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SteveHobart

Crossflow Options

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Hey guys. I’m throwing around some options for my 87 EFI XF S Pack which needs some work (engine issues). From what I see, I have 4 options with it and I would like to get your feedback/ideas. To preface the options, I would like to use this as a bit of a fun car, do a few hill climb events, some track days and so on. It cost me next to nothing to buy so I don’t want to spend huge $$, think of it as a budget racecar. Plan to build it up over time, so want to pick one direction and evolve it. So the options as I see it are as follows:

 

1. Ditch the 4.1 and put in a 5.0L Windsor.

Benefits- V8 (huge benefit), legal, fits and will work with the 4 Speed Single Rail

Costs- Back to a second hand engine (could have issues like the current one), will be hard on the driveline

 

2. Fix the CrossFlow

Benefits- Origional Numbers etc etc however I hardly think a XF will every be worth anything and this one is still in very average nick inside. Probably easiest option and I can learn how to do it myself.

Costs- It’s still a 250 Crossflow EFI. You can’t do much with them due to the EFI system so they are what they are.

 

3. Fix the Crossflow and convert to Carbie

Benefits- Interesting option, can run a huge cam and, from what I’ve read, create good power with some minor adjustments and a good Carbie.

Costs- Illegal, mine is a 87 Model so has the pollution control gear. Supposed to have a cat as well (I think that went a few owners ago), however who’s going to pull you over and check??

 

4. Convert to 4.0 SOHC.

Benefits: Cheap motor, makes more power than a crossflow, can be chipped easily, cammed easily and will fit straight in. Cheap too!

Costs: Never done an engine swap so could be interesting. Probably won’t marry to the Single rail so will be up for a gearbox too (but a T5 conversion wouldn’t be a bad thing).

 

Would like some opinions or throw some more options at me!

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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answers to each.. 

 

1.. rebuild the single rail, and it will be fine behind a windsor, fit an EB LSD and it won't break either.. enjoy(with 5 litre) even a 25 spline ghia lsd will be fine if you are happy with the ratio.

 

2. the EFI 250 crossflow in good nick will go better than a stock EB spec 5 litre.. .. doesn't sound as good.. back int he day the efi crossflow was a weapon. don't underestimate the value of XFs. for some unknown reason they are getting up in value.. maybe because you can make them look like an XD or XE very easily..(if you can find parts)

if you fit aftermarket efi to the efi crossflow with the right mods it will hammer.. back 15 yrs ago, my tuner wanted me to fit Delco computer from VN and tune it with kalmaker software? something like that(i'm going to call him this week about same setup on My gemini.. source it all from wreckers) 

 

3. could do that easy.. XF utes had carbys up to 1993. but they didn't have holleys or tripple carbys. 

 

4. i bet if you got a spacer made to center the single rail in the 4 litre bell housing it would bolt on with 4 new mounting holes drilled and work fine(if it works) but a T5 is a direct fit in an XF because it was an option from 1986.. just had a T5 cross member(bent a certain way, but you can extend the current one to suit easy)
i don't like the SOHC or the barra for that matter. but if you wanted to go that way there'd be write ups on it in here no doubt.

depends what your budget is and what performance you want? 
i think a good efi crossflow with a LSD from ZK or ZL fairlane (or XE  XF ghia FD FE LTD) 2.77 or 2.92 almost no difference. with good single rail would be heaps of fun. 

they can make 110rwkw easy enough. i'd assume going the biggest cam that the efi can handle(its' bugger all bigger) upping the compression ratio by whatever means suits(smaller dish piston or different head with smaller chamber)  to run 98fuel  at best potential. cold air intake(pod filter behind bumper with pvc pipe to the air flow meter.. ) 2.5" exhaust on extracors.. could be done cheap. 

or keep it stock .. what's wrong with it now? they used to go plenty good enough to thrash

 

or.. for probably cheaper than all of the above? detail the XF, sell it for $2500? (haven't seen it) and buy a BA turbo falcon for $5000 odd and thrash the crap out of it. 

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Hey Steve sounds like a good project and I'm in a similar position as I'm trying to decide what to do with my 87 ghia as the crossflow in it is very tired. I'm either going to throw the 250 and auto out of a zk in it while I build a stout crossflow for it or drop a 4litre with a btr in and just enjoy it. Mines just going to be a cruiser with abit of grunt though so not as far as your planing, you will benefit greatly from the correct diff ratio choice with any combo you choose 

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I'm all for hopping up the 250, good engine to learn on. Solid and simple, no real snags when screwing them together.

You can delete the restrictive (and poorly placed) airflow meter/air cleaner from above the exhaust, plumb it to a cooler spot and run a later (MAFless) e-series computer with a J3 chip tune. Never done it but it's definitely a thing. E-series throttle body could be adapted (?), not sure how much cam the ECU will handle before chucking a shitty but not too much overlap, say a mild 208/208 on a 110 lobe angle would give brilliant midrange. Install better valvesprings, roller rockers (spacer needed on rocker cover if keeping the EFI one) extractors and 2.5" exhaust. 9.5 compression would be safe. Late model cat could easily be adapted.

The inlet manifold is OK, but the EA-ED log is better. If you know anyone who can TIG aluminium, you can graft one onto the injector plate that the bunch of bananas normally bolts to. This solves the problem of having to plumb up to the throttle body that's originally on top of the engine. Either that or make up some sort of adaptor plate for it.

Sent from my CPH1607 using Tapatalk

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If your keeping the crossflow and stock EFI, then keep the engine stock. No point fucking around chucking money at it to go faster while it's got the factory EFI.

 

Carbys work, but it is 2018. You can put an aftermarket EFI solution on fully installed for under $1k if you do it yourself. Then tune it as cranky/mental as you want with all the benefits that come with efi and after market computer (full tuneability)

 

If you were smart you would fit a Barra and be done with it. There are a few of us that have a disease and love spending money on crossflows to go slow. Myself included. But I know deep down I could have spent half on a Barra conversion and gone twice as fast. 

 

 

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If bang for buck is your biggest determining factor, just put a Barra in it. You could buy a whole Barra for next to nothing and install it with its loom for stupid cheap. Have a look in the member builds at the xf race car one of the members built. It goes hard.  

 

The speedway boys throw Cams and a tune at them and get 275rwhp (manually shifted) without raising a sweat.  As said above, to make that power from a xflow you need to be sick in the head like me and many others on here.  But hey it's horses for courses. People still build fast Holden red motors......

 

The Barra conversion is relatively straight forward as many have done it. 

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