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Help me choose the right head/cam combo for my AU XR8 220 

 

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 Post subject: Help me choose the right head/cam combo for my AU XR8 220
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:20 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Ride: AU XR8 220 Manual

Hi everyone,

I have a manual AU XR8 220 which is currently tuned (sct xcal3) with a full exhaust only. (hurricane headers, high flow cats and 3 inch pipework)

I want to do a head and cam package to it. I have been doing a lot of reading on the forums of the proven packages but hoped to get a little input from the experts on which to choose for my circumstances.

My car is a weekender. It does not do many kms a year and is purely a toy. Based on this fuel economy and a traffic friendly idle are not a major concern to me.

What I really want is a nice lumpy idle, lots more torque and a solid power increase to quench my thirst (for now!!)

I started looking at the trickflow top end kits on summit but realised that as torque matters most for a street engine, that I will stick with my factory ported explorer. I also have roller rockers from factory and the big MAF/TB etc etc. So it seems that really all I need is a set of heads and a cam? Thoughts on this?

The twisted wedge heads seem good but possibly limiting if I choose to do more work down the track (P/V clearance etc).

I really want a purely bolt on/in package.

For the the AFR or Edbr heads seem the best. I also looked at Jeffs package with the 2040 cam (E303 equivilent) and his results were strong.

I am also looking at getting 3.9 gears with the T5 if this changes anything.

What are peoples thoughts?

Also what else should I be buying? Was going to get a new timing chain kit while I am there and was thinking about a 3/8 spacer (if this will fit under the bonnet of an AU?)

Thanks!!
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 Post subject: Re: Help me choose the right head/cam combo for my AU XR8 220
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:23 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Age: 37

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Joined: 20th Nov 2005

Ride: AU XR8 220 Manual

Also, I want the heads to be able to bolt straight up to my facotry 1.7 RR and hurricane try y headers to minimise the costs. That also means the cam will have to suit these RRs. Thanks
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 Post subject: Re: Help me choose the right head/cam combo for my AU XR8 220
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:37 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Put a 347 short block under your 220 heads. That's what Ford did for the 250kW T3's. The only difference in the heads was the 220's got a plain to increase compression, and the T3's heads didn't. A 347 kit with dish pistons will work great. Add a regrind to your current cam with around 218-220 @ 050 and lift around 520 thou. Replace valve springs, retainers & locks with comp cams gear. That's what I would do if the explorer intake was being retained

This won't get you a lumpy idle. With the HP limitation of the explorer, there isn't a cam that will work well and has a lumpy idle. Lumpy cams are also a PITA to tune with EFI. But if you want that sound and don't mind driving a pig, get a cam around 234 @ 050 in a 347 or 228 @ 050 in a 302, on a 108 LSA. You will need a loose converter if auto

 

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XA Faimont 351C, AU2 XR8 Manual 5.0, DA LTD 5.0, Mk1 Capri 5.0, 1995 Mustang 5.0, EF2 XR8 Manual, EF2 Fairmont Ghia 5.0, AU3 XR8 Auto, AU2 XR8 Auto, AU2 XR8 Manual Ute, TE Cortina 5.0 Manual, DU LTD 5.0 soon to be manual

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 Post subject: Re: Help me choose the right head/cam combo for my AU XR8 220
Posted: Wed May 06, 2015 2:48 am 
Getting Side Ways
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xafalcon wrote:
Put a 347 short block under your 220 heads. That's what Ford did for the 250kW T3's. The only difference in the heads was the 220's got a plain to increase compression, and the T3's heads didn't. A 347 kit with dish pistons will work great. Add a regrind to your current cam with around 218-220 @ 050 and lift around 520 thou. Replace valve springs, retainers & locks with comp cams gear. That's what I would do if the explorer intake was being retained

This won't get you a lumpy idle. With the HP limitation of the explorer, there isn't a cam that will work well and has a lumpy idle. Lumpy cams are also a PITA to tune with EFI. But if you want that sound and don't mind driving a pig, get a cam around 234 @ 050 in a 347 or 228 @ 050 in a 302, on a 108 LSA. You will need a loose converter if auto


234@50 is a pig? Damn. My 242/250@0.050 solid roller on a 108LSA must be a right pig......

230 @0.050 is fine. Just on a wider LSA for a more use able rev range.

 

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ILL60 - EF XR8, Sunroof, Ticky Kit, 19x8.5/19x11 TE37's, 347, AFr185's, TFS BoxRcustom converter, Hurst Quarterstick, huge billet cam.

OO0Y4 - BA2 XR6 Turbo, Nizpro Plenum, Process West stage 3 cooler, 4” dump, 3.5” exhaust, ID1000’s, ZF Auto - 11.8@116

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 Post subject: Re: Help me choose the right head/cam combo for my AU XR8 220
Posted: Wed May 06, 2015 6:35 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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67RCE wrote:
234@50 is a pig? Damn. My 242/250@0.050 solid roller on a 108LSA must be a right pig......

230 @0.050 is fine. Just on a wider LSA for a more use able rev range.


