MERKUR XR4ti

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Hello to you all I have a few FORD's and have owend loads over the years But at the moment I am working on My latest toy, All the way From the US of A it's a MERKUR XR4ti based on the FORD XR4i,it was built in the German Karman factory for the Lincoln Mercury dealers in the USA. It has a 2.3cc sohc based on our 2.0cc pinto, but using the crank from a Ford Mustang, thunderbird and Ranger pick-up truck. It is known that there is even a 2.5cc swap using the later crank from the Ford Ranger pick-up and this gives quite a bit more torque ftlb over the normal motor. The main difference over the Mustang, Thunderbird was the intercooler or should I say the lack of an intercooler. My car has most of the up grades completed by Rapido Group, a US company that has a complete fast road / race and custom catalog of mods for the XR4ti. If anyone has any information about the XR4ti or know of any more in the UK can you drop me a line via PM or email

If you were logged in, you wouldn't be seeing this ad! Register your free account today, or log in if you already have an account.

[m4tt274]

get some pictures up of it

[pacwest]

I own one as well. What would you like to know?

[cabrio zo]

Ditto

Welcome, rare car, moreso in the UK, apart from them being 2.3 turbo and looking like an XR4i my knowledge ends there

Z

[MERKUR XR4ti]

well hello there do you know how many we had shipped to the UK I have been informed that it was only six and I have parts off another and the guy I had mine off had another too. Its a long way form CANADA But do you have a good parts dept over there ? and do you know BARRY XR4I SPARES from over here in ESSEX England ?. THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY yours PAULW.

[pacwest]

It's a lhd XR4. You will find many parts from rhd cars fit.

A couple notes though on items specific to the XR4Ti

Engine
Wiring harness
ECU
chassis rails/floor pan
exhaust
bonnet
gas tank
whole rear floor (spare well)
fuel pump

Look under your front fender liners to see the 909 chassis plates welded in. The chassis is stronger than a sierra chassis. Notice the chassis rails go the lenth of the car?

Parts can be found over here like gaskets, thermostats, etc but I'd always convert to cosworth stuff if you can like saff suspension and brakes or just keep the XR bits. If you need anything like that let me know, I'll hunt it down for you. Welshmen have been good to me over the years.

You really should join merkurclub.com and merkursport.com

[MERKUR XR4ti]

[pacwest]

Let's see the engine mate.

She looks good. Many of them get done up like that over here. Enough now that many people think that's the stock look.

Make sure that gas tank never rusts. They are getting rare. However you living over there I would weld in the rear floor from a dead sierra and use the tank if it ever came to that.

[MERKUR XR4ti]

I could not use the XR4i tank as I would then lose the twin pipes out of the rear end and I may fit a 302 V8 yet!!!!.

[LHD220Turbo]

Originally Posted by MERKUR XR4ti

Hello to you all I have a few FORD's and have owend loads over the years

But at the moment I am working on My latest toy, All the way From the US of A it's a MERKUR XR4ti based on the FORD XR4i,it was built in the German Karman factory for the Lincoln Mercury dealers in the USA.

It has a 2.3cc sohc based on our 2.0cc pinto, but using the crank from a Ford Mustang, thunderbird and Ranger pick-up truck.
It is known that there is even a 2.5cc swap using the later crank from the Ford Ranger pick-up and this gives quite a bit more torque ftlb over the normal motor.

The main difference over the Mustang, Thunderbird was the intercooler or should I say the lack of an intercooler. My car has most of the up grades completed by Rapido Group, a US company that has a complete fast road / race and custom catalog of mods for the XR4ti.

If anyone has any information about the XR4ti or know of any more in the UK can you drop me a line via PM or email

welcome to PF

have you considered fitting a YB engine? by far the best choice in my opinion!

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Can you tell me what ECM to get for the car as I wont to get more power out of her and I think it is the ECM that I need to swap out, as all the mods have been doen Like Exhaust, induction, Big intercooler and ignition. thanks Paulw.

[cossie4i_]

Nice car mate

Barry from XR4i Spares is a sound chap

Steve

[pacwest]

I'd lose those twin pipes and that bumper but that's just me.

