Fordmods Logo

alloy head swap for 4.1 

 

Page 1 of 1 [ 10 posts ] 

 
 Post subject: alloy head swap for 4.1
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:26 pm 
Stock as a Rock
Offline
User avatar

Age: 46

Posts: 172

Joined: 8th Sep 2005

Gallery: 1 images

Ride: '79 XD Falcon Wagon

Location: Melbourne
VIC, Australia

I'm seriously considering removing the iron head and replacing it with an alloy head, along with the XF carb setup and extractors. I'll also be upgrading the dizzy to a early XF (non EST) so I can kiss goodbye to the points dizzy.

I've read that the piston dish is different in the iron head crossflows compared to the alloy heads, and that swapping to a alloy head bumps up the compression.

Just wondering if anyone can shed any more light on this.

 

_________________

http://www.xfords.com

Image

Top
 Profile  
 
 
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:52 pm 
Smokin em up
Offline
User avatar

Posts: 262

Joined: 5th Nov 2006

Location: wilcannia
NSW, Australia

i'm not sure about the piston dish, but i'm sure it wouldn't be much. why not bang it on and see ? the alloy head and manifold should be a huge improvement.

 

_________________

vote for pedro ? f**k pedro, f**k him up his stupid a***hole.

Top
 Profile  
 
 
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 2:30 pm 
Stock as a Rock
Offline
User avatar

Age: 46

Posts: 172

Joined: 8th Sep 2005

Gallery: 1 images

Ride: '79 XD Falcon Wagon

Location: Melbourne
VIC, Australia

{USERNAME} wrote:
i'm not sure about the piston dish, but i'm sure it wouldn't be much. why not bang it on and see ? the alloy head and manifold should be a huge improvement.
I'm going to anyway, I'm sure it will be a huge improvement, just not sure if it'll raise the compression enough to make it require 98 fuel or not, that's all.

 

_________________

http://www.xfords.com

Image

Top
 Profile  
 
 
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:09 am 
Stock as a Rock
Offline
User avatar

Age: 33

Posts: 101

Joined: 2nd Sep 2006

Ride: ED Fairmont

Location: Murwillumbah
NSW, Australia

They SHOULD be run on premium anyway considering up to series 1 XF they were meant to. Other than that you shouldnt have any hassles.

While you've got your alloy head off the car, why not take it down to the local head shop & get them to do the valve seats in it so it can run on regular?? Maybe even get some other headwork done like springs, hone etc etc.

 

_________________

Myspace - www.myspace.com/theboss_290gt

MSN - theboss_290gt@hotmail.com

- Add me

Top
 Profile  
 
 
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:45 pm 
Getting Side Ways
Offline
User avatar

Age: 56

Posts: 6467

Joined: 18th Dec 2006

Ride: 93 ED sedan

Power: 161 rwkw

Location: Rockhampton
QLD, Australia

{USERNAME} wrote:
They SHOULD be run on premium anyway considering up to series 1 XF they were meant to. Other than that you shouldnt have any hassles.

While you've got your alloy head off the car, why not take it down to the local head shop & get them to do the valve seats in it so it can run on regular?? Maybe even get some other headwork done like springs, hone etc etc.


Get an 87 model XF cyl head from the wreckers, its unleaded already, just overhaul it.

 

_________________

http://youtu.be/jJTh9F3Vgg0

Top
 Profile  
 
 
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:37 pm 
Getting Side Ways
Offline

Posts: 2464

Joined: 5th Nov 2004

Gallery: 7 images

Location: Brisbane
QLD, Australia

Thoughts of the day.

1. The alloy head 4.1's have two dowels to locate the head to stop them from moving around. You cant put them on a steel head block easily. Alloy head on works ok, but you may get issues with the head gasket.
2. From memory there is a water passage that is or isnt... I dont think it mattered.
3. The dizzy - The later ones (electronic) had a different shaft size. You may be ok depending on the year of your engine. I dont believe it will just fit properly.

Have you thought about just picking up a complete engine? - if we can get AU ones for $100-200, then surely XF engines arent expensive.

You'll also get one for ULP then

Nigel
Top
 Profile  
 
 
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:47 pm 
Getting Side Ways
Offline
User avatar

Age: 56

Posts: 6467

Joined: 18th Dec 2006

Ride: 93 ED sedan

Power: 161 rwkw

Location: Rockhampton
QLD, Australia

{USERNAME} wrote:
Thoughts of the day.

