FIRST Ford Barra motors in the USA! IT HAS FINALLY HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!!

[Mustangman570]

View attachment 165097 Its cheaper to take the na motor and change the pistons and exhaust valves.

I recently purchased a 182 Barra for no particular reason and no vehicle to put it into, but it was actually quite inexpensive. So I bought it. Now I have a Lotus Seven replica, a Triumph GT6 and the option to get a very nice running MG Midget. I don't usually gravitate towards imported cars, but I recently bought an unfinished 5.0 Spitfire and now it is finished except getting the brakes on the 9 inch to play with the rest of the system. At this point I found out how inexpensive vintage British sports cars are and bought a raft of them. It appears any of these might fit the Barra engine into it other than height but I won't mind being able to see the top cover.
To the point, you mentioned changing pistons and exhaust valves, is that critical even if I set it up for mild boost pressures, like 7 to 10 PSI?
Assuming I even bother to turbo it, these cars are between 1100 to 2000 lbs fully dressed in stock trim.

As long as the motor is 2005.5 and up you are safe to run 12-15psi with a good tune.

 

[Flex]

Beg to differ. There is NO N/A motor period that can handle 15 lbs of boost. That's low compression forged piston/crank territory. Ford forums Australia says 6 lbs with a good tune that is not too aggressive. The last thing anyone wants is to spend big bucks on a motor and turbo setup to have it kaboom.

 

[Braindead]

Beg to differ. There is NO N/A motor period that can handle 15 lbs of boost. That's low compression forged piston/crank territory. Ford forums Australia says 6 lbs with a good tune that is not too aggressive. The last thing anyone wants is to spend big bucks on a motor and turbo setup to have it kaboom.

It's all good, I would definitely put in the good parts if I was planning to make any real power. I don't really want to grenade the first decent performance engine I have had since I owned a 427 low riser 4 speed over 25 or 30 years ago. (that was a beast in a 54 Mainline business coupe)

 

[Flex]

After going through all the trouble of a unique swap, it would be wise. From what I read, it is a simple upgrade.

I just added a lot of high dollar upgrade parts to my brother's 2004 Hemi Durango. It is the one year that engine was a bit iffy. It ran awesome for 6 months. He went out to start it in the fall and it backfired. Unbelievably it threw a connecting rod as a result. What a sinking feeling. Now I have another engine to rebuild.

 

[Flex]

The old big blocks were pretty wild. I have a 72 Mustang with a quench head Cleveland. I picked up a 410 stroker for it 10 years ago but haven't touched it yet. I have a 1991 Supercoupe with a ton of bolt ons and a 4R70W swap that I love to drive but it has a no start gremlin. It dynoed 260 hp right before the latest episode. Coincidentally right after I picked up a front mount.

 

[Aussie-Mike]

I've got a n/a FG Barra long motor sitting in my storage locker outside Toronto. It's going in my '03. I'll strip it down this winter and have the block and crank magnafluxed and those pieces and the head cleaned up and machined for larger main and head studs. I've got many of the pieces I need for the rebuild ordered or lined up except for one crucial area… the transmission adapter! I'd like to go with a built 4R70W or 6R80 but so far I haven't found anyone making an adapter for either of them (they have the same bolt pattern). QuickTime don't list anything and none of the shops back home list anything. Any suggestions?

 

[Braindead]

If you are not able to locate an adapter for whatever transmission you want, any competent machine shop should have no problem making it for you. If that is the method you have to use, make sure it is a transmission that others would want to use also, then maybe you can sell copies of yours to others to help minimize the cost overall. I was fortunate mine came with the transmission still attached.

 

[Aussie-Mike]

If you are not able to locate an adapter for whatever transmission you want, any competent machine shop should have no problem making it for you. If that is the method you have to use, make sure it is a transmission that others would want to use also, then maybe you can sell copies of yours to others to help minimize the cost overall. I was fortunate mine came with the transmission still attached.

I'd prefer to just use the ZF they came with in the Falcon but there's clearance issues in the firewall and tunnel. But looking around the closest I found was the QuickTime adaptors. Trouble is those are for the PG, TH and C4 autos, none of which do me any good. Spoke to a friend at UNOH and just making a plate isn't going to go well because of where the Barra starter is located versus the location on the 4R/6R. That leaves removing the stock bell housing on the trans and welding on a plate the QT bell housing can bolt up to. That's a process that could really expensive really quick. I think the easiest way out of this may be to get a ZF sent over and just hope the panel beating/cutting isn't too radical.

 

[Braindead]

I just had a thought ( I have done many amazing things starting from "a thought". But you have to realize, "amazing" is an ambivalent term), why does the starter have to be at the rear of the engine? I am pretty sure that the same crankshaft comes out both ends of the engine.
I better find a bigger space to sit, I am thinking outside the block . . .
I got it ! Get a big enough alternator and make it do double duty; starter and alternator. I think it could actually work if you put a delay timer on the ignition system so it starts to spin before the ignition loads the system.
But impractical, I am sure.

 

[Aussie-Mike]

I just had a thought ( I have done many amazing things starting from "a thought". But you have to realize, "amazing" is an ambivalent term), why does the starter have to be at the rear of the engine? I am pretty sure that the same crankshaft comes out both ends of the engine.
I better find a bigger space to sit, I am thinking outside the block . . .
I got it ! Get a big enough alternator and make it do double duty; starter and alternator. I think it could actually work if you put a delay timer on the ignition system so it starts to spin before the ignition loads the system.
But impractical, I am sure.

Not the craziest thing I've heard today! Still the reason the starter needs to cue at the rear is for gear reduction so the starter can turn over the engine via the flexplate/flywheel. You won't get sufficient gear reduction anywhere at the front of the engine because there's simply not enough room to do it. If you tried to turn the motor at the front the starter would need to be a lot larger and would draw quite a lot more amperage from the battery.

But like I said not the silliest thing I've heard today because I think I just got off the phone with the twin brother of that short, bad tempered guy from the bagel shop video that's going around. Called XP transmissions because they list a 6R60 transmission for the Ford Falcon. Not ideal but there's plenty of upgrade parts out there for the 6R series and the price from XP looked good as a base. Needless to say I'm never doing business with that company again. Useless ass.

 

[KingKoupe]

I am picking up 7 Barras tomorrow, 2 for me and 5 to sell.

Shipping is expensive as hell so I will be selling the motors for $2000.00 each.

They motors will come as follows:
- Intake manifold without throttle body
-Wiring harness either cut at the computer or unplugged from the computer. Either way, no computer.
-Coil packs
- All sensors (except the sensors that would be on the throttle body).
-Flexplate for auto transmission.
-Oil pan
-Fuel rail without injectors
No alternator, power steering pump.

The pic is an example of what is coming, not the actual motors since they are still in the warehouse waiting for me to get there, tomorrow at 5pm EST.

View attachment 163224

You still have any of these in stock by chance?

 

[[email protected]]

Hi guys, I would like to introduce myself my name is Joe I have over 38 years in the performance industry & I own a Ford Performance shop in Sydney Australia & have been tuning... building & setting up circuit & drag racing Fords with the Aussie Barra's for over 15 years, now I know that a few of you guys already have contacts over this way in buying these engines which is fine, but I would like to offer our services in been able to provide you with performance parts or any advice & easily turn a n/a barra into a 1000hp tyre shredder & still be able to drive through MacDonald's idling & sounding like a stock V6 mustang. if you get a chance to check put our web site its

www.cmssydney.com.au

thanks
Joe