Fireside

Haha, yeah I nearly got over it today and yoinked it out of there. Reading anything I can find about water on the floor and thinking I might be in for taking out the dash after all. I sure don't want to though.

On the off chance anyone here is interested, I've been making some Aussie Fords for modified GTA5 servers. While not a racing game, FiveM is pretty much perfect for thrashing around, with a very decent physics engine considering GTA's vintage. Let me know if you want to drive these, or just see them developed.

I've been removing items in the way of pulling up the carpet in my 04 BA Mk2 ute. But it really seems like they put the dash in after the carpet, so I either have to empty the car or cut the carpet a bit. Anyone have any experience with this? It's just an inch of carpet that goes over the trans tunnel forward of the shifter. So tempted to cut it, but don't want to find out later it's the only thing making the carpet sit right. lol. All thoughts welcome.

Digging up this old thread again today to celebrate washing my ute for the first time in many years. It turned 20 this year, and it shows. It was a good looking car until I moved to the bush permanantly. At some point during the last drought, I learned to live with it dirty from daily dirt road use. After sitting for the better part of the last year, I took a long look at it and decided, if I want to keep this thing, it's time to rescue it. The short version of the rest of the story is, I can no longer poke fun at people for power washing their interior. lol Anyway, this thing needs a paintjob.

Well, what an absolute pain in the backside that job is if you try to take any shortcuts. I've got it all buttoned back up and will give the RTV time to cure... But if I ever need to get in and do something in that area again I will just buy a complete set of gaskets and seals and pull the lot out. Sure it will be a bigger job, but probably so much easier that it wouldn't take any longer. While I was in there, I found a missing stud from the dump pipe to turbo housing too. Which is probably the source of my screamer action. Thanks again for the advice k31th.

Just looking at my lack of space problem, There must be another bolt or two somewhere that I'm not onto.. Is there a secondary mounting bracket down under the manifold where the turbo joins on these things? I've not been able to pull the manifold away from the engine and I was thinking it was just the exhaust and general space limitations, but I've begun to suspect it's more than that?? Can't find any pics :/

Awesome, cheers. It's going to be fun wrestling the new gasket in there cleanly lol. Not a lot of space to play with. I'd better get to it.

Thanks, k31th. I'd be super dissapointed if the head was warped :/ It's not a high mileage engine and whilst I enjoy it, I don't wail on it. It hasn't had a rough life lol. Ok so fresh gasket it is.. I'm assuming some but not too much additional sealer goo is good insurance. The torque numbers are not all that clear, I've been trying to get accurate info and all I have is a range of numbers from 27nm to 40nm. I'll definitely be using some copper antiseize and will be trying to locate some nordlock washers. Any thoughts on how/where to find the correct torquing order for the bolts?

Hi all, The ute's developed a harsh exhaust sound when the revs come up. Anything over about 4psi in the pipes and it sounds like I've got a screamer pipe opening on an external gate. Turbo is stock with the usual gate mod, into a 4" dump and a very free flowing system. Never had this sound until a few months ago and it doesn't seem to have any effect on power that I can tell. I got in and checked all the bolts between head and dump pipe. Even left off the heat shielding so I could recheck more often and easily. Some down near the back of the engine weren't very tight.. But most were and I'm still chasing the problem. Concerned that the gasket had actually failed, I pulled it for a look. And I'd love some second opinions on what I'm looking at. Normally I do my own work, but when the turbo went, I just didn't have the time nor space, so a shop fitted this gasket and installed uprated bolts (according to the invoice) So based on what I'm reading and seeing here, I think the 4 middle ports show a good seal and some sort of ceramic paste was used. While the ports on either end would have signs of leakage and nowhere as good a seal as the middle. Which is probably consistent with the factory manifold going banana and me not checking bolt tension often enough... Does that sound about right to you guys? And with regard to putting it all back together, would you reuse that gasket? Clean it.. as is.. With or without some of that fancy lookin permatex copper exhaust gasket goo? Any thoughts appreciated, cheers.

Couple of rando things I spotted recently

Are we talking vibration through the steering wheel or something you feel through the seat? If it's a shudder through the wheel, then it's not impossible one of your front wheels has thrown a wheel weight and is out of balance.

Yep, no probs. Thanks for the info. Every forum is different. Some places would crack it if you didn't put ute related stuff in the ute section.

I'm sure it happens a lot tbh.. Oh well. I'll go back to being a forum lurker who only posts when something breaks. I'm not here to cause trouble.

Are you guys being fussy bastards or does my sarcasmeter need recalibration?