deankxf

Note to anyone doing ball joints, get a wheel alignment VERY soon after. (tyres will chew out fast if it was aligned with stuffed ball joints)

**speaking of.. next time you get a wheel alignment or new tyres and an alignment. ask them if they check the suspension for wear before doing it.. (most don't check anything)
 

30 years ago i had an alignment done, the tyres were stuffed in a week (600km).. took it back, ripped into them and for them to reply "it's within spec" and after questioning if they would give  Me a new set of tyres(from memory, they gave me some second hand ones after telling me to get a pedders check.. confirming lower ball joints were buggered, along with idler arm.. )

Base model may not have the wire either. I had to run one in My Dad's XE when I fitted an s pack cluster. Negative coil and I may have joined a wire to the cluster for it even(not in the socket for cluster either)

DOOR UNLOCK MODE all doors unlock or just drivers simple process. 
AU2 onwards (says in the video he has other content on ford tips)

AU Electric Window Switch repair link

there's no pics in here. i'll attempt to add some when/if i do mine. 

https://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=17267
 

This thread on FFAU (fordforums.com.au) has links to basically anything you might need. 

look here first. 

https://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11244844

i had to change the T bar display light.. this link shows how to do this job (hidden screws under the cup holder, front tray and 2 near the front seat bolts(rear most bolts next to the trans hump)
https://www.fordforums.com.au/showpost.php?p=782505&postcount=27

dash clock globe. needs the stereo removed, inside there is 2 screws holding the whole center section of the dash on (with clips) and then the globe is accessible apparently(haven't got to it yet)

https://fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?p=2063411

@SPArKy_Dave @Thom

anyone else who might have any clue from a ford factory manual?

when i fitted these arms, the ball joint post that is clamped can be slid up or down a bit. (i thought the through bolt would lock it in one spot) 

I can't remember if i positioned it in a particular spot for a reason but would be easy to change.

would this affect camber either way(doubt it) 

ALSO 
when i removed the left upper arm, a shim fell out.(didn't notice where from). 50/50 chance it was from the front or the rear side of the inner upper mounts to the inner guards.. i guessed it would be on the front edge to give more caster? but it appears packed out further looking at it and i did 200km and the tyres are now feathering on the outer edge (toe in)
i have one more lower ball joint to change, before going for a wheel alignment.  i'm guessing it could have been shimmed in the past to compensate for rooted lower ball joints or even bush wear? 
any idea on that shim?  (needs the arm mounts unbolted completely to remove it, it's not a slotted one)

continuing on the the AU engine into XG

this is an XG radiator with BF Fan mounted (looks to have some trimming done) 
i'll update/edit any findings. 
this should be running in the next day or so. 

continuing on the the AU engine into XG

this is an XG radiator with BF Fan mounted (looks to have some trimming done) 
i'll update/edit any findings. 
this should be running in the next day or so. 

1 hour ago, XF EDDIE said:

My au has a bad misfire and the abs dosent work, I have an elm 327 adapter and forscan but ive heard that it uses a different standard to regular obd2. Any suggestions?

keen to hear anything on this process, how do you know the ABS doesn't work?
@SPArKy_Dave would have a good clue?  

58 minutes ago, Rod Racer said:

IIRC, there is a sender is in the right rear of the cylinder head. However, the temp sender (I think) is in the thermostat housing.

 

there's definitely a temp sender thing in the back of an AU head, (we broke it pulling an engine recently but.. it's going into an XG ute, so temp sender is in the thermostat housing for that setup, so no issue leaving it broken) is it the main one? barra looks similar location also if it's the only one. 
 

1 hour ago, XF EDDIE said:

Turns out the temp gauge itself was jammed

any fix for that? or give it a little tap, tap tap taparoo? and good to go
 

SEATBELTS.. (Front) AU 

need a T50 torx and 10mm and phillips head. 
here's a link, because you guessed it.. the Haynes manual shows nothing..

https://www.fordmods.com/fordmods-technical-documents-diy-f38/photo-essay-au-bf-falcon-driver-seat-belt-replacement-t124557.html

1 hour ago, XF EDDIE said:

Just wondering what engines can I put in a fg? I saw a bf barra come up for cheap near me and was wondering if it would work?

in case no one else jumps in before you find the answer. 

i believe the dipstick location could be an issue, (block or sump may need drilling) sump and might be different,  
definitely look it up before buying. (i only vaguely remember Street Machine's turbo taxi being a pain for similar reasons. )

2 hours ago, XF EDDIE said:

Hey presto

Make sure to save it as discord links like to go dead!

@SPArKy_Dave keeps the photos of everything.. 

i'll attempt to find it again and probably won't be able to even next week. but here it is uploaded to the forum. 