As far as ECU goes you can use a megasquirt and map it, switch to cossie L6 and map it, use a simple PE or LA series with a bigger VAM. MOATES J3 chips work as well. I also have an EEC tuner that you can switch to MASS air or keep the VAM and tune it yourself. EDS in Canada make a plug in unit as well.

That's a tidy car. When was it imported and who did you get it from?

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Originally Posted by LHD220Turbo

welcome to PF

have you considered fitting a YB engine? by far the best choice in my opinion!

uuuu NO its not a twinkie and It is not going to be Cosworth is what it is a PINTO 205 with a 16V twin cam head and they are every where and in every thing these days just like the GM red top, I dont meen to sound off, but if you like that then good on you but Im not!! .

I love this because it is not a cosworth and it is a lot rarer than any 16v twin cam IMO
you can get good power out of this motor, but may be not as much as a 16v twin cam, but this was the original motorsport car The only motor that would go in to this would be a V8 LOL.

[LHD220Turbo]

Originally Posted by MERKUR XR4ti

uuuu NO its not a twinkie and It is not going to be Cosworth is what it is a PINTO 205 with a 16V twin cam head and they are every where and in every thing these days just like the GM red top, I dont meen to sound off, but if you like that then good on you but Im not!! .

I love this because it is not a cosworth and it is a lot rarer than any 16v twin cam IMO
you can get good power out of this motor, but may be not as much as a 16v twin cam, but this was the original motorsport car The only motor that would go in to this would be a V8 LOL.

each to their own mate, good on you for sticking to your guns

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Originally Posted by pacwest

I'd lose those twin pipes and that bumper but that's just me.

As far as ECU goes you can use a megasquirt and map it, switch to cossie L6 and map it, use a simple PE or LA series with a bigger VAM. MOATES J3 chips work as well. I also have an EEC tuner that you can switch to MASS air or keep the VAM and tune it yourself. EDS in Canada make a plug in unit as well.

That's a tidy car. When was it imported and who did you get it from?

The car came in via the USAF in 1989 the owner got it 1 years old from the Mercury dealer in Nebraska called Atchley Ford lincoln mercury, He then had the USAF ship it from JFK Airport to USAF High Wycombe in the UK.

He owned the car until 2001 where the inport duty was paid, due to him shipping out some where or just selling the car on.

There was two other owners of the car before I got her, A Mr Brian powell also from High Wycombe and the man who I got the car off.

It was last on the road in 2006 I think ? It does need a bit of loving but only due to her age and the car not being used for so long.

Can you email me some prices of the ECM's and what they will do for the car. PLEASE p.watkins489@btinternet.com thank you paul w

[pacwest]

Stay with the 2.3. You can make ridiculous power with it. But go single exhaust. Get a cossie turbine housing on it ASAP. Bolts on.

The block and crank are tougher than 200/205 blocks. Make the head flow, cam it and map it right and it is tough as nails. Cast iron heads may be old but they can be seriously beat on.

some of them look like this after a while:

[tabetha]

Wasn't the 2.3(lima) the engine used in the PINTO, car that is ?
a good mod to these is a 16 valve volvo head.
tabetha

[pacwest]

Yes, this is technically a pinto engine. Although it shares little with a 205/202/200 block.

The Pinto car came with the 2.0 EAO engine, then this 2.3 Lima motor then a V6. Yes, a 16v turbo head fits on it with plenty of work but at that point it would make sense to just put the damn Volvo engine in.

[Fastmaul]

Hi mate, deffo join MerkurSport it's the bestest Merkur place in the world (I'm biased since I own it lol). Oh wait, nevermind, I already approved your account lol. (sorry about that BTW). Plenty of info for Merkur owners over there. Ask away for any help or with any parts, cause I'm pretty sure we'll have it. Can't believe I'm gonna say this but, I'd stick with the 8v too. get some go fast goodies and set it up and show the YB guys that it's North America cousin can show them up too.
If not, deffo go with a Cossie lol, or even a V8 turbo.

