Capri fitted with 4.0V6

[Ford Capri]

Well finaly the 4.0 explorer engine has made his firts few miles in my Capri MK3 from 1983.
It pulls like a train and the sound is very nice.

[attachment=1]

Modifications to fit:
-Modified 2.9 oilsump fitted
-Custom made engine mount
-Lowered intake manifold.
-Adapter ring at thermostat housing.
-Support brackets for PS and Alternator
-Custom made air intake



The first few problems are:
-Leafsprings not strong enough.
-Clutch can't handle the torque in 4th and 5th gear.
-Engine is running much too hot.
-Terrible fuel smell around fuel tank, is this normal for a 2.8I tank on a hot day?
-Air intake is hitting the bonnet a bit.

[christophe]

Sounds good mate, have you got any pics?

Dont ever remember a fuel smell from near the tank when I had a 2.8 sierra, it cant really be a good thing tho

[william]

sounds great! do you have some pictures? what gearbox and clutch are you using?

[capri v8 driver]

he first few problems are:
-Leafsprings not strong enough.
-Clutch can't handle the torque in 4th and 5th gear.
-Engine is running much too hot.
-Terrible fuel smell around fuel tank, is this normal for a 2.8I tank on a hot day?
-Air intake is hitting the bonnet a bit.

it looks good. i'am glad the capri is back on the road.

fuel smell: mine has the same problem , all my capri had that problem.

the leafsprings: you can ad a extra leafspring , but dont make it to stif. iff you make it to stiff the back end starts to bounce during breaking and connering.

radiator: trow away the stock radiator, and use a scorpio radiator, but this also means you need to make room for it, but it solves the problem.

greetz paul.
capri v8 driver.

[Beastmaster]

one of my old sierras used to have a problem in really hot weather,the tank would presurise and would get lots of petrol fumes

[glyn]

tanks do tend to rot around sender unit you need to drop it to check it out,I cut a hole in the back to get at mine,Got new tank now..it used to stink of fuel  glyn

[Ford Capri]

I just mounted the tank, and pressurized before.
It is a bit strange.
I did read about making baffle plates in the radiator so that the coolant has to go in about every corner of the radiator.
Did anyone tried this?

Richard

[capri v8 driver]

I just mounted the tank, and pressurized before.
It is a bit strange.
I did read about making baffle plates in the radiator so that the coolant has to go in about every corner of the radiator.
Did anyone tried this?

Richard

hello richard.

i never tryed it. never saw the need for it. the problem whit capri radiators is that they are on the limit already, cooling a 2.8 when driven hard, so whit a 4L i can imaging it gets to hot. in my first capri , where i put a 2.8 i, had those kind off cooling problems, i tryed al kinds off things to make the 2.8i whit stock radiator for beter cooling, but not much worked. custom made radiators (15 years or so ago) where very $$$. so  thats why i start to use scorpio( v6 and diesel) and sierra (diesel) radiators and heater tank in a capri. i never had cooling problems again after using those radiators. in my capri 24v the cosworth radiator cools to much, thats how good these radiators cool.

the down side is that you need to make room for the bigger radiator and that means cutting out the orginal mounting for the stock radiator and make new ones for the bigger sierra or scorpio radiator, but its worth the effort.

greetz paul.

capri v8 driver.

[Ford Capri]

The cutting part is the thing that I don't like, I want to keep that as a last option.
I can understand if I drive hard that cooling could be a problem, but with cruising at about 50Mph in normal traffic I didn't expect cooling problems.

The sparkplugs are about white from color, could lean running for USA emission cause these problems?

Because there is no thermostat in at the moment, I am first trying with a thermostat. Maybe the coolant flow is too high

Richard

[capri v8 driver]

The cutting part is the thing that I don't like, I want to keep that as a last option.
I can understand if I drive hard that cooling could be a problem, but with cruising at about 50Mph in normal traffic I didn't expect cooling problems.

The sparkplugs are about white from color, could lean running for USA emission cause these problems?

Because there is no thermostat in at the moment, I am first trying with a thermostat. Maybe the coolant flow is too high

Richard

hello richard,

i don't think the engine runs leaner when you drive. only if you use the EGR, it will run leaner below 2000 rpm, because the EGR will mix exhaust gasses whit the normal incoming air. but even that is controlled by the ecu, so it does not goes to lean when driving, when stabbing the trottle, the ERG closses.

you shoud always use a thermostat, only for racing you can use a restrictor plate instead off a thermostat. if the engine is running to hot, the ecu will lean out the fuel mixture because the ecu is programmed to lean out the fuel mixture for every 10 deg the temperture goes up. the most american eec 4 and 5 ecu even controlles when the fan's comes in for the radiator. more info on the ecu can be found in the book how to tune and modify ford fuel injection.

if you want to know what to do for a bigger radiator, take a look at:

http://www.zyworld.com/CAPRISPORT/1_29_EFI_V6.htm]http://www.zyworld.com/CAPRISPORT/1_29_EFI_V6.htm

also take a look at the 24v section.

greetz paul.
capri v8 driver.

[Ford Capri]

It has been a long time since my last post.

There were a few problems with the capri that hold me from further working on it.
The powersteering was leaking so badly that I lost about a liter of fluid when standing for a day, so that had to be repaired before I could continue.
At some nice day somwhere in october I filled the fluid and took the car out to check if the becomes too hot on a cold day. After about 3 minutes a car full off steam because my heater radiator exploded and about 6 liters of rusty water went over my mint grey carpet.
I had to move out the seats and removed the carpet to clean my carpet before the rusty water dried-up.
That the heater exploded was my own mistake, because the 4.0 doesn't have a by-pass hose like a 2.0-2.9V6 and with a closed thermostat all coolant must go thru the heater. And I think that maybe that heater is not able to handle that much fluid and creates too much pressure.
So last week I recieved my rebuilded powersteering, I fitted a other heater and putted back in the carpet and seats and took it to the MOT.
Now it is back on the street I am able to continue and hope to solve my over-heating problems.
With this weather no problems at all, but standing at the traffic lights the temperature will rise rise very rapidly.
I still want to wait to cut-out the front to fit a large radiator, I am thinking about fitting an extra radiator.

Richard

[capri v8 driver]

hello richard,

glad you solved most off the problems and got the capri on the road.

may i ask where you are gone put the extra radiator?

maybe its easyer to cut away some metal, make some braces and use a scorpio or sierra radiator whit the electric twin fans, and a expansion tank. i gues that it is a easyer and faster way to solve the overheating problem than using a second radiator, the second radiator need space to, somewhere in the engine bay. you still need to make something to mouth the second radiator and whit the second radiator, you are adding weight in the front off the capri.

i know, you don't like cutting and welding, but if the scorpio/sierra radiator whit twin fan's solve's the problem, it's worth to think it over. if you have a friend whit a grinder and a mig welder, it can be done in a few hours.

greetz paul.
capri v8 driver.

[V6CosworthRangeRover]

Have you thought of geting a rad specialist to make you up a more efficent core or deeper rad in the same package size as original. I seem to remember seeing a high efficency alloy rad for a motorsport capri somewhere on this forum.

Steve

[berty2460]

what clutch and gear box set up are you using is it original capri