2006 Fpv Tornado F6 Ute - Cleanup & Resurrection

[PhilMeUp]

Saturday, 16th April, 2016

 

I’ve always known that the nuts that attach the turbo to the exhaust manifold are loose.  I had a go at tightening them last year, but didn’t have the right spanner for the job.

 

I’ve been driving the car around Perth regularly, and the noise that it makes has been irritating (ie like a blown manifold gasket).

 

I’ve been procrastinating for ages, but tonight I figured I’d have another go.

 

This is also covered in Section  303-04b of the Falcon BA Service Manual PDF that can be found around the place.  

 

 

The front of the car.  I can get the licence plates remade in a matching colour, but I keep changing cars too often.  I originally got them for a red car that I had a few years ago.

 

 

After finally getting rid of the old taxi motor a few weeks ago I have been enjoying not having the extra weight in the car when driving.  

 

 

The engine bay, before removing anything.

 

 

I was surprised to see a bit of gunk around the power steering pump area.  The car has covered 11,000km since I bought it, and I’ve washed the engine bay several times during that time.  

 

Whenever the bonnet is up on a BA or BF Falcon, it’s always worth checking that the power steering pump hose isn’t leaking.  There is an o-ring that can fail, resulting in power steering fluid leaking down on to the alternator.  This eventually wrecks the alternator.  

 

 

I started by removing the two pipes.  I used a cordless drill and 7mm socket on the hose clamps.

 

 

The rear heat shield lifts out easily enough, but the front one takes a bit of wrestling.  It eventually came out through the front.  

 

 

The turbo area, with the piping and heat shields removed.

 

 

Here you can see just how loose the nuts were that attach the turbo to the exhaust manifold.  

 

 

I’m using ratchet spanners for everything these days instead of normal ring spanners.  However, there isn’t room to fit a ratchet spanner in to tighten the nuts.  

 

 

The top two nuts for the turbo and exhaust manifold.  Again, you can see how loose the one is on the right (ie near the front of the car).  

 

 

For the upper rear one I managed to get the 14mm ring spanner over the nut and tighten it. 

 

You can also see that the two nuts are partly rounded off.  That’s a problem.  

 

 

For the upper front one I used a large flat-blade screwdriver to push the ring spanner over the nut.  

 

 

I managed to tighten three of the four nuts.  I couldn’t access the front lower one.  

 

Getting a ring spanner to fit over the rounded nuts was difficult.  Someone before me has stuffed them up by using an open-end spanner on them.  If I have to do this again then I’ll put new nuts on. 

 

 

Then it was time to put the heat shields back on.  Being my usual clumsy self, I dropped one of the small bolts.  Luckily, it fell through to the floor, instead of getting caught in the engine bay somewhere.  

 

I used a Craftright Magnetic Pick Up Tool from Bunnings to retrieve it easily (Bunnings item number 5810235, currently $8.98).

 

 

Some time ago I bought a flexible extension but haven’t used it, even once.  Tonight it was actually useful - I used it and a cordless drill to put the upper manifold bolts back in quicker and easier than using a ratchet. 

 

 

Once the manifold bolts were all back in I tightened them to Ford’s specified 27Nm.  Now that the $US to $A exchange isn’t so great I’m glad that I splurged on things such as this Snap-On TECH3FR100 digital torque wrench back with it was close to a 1:1 ratio.  

 

It vibrates as it approaches the torque setting and then beeps when it reaches the required torque.  

 

 

When putting one of the pipes back on I broke one of the hose clamps.  I got around that by using a heavy duty zip tie, which I will cut off and replace with a new hose clamp another time.  

 

 

When I put the heat shields and manifold bolts back in place I also forgot the bracket for lifting the engine out.  I didn’t want to waste the zip tie that I had just put on the other end of the pipe, but managed to remove the two bolts at the back and put the bracket back in place easily enough.  

 

 

Everything back in one piece.  

 

 

I then reversed the car down the driveway so that I could clean that front corner area around the power steering pump.  I used CT14 for that.  

 

 

The gunk cleaned off easily enough, and I took the car for a test drive.  It was running much quieter, and got back the power that I’d been losing from the air leak between the turbo and exhaust manifold.  

 

[k31th]

Awesome update, as usual. Love the pictorials. You did a great job on that door trim

 

On 24/04/2016 at 11:28 PM, PhilMeUp said:

Getting a ring spanner to fit over the rounded nuts was difficult.  Someone before me has stuffed them up by using an open-end spanner on them.  If I have to do this again then I’ll put new nuts on. 

You'll have to do this again

follow my instructions here for studs/nuts/locks so that you don't have to worry about it again   http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/topic/43547-removal-of-turbo-in-preperation-of-porting-and-valve-mod-part-ii/?do=findComment&comment=1553588

 

On 24/04/2016 at 11:13 PM, PhilMeUp said:

On this cover one of the bolts was different to the others (ie in the middle).  I have no idea why.  Anyone?

Friday engine, I guess? *shrug* A stud when all of the rest are bolts is just... odd.

[MattyP]

Love this thread

If you want to get to the oil filters really easy get the k&n one

1 inch nut on top makes it a breeze to put on and off

[El Andrew]

I agree great thread! Planning to check manifold bolts this weekend so I know this is here if I need it.

Have a tow bar ready to fit sometime soon and can't find much info on it - you've inspired me to take pics and post details for others.

Out of interest, did the door handles change from BA to BF? I swapped my handles for chrome ones and I think on the BA it was just undoing a screw, popping out the handle and disengaging from the latch remote. Glad I didn't have to do what you had to!

[PhilMeUp]

8 hours ago, El Andrew said:

I agree great thread! Planning to check manifold bolts this weekend so I know this is here if I need it.

Have a tow bar ready to fit sometime soon and can't find much info on it - you've inspired me to take pics and post details for others.

Out of interest, did the door handles change from BA to BF? I swapped my handles for chrome ones and I think on the BA it was just undoing a screw, popping out the handle and disengaging from the latch remote. Glad I didn't have to do what you had to!

 

Manifold nuts:  Looks like a 14mm ring spanner is the way to go.  My manifold nuts were already rounded off, so that make it difficult.  A 6-sided ring spanner would have helped.  If I have to do it again then I'll put new nuts on.

 

Tow bar:  Yep, take photos.  Document it all.  Then other people can see what's involved.  

 

Door handles:  Don't know about any differences from BA to BF.  Photos that might be useful:    

 

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