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Post by eightace on Dec 1, 2016 7:35:50 GMT 1
Hi All This is my 75 (maybe 76) camper I bought about 6 months ago. It's been at the mechanic's half that time getting fit for rego and brakes redone ($3000). It's booked in for a full restoration on the cab. Looking for quarterlight pane rubber surrounds if anyone can help. It's great to drive but very slow up hills with a Falcon cross-flow engine. Does anyone know how I can upgrade the engine? V8 would be nice but mechanics say too much of the foot space would be taken over. New falcon or commodore engine? Runs on gas only, very economical. great to see so many people as enthusiastic as me on the transits. Will post photos
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Post by jonochap on Dec 1, 2016 8:25:46 GMT 1
If there are no photos then it didn't happen welcome along Ace
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Post by FredTransit on Dec 1, 2016 11:46:34 GMT 1
Welcome mate! What engine have you got? Please tell me it's a V4.
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Post by conrod on Dec 1, 2016 19:52:31 GMT 1
The Falcon crossflow six fitted to Transits was a low compression unit, I think 7.9:1, and made 115hp and 200 ft.lbs torque. Oh, and make sure it is a 4.1 fitted to your camper, and not a 3.3!!! I think Crow Cams do a very good towing cam, which gives more torque, and maybe a set of higher compression pistons, with a little bit of cleaning up/porting in the head, a set of extractors, and some more ignition advance would unleash a nice big chunk more power, it would probably add another 30-50hp and 50 ft.lbs. It is possible to fit a later model Falcon engine, but it is not an easy swap, as the engine cover on these is very narrow, and this would mean making it (and the hole) wider, especially on passenger side. Just be grateful you are starting with that engine, and not the 2.0 V4 or Pinto! Oh and welcome
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Post by cadill69 on Dec 1, 2016 21:21:16 GMT 1
I have a 4.1 pre xflow in my camper which is stock and have no power probs. In fact I have an abundance of the stuff. I'm on dual fuel and only use petrol to get to the servo to regas. I have a top loader 4 speed box which matches well apart from the stick being a long way back. I had a Higginbottom recond exchange motor a few years back and she was very sluggish until I realised they had set the timing to factory specs which didnt work for lpg. Trial and error with dizzy possi and instant gratification! I hear the 3.3 with an auto box can be sluggish. Anyway welcome. Whereabouts in Oz? There are few of us here.
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Post by muttleymk2 on Dec 1, 2016 22:11:11 GMT 1
Hello and welcome to you
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Post by eightace on Dec 11, 2016 23:42:51 GMT 1
Hi guys thanks for the responses. Sorry not a v4 thankfully. I'm in the Blue Mountains one hour outside Sydney. If anyone's around let me know. It's just gone in for a proper LPG tune up so hopefully I'll get more power. The mechanic couldn't think of any way of upgrading to a bigger/newer engine without cutting into the firewall. But they all say the old Falcon crossflow is the way to go for reliability. I assume it's a 4.1. All up I think im about 3.5 tonnes hence power problems. I'll investigate the cam too. Already has extractors. What a joy it is! About three minutes into a drive I get a smile on my face and let out a woo-hoo! You don't get that in a new Winnebago! Pics at: <iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s50.photobucket.com/user/psutton10Eightace/embed/slideshow/"></iframe>
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Post by conrod on Dec 12, 2016 3:59:00 GMT 1
you sure that's a crossflow engine under the front? The Mk1's did not come out with that engine. They had a pre-crossflow 200 ci (3.3L) and sometimes people swapped this for a 250 ci (4.1L) Is the carb and exhaust on opposite sides, or same side?
Shouldn't be 3.5 tonnes, unless someone has fitted a granite bench top and marble flooring! That's a SWB, so should only be 2-2.5 tonnes max I would think.
