XR4Ti Build Progress - Updated 06-23-08

[Ray]

okay i called BAT and they no longer have the regular exhaust valves.

WTF.

time to look around elsewhere. i'm going to call BAT later on to talk to a tech.

[Euro Ford Fan]

I'm not 100% sure since my motors have always had modified heads on them. Since there is some damage already I would take it to a shop and have them check it for cracks. The 2.3 heads have a bad habit of cracking when overheated.

I'll see if I can dig that info up for you.

Oh and your CD is on the way again hopefully this time it will make it to you.

[Ray]

thanks for the CD

i dropped the head off today at a machine shop. we'll see how it looks. if it checks out i'm going to have that valve replaced, and if the rest are okay, i'm going to go with a radial cut valve job. i'm going to post more pix of the teardown in a few minutes.

[Ray]

teardown pics.
mostly so i remember where lines go.
























what do you think?

[Kyguy]

Looks like you have your work cut out for you but I would love to have that car

[tesseract]

what do you think?

Just rub some 'Tussin on it.

[Ray]

lol.

I dropped the head off at a machine shop yesterday. He's going to check it for cracks, a flat mating surface, and if that checks out, a valve job. If the price is right i'm going to have oversized valves put in as well.

I figure, if i'm going to drop $150 on a valve job, why not spend a little more for something that performs better than stock anyway, right?

I just hope the head isn't cracked. Looking at it, it looked fine sans the burnt valve (which i doubt hurt the turbo, the more i think about it).

[smoke3006]

Looks like fun
Need any help*?





*help=me standing around asking you lots of questions and probably getting in the way

[Ray]

actually i will need help putting the head back on.

[Majikal]

Sam, I *helped last week.... good times.

[MidnightZX3focus]

Ray,

Congrats on the new ride....I have been MIA for a while. I moved to NY and have been taking the train into the city everyday...the focus is the weekend whip now. Im thinking next spring will be the time to play with my car.

Good luck with the project...ill be keeping an eye on this post for updates.

Are you planning a G2G soon? PM me if that is goin down...im not too far from CT.

Oh...and congrats on the wedding.

[sit'n'on_chrome]

new pics up HEAD OFF !

please change the topic header , i came in hear expecting to see five arab men in black clothing standing in front of a mercur weilding a machete

[Ray]

please change the topic header , i came in hear expecting to see five arab men in black clothing standing in front of a mercur weilding a machete

changed it just for you (well, this post, at least)

[Ray]

valve cover, upper and lower intake manifold, thermostat housing, coolant manifold, turbo up pipe painted.

[Majikal]

looks much better Ray

[BowDown]

Why not powdercoat? Paint wont last more than a season...

[Ray]

it's hit with self etching primer, then engine enamel, then the valve cover is hit with valve cover wrinkle paint.

and not powdercoated due mostly to $. i'm trying to keep the price down where i can, especially since a lot of parts for this car are mucho $.

for instance, a catback exhaust is $705.
the head gasket (the good one) was $60.

[smoke3006]

looking good

[Euro Ford Fan]

for instance, a catback exhaust is $705.
the head gasket (the good one) was $60.

$705 it had better be a full 3" with a downpipe if not look somewhere else. I got my last SS 3" system done for $450CDN with the cat and downpipe. The 1035 is worth the extra money because you will never need to change it again. Make sure you get the ranger valve cover gasket from Ford the Felpro cork and blue gaskets are garbage and will leak almost immediately. While your at Ford get a PCV valve the ones sold in parts stores don't work. From this looks of your first few pictures your going to need a new timing belt tensioner if you order your belt and tensioner from Bat.inc it's less than getting just the belt from Ford.

[Euro Ford Fan]

This is what my motor looked like when I pulled it apart this spring to install my 3rd performance head.

[Ray]

Yes, i did get a new tensioner as well as a timing belt. However, i DID order the valve cover gasket from a 2.3L ranger, but it's blue. is this the good one or what? the gasket that was on the car was a black rubber one, not a cork one. what else... oh yeah, i know the 1035 is worth it, the other gasket was i think $14.88 at advanced auto parts. $705 for the exhaust was from modern performance (who i know is overpriced.) please let me know where you got your exhaust

i have more questions for you as well. do you have AIM?
thanks so much for your guidance so far on this project.

the head is at the shop right now, getting checked for cracks / evenness. it obviously needs a valve job. should i have oversized valves put in? what do you recommend?

edit: yeah the parts store gave me a purolator PCV valve. not even the right one. i'll use it in my truck. lol.

[BowDown]

Bring the car over with some U bends. We'll make an exhaust .

[Euro Ford Fan]

You need to get the ranger gasket from Ford PN# F57Z-6584-A take the other one back. The ranger gasket is also reusable so it's the last one you will ever need.

Modern Performance, don't get me started with that moron. You can bend up a 3" system for much less by any decent exhaust shop or take BowDown up on his offer. You can get a 3" downpipe from Sac mustang for about $100

You may want to keep this link it has a lot of the info from the IMON list back from 94-99.
http://www.merkurxr4ti.com/ref/merkur.pdf

[PampasFoci]

What about Racer Walsh?, they have a lot experience Fords, and have a 2.3 parts too.

www.racerwalsh.com

[Ray]

yeah i also am asking bowdown to help me with some intercooler piping might have to make a trip over to NY (6 hours to your place, right?), hopefully the car is reliable enough.

So take the ranger gasket back. cool. it was $20.