Greywolf Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 HEY!! This is my idea! I've already brought in one of the earlier (OHV crossflow) engines for my other Z-car, a Mercury Zephyr (daily driver wagon). Easy swap for Ford, the OHV version sits on the same mounts as the US Ford 200 and 250 (3.3 and 4.1) L-6s. Even the radiator hoses line up. The downside: different bellhousings and block pattern. You have to use an Aussie transmission, or an Aussie T-5 bellhousing. The OHC and Intec versions are slightly different but can be made to fit; I'm using the OHV version as a testbed in the Zephyr but final plan is to put an OHC in one of the 280s and a hot "pieces parts" L28/L28ET in the other. Check out http://www.fordsix.com for details, you have to sign up but they have a six cylinder forum. By the way...these engines are LIGHT! 4.2L OHV was 330 pound shipping weight, with no belts, but with alternator, power steering, water pump, but no flywheel or bellhousing. 330 pounds also included the pallet and a 185/75/14 Aussie tire, as well as rope and tape. Stock exhaust and intake manifolds are in that weight, throttle body, injectors, EGR, and a few feet of wire harness. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 There is a six speed box for them now is'nt there? Anyway, have driven a five speed turbo ute, quite a nice box and apparently strong, but the ute was nowhere near as fast as my Zed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 just found this one on ebay xr6t Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 Awesome, does anyone have specs on the XR8 engine? Wonder if this six weighs less then the 302, doubt it, but I'd still take that over a 302, looks like it has awesome potential. Maybe even more then... the skyline??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywolf Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 XR6T should be lighter than the XR8. XR8 is basically an Aussie-Ford worked over 302. Not sure of any differences 'twixt the US and Aussie versions. XR6 engine is based on the original ford 6 block; it's a light casting. My old crossflow (as mentioned above) should weigh in around 400lb with flywheel and all pieces to run. The XR6 is supposed to be quite similar in weight "give or take a few kilos", or so I'm told by my Aussie friends. Dimensionally, within an inch or two of the L28ET in basic overall dimensions...not sure how it lines up as far as sump and mounts. Also, later versions are alloy sump with a stud girdle arrangement; I don't know if it's front or rear sump or if there are different versions. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 XR8 is pushrod? Wonder if those heads would compliment my 302. I thought ford stopped making 16 valve v8's back in 1995, except for the Explorer. I just saw an article on a 2001 XR8 and it had a 5.0 making something like 295hp and 320lbft, the current XR8 has a 5.4L dohc I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywolf Posted December 25, 2005 Share Posted December 25, 2005 I'm not sure about all the details on the Geelong-built XR8 engines; I do know that they started off with the Windsor blocks, but I don't know if they still use that Windsor casting or their own. I do know the XR6 progression started in the 60's with the Ford USA "Falcon" six (144 and 170 cubic inch, cast-iron head with intake manifold part of the head casting). When the US started making the 200, the Aussies designed a head with a removeable intake; Ford USA stuck with the integrated intake. The Aussies and Argentinians played with displacements and heads for a while. Argentina used this version (especially for racing) until the 90s. It's a light engine and apparently the Argie 188cid version revs comparatively fast and makes torque to match--there's still a class for Ford 6 cars in Argentina (TC, I think). The Aussies developed a crossflow (Iron) cylinder head in the late 70s, and when Ford USA abandoned the inline-6 in 1983, Ford Australia had Honda design an alloy head for the engine. It was so good, they abandoned the V8; however, this was a mistake as sales did suffer. At some point in this development (I believe at the time the iron crossflow head was introduced), some minor changes to the block were made that resulted in the Aussie engines having a different bellhousing pattern than Ford USA. This alloy-headed, crossflow, OHV engine is the type I have sitting fabbed-up to drop in my Zephyr parts-getter with a T-5 and various brake/suspension upgrades. After 84-85, the majority of these engines were multi-point EFI; I am running mine with an old Haltech EFI unit. Finally, in the early 90s, the OHC 3.9 and 4.0 engines replaced the crossflow design. These are an evolution of the crossflow block; I'm unsure as to the level of differences in the block casting...that will have to come when mine arrives from Oz, unless one of our Aussie brethren has more info? The engines were redesigned to some degree with lower bracing, stud girdles and a more robust casting into the later AU and BA form as shown in the first post of this thread. I would love more details on overall weights, but I know the Crossflow engine with alloy head is delightfully light. The later OHC engines have dual-length intake which switch from long runners at low speed to short runners at higher speed; some have variable camshaft timing, and are overall pretty sophisticated units for an engine that started life as a cast-iron lump before the Datsun L-series ever graced a Z car. Okay, sorry for the lecture, hope some of you are awake and still having a happy holiday... Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywolf Posted December 26, 2005 Share Posted December 26, 2005 From my notes (bear in mind: measurements were not taken by me, but gleaned from the internet. I'm presently aboard ship hundreds of miles from any car, and thousands of miles from any car I own...) First: 240 frame. 23.5" between engine mounts. Engine mounts 13" behind upper strut mounts. Additional 8.5" to front hood hinges (21.5" overall...but I think the radiator needs to wedge in there too...). 24.5" behind mounts to crossmember, more like 12" to outer part of firewall? Engine sizes and weights (again, not done by me; I tried to get "ready to run" figures): L28 complete with stock manifolds LT1 complete w/o trans. Aussie XR6 w/manifolds. L28: 443lb 30â€L 15â€W (21â€w/mnts) ?? H XR6: 395lb 31â€L 17â€W 20â€H Chevy 350 LT1: 575lb 28â€L 25â€W 22â€H Questions: Height of Chevy w/air cleaner? Length of Aussie 6 Bellhousing w/adapter (or T-5 LOA) Height of L28 Height of Aussie 6 with intake plenum Stock Datsun 5-speed: 31†LOA, shifter at 29†from bell, 80lb Stock Datsun T-5: 31†LOA, shifter at 29†from bell, 78lb Ford T-5: 24.7†LOA w/o bell, shifter unknown, 84lb with iron bell. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yokohama Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 I have always been a fan of the 4ltr six, since an Australian told me about the F6 some time ago. Check out this site and look at all the fun we could be having: http://www.fpv.com.au Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitty Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 the xr6t has had sweet reviews here in oz, mainly due to the fact that a lot of journos reckon it handles better that the xr8 (v8) due to the lower weight sitting in the front. the same is true for the fpv verions of these cars (ford performance vehicles) the F6 (6t) and the GT (v8). these also come with a new tranny as of the new model revision (BF) that came in a few months ago down here. its ZF 6-speeder that also sits inside the jags and so forth. FPV had to re-engineer it to handle the F6 as it out-torques even the V8 with something like 550 nm. im a holden (read chevy) man and i still rate these engines hey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywolf Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Do you have an idea of the ZF 6-speed weight? I have a hard time accepting that a T-56 is double the weight of a good ol T-5. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitty Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 i cant for the life of me find a tranny wieght for the ZF, but i do know that it is lighter than the t56, i think there was a major use of aluminium in the tranny, but im not too sure hey. its also used in the jags as well as bmws as the standard auto transmission. its a huge jump for aussie made cars though, as most of the cars made here, until the new mitsu came out and now the new falcon, were 4 speed slushers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianZ Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 Ford made a 2jz!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitty Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 well kinda i spose. it is a really sweet engine, and as was said earlier, it had to be tuned back because it originally was a more viable option than the also locally built V8s. its a 4L unit, and apparently is gonna be placed in the new ford territory, which is an awd suv that we have over here. its based on the falcon architecture and pretty much took over form the imported for explorer and escape. that latter of which was pretty dodgy anyway. and remember the last time us aussies came up with a great car (the monaro), u guys decided it needed to be rebadged as a pontiac gto. and the brits luvd it too and badged it as the vauxhall monaro vxr. i wonder if FPV is having any thoughts of US expansion?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitty Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 what has been the latest on this engine, did any of the guys wind up putting it in a zed?? cos theoretically it should fit right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 260ondubs Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 I've driven about 50 of these engines in all shapes (utes/sedans) and manual and auto. Seriously, stock they are so quiet. right off the line they aren't the most impressive thing (but the yare lugging a 1600kg car. But get them going and they really start to hot up and move real, real fast. Very well designed. I had one (sedan auto) on the highway.... just cruisin at 100, left it in Drive then thumped it and it just took off..... Warp 5. One of these in a Zed car would be frightening (and that's before you modify it!). Someone will do it in Australia soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 interesting. What US cars/suvs/trucks came with the XR6T? I might be able to find one in my dad's friend's JY. Might even let me take it for free, depending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywolf Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Sadly, the XR6 engines and crossflow heads did not make it on ANY US vehicles. All the Aussie six stuff in my garage I had to bring over, piece by piece...and I am still waiting for my supplier to send bellhousing to suit T-5, headers, and gaskets for my XE (crossflow) unit going in my Zephyr wagon (my sleeper Z car, lol). Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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