuel pump and no spark . So by jumping wire to the pump it works elimination 1 eliminating 2 no power to the coil . And a burnt smell in the vehicle.??

Carby XF's have a mechanical fuel pump.

Does yours have a custom setup?

If there's underlying wiring issues, a new distributor may not solve the problem.

8 minutes ago, Fordfella said:

Next challenge is or do I run a relay like a spot light setup to the positive side of the coil ?? 

Have u tried fitting a replacement proper EST distributor?

The Bosch Electronic Spark Timing systems are fantastically simple, and rarely if ever fail.

Hall effect sensors inside the distributor do fail on occasion though.

Any 14inch ford wheel will fit.

From any XC/XD/XE/XF, or even EA/EB's - which also ran 14inch steel wheels.

Most were 14x5.5inches, and the later ones 14x6.

4 hours ago, XF EDDIE said:

Thanks for the advice. I did noticed that the fucked up cylinders weren't spinning so I thought something was up. If I start it after installing the new cam and get no spinning am I just fucked or is there something I could do to save it?

If they're not spinning, switch the engine off, to save the components.

It will mean dodgy cam lobes and/or dodgy lifters.

Good lifters have a convex shape to the end of them - easily checked before installation.

Properly ground cam lobes, have a slight taper to one side.

These attributes combined, cause the spin.

46 minutes ago, XF EDDIE said:

I might be getting a new mild cam and lifters for cheap. Would this be ok to run with the stock manifolds and carby and would this enable me to tune for more power or would I still be limited by the manifolds? Also is there a proper run in procedure for the crossflow or does it vary depending on manufacturer?

The stock car racing guys, made an art form of getting power from standard parts,

so yeah I reckon you'll be ok.

Mild cam usually means a 'towing cam' - just a bit more torque basically, nothing crazy.

Use break-in oil, or mineral oil at the least,

with assembly goo on all the cam lobes, as u install it.

With the engine idling, check the lifters and pushrods are spinning as they open/close the valves.

(mark top of lifters and side of pushrods, with some whiteout or similar.)

No spinning = cam will wipe out in short order.

How dished out is it?

Grab a pic with a straight edge ruler on it?

I've had worn lifters where the cam was still ok, (and actually still ran good too, but clattery).

14 hours ago, XF EDDIE said:

Just wondering would there be any harm in winding the engine over with no lifters. I'm thinking of pulling the lifters and cranking it with no plugs to clear any shit stuck in the oil galleys before cleaning the lifters an putting it back together. Im not sure if that might mess something up or if it would be ok

13 hours ago, deankxf said:

I'm going to assume it wouldn't be any issue for a few rotations but it would not build oil pressure as much maybe?  

I'd consider running another flush through it firstly 

I filled the oil pan up with Kerosene in my blue wagon, and cranked it to flush the oil galleries.

Don't go crazy cranking it though.

Just now, XF EDDIE said:

Where can I buy a pair?

In the interim, u could try making a 3 pronged removal tool, by flattening 3 pieces of welding rod, then twisting the three together into a cone shape.

Thus creating a spring-loaded action, to lock the 3 prongs under the lifter edge?

Dunno if it'd work, just a random brainstorm idea I had.

Just now, XF EDDIE said:

Where can I buy a pair?

Ebay, Amazon, local toolshop, Bunnings possibly also?

Mine are just cheap ones from some discount hardware shop yrs ago.

1 hour ago, XF EDDIE said:

Well Ive tried pulling the lifters out with a magnet and a flattened welding rod and nothing has worked they move freely until the end where they feel like they hit a wall. Ive ordered a lifter pull tool but that wont be here till Friday. If you have any other tips on how to get them out then let me know

It was challenging to get my lifters out, even with the tool, and rotating them as I applied upwards pressure.

I also needed to use extended reach long-nose pliers with a circle shape on the end, to help tighten/loosen the tool into the lifters.

(lightly firm, not too tight or u can fracture/break the cast metal lifter body)

Plus a stick magnet to fish each lifter out of the chasm, once pulled out of their lifter bores.

There must be a slight difference, between the early XF mounting points, and the later XF commercials,

which ran an e-series accelerator pedal?

On 6/3/2024 at 8:53 PM, deankxf said:

i'd sooner pull the engine out.

In my mind, the trouble (and risk) is all crossflows are likely worn out these days.

They're 20yrs older, with 250-300,000km +.

IMO, any replacement sec/hand engine, could have a worn cam also?

Use of modern Synthetic/Non-Zinc engine oils in flat-tappet engines (aka crossflows) won't have helped.

Yes, could definitely use a Micrometer to measure cam lift, and compare with the factory specs.

Moot point though, as if the pushrods are straight, then either cam and/or lifters are toast.

Crossflow 6cyl's (and flat-tappet Clevo's/Windsor's too), need 15w/40 or 20w/50 mineral oil IMO.

Easiest way I found, is to use diesel grade mineral oils, and double check the zinc content from manufacturer specs.