deankxf

i haven't blown an engine, but killed a few gearboxes and one diff.. and broke some cheap tie rod while driving normally >> http://www.ozfalcon.com.au/index.php?/topic/2603-warning-please-read-cheap-parts-danger/

I've been driving shitbox fords for 25 years.. had pretty much every problem anyone is going to come across..

my money is on the switch if its pissing out.. my XF lost 2litres of oil going 30km after i noticed it

i have to convert all these figures to litre per 100km.. 5km per litre = 20litres per 100, i used to get that on LPG with my 351 and C4 with 2.92.. 6.5km per litre is about 15 litres per 100 which seems pretty normal from what i have been reading

has it got and oil pressure switch or full instrument guage? the switch when it fails can leak heaps of oil.. sure its not coming from the rocker cover, those gaskets are the shittest things ever to sit in place(i super glued mine in places to get it to stay in position to install)

mine i just re tightened the bolts and its stopped leaking(from there.) its a ford, so leaks from lots of places if you do pull the engine..change all the welsh plugs, front and rear seals also..probably do the head gasket.. if you read that how i would.. it would mean TIGHTEN THE BOLTS

yeah if the leads are old, they might absorb moisture also like i had with 20yr old honda link here to what i had.. http://www.ozfalcon.com.au/index.php?/topic/6204-condensation-under-bonnet-wd40-or-is-there-better/

i wish i never sold Mine..just needed more time and money to finish properly

hopefully 2redrovers sees this and replies.. he did similar repairs on Marks car(XH ute) the cause might have been rusty sills and towing a horse float? have you had a good look under the rest of the car?

now you can help someone else with the same issue lol. no idea why they used a clip here, but in 20yrs i have only had one of these fall off like yours(had about 20 cars over that time)

with the hand brake, i undo the nuts at the firewall(engine bay on pre XF) undo the nut on the lever under the dash, pull it back about 50mm(has spikes into the dash) and rest it on the floor. leave the cable connected. easy to refit. you might be able to just loosen the 5 screws on top and swing it out 50mm ish to get at that vent.. would be much easier if so. maybe remove 2 or 3 screws completely just incase something gets broken. i'd undo the cable off the heater box behind the glovebox, they snap very easy. do this first.

you should be able to push it into position.. might be able to get one screw in through the lip and be good enough..smear some silicone etc along the edges for a better seal.. it tucks in on one side and has 2 clips from memory(be 5 yrs since i had one apart i guess)

the trouble i can see, is there are 2 outer ones.. the inners have a leg extension.. might be able to make it work.. i'd have thought if you have 2 buckets, the 2 outside rails would be able to fit a bench(needing the longer cable)

Yeah that's what I was expecting. .it's come unclipped. Shouldn't hang that low .probably does windscreen and feet. .you would probably see the vacuum move on the floor setting with engine running. That first pic you just posted should have the vent box attached over it

yeah the only thing that makes pulling the dash out whole, is the radio(antenna mostly) and alarm wires or other added wires. i cant find a good pic of the heater box to show the clips,

i read this last night but was too munted to do a reply that would make sense. if that screen duct is unclipped, i have reached under and got one clip on i am fairly sure(was 20yrs ago, theres no way i'd try it now 20kgs heavier) you can gain some room if you are careful, by removing the bolt in each kick panel and the 2 behind the center console(long ones with 10mm heads) , this will allow the bottom of the dash to kind of open out a little.. if this isnt enough, dont force it.. the top 5 mountings along the screen are fragile(see NEW XE TOY thread to see how they break). as much as pulling the dash out seems like a massive job.. it comes out whole, thats with cluster and everything(i never understand when i see people pulling them completely to bits..)its in the heater core replacement part of the service manuals. and i have done a thread on it ages ago if you pull it out, you may as well pull the heater box out unless your air con works(why upset working air con, unless the heater core is leaking?) even though the heater core isnt leaking now, its going to be old even if it was replaced 20yrs ago.. the links i can find are here(on xfalcon, someone copied it to here once.. ) if it has air con, i had to heat the TX valve to free the nuts going into it..not ideal, but the air con core isn't available anymore to My knowledge so don't wreck that if you can help it. http://www.xfalcon.com/forums/index.php?/topic/34793-dash-removal/ http://www.ozfalcon.com.au/index.php?/topic/3318-diy-dash-removal/

i don't have access to an XD or XE here, (have an XG, but it is working,and different enough not to be able to work it out) EXTREME KARTS (Mark) has to take his dash out one day and go over the whole heater box/vacuum hoses, i'll probably be helping him out with that.. depends how urgent you need yours working, if you can wait or figure it out.

good luck, the console doesn't give you much to see, the vac hoses have a plug of about 8 vac hoses which sometimes pull out.. but it would always go to screen in my experience.. yours is a bit weird, thats why i was thinking your vent tube might be unclipped or the foam is completely gone

i haven't got a heater box laying around like i used to, so maybe someone can correct me if i am wrong. but there is a plastic duct that clips to the heater box that the clips could have come off? can you feel air blowing near the hand brake lever when the engine is off,(vents should default to the screen) i haven't looked under a dash for ages, but i think you might be able to see this duct from under the dash to the left of the hand brake lever. (stick your head next to the brake pedal.. get a torch and don't get stuck, and check for red backs if the car is spider ridden) hope the pic helps? ist just one i had done in the past(made foam gaskets from seat foam)(this is an XF heater box, but they work the same pretty much)

if you turn the engine off, it should go to screen.. if not, i have never had that issue... i'd have to see a heater box to work out why?(possibly someones hooked a vacuum hose up wrong)

yes, there is a way to fix it without the dash out (providing the hoses are ok) all the vents are vacuum operated. do you have the the vac hoses hooked up in the engine bay, what model car is it?.

i would say its possibly the safety lock off switch, supplys gas for a few seconds, cuts if ignition pulse isnt detected(could be a wire of, or the units die from time to time.) B2 and Impco 200 wont push gas when disconnected in My experience, if you press the button in the center of the B2 cap and gas comes out when ign is first switched on, you have gas... don't undo gas lines. if you run a wire from + on the battery and to the gas lock off + and it runs, it will be the safety switch or gas guage switch if its all in one unit. impco 200 and B2 rarely die, i'm surprised it didn't fire with starter fluid.. could be flooded, if so try again later(if its flooded, will need the converter cleaned more than likely)

i'd try another coil or the module on the dizzy if you have any available.. i have had both give issues described above. sounds coil to Me if i was going for one thing only

add heat or cold spray causing metal to release..sharp blow with a hammer can have similar effect chisel the edge with either a center punch or chisel drill slightly off center through the broken bolt so it exposes the thread in whatever its stuck in(frees it up) tap undone with punch, screw driver or whatever is handy.

there are heaps of ways to get them out, so hopefully people add to this thread, can be a handy skill to know