ey, ive got an el series 2 xr8, and just blown a head gasket, im half way through taking the heads off now, just wondering what i can do to them while they r off, like the most efficient mods and the cheapest. thinking of putting a cam in (what would be the best) and porting and polishing the heads aswell as changing the compression. so if any one has any suggestions on what is the cheapest way to gain more POWER while the heads are off can you please let me know!

bigger pistons,cam upgrade the list goes on

what would be the most beneficial mods, with out spending ridiculous amonts, are the mods im currently thinking of doing prob the best wen it comes down to the cost and performance?

Theres a guy selling some GT40P's in Melbourne at the moment (on eBay).

They are great heads and will bolt straight on.

yeh pretty much ^^ will do 250kw+ in stock form...

hm, different heads is a good start.. 40p's are the best factory iron head.. tho if you can stretch the plastic go get yaself some alloys.. you can port 40p's n end up with something not much different to an out-of-the-box aftermarket alloy. depends if you can spare the 2k for alloy heads and the $ for new rockers tho i guess

you could port the e7s, but its the same as polishing s**t. so dont bother.. unless cash is tight, then its the least u can do.

bear in mind you may have some fun with sparkplug clearance with GT40p's.. ie may need new leads with 90 degree bends on the plug end.

i will seriously feel sick bolting e7s back on a motor after the annoyance of pullin heads off..

ps: if lookin at alloys, 1.9" intake valves are your friend

The best thing you can do with the standard heads (besides using them as boat anchors) is give the exhaust ports a really good port job, even if you do it your self using those grinding wheels you put in your drill, take the big air injection casting lumps out and open them all up a bit, making them all roughly the same. I would'nt spend any money getting someone else to work on them though, you'd be better off buy some second hand GT40's.
What ever you do, dont put the stock intake manifold back on. Get at the bare minimum an explorer type. Changing the manifold alone will make a big difference. Then change the MAF to a bigger one as well.

yer already got the explorer type manifold, cos its series 2. so rocker covers and everything should just bolt stright onto the gt40s, not much stuffing around? and you think those standard are pretty much better than doing anything else with the other heads? those heads and a cam mayb??????

yeh u could do a cam aswell

XELR8, even better that you already have the Explorer inlet. Change the heads now, they will make a huge difference.

A cam change would help too, but will up the cost considerebly. How big is your budget?

Howdy fellow 5.0L E-Series owner. Here is my opinion based upon the information i have retained over the last couple of years. (Adapted from my reply to a similar question on another forum)

If you want any sort of performance out of one of these motors the heads need to come off or you need forced induction. Since a basic port job can be done at home for the cost of some tools & gaskets & you already have the heads off, ignore the supercharged idea.

An important principal to remember is when you change or improve parts on any engine, they all must be done to match from air box snorkle to tail pipe, or only a small benefit (if any) will be seen. Some parts just dont present a restriction until you start spending serious dollars on alloy heads etc. So you won't need to bother with a larger throttle or maf (waste of money without $$$$ heads). Stock injectors will get you to 185rwkw as long as they are clean.

Read here for how to port your own heads: http://www.diyporting.com/ (project e7te links on the left).

Changing the cam is the next best value for money swap after home porting the heads, but you can also get some 1.7 rockers off a mid-90's mustang cobra (see ebay in the US & before bidding ask the seller if they will post to Aus with insurance, make sure they suit 5/16th pedestal ford heads, just be prepared to wait a few weeks for them to arrive) & get some better valve springs to avoid valve float (you have to remove the valves & springs to port the heads anyway).

hope this helps.

good advice what those guys said i would get anew set st2027 yella terra roller rockers 1.7 ratio only about 300 bucks new bolt straaight onto gt40ps or 1.6 depending on cam you choose,definately change springs

Where can you get these for $300? My brother recently paid over $500!!!

Hi i have a set of GT40Ps good for about 600hp complete with roller rockers, valves, and springs send me a pm or email at xygthoph3@optusnet.com.au if interested...

$300 is a bargain!!!

ST2027's are $465 from VPW, add $100 if you want adjustables.

Since you already you already have an explorer, I would definately throw a decent cam in it and a pair of heads.
Me personally, I think that for the hassle involved in pulling it down and back together to head level, I would just buy some 2nd hand GT40's if budget is limited, or if you've got a bit to spend get some alloys, rather than doing a home port job on the E7's.

Does yours have the 55mm MAF of something bigger. If its only got the 55 then there will be a bit of topend to gain by getting a 70MAF and 65TB, to complement a decent cam & heads. (You will have to get a bigger snorkle or run an extra duct into the box as well, plus a K&N)