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Post by eightace on Dec 13, 2016 12:42:05 GMT 1
Hi Conrad. Yeah ur right. Checked the rego papers, 2.6 tonnes. Just feels like 3.5 when you're going up hill. Cc's is 4089. The LPG guy who is tuning it dropped in today after taking it for a drive for fun. He said the accelerator cable had been bodged up because there was something wrong with it so when you had your foot right down the last few threads of the cable were stretching out and not giving full throttle. I think he's taking it out camping overnight while it's in his workshop! The guy who is doing the cab resto said that the mk1 was the most commonly used getaway vehicle in the U.K. In the 70s. Remember The Sweeney? Transits galore ps carb and exhaust on opposite sides so yeah crossflow. Did they do 3.3 in crossflow?
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Post by eightace on Dec 13, 2016 12:43:57 GMT 1
Conrad is that your van in the photo? Very cool and looks like an excellent getaway vehicle
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Post by eightace on Dec 13, 2016 12:47:12 GMT 1
Cadillac 69 mine is a full camper with bathroom and kitchen so fairly heavy but then again not much more than an old Cadillac
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Post by conrod on Dec 13, 2016 20:07:31 GMT 1
2.6 tonnes will probably be the GVM, so maximum allowable weight when fully loaded. Actual weight is probably more like 2 tonnes Yes the crossflow was available in 3.3 as well as 4.1. There was an iron head as well as an alloy head version. Alloy head is better, but iron head is okay. Plenty of ways of making these more powerful, but best to make sure yours is performing to it's maximum, before modifying. Sounds like your guy is on to this anyway I have 2x Aussie "Sundowner" vans, both have the 4.1 engine, and they go really well, plenty of power! mk1mk2transit.freeforums.net/thread/1223/conrods-new-sundowner?page=1mk1mk2transit.freeforums.net/thread/1776/conrods-new-sundowner-2?page=1I also have a Mk1 with 302 V8, and Mk2 with Holden V6: mk1mk2transit.freeforums.net/thread/1301/conrods-1972-mk1-v8?page=1 mk1mk2transit.freeforums.net/thread/2003/conrods-supervan-2?page=1 Alas the van in my avatar is not mine, I wish it was! It was the original "Ford Supervan" - a promotional tool built by Ford in the early 1970's and fitted with a GT40 racing engine and transaxle. I have many episodes of "The Sweeney" as well as ""Minder" recorded on my TV's hard drive, yep they were everywhere! Pity the old style bank robberies are no more, everything is cyber crime these days, lightweights sitting at computers trying to scam people or break into computer systems. There was something I found more admirable about breaking into a bank vault and making a getaway in a Transit van than hacking into a computer!....................
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Post by eightace on Mar 6, 2017 10:50:36 GMT 1
Hi Conrod. Sorry, It's been a while since you posted, but while it's hot here in Aus i put the iPad down and get in the pool. Yeah I've seen the YouTube video of the supervan, very cool. I love your sundowners. Were they fitted out for camping? Like your supervan 2, they are really of their time. I really like the idea of an old style paint job. Did you see "For The Love of Cars"? With the Mk1 with the Wella shampoo logo on the side? It was on Foxtel, they did a full resto on it. The guy who is doing up my van is a pommy and pretty jazzed up by transits. How the hell did he get a v8 into a flat nose? Mine is going really well now that the LPG guy worked on it. I think you need a specialist with gas. I'm off to the UK in a couple of weeks. Do you know of a good place for transit spares? I need quarterlight rubbers and inside door handles (also steering wheel if you've got any ideas. Maybe I can have a drink at the Winchester Club! Cheers
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Post by martinp on Mar 8, 2017 16:08:18 GMT 1
Welcome Ace, I'm located in Victoria and very slowly restoring a 77 tranny camper with pop top. Yours must have had a new motor put in at one stage as they mostly only came out pre 78 with the 3.3 noncrossflow motor as mine ( spare motor was 4.1 so both came together and the 4.1 crank & rods got swapped so it's a 4.1 now). I must finish the rust work off and get it on the road one day. Too busy doing shitbox rallies and working on shitboxes to spend time on the old purple beast. I'm envious of you driving yours. Martin.
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Post by retiredtruckie on Mar 10, 2017 9:17:25 GMT 1
Welcome Ace from Adelaide
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