EA frankenstiens falcon
Posted: June 6th, 2011, 9:04 pmHey guys and gals,
I've been checking this site out for about 12 months, ever since I bought my most recent falcon project, an EA with a so far unidentified (in that I don't know the origins of the engine) 95 model 4.0L with the EA intake and ignition and 5 speed manual.
I bought it unregistered from a car yard in Brisbane last year to replace the ED I had a couple of years ago but sold when money got tight. in hind sight I really should have just kept the ED and let the rego run out, then get it back on the road when the money came in. Oh well, lesson learnt!
So on to the EA........
Well to be perfectly honest, it's been a bit of a dog from day 1. on the drive home from the car yard the accelerator cable snapped and I was stuck climbing a hill with nothing but idle! to it's credit, it pulled itself up and over in second gear at about 10KPH.
since then I have had dramas with the power windows and the central locking, the later being a frustrating tail chase that turned out to be wires reversed causing the door to unlock when the system is locked and locked when the system is unlocked! after fixing that problem, I had the opposite door mech stop working! This has set a pattern with this car where every time I fix something, another problem pops up!
Having moved to Darwin in December, I spent the first months here getting the car ready for the road again. It's been 3 weeks back on the road now, and it just isn't running quite right. I'm having problems getting a smooth idle and therefor can't get the timing perfect, which is causing it to loose power and hesitate on acceleration, it's suffering from run-on if the engine is at running temp, and don't get me started on the fuel consumption!
But enough of the negatives, here is the plan for the car from here on........
I am planing on putting an AU head on it with the AU intake and throttle body, but with the butterflies in the intake removed. I will also swap the battery and filter box to help straighten out the intake run, I'm planning a custom CAI set up anyway, so a custom airbox won't be too much more work and will help intergrate the CAI into the system. The reason for removing the butterflies is because after talking to a ford tech I found out that the BF XR6T had them removed and it improved airflow, the principal being that the engine will get the air from the short or the long runners as it needs it, without having a computer to decide when it should change over. Also on the list of engine mods is a decent exhaust, to replace the ad-hoc system on it now. It will be getting my standard choice of set up for 4L falcons: Gene extractors, 2&1/2 inch system with high flow cat and single muffler with NO RESONATOR! god I HATE those things!
Into the cabin, I'm planing just a quick tidy up as it's not too bad, mostly stock, but a combination of the EA GL seats with Fairmont doors and the white dial conversion on the high end full gauge dash. I want to replace the door skins as they are fairly well worn, with most of the velour worn off the tops from fat arming!
Im thinking of a bit of an update inside to EF spec. changing out the door skins and dashpad, and re-upholstering the seats using the foam and fabric from the EF as well, but that's mostly cosmetic work so it is taking a back seat to making the thing run like it should!
That's about it for the bEAst at the moment, if anyone has any advice on what I have planned, or has any suggestions otherwise, I'm open to all and any ideas, but please try not to give advice like "just get rid of it and buy X or Y" I love my car, even if it is a bit of a dog at the moment. She'll come good with a little work and a whole lotta TLC.
I'll get some pics posted once I figure out how.
Cheers,
Gwart.
I've been checking this site out for about 12 months, ever since I bought my most recent falcon project, an EA with a so far unidentified (in that I don't know the origins of the engine) 95 model 4.0L with the EA intake and ignition and 5 speed manual.
I bought it unregistered from a car yard in Brisbane last year to replace the ED I had a couple of years ago but sold when money got tight. in hind sight I really should have just kept the ED and let the rego run out, then get it back on the road when the money came in. Oh well, lesson learnt!
So on to the EA........
Well to be perfectly honest, it's been a bit of a dog from day 1. on the drive home from the car yard the accelerator cable snapped and I was stuck climbing a hill with nothing but idle! to it's credit, it pulled itself up and over in second gear at about 10KPH.
since then I have had dramas with the power windows and the central locking, the later being a frustrating tail chase that turned out to be wires reversed causing the door to unlock when the system is locked and locked when the system is unlocked! after fixing that problem, I had the opposite door mech stop working! This has set a pattern with this car where every time I fix something, another problem pops up!
Having moved to Darwin in December, I spent the first months here getting the car ready for the road again. It's been 3 weeks back on the road now, and it just isn't running quite right. I'm having problems getting a smooth idle and therefor can't get the timing perfect, which is causing it to loose power and hesitate on acceleration, it's suffering from run-on if the engine is at running temp, and don't get me started on the fuel consumption!
But enough of the negatives, here is the plan for the car from here on........
I am planing on putting an AU head on it with the AU intake and throttle body, but with the butterflies in the intake removed. I will also swap the battery and filter box to help straighten out the intake run, I'm planning a custom CAI set up anyway, so a custom airbox won't be too much more work and will help intergrate the CAI into the system. The reason for removing the butterflies is because after talking to a ford tech I found out that the BF XR6T had them removed and it improved airflow, the principal being that the engine will get the air from the short or the long runners as it needs it, without having a computer to decide when it should change over. Also on the list of engine mods is a decent exhaust, to replace the ad-hoc system on it now. It will be getting my standard choice of set up for 4L falcons: Gene extractors, 2&1/2 inch system with high flow cat and single muffler with NO RESONATOR! god I HATE those things!
Into the cabin, I'm planing just a quick tidy up as it's not too bad, mostly stock, but a combination of the EA GL seats with Fairmont doors and the white dial conversion on the high end full gauge dash. I want to replace the door skins as they are fairly well worn, with most of the velour worn off the tops from fat arming!
Im thinking of a bit of an update inside to EF spec. changing out the door skins and dashpad, and re-upholstering the seats using the foam and fabric from the EF as well, but that's mostly cosmetic work so it is taking a back seat to making the thing run like it should!
That's about it for the bEAst at the moment, if anyone has any advice on what I have planned, or has any suggestions otherwise, I'm open to all and any ideas, but please try not to give advice like "just get rid of it and buy X or Y" I love my car, even if it is a bit of a dog at the moment. She'll come good with a little work and a whole lotta TLC.
I'll get some pics posted once I figure out how.
Cheers,
Gwart.
