Ford Problems

RUNNING a different fuel -- or even a cleaner through the engine regularly -- might well be a way of preventing the carbon build-up that leads to the problem with the plugs in the Ford V8. The problem is most people only realise there is a problem when the plugs break while being removed.

THERE were reports of contaminated LPG in some areas a few months ago and you might have fallen victim to this. Make sure any waxy build-up in the system is cleaned out and use a different supplier and different brand of LPG -- if you can.

ON YOUR own figures your ute is getting 13.3 litres/100 km, which is hardly atrocious, and suggests there is nothing seriously wrong with it. Rather I would say it;s quite normal for that vehicle having done that mileage. You could replace the spark plugs and plug leads, put some fuel system cleaner through it, and take it for a long run where you could get it fully warmed up and make it work a little to blow any carbon build-up out of the engine.

IF THEY'D fitted an extra leaf it would have been to the right-rear spring (that's the one that's loaded rounding left-hand bends), but there's nothing to suggest they did. I don't believe that black was a standard colour, but I do know of one XY Phase 3 GT HO that was black from the factory. That car was a special order.

THIS is a common problem with the 5.4-litre V8 and has been for a long time, so you would think Ford and its dealers would have worked out a way of removing the spark plugs without breaking them. That you cop a bill of almost $2400 just to remove the spark pugs is disgraceful. Ford and the dealer should both be ashamed for not working out a solution a long time ago.

FOR that money you're looking at a BA model, which will make a fine family car, but it's impossible to say what problems you might encounter in the period you plan to keep it. The BA suffered from fairly average build quality, but any problems should have surfaced by now.

I HAVEN'T heard of the conversion, but perhaps our readers might be able to throw some light on it.

THE V8 engines came from the US, which is where the problem started. It amazes me that Ford engineers couldn't see this problem and do something about it before the engine went into production, but having let that slip through, the company should have been responsible enough to cover the cost of replacing broken spark plugs when they started showing up in service.

THANKS Sam, and for anyone thinking of doing the conversion the information about the need to change the diff ratio is important to note. For readers in Victoria, we have been told the Castlemaine Rod Shop is able to do the conversion too.

IT CAN be converted successfully if the converter knows what they're doing. The Australian LPG Warehouse has done several of them using a vapour-injection system and has had no issue with them.