With our weather being too wet to do any real work I changed Tru's spark plugs today. Not a simple job but not too big a chore either, except her number 5 plug was a bit seized. Actually it was very tight and I think I was a bit lucky not to cop some real damage, I might have a play with it again tomorrow and try to tidy up the thread a bit.
In the photo I've taken the number 6 plug boot/coil thingy off, as I started at the difficult end with number 6 being a real bugger to access.
Their length is the reason straight 6s are so rare these days, in many ways a shame since they're inherently smoother than pretty well all other engine configurations except perhaps the boxer fours.
Looks like a fairly modern engine there Jim.
ReplyDeleteBit of an update on my Kat...
Started to get a bit of a top end noise, thought it was a gudgeon, finally decided to lift head and barrels, found #4 a bit loose and there is no bush for the little end, so I'll be doing a full rebuild to concourse condition, it will take a few months.
ALSO, I found out why it had so much grunt.... should be 72mm bore... I measured 78mm, it makes it a 1260 not a 1074, it will be larger when I get the spare motor done... and should look stock too
Cheers
The engine is really an archaic one that's been kept viable with technology. The variable cam timing is a magic wand for spark ignition engines.
ReplyDeleteI think you've done a wonderful job with that bike mega, it seems you like riding in the places I used to love riding 30+ years ago, except a lot of those roads weren't sealed back then.
If you have a good bottom end, no need to change it too much, the real gain is from the pistons and up, by the time you get to bung on turbo/supercharger, your motor has reached the end of its use-by date, Ford does have the turbo thing and Holden has(or had) the supercharger thing. I do like your ford, the gas is good, also, the ex neighbours have exactly the same model, same colour too....
ReplyDeleteYeah, the big Kats are the pick of the old skool motors, I'll be getting Joe Marshall to put Massey Fergussen sleaves in and I'll be using Mazda pistons which will take it out to around 1325cc's and will still look stock, the inlet valves will go from 27mm to 28.5mm, I already tried my big cam, I lost very little down low but really gave it a rush up top, so, since I got over 111hp and over 80ft/lbs torque at the rear wheel (stock cams and valves), I'd expect around 130-140hp and 90ish ft/lbs with the upgrade which will give the modern bikes some serious competition, and look like a stock Kat too... Oh, and I'm stripping frame for powder coating and tank, fairing will get new paint, new rubbers too.
There's a couple of Kats for sale up at Cairns, well worth playing with and VERY satisfying to ride.
If you wanted more Kats for your collection I could be talked into delivering them for a couple of nights accommodation in your mansion, I'm a little way from returning to bikes again.
ReplyDeleteThe Falcon is a millstone around Ford and Australia's neck, it's a good car but is nearly up to the end of the dead-end. The world market is the go and the Falcon is getting in the way of us receiving some other excellent units. However Tru was 5 years old (to the day) when I bought her and $12k bought a car that was $40k new, you can't argue with those numbers.