My new Years resolution is to do show and tells, rather than waffle on about things without substance.
Here is a montage of magazine clippings showing cross-flow and OHC engines. It dates from March 1983 to date.
In late 1981, Ford stopped making V8 Clevland engines at there Geelong plant. It was a result of HenryFordII's the V8 is doomed in the Falcon speach in 1979. Typically, Aussies liked it too much to kill then and there! The plant stockplied 302 and 351C's, but the cupboard got bare when the Bronco, F150, and police took huge orders in 1982 when the oil glutt hit. Ford Oz had the option then of going SVO alloy head, and of exporting NASCAR blocks to the States, but they balied. The Repco EFI 351C engine was being experimented with in the late 70's, and there was the opportunity to do something magic. Oil well.
<<<<These are the guys Clevleand V8 owners want dead...but they were also the life givers of the EFI Cross-Flow 4.1. Some have said it was just a 5 million dollar slap-on job of a BMW LE-II injection system, but it was a big step from a 9800 Carter 4-bbl and 5766 cc's. It was a significant risk as Falcons have always been basic cars. It took years for the alloy head and coil-sprung rear end to get into the product.
They are, from left, EFI Project Chief Enginner Clive Humphris, Chief Engineer David Ford (no relation to the real ones!), Chassis/Powertrain Excutive Engineer David Cox.
<<<<<This is an add for the EEC4 EFI Falcon 4.1 engine used from 1985 to 1988.
Click on it, go and have a cup of coffee, and maybee it'll be open by then!
<<<<I've got this earlier EFI add, for when the Ford guys had just replaced the 302C and 351C V8's.
Some internet sources state that Ford Australia lied about the EFI I6's lack of power. Well, no they didn't. The 149 hp EFI i6 was slower than the 188 hp 4.9liter 302 Cleveland 4-bbl when towing 3500 pounds of braked trailer by a few fractions of a second, over the Standing 1/4 mile. It was faster over the quarter mile unloaded by a large amount. The only thing Ford lied about was that the 302C never had 188 hp. It was likely to be less than 165 hp. Quite why an engine, supposedly down only 12 hp on the 200 hp 5.8 351C should be 1.5 seconds slower over the quarter mile proves this. Magzines found 4.9 LTD's only did 18.8 second quarters due to appalling under bonnet heat soak.
<<<<1985 XF engine gained a better EECIV management system. The car was heavier, yet the 162 hp/ 246 lb-ft six was only 13 hp better off. The quarter mile figures dropped from 16.9 seconds to 16.4 seconds.
(Australians went metric in 1973. These funny French units are of little value to you Americans, but they list the power and torque of the old XE EFI verses the new XF.)
<<<<The aftermarket AIT concern released the stunning 255 hp EFI Turbo in 1983. It was a fine performer, although the ultimate acceleration figures were often less than the stated power would indicate. No matter, 15.9 seconds for a standing quarter on a 100 deg F Melbourne day was pretty good, espeically in a 3300 pound car. The base car with four-speed was reputed to give 14.9 second quarters in cool conditions. The turbo system used a split pulse Garret TO3. The 4 grand price, and the fact that Ford wouldn't warrant the BW40 transmission with this turbo, caused sales to drop from the target. It was a comerical failure because there was no back-up from Ford. The 1983 AIT Turbo was 20 years before the current 2003 XR6 Turbo. Ford lost there oppurtunity, and people drive and race Holden V8's these days instead....
<<<<When the LTD got an aftermarket AIT turbo option, it created a huge boost to the anemic EFI. The 149 hp EFI gave 17.7 second quarters. The old 200 hp 5.8 351C gave 17.3. The 255 hp AIT Turbo gave 16.4 seconds. The turbo ran a subsidary EFI system to supply fuel without hurting emissions certification.
<<<<There are many Turbo EFI's being kitted out. This item puts out 425 hp from just an intercooler, bigger turbo. Much of the basic engine is stock. The X-flow is as tough as an anvil.
<<<<Another shot of the AIT single turbo for EFI.
<<<<The one that ended it all for AIT. This wicked piece of engineering gave over 350 hp with out trying. The AIT concern invested deeply in the Xtrak XF which housed this wild thing. It failed becasue of the economic recession, and a lack of forsight by others. What the ex-Normalair Garret operator to this fine company did was pre-date any thing Ford will do on a All Wheel Drive XR6 Turbo by 17 years.
<<<<The OHC engine was a 186 hp thing from the factory. Aftermarket turbos were used to give it a boost, but the return of the US-spec Mustang GT engine in 1992 left the turbo conversions without market clout. Today, the XR6 Turbo shares most of its underbonnet topography with the earlier OHC Ford I6's, and OHC turbo's are making a huge resurgence. The later OHC engines are well liked, the weak points such as head bolts and gaske problems have been sorted, and they are very cheap.
<<<<The OHC engines can take any sort of boost. Here is a Sprintex super-charged concept plan from Street Machine way back in 1997.
Plenty to keep the creative juices flowing, hey?
Here is a montage of magazine clippings showing cross-flow and OHC engines. It dates from March 1983 to date.
In late 1981, Ford stopped making V8 Clevland engines at there Geelong plant. It was a result of HenryFordII's the V8 is doomed in the Falcon speach in 1979. Typically, Aussies liked it too much to kill then and there! The plant stockplied 302 and 351C's, but the cupboard got bare when the Bronco, F150, and police took huge orders in 1982 when the oil glutt hit. Ford Oz had the option then of going SVO alloy head, and of exporting NASCAR blocks to the States, but they balied. The Repco EFI 351C engine was being experimented with in the late 70's, and there was the opportunity to do something magic. Oil well.
They are, from left, EFI Project Chief Enginner Clive Humphris, Chief Engineer David Ford (no relation to the real ones!), Chassis/Powertrain Excutive Engineer David Cox.
Click on it, go and have a cup of coffee, and maybee it'll be open by then!
Some internet sources state that Ford Australia lied about the EFI I6's lack of power. Well, no they didn't. The 149 hp EFI i6 was slower than the 188 hp 4.9liter 302 Cleveland 4-bbl when towing 3500 pounds of braked trailer by a few fractions of a second, over the Standing 1/4 mile. It was faster over the quarter mile unloaded by a large amount. The only thing Ford lied about was that the 302C never had 188 hp. It was likely to be less than 165 hp. Quite why an engine, supposedly down only 12 hp on the 200 hp 5.8 351C should be 1.5 seconds slower over the quarter mile proves this. Magzines found 4.9 LTD's only did 18.8 second quarters due to appalling under bonnet heat soak.
(Australians went metric in 1973. These funny French units are of little value to you Americans, but they list the power and torque of the old XE EFI verses the new XF.)
Plenty to keep the creative juices flowing, hey?
