Hey, Just got 3 weeks holidays from work.

About 2 weeks ago I pulled the head of my EBII Fairmont Sedan 4.0L 4speed s**t auto and changed the head gasket and cleaned it all out including new stem seals (first time attempt all went smoothly!) Cleaned up the fuel rail and injectors.

At the same time I installed some nice headers I got cheap from a wrecker a while back, which now connects to a 2.5inch redback exhaust 2 muffler setup, (*cough* lacking catalyic converter *cough*).

I just got hold of a T5 Manual Transmission from an EBII, Bellhousing, box and extension housing, still gotta source clutch, flywheel, clutch cable and foot pedal mounting bracket.

I am also looking for a 3.45:1 LS Differential Ratio, and Possibly lower the rear end to level out the car, also new shocks front and rear.

I also got an EF Radiator and Twin Fan setup (looks near new! and for cheap, dumb blonde @ the counter didnt know what I had)

So yeah, Is it WORTH! sourcing an XR6 EB-EL Camshaft? Would it run best with an EL ECU XR6? or would a regular EL ECU work just fine?(cause EF has the differnet coil pack setup)
Or do I scrap that and get an aftermarket Cam, one which shouldn't require custom tune.

RunDown on mods thus far and currently installing:
- EB II Fairmont 4.0L
- Headers, 2.5" Redback Exhaust
- Cold Air Intake w/Pod filter
- T5 Manual 5speed
- 3.45:1 LS Differential
- Twin Thermo Fans
- XR6 or Spack Spoiler (FULLY SICK DOWNFORCE @ REAR WHEELS! )

All advice, critisim and anything but greenpeace activist comments welcomed.

Cheers, Timmy.

If you can get one for $30 or $40 then yeah get one.
Otherwise just buy an aftermarket cam.

go aftermarket

1. Fit Bilstein shocks.
2. Fit Wade 1636 or 1673 cam (maybe try an EB or ED XR6 ECU with it).
3. Fit TCI 2500/3000 torque converter.
After that:
4. Fit BBM - first try using an rpm switching setup to drive it whilst retaining the EB or ED ECU - this may give you MUCH better bottom end response but you may need to have it switching at only 2000 or 2200 rpm to avoid pinging. Otherwise the next step would be EL ECU wired in to drive the BBM.


Info and background:

Get Bilstein shockies - sell one of the kids or a kidney or put the Mrs on the game if you have to - but get em. Without Bilsteins your Falcon may as well be a Camira.

Having done the whole 3.45 diff and T5 conversion thing on my ED:
1. 3.45 will make very small difference - you want 3.7 or 3.9
2. My Auto EF with 2500/3000 stall converter and 3.08 diff has improved way more for bottom end launch performance and general responsiveness than the ED did by fitting the 3.45 diff and T5... With a 3.7 diff this thing would be a WEAPON!

DON'T use an EL ECU unless you also fit up a BBM with it - just on a std EB/ED engine with log manifold the EL ECU will make it run like a dog (timing and fuel maps are made for the BBM).

DON'T worry about messing with an XR6 Fuel Pressure regulator.

Cam wise, I upgraded my ED initially to EDXR6 - performance was a bit better in upper midrange and top end but no different down low - I tried that with both the std ECU and EDXR6 ECU and ended up using the EDXR6 ECU. I also tried EF std cam and EFXR6 cam - predictably enough they weren't really very happy - maybe because of lack of BBM?

Next I fitted BBM and ELXR6 ECU wired to run it. I also fitted the knock sensor. As well as the EDXR6 cam and EF std and XR6 cams, I tried a crow cam (yuck! ) - and went back to the EDXR6 cam with a little bit of advance. That served me really well for a couple of years then I got a JMM cam which gave me a very decent improvement. That's how the ED stayed for about 9 years until I retired it a couple of years ago. That JMM cam is now in my EF and going real good.

Having said that, from what I've read I would seriously suggest trying a Wade 1636 or 1673 cam - my JMM cam I think was a lucky find - it wasn't one of their off their shelf ones.

If you eventually fit a BBM I would suggest not fitting up an EL ECU to drive it at first - I would fit up a separate rpm switch to drive it - this should give you excellent bottom end launch and response - but the BBM switchover might need to be set to 2000 to 2200rpm - what that may mean for midrange I don't know. Here's my reason for saying that: When I fitted the BBM to my ED I found that on long runners it had absolutely head snapping initial acceleration - but then it would literally "fizzle" out - ie. SEVERE pinging by 2000 to 2500rpm (sound like a cross between sizzling meat on a barby and a pocketfull of 20c pieces being shaken - along with engine power dying totally). Evidently the bottom end timing map of the ED ECU along with the long path runners was an excellent combo but from 2000rpm the timing was too much for the cylinder pressures the BBM was making. Turning back the dizzy stopped the pinging but killed the performance. On long path + late timing the engine felt like original ED in the bottom end but had no top end. For decent general driveability, with the ED ECU + BBM I had to run the BBM locked on short path with ignition timing set to std ED setting - which overall gave very similar performance to the original log manifold setup. People may disagree, but I personally believe that the BBM on SHORT path is similar to MPEFI Log manifold.

By fitting the EL ECU and wiring it to run the BBM I was able to have a noticeable improvement in midrange and top end over the log manifold setup but similar bottom end to std ED (with somewhat better torque tho - ie. never gave a thought to leaving the aircon on all the time). The EL ECU did not have that viciously lively bottom end "snap" tho that the ED ECU had with the BBM on long path - I dream of having that back...

I always intended to get a J3 chip for the EL ECU programmed with ED maps up to maybe 2200rpm - or try going back to EDXR6 ECU with separate rpm switch - hence my suggestion.

With my EF I still intend to try and get a J3 for the EF ECU programmed with ED maps up to 2200rpm.

yep if you can get it cheap grab one but dont be suprised if you fit it and decide on a bigger one which makes it a waste of time, altho at least then you will have a spare cam to send to wade cams so they can give you a regrind, then fit it and flog the xr6 one back off maybe for profit