First off I'd like to say all my upgrades are genuine Ford parts. Being a massive Ford Freak I want to keep my car genuine Ford. So there won't be any after market bits added here.

First off my car is a EL XR8 manual 185kw. So straight off the bat its got Explorer manifold, ELGT headers and 3.45 diff also the ECU is tuned slightly different. Thats all the difference between mine and a standard EL XR8.

I bought a set of GT40P heads from an AU 220kw XR8 along with the cam. The AU 220kw GT40Ps have had port matching from factory to the lower manifold and have larger intake and exhaust valves. I was also lucky enough that the heads came with the Yella Terra 1.72 roller rockers which are standard on the AU 220kws.

I had the heads and cam fitted by Hi Tech Cylinder Heads in Malaga. I highly recommend them. Tony knows his stuff and was on the ball the whole time. I hadn't asked him to fit a cam timing gear as I didn't know anything about that stuff. After I dropped the car off I was advised by Fordmodders that it is a good idea. I rang Tony and he said he already had that there and was going to fit it. The exact same one I was advised to buy.
I also had Tony port match the lower manifold to the heads and the upper manifold to the lower. All that including a new water pump and getting my radiator serviced, heads and cam fitted and new lifters supplied by Tony came to only $2550. I thought that was a bargain. Comes with a 20,000k warranty when taken back for re-tensioning of bolts after 1000ks. I should also mention prior to this I paid $750 for getting the heads serviced and a top gasket kit for the engine. So all up it would cost about $3300.

My clutch was slipping a little before the mods and is even worse now with the extra power. So after speaking to Fordmodders again (XH5LTWEPN) I sourced an Xtreme Clutch kit KFD27001HD and a Yella Terra flywheel YT9909. These are yet to be fitted and will be done next Monday.
Also a Billet Products short shifter will be going in at the same time and the Steeda shifter removed and sold.

Next on the cards is an ELGT MAF which should arrive shortly after screw ups by Australia Post (thanks champs....NOT!!). An AU 65mm TB and EGR spacer to make the hole slightly larger than the stock 58mm ones I have still fitted. Lastly an ELGT ECU and 24lb injectors will finish off the package.

Then I've picked up an EL GT GT40 upper manifold which will be fitted a couple of weeks after I get it.
Then it will be dyno time and ¼ mile time.
I haven't dyno'd the car yet but I have done a ¼ mile in 100% stock form and I got 15.808.

I'll keep you updated as things happened.

I haven't started this thread from the start of the mods because I'm known for saying I'm going to do things and not doing them. You can find this out by searching EL XR8 and ELGT and GT40P in the V8 workshop forums and looking at the dates of my posts.

Timmeh out.

Last edited by Timmeh on Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.

about time pete

looking good dude

Nice thread Pete.

Looks like its all coming along nicely. Glad to have been able to lend a helping hand throughout the process and will be more than willing to help with any further mods you decide to pursue.

Lets get this beast on the dyno and see what she pulls.

I'd like to see how it goes, maybe they might be the ones i'll be going to for a bit of motor work..

Im totally jelous of that GT40 upper....please post pics

Keen to hear how it turns out. Good luck.

When I get some of the gear in I'll definitely post pics before they get fitted.

Would also like to see pics.

Well so far the ELGT MAF has arrived and the 24lb injectors will be arriving shortly thanks to steven13.


I'll get off my a*** now and take photos of the GT40 manifold.

Your windsor motor is externally balanced with the flywheel in place as a rotating mass. Ask them to match balance the new flywheel or you may find some harmonics or vibrations you dont like.
Keep the old flywheel in case you need to revisit the matching if you have issues.

All sounds really good I hope it brings big smiles for a long time.

It has the 50oz imbalance on the new one and was fitted in the same position. Thats what your talking about isn't it?

I don't think all the engines had exact motor/flywheel matching or that would of taken ages to do. Or am I wrong?

Here is the ELGT manifold in all its glory.


This first pic is side on nothing special except for that threaded hole on the entry. Don't know whats that for.




Next pic is of the bottom. The two large holes on the plenum are for the vacuum line fittings. The bar in the middle is also vacuum lines but is very different than the explorer manifold fittings.




Next pic is the entry to the manifold. Lots of obstructions there due to the mounting bolt bosses either side.




Last pic is of the underside again showing the ports to the lower manifold and a pick off line that I am going to assume is for EGR as it leads to the front of the intake as you can see in the pic above.

Parts your gathering up are looking pretty sweet Pete. Almost a full EL GT.

Gee, who attacked that gasket surface on the GT40 Upper? Hopefully they arent too deep and will clean up with ease.
Very interesting to look down behine the T/B inlet. Looks very restricive compared to the inlet size, might be worth a fix up with the die grinder to try get a bit more air through there.

Interesting to see what sort of fittings are hiding behind that plate underneath. The two under the plenum are an easy fix and that threaded hole near the T/B mount would just be bunged up.

The two under the plenum are the same as the Explorer so thats not a problem. Its that bar in the middle. It has threaded holes and the Explorer has tubes for the hoses to be clamped on.
Not much you can do to the entry as there isn't much material to remove.
But she sure looks goochie.

Good stuff.

Is he car going to be tuned? Or is the GT Maf calibrated for the injectors?

Shame also about the entry into the manifold, wont really matter too much though. When I was hunting for a manifold for mine, I came across a GT40 tubular, Almost got it until a Ported cobra popped up.

Im interested to see what sort of numbers it may pull, 180rwkw+ and I'd say you'd have to be happy.

GT MAF is calibrated for 24lb injectors. But I think you need the ECU to get it to work properly. If you don't then I'll whack the injectors and MAF straight away otherwise I'll have to wait for the guy who is doing the swap for my EL2 XR8 ECU.
I'm almost thinking of getting my Explorer manifold fully ported in which case it will outflow the GT40.
Also going to get a phenolic spacer 12mm.