Hi folks. I've been lurking in the shadows for a while but I decided to step out and join in your great community. I'm an American living in western Pennsylvania U.S., north of Pittsburgh. My first car was an 86' XR4Ti back in 91' and I've had several over the years. My latest purchase is a YBB/T-5 powered XR from Canada that I had shipped to Pennsylvania. I have lusted after the YB ever since they were introduced and I'm thrilled to finally own a legend!

I am not sure of the year but it's definitely a 205 block and the turbo is the correct model for the 86'-89' engines. The car is a bit of a mess I'm afraid. The potential is there, I just need to get it all sorted. It supposedly has a stage 1 chip but I'm not seeing more than about 8psi on the dinky stock gauge (new AEM boost/ WB air fuel coming). It sounds good and pulls strongly though! I have a few specific questions and, though I searched extensively, I really didn't find the answers I was looking for.

The ISCV is not working. I disassembled it, cleaned it, and put it back together and it still just races the engine and never returns to idle. So, at this point is it just shot and I get to bend over to get a new one? I have 2 (neither works) and they appear to be different designs. Anyone have a schematic? I'm not even sure it was assembled correctly before I inspected it.

There is no oil separator system (kidney box under the intake?) that I can see. The drivers side hose just dumps behind the engine (there is no factory airbox). I've looked at aftermarket solutions but I'm coming up empty with what I really need. I hear that the Bailey kit is not very good and I know I need to use the blocked off port below the turbo for another vent instead of tapping my rocker cover. Unfortunately, the only other solutions I can find are extreme Goupe A kits with catch tank that uses huge -10 SS flex hose. I just need a system that will handle 350 HP at most. I'm ok with rubber hose and a more simplified system. The GGR separator is pricy and doesn't even come complete as a kit. Any suggestions? I REALLY don't want to pay more than £200 for a complete system.

I guess that's all for now, I apologise if these questions are rather redundant.

 