1. The alloy head 4.1's have two dowels to locate the head to stop them from moving around. You cant put them on a steel head block easily. Alloy head on works ok, but you may get issues with the head gasket.
2. From memory there is a water passage that is or isnt... I dont think it mattered.
3. The dizzy - The later ones (electronic) had a different shaft size. You may be ok depending on the year of your engine. I dont believe it will just fit properly.

Have you thought about just picking up a complete engine? - if we can get AU ones for $100-200, then surely XF engines arent expensive.

You'll also get one for ULP then

Nigel


True that ^^^^. Get an engine that has "86DA" on the passenger side of the block.

 

_________________

http://youtu.be/jJTh9F3Vgg0

Top
 Profile  
 
 
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:02 pm 
Stock as a Rock
Offline

Age: 47

Posts: 196

Joined: 9th Jul 2005

Location: Darwin
NT, Australia

Yep water jackets are different.
Id just look for an XF unleaded motor and slide her.
I have an XF unleaded block (no extras, no head) if you want it you can have it.
West of Melbourne.

 

_________________

Mk2 Zephyr
2011 XR6 Special edition

Top
 Profile  
 
 
Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:50 pm 
Getting Side Ways
Offline
User avatar

Age: 48

Posts: 3519

Joined: 6th Nov 2004

Gallery: 1 images

Ride: BA XR8, XD Fairmont Ghia

Location: Ferntree Gully
VIC, Australia

{USERNAME} wrote:
{USERNAME} wrote:
Thoughts of the day.

1. The alloy head 4.1's have two dowels to locate the head to stop them from moving around. You cant put them on a steel head block easily. Alloy head on works ok, but you may get issues with the head gasket.
2. From memory there is a water passage that is or isnt... I dont think it mattered.
3. The dizzy - The later ones (electronic) had a different shaft size. You may be ok depending on the year of your engine. I dont believe it will just fit properly.

Have you thought about just picking up a complete engine? - if we can get AU ones for $100-200, then surely XF engines arent expensive.

You'll also get one for ULP then

Nigel


True that ^^^^. Get an engine that has "86DA" on the passenger side of the block.


84da can be unleaded aswell. best to look at the casting on the side of the head
E1 is EFI leaded
E2 is EFI ULP
C1 is Carby leaded
C2 is carby ULP

the 86da blocks were more used in the late 87 xf's and in the late utes/vans.

the 86DA blocks also use the same crank as a EA and uses the EA flywheel on them.
Top
 Profile  
 
 
Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:11 pm 
Stock as a Rock
Offline
User avatar

Age: 46

Posts: 172

Joined: 8th Sep 2005

Gallery: 1 images

Ride: '79 XD Falcon Wagon

Location: Melbourne
VIC, Australia

{USERNAME} wrote:
1. The alloy head 4.1's have two dowels to locate the head to stop them from moving around. You cant put them on a steel head block easily. Alloy head on works ok, but you may get issues with the head gasket.
2. From memory there is a water passage that is or isnt... I dont think it mattered.
3. The dizzy - The later ones (electronic) had a different shaft size. You may be ok depending on the year of your engine. I dont believe it will just fit properly.Have you thought about just picking up a complete engine? - if we can get AU ones for $100-200, then surely XF engines arent expensive.

You'll also get one for ULP then

Nigel
I've got a complete XF engine here, but the head needs to come off anyway on that because it's done the head gasket. I could always just rebuild that engine, and may end up doing that, but it never hurts to look at all the available options does it? :)

I know about the water galleries and locating dowels, neither of which are an issue, water galleries are close enough it makes no difference (compare an iron head crossflow headgasket to an alloy head one), and my understanding is that the iron head block doesn't have the locating dowel like the alloy head block does, which is no problem looking at these pics I took...

Image

Image

 

_________________

http://www.xfords.com

Image

Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:
Sort by  
 Page 1 of 1  [ 10 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 28 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

 

 

It is currently Mon Dec 23, 2024 4:19 pm All times are UTC + 11 hours

 

 

(c)2014 Total Web Solutions Australia - Australian Web Hosting and Domain Names