[tabetha]

Thanks pacwest, so our pinto engines are not what they are named, as never were in the pinto car!!
tabetha

[pacwest]

Yep, they were in the first Pintos. The Ford name for it is the 2.0 EAO or T88.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto_engine

[MERKUR XR4ti]

thank you all for your hello and I will look forward to seeing one or two of you at the showe in 2010.

[sailorbob]

Originally Posted by MERKUR XR4ti

Can you tell me what ECM to get for the car

What ecu does the car currently have? The T23B strategy is the best supported and covers the 8UA, LA3 and LB3 ecu's. Sticking with the VAF or going MAF or speed density is possible with these. There's no need to go aftermarket as 400+ bhp is possible on these ecu's when chipped (with appropriate engine mods of course ).

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Originally Posted by sailorbob

What ecu does the car currently have? The T23B strategy is the best supported and covers the 8UA, LA3 and LB3 ecu's. Sticking with the VAF or going MAF or speed density is possible with these. There's no need to go aftermarket as 400+ bhp is possible on these ecu's when chipped (with appropriate engine mods of course ).

The car has a LA3 ECM at the moment, please can you tell me what the T23B, VAF and MAF is I am a new be at all this TURBO injection and Ecm stuff.
Thanks PauW.

[sailorbob]

T23B is the commonly used term for the strategy (think of this as the program) that the 8UA, LA3 and LB3 ecu's run. The calibration (think of this as the data) varies slightly between the three. VAF = Vane Airflow Meter MAF = Mass Air Meter The MAF conversions are good because they get rid of the restriction of the VAF and measure air mass rather than flow.

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Originally Posted by sailorbob

T23B is the commonly used term for the strategy (think of this as the program) that the 8UA, LA3 and LB3 ecu's run. The calibration (think of this as the data) varies slightly between the three. VAF = Vane Airflow Meter MAF = Mass Air Meter The MAF conversions are good because they get rid of the restriction of the VAF and measure air mass rather than flow.

Cool thanks So if I get a bigger MAF like one off a BMW or Early Rover V8 or even Jag ? will this be ok, as they are the same type but bigger.

[sailorbob]

You need to get a MAF that measures enough flow to match your power requirements but not much more. If you oversize the MAF you lose resolution at low air flows and this can cause drive-ability issues. You also need to know the 'transfer curve' of the MAF you are fitting so that this can be programmed into the chip (or other tuning device) in order for the ecu to correctly know the air flow.

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Originally Posted by sailorbob

You need to get a MAF that measures enough flow to match your power requirements but not much more. If you oversize the MAF you lose resolution at low air flows and this can cause drive-ability issues. You also need to know the 'transfer curve' of the MAF you are fitting so that this can be programmed into the chip (or other tuning device) in order for the ecu to correctly know the air flow.

So the next question is how do I know what one to get ?

[pacwest]

The VAM you have will support 350bhp. Converting to MAF will require mapping.

[sailorbob]

Originally Posted by MERKUR XR4ti

So the next question is how do I know what one to get ?

Generally you select one from another Ford with similar power output to what you have (or are aiming for).

[Matt Baxter]

Originally Posted by MERKUR XR4ti

Please please get rid of the exhausts

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Originally Posted by Matt Baxter

Please please get rid of the exhausts

are you mad thats the best bit of the car I have taken the silly trim bits off and the tail pipe tips too but the twin pipe is great Thats what was missing of the european cars

[Glenn.]

hello and welcome mate. Pacwest you know your stuff about the merkurs.

[lee2cossies]

Hello and welcome paul,your popping up everywhere these days!

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Originally Posted by lee2cossies

Hello and welcome paul,your popping up everywhere these days!

Hi Lee, Nice to see you here TOO

[martynhomer01]

looks the nuts matey...well done

[MERKUR XR4ti]

Well the car is in loads of bits at the moment but will get there in the end, I have been flat out in work for a while now and missing the garage.

I will be up there all day tomorow re-fitting the prop shaft and new clutch cabel, speedo cable and fitting that Exhaust back on next will be new floors headliner dash and trim long time too go Bigger turbo and intercooler too with a bigger vam and better ecu