Hi Guys,

I haven't been active for a while, but for ages I have wanted to convert my good old (First Falocn GLi, now Fairmont - yes I changed everything over including the entire loom) to a v8. Recently I laid my hands on an EL Ex-police. Doing some research, it looks like I got the right one as it has the EL GT headers on there (no way I'll be changing those then!). Its from Dec 1997. Also has an LSD, 3.45 and alloy tailshaft. Lots of holes in the interior and cables going nowhere.

I did notice the intake says HO. Is this somehow a mixup? I mean, I have heard people saying that they should have Explorer intakes. But then again when I read about OPT 20 coded cars, I do see a lot of cowboy stories.

It goes like the wind, has a 2.5 mandrel on there now, but I'll be curious to in the future attach a double 2.25 inch exhaust onto it.

Why am I posting (next to bragging LOL - just joking). Well, I have no clue what heads there are on there now. I tried to see the bars on the heads, whether there were 3 or 4, but could not see any.
I am going to drive this as a daily driver with LPG. It will be dual fuel. So therefore I want a driveabe engine. Can't mod too much. As I am going to pull the engine and replace all seals etc before it goes back in, I was playing with the idea of pulling the heads for a set of GT40P's. They are supposed to marry up to the EL GT headers. Also a Cobra intake would be nice. Of course I will need to keep it looking stock otherwise as I'll be needing to take it over the pits here in WA after swapping the engine.

Last but not least: Will it harm putting in a new cam? I mean, I have been reading about crow thumpers. No idea if they are any good. I like the idea of a deep idle. Will prolly need rollers at the same time I believe? Any daily driver options there?

Cheers!

PS: I am wrecking it as firstly it is hail storm ridden and the tool I bought it from (on his P-plates for the second time - go figure) got himself a yellow sticker with 30 mins to fix the issues... Someone was p****d off

It will have the E7 heads being a GLi / futura.

Definetely swap em out with GT40's if you can!

Hmmm - thought I'd ask as I've heard people saying they had the XR8 heads (not sure whether they are E7's or not. I believe these cars should have had more "oompf" compared to the 165Kw HO engines. Hard to believe only the extractors would make the difference, but then again I am not the expert.

I might chase a set of GT40P's then. Don't know whether I can get a good set locally or if I should get a set out of the USA. I noticed them being much cheaper there.

late '98 EL's got the explorer intake. and opt 20 is only speed limit removed and a couple of other minor things. Apart from that it will have the standard E series wheezer 302. All E series V8's were the same, obviously apart from Sprint/GT and late EL with explorer intake.

Now I really wonder what I have then. I mean - I wrote its a late 1997 (Dec). I think I might just have to take pics and upload them for you guys to look at.

Yep EL series 2 got the Explorer intake.
They will all be running E7 heads. GT40 didnt come on accross the board until AU.
EL GT extractors could of been fitted by a previous owner (they are old cars now not fresh out of the auctions) as they were a cheap and chearful change.
If it goes better then it should it might just be a happy motor. They do exist.

I was checking Vic's writeup on the different intakes for 5.0 fords. Somehow the explorer pic does not display . On eBugger you cannot really see differences as people do not have proper pics and what not, not to mentioned my untrained eye when it comes to these things.

Anyone has a pic for me?



Yeah, might just be me being used to the 4.0 engine and now just noticing the extra bit of power and different gears. The engine hasn't done a load of K's - 208000. Under average for the age. That is why I was thinking of going it a small overhaul before popping it in.

The OP mentioned that the intake has HO printed on it.

I was sure that only the S2 XR8's got the Explorer, not the fairlanes, fairmonts, gli's etc.

Hey guys the 1998 NL Tickford Fairlanes had the GT40P heads , Explorer manifold , 70mm maf & 65mm throttle body , special Ford motorsport 24LB injectors & GT extractors to suit the heads & I think the Series 2 EL XR8 only got the manifold , throttle body & maf

Well, probably someone already started modding it. I also have orange injectors which could do with a new set of O-rings, but before I start with that, what colour is bigger? Orange or Green? I will be running dual fuel, so I need to think of injectors and petrol mixture as well as LPG mixture. Fun and games - but thought if I am doing this now (the conversion) I might just do it right straight away instead of pulling the thing out 10 times. Therefore the load of questions.

Cheers so far guys - this forum is great and your contributions awesome.

The FBT's got the GT40 heads. Some of the last of them may have got the GT40P heads but Ford must have run out of GT40 stock because they weren't supposed to have the P versions. All AU's got the P's bar the 220 T series.

EL xr8's also got the GT extractors as well as intake, maf and tb.

You only have to look at the top of the V8 forum in the thread about windsor intake identification to see what the different intakes look like.
btw all of the late series EL 5.0's that I've seen only had 19's and the stock 55mm MAF....no 70mm MAF.