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Good morning all
Help me! I’m starting a new project, restoration of a 1979 Ford Cortina bakkie MK4. She is still in daily use but I want to make her famous again.
The whole project would more be like refurbishing, new coat of paint, new clean interior, new set of wheels(currently white rims) and a nice “rook ding sisteem” exhaust. Then there is the Essex V6 with C4 automatic gearbox! I was considering a total new engine but got quite a bit of push back from some big motor heads, saying that “that” engine has a lot of potential and that I would take away it’s originality if I throw out the Essex. It’s still cast iron heads, points and condensor, push rods etc.
So potentially what do you recommend I consider doing the Essex, remember the idea is reliability and smooth running, a comfortable daily bakkie, not for racing.
Regards
Hou hom net soos hy is.
My 3.0 uit die courier gehaal en verkoop. Lexus roete gevolg.
Baie spyt daaroor. Lexus uit en verkoop.
Ek kry nie weer n 3.0 v6 nie.
Daar is in die mark maar 500 plus km van my.
Hy werk soos hy is hou hom so.
Have the engine blueprinted. Get an electronic ignition. Port the heads. Done
Im following this as I am looking for a Cortina 3.0V6 bakkie - preferably the Leisure one
If anyone know of a decent one at a reasonable price please let me know
2007 Disco3 (SWAMBO)
2004 Merc platkar (SWAMBO) - no more
gti-eater (opel gte)
Get the Black Essex with the rocker shafts best Essex ever made. Heads can run Unleaded fuel.
I came a long way with the Essex v6 had all the spares to build a 4.0l stroker.
Check out Rick Wood Motorsport they have alu heads for the Essex and makes up to 300kw from them.
https://ricwood.com/
Also Burton Power.
https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...sex?highlight=
Last edited by grips; 2020/03/29 at 05:51 PM.
The 3l Ford v6 is a ..........donkey and with a lot of money spent it will still be a donkey even if it has a carrot up the posterior. It is designed to get in and startand drive whereever you want to go, ir will chow a lot of fuel but in general it will always get you to the other side and back.
If you want a Cortina with pull drop in a v8 cobra conversion but then you give up the originality.
I would only port the heads and put on a free flow divorce pipe and if you really want to go for electronic ignition and fueling. Tuning the Weber carb is not rocket science but finding someone that can might not be the easiest and of course spares are not the easiest to find.
I have spent a lot of time and effort on the 3l as well as the v4 2l and if you don't do drastic you don't get your money's value back. a 3l s makes about 110kw and a modified 3l s makes 112
We had a set of heads ported and flowed and the inlet manifolds drilled for injectors by Power engineering and the result was good on the power but great on the fuel consumption. This was for a friend and we ran a Powermods management if I remember correct.
Henk
Adventure is out there go find it
Fitment and trailer service. Agent for SnoMaster & Tentco
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I agree with hbannink but the premise was to keep it standard. The Essex actually was quite good with a decent carb and electronic ignition and oh yes, a decent fuel pump. It will run forever on good oil and that is what killed many of them: bad oil.
Try and find a 390 Holley carb that is jetted correctly and a T800 camshaft. That makes those engines wake up a bit. We even turbocharged them, but they only make 3 or 4 runs then they are done. Unfortunatley they to start to rook and kook sooner then others.Cheers.Fazda
Most oils do what they are designed to do and that is to lubricate and dissipate heat. Most folks don't think of oil as part of the heat management but think of it this way it is the only means of heat transfer on the crank, cams and underside of pistonsWith lesser grade oil it starts failing and breaking down quicker than premium grade and with manufacturers recommending 10,000 or so between oil changes this leaves enough room for failure.
What often happened was the vehicle was bought by folks on a shoestring budget and when servicing was done there was not adequate funding for premium oil and Checkers house brand or Mobil cheapie had to do. This it did for the first 6000 km and while doing so it deposited a lot of sludge and gunk in the engine as the detergent properties were almost none existent as were any other metal treatment and coating.
Next year or so the folks got an increase or promotion and felt a bit guilty for skimping on the servicing and oil used and tried to make up by buying a better (more expensive) oil.. This is where GTX got its bad rep, Not a premium grade but much better than what has been used before but this oil has a good detergent add in and proceeds to loosen all gunk and grime in the engine. Only place this goes is straight in to the oil filter and that gets clogged, chop chop with disastrous results..... Rubbish oil??
To this day I run premium grade oil and change before the recommended interval, I don't have more money and that goes for repairs and new vehicles so I better look after what I have.
My late brother could tune that engine and set the carb to get 11km/l and have no tappet noise. His engine idled so smooth that one could put a glass of water on the air cleaner and fill it without any spillage.
Henk
Adventure is out there go find it
Fitment and trailer service. Agent for SnoMaster & Tentco
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I've had my share of Essex V6 experience. From a steel cranked version with wild cam that could do 6500rpm safely to the last "refined" fuel injected units. But yeah, you can't put lipstick on a pig.
Main problem was the Essex was originally designed as a diesel, therefore the CC in the pistons. It was thus heavily made and never made to rev.
Having said that, in SA for a certain period, it was the go to engine for many folk in many applications.
Today though I will not use it for anything, not even as a boat anchor!
There is never a right time to do the wrong thing and never a wrong time to do the right thing!
I'd say, used in standard format, it is a decent engine with good torque and acceptable fuel consumption.
My Cortina Mk5 LDV would easily run at 10km/L if the revs were kept in the sweet spot of just around 3250 RPM.
Some thing I learned to keep them running well:
- don't run lean, they hate it and will burn valves fast
- don't over-rev, I think the issues with the bores and rings was because, as Francois said, they were designed as diesel engines and a heavy crank and pistons don't like revs
- make sure the cooling system is 110% perfect
- leave the stock manifolds alone apart from port matching
- you can go slightly larger on the exhaust, but it won't do much except reduce heat in the exhaust manifolds
- once run in, use proper high spec detergent oils with Zinc additives and change every 7,500kms or 1 year, whichever comes first
If you want to keep the vehicle standard, that would be the only reason IMHO to keep that Ford V6.
Compared to today's engines, it is not a good engine at all.
Any modenn 2-2.5 TDi engine will outperform it easily.
I would have looked at the Ford/Mazda 2500 TD engine.
Cheap, simple, reliable and will easily outperform the V6.
The Isuzu 280 DT would be a great choice, if you are prepared to add another brand name.
2003 Mitsubishi Pajero 3.2 Di-d LWB
can't argue with this
The Nissan TD27 Turbo will also work very well with a Hilux 5 speed box.
NISSAN 2.7 DIESEL - TOYOTA 5SP
https://www.giloeng.com/adapterparts.htm
Personally I would just optimise that engine as much as I can.
These vehicles are starting to become collector desirable. The value is not there yet, but it is getting there.
LC 78 Troopie 1HD-FTE
+27 zero eight 2 four 95 9252
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