I recently bought an damaged '96 4.0 EF2 Futura Olympic Classic for spares. I noticed that the rocker gear inside the head looked perfectly clean and shiny not slightly brown like in my '94 EF driving car that has similar (220,000K) Kilometers. I am reasonably sure that the '94 motor is un-touched and testimony to the regular services done by Ford dealers. Both cars are petrol only.

I called the previous owner to enquire about the engines history... The lady had a boyfriend that worked for Ford and she said that he had 'done the motor up'. It obviously has shiny thermostat, water pump, alternator, a/c compressor and temperature sensors etc.

She had even less mechanical ideas than me but surprised me by saying that it was a Tickford motor. I said 'No way the rocker cover is not red', but she insisted it was Tickford.
As the car also had extractors and 16" wheels I am wondering. It makes no different mechanical noises than my motor and appears the same. I checked the PCM catch code and it does not have a T in it. 4DBA from memory.
Is there a reasonably definitive method of checking if the motor is improved? I don't know what to look for anyway except the red rocker cover. I thought perhaps measuring the cam lobes or something.

I read on this forum that the Tickford cam alone is not much different in the EF and EL anyway so are the other Tickford improvements worth worrying about?
I once passed up on supposedly standard BMW motor that ended up having all the M stuff in it, I don't want to do it again.

Thanks for reading this far.

Cheers,
C

A genuine Tickford head has a "T" symbol, stamped into the front of the head. Remove the plastic belt cover and have a look.

what he said ^, if you believe red rocker cover means tckford youll be douped alot. the "T" stamped on the front of the head is hard to fake

The tickford head has the bigger cam plus bigger exhaust valves.... is that right fellas?

Also had different fuel regulator and ecu to match. Imo no big deal, an exhaust and a cam later will see you past xr6 power

EL Tickford cars got...
the head with, modded cam, bigger exhaust valves
ecu changes - power and shift changes in the auto
fuel regulator
diff ratio
and the red rocker cover

(edit) also all EL ghias have the tickford mods as above
except a quiter exhaust - which is why ghias have 2kw less than the xr6

Doesn't have to be tickford motor to perform well.
extractors/exhaust pretty much first mod people do for more power.
look at the cam to see if aftermarket. most stamp the grind on it somewhere.

you could allways measure the diameter of the exhaust ports to see if it has been ported a bit. ~38mm maybe ~38.5mm is std any bigger most likely have some head work done. Should take too long to check.

Thanks for the input everyone. The big T on the front was something I should have noticed earlier on the Tickford motors on eBay. My motor has the normal 94DA... so I guess its not a Tickford. I will measure the ports when I lift it out of the car. A friend needs a motor so I guess he should know what he is getting. His car is a EL Fairlane Ghia with a black rocker cover - sounds like I have a 'thing' about rocker covers.
Most people I know drive their cars in Econ mode (I don't like it) which I imagine makes the Tickford PCM more like the standard item.

I will examine the fuel pressure regulator and diff more closely but have been reluctant to open the rocker cover because I am told they are difficult to seal up again. Time to grab the silastic and have a go I guess.

It sounds as though all the changes are in the head and fuel delivery so I see why aftermarket items are so effective.

I'm learning so thanks again for the input people.

Cheers,
C

Rocker cover should go back on with no probs unless the rubber seal is completely screwed. Mines been on and off a few times with no leaks and its 12 years old as far as i know.

Tickford head is a good place to start but gains can still be made regardless with a cheap regrind cam and exhaust and intake which will give you more power than the VS SS's, and EF XR8's of the same period.

Gotta love the torquey Falcon 6's

An ML Fairlane Ghia should have a Tickford I6 in it. Is it a 1998 NL? (if so it may be a hybrid I6)

yep.. as everyone said... with the head look for the "T"..
u can see its just in the centre of the head at the front .mines a series 2 ef ghia and when i bought it i had no idea of any of the ticky stuff till my mech and i sussed it out... already bought it by then but was a bonus when we found all the goodies..

Again thanks to all for the input. Now I really need to look at this other motor. It definitely has a black rocker cover and no T badges under the bonnet like in those pictures (thanks fro posting them) that I can see. Being a Fairlane Ghia and NL it sounds like it should have the T motor. I need to take off the plastic belt cover and all will be revealed. Hybrid motors have tapered valve springs so the rocker cover needs to come off to check that. Is there another way to tell if they have the other crank? The Fairlane does have a much simpler plastic inlet setup than my EF. Does it work better? Should I give him the EF inlet plumbing instead? I assume he is going to need his distributor and coil setup.
I lifted the cover on my spare motor and it is almost like new. Amazing. I looked everywhere and could not see any ID on the camshaft.

Cheers,
C

 

 

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No - Fairlane ghias did not get the tickford engine and or diff unles sthey were a concorde

Markings on the CAM will be under the Pedestals, Grinded or Stamped into that area of the cam. Regrinds such as wade stamp the CAM Grind on the front (where timing Gear sits) or back of the cam.

Last edited by MMD on Mon May 21, 2007 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Usually an XR cam will have a red paint ring in the centre.
obviously not on a lobe.

Gentlemen I must say I am impressed with the assistance I am receiving here. My friend took the NL Fairlane to - of all people - Ultra Tune for them to service the motor and trans. $500 later he has new fluids, filters and plugs. They also compression tested the motor and found 4 was around 60 whlie the rest were about 130. (Sorry for the old units). Now he thinks he needs a motor and gearbox.
We bought a pressure tester and spent a day flattening the batteries on the 3 Fords we have. Pressure tested ok on all cylinders ofhis motor and mine and high (about 180) on the spare car.
His El Fairlane Ghia does not have a T or anything so it must only be the Fairmont Ghias.
No idea about the camshaft in the spare and the ports measure standard. As it ran very normally I suspect the motor has just been reconditioned and the head shaved - possibly an AU gasket only.
I spent the aftrnoon pulling the diff out of the spare. Anyone want one?
Thanks again to all !!!
Cheers,
C