AU upper ball joints 
i bought a spare set of arms for this job, because i didn't want the car disabled if i had some kind of issue.. $60 the pair including postage on ebay with "tight" ball joints. (i was tempted to use them, however when i removed one of the ball joints, it did actually have some play in it, easier to feel with the boot removed i bet also) 
the bushes, i was tempted to leave in.. they were probably fine but "new is new" (Mackay brand bushes i fitted, genuine ford ball joints)

the same ball joint press was used as the lower in the previous post. ($48 incl post ebay) 

THIS JOB IS HARD! I'm going to assume the upper ball joints could be done in the car, and it might be useful to do it if you don't have a vice (hard job to refit the ball joint, and the vice wasn't strong enough to push it in either)

one of the hardest parts of this job is finding the right spacer ring/socket, pressing die etc to fit your application. the 10 provided aren't enough. 

i'll run through My list of things i did for this job, then provide pics that might be useful. 

the pressing out socket. 

TIGHT to press out, one made the familiar POP sound, the other just moved easily.  first one i set the shifter on it to stand on at first and it just came out, but it ended up in the vise as standing on the shifter wasn't working.

BUSHES NEXT
i used mapp gas to head the outside of the bush housing, and beat them out with an extension bar. EASY..
(hard part was refitting them)

I tried to set the ball joint using the vise, but it went a bit cockeyed and needed to be punched out again, vice had no hope of pushing the ball joint in, and i even heated the arm and had the ball joint in the freezer for a good 30mins..

this was the START of the refit of the bushes
i found a bolt with washer in the arm and using a press cup on the other side was the best way to fit these. Nolathane would be easy.

decided i might clear coat the ball joint tops.. after painting the arms black
 

LOWER BALL JOINTS LOWER IN THE CAR (this post may be edited with uppers also later)

AU (and probably same for E series and B series to some degree) 
assuming your lower control arm bushes are ok, you can do the lower ball joints in the car

This is a HARD JOB

2nd time writing this up, i'm going to add the pics now and edit the details later. 
disc needs removing, but you can rebolt the caliper back on

grease the tool before using

make sure you have enough height on your stands to wind the tool.. (i used a shifter for ground clearance)
i just sat it over at first to be sure




this needed changing, i ended up using a socket. you'll see later


this almost worked, but the washer pulled through

the 1/2 drive socket jammed on the threads. so i decided to make it a square shape, i was tempted to chop it off, but wasn't sure if i'd need the length to beat on it if i had to. 

the tool was turning with the force, so i needed to jam it with the breaker bar. 

once the ball joint moved even 1mm there was a POP/THUNK noise.. it was fairly freely moving after that.

the new one pressed in fairly easy, (next time i'll freeze it first so it's possibly easier) but i wasn't sure when it was finally all the way home, the tool seemed to just get hard to turn any further, and that was it.. 

1 minute ago, XF EDDIE said:

Thanks for that Ill give it a go when I get back from work

the bracket thing could be upside down in the pic,

if you can, take a photo when you try it and we might be able to have one on hand for future (its' the first time i've seen one.. usually there's a gas tank in my X series ute spare wheel space)

13 hours ago, SPArKy_Dave said:

 

That's it yes!

The loose threaded bracket, sits against the tyre, with the threaded end in the slotted hole of that welded bracket.

 

The wingnut winds on the thread upside down, so it tightens backwards against the outside of that welded bracket,

thus pushing the loose threaded bracket, against the tyre.

i used My awesome paint skills and made this..

Thom, still the legend when it comes to hotrodding different engine combos!

1 hour ago, Crouchy said:

Hi dudes. I am replacing the injection with a carby and want to put an early water pump and fan on an EFI 302 for my early Falcon. I know that this will mean the pump will run in the opposite direction to the serpentine belt. Does anyone know if this will affect the cooling ie will it run hotter?

cheers

@Thom may know for certain, 

but if you are ditching the serpentine belt setup for V belts, (this needs confirming) i thought you just buy an early water pump for V belts and it will be good to go assuming you have all the brackets and pulleys for the V belts. 

1 hour ago, SOHCDriver said:

Very good video. Thank you. I'll be watching this space. (EA to FG sections)

if you have any requests,  i might come across some more specific to your needs that will help others

sticking this here for now, 
@SPArKy_Dave seen or  got  one of these tools?

Ball Joint Lower looks fairly easy with this tool
(link to ebay tool that looks posibly the one )
 

Cruise control has a thread here 
 

55 minutes ago, XF EDDIE said:

Ill give that a try. If con rods are fked what else needs doing or could I get some rods and go?

depends i guess. 

if it was mine i'd probably chuck another engine in. 

@Thom may know if a bore could crack from it, i'd expect it possible, so therefore having the engine block crack tested might be something to do. 
i wouldn't expect anything else, but i also don't know heaps about this issue. 

bent con rods are likely. 

there might be a way to check by dipping something down the spark plug holes and rotating the engine by hand.
if one or 2 are lower on each top of the stroke position  then bent conrod is confirmed.