Bet you wouldn't run an explorer intake with that cam. How about running factory pedistal mount roller rockers? Probably not either. He wanted to re-use both these items which limits him to a street combo. And your extra cubes allow a larger cam to be used with less detrimental effect. Is that a 4.100" big bore 3.25" stroke combo to get 343cuin?

Rev range of a HR cam 230 @ 050 is about 3000-6500 (comp 286HR). Explorer limit is about 5700 on 302cuin. Cam hasn't even topped out when intake max'es out, and 100kph cruising at 2000RPM (2250RPM if/when he puts in the 3.9's) is still way below the happy place for the cam = compromises at both ends of the rev range = pig

One of my cars is an AU2 XR8 manual with a cam 228 @ 050, alloy heads, stud mount roller rockers, explorer intake. The previous owner spent $12k on the motor, gave me the receipts when I bought the car (he did get ripped, the motor's solid but not 12k impressive). So I know that combo quite well. It has a slight idle lope, bucks at low speed even in 1st gear, idle surges, stalls periodically, pulls real hard from 2800 to 5700 then goes flat. I could throw a bunch of time into tuning it to make it behave better down low, but the combo will always be mis-matched. The cam is too big for the induction system. The engine will be fitted with a carb & torker 2 and sold, and replaced with a 347 with similar specs to what I listed. The extra cubes will be usable all the way from 800 - 5500, the engine will have great manners and tuning is a breeze (ie cheap and easy if he has to pay someone to do it)

Why don't you suggest a full engine combo that will make the best use of the parts he has and wants to re-use?

 

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XA Faimont 351C, AU2 XR8 Manual 5.0, DA LTD 5.0, Mk1 Capri 5.0, 1995 Mustang 5.0, EF2 XR8 Manual, EF2 Fairmont Ghia 5.0, AU3 XR8 Auto, AU2 XR8 Auto, AU2 XR8 Manual Ute, TE Cortina 5.0 Manual, DU LTD 5.0 soon to be manual

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 Post subject: Re: Help me choose the right head/cam combo for my AU XR8 220
Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 7:10 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Age: 35

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Joined: 30th May 2005

Ride: 1993 EB XR8

Location: BrisVegas
QLD, Australia

My cam has run in a 302, with factory 1.7:1 Tell Terra rockers, big valve 40P's and a ported Explorer. Wasn't too bad on the street, had no issues turning tyres to ~130km/h road speed.

My combo is a 3.4" stroke, 4.010" bore. All of your tuning issues are due to people who haven't cracked the intricate details of the Ford tunes. There is alot of code in the ECU that 99.99% of tuners don't know about. That is the issue, not the cam size.

 

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ILL60 - EF XR8, Sunroof, Ticky Kit, 19x8.5/19x11 TE37's, 347, AFr185's, TFS BoxRcustom converter, Hurst Quarterstick, huge billet cam.

OO0Y4 - BA2 XR6 Turbo, Nizpro Plenum, Process West stage 3 cooler, 4” dump, 3.5” exhaust, ID1000’s, ZF Auto - 11.8@116

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 Post subject: Re: Help me choose the right head/cam combo for my AU XR8 220
Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 8:11 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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That isn't my issue - the AU V8 strategy is well defined and tunes virtually like a GUFB. The issue is I am not wasting my time tuning the bottom end to behave nicely when it will never achieve it's potential in the top end.

No amount of tuning can overcome basic flow limitations. If you can't get any more air into the engine, you can't burn any more fuel, you can't make any more power. You have to approach the situation differently, and increase torque rather than HP - peak torque is generally about 1000RPM below peak HP. A larger displacement is the easiest path to success, but a PD blower would also work well.

An explorer intake just doesn't flow enough air to support my 228 @ 050 cam & head package. A Tom Moss ported explorer is the best it gets, and his own support material shows max HP at 52-5600RPM depending on displacement. This just shows the end-point for improvements to the explorer intake.

Using an explorer intake with a cam that has a higher rev range than the intake can support is a waste of time, and reduces the "area under the HP curve". A cam any bigger than about 222-224 @ 050 in 302cuin NA engine will fall into this category. Increase the engine displacement and the cam duration needs to reduce to avoid the larger engine exceeding the flow potential of the intake - which happens at a lower RPM on a bigger engine.

Building a good engine is all about pulling together a complimentary package with performance matched components. And you have to match to the lowest performance component, which in his case is the explorer intake. His heads flow more (about 50HP more) than the intake, hence why I think he could keep those. To gain the extra grunt, he could use more displacement which he can enjoy every time he drive the car in any driving conditions

 

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XA Faimont 351C, AU2 XR8 Manual 5.0, DA LTD 5.0, Mk1 Capri 5.0, 1995 Mustang 5.0, EF2 XR8 Manual, EF2 Fairmont Ghia 5.0, AU3 XR8 Auto, AU2 XR8 Auto, AU2 XR8 Manual Ute, TE Cortina 5.0 Manual, DU LTD 5.0 soon to be manual

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