Ford Problems

VALVE recession rises on engines running LPG because it's a dry fuel with none of the lubricating properties of petrol to protect the valves. Your Territory will be no different and my contacts suggest the head will need a rebuild at about 100,000km. I have no experience with the Flashlube system so I can't offer an opinion.

AS IT'S under warranty, pursue that with Ford. There is no simple answer, other than start a class action suit against the company. Persist with the dealer initially and if you don't have any satisfaction there, go to Ford. Start with the Customer Assistance people, but again if that doesn't produce the result you want, go higher until you do get the solution you're seeking. The only way you'll get satisfaction is to keep the pressure on.

THE Falcon will convert and run on LPG, and you will ultimately save at the bowser once you've recovered the cost of installing the system. The Federal Government plans to add excise to LPG from 2011, but will cap it at 12.5 cents a litre, which is a long way short of the 38 cents a litre we pay on petrol. It will remain a good deal. To find out about the best system for your car, talk to the installers who should be able to tell you about the merits of the systems they sell, and ask them to talk to owners who have the systems fitted to their cars so you can get a second opinion.

UNFORTUNATELY, there isn't a modern gas-injection system available for your model, so it will be an old throttle-valve type that has been used for years in taxis and private cars. It works well, gives little trouble, and will deliver the economy you want. It's best to talk to a reputable installer and get his advice and, if possible, to talk to other owners who have fitted the same system to AU Falcons.

EVERY engine has valve recession, whether running on petrol, LPG or your grandma's bath water, but it happens at a faster rate on engines running on LPG. Your engine will have some valve recession, and switching to LPG will accelerate the wear. You could have to rebuild the heads sooner than you might if you stuck with petrol. The way around the problem with LPG is to fit a dual-fuel system and regularly run the engine on petrol to lubricate the valves and valve seats with lead, as happens when it runs on petrol alone. If you follow a routine of using petrol, say for an hour or two a week, you shouldn't have any problem. Upper-cylinder lubricants are available that protect the valves and valve seats from wear.

FUEL consumption is such a can of worms I can't really give you a number that would mean much in your context. I would say, however, the 18 litres/100km is too high and it should be more like Ford's figure.

THE most common cause for an LPG engine to stall is a stray spark igniting the gas in the intake manifold. When that happens it can take some time for enough gas to accumulate in the engine again for it to refire. I would have the fuel and ignition systems thoroughly checked. I would first replace the spark-plug leads.

IF YOU were talking about a '56 F100, then I would say it would increase in value. They're popular with hot rodders, but yours is unlikely to increase in value over time. It's not a highly sought-after model and, to be honest, I would drive it into the ground or get out of it before the rust overtakes it.

YOU'RE right, it is dreadful. It's probably running overly rich because of a malfunction in the electronic system. But before you start digging, make sure all is well with the basic engine tune. If that is in order, start looking at the sensors that tell the engine's computer how much fuel it needs to feed in, particularly the oxygen sensors in the exhaust.

THE advantage of LPG is that you need only one tank, so you get around problems such as having to relocate the spare wheel, but you are relying on having LPG wherever you go. That's not a huge problem because about almost half of the servos in most areas have LPG. But if you want to take a trip around Australia, I would prefer the option of both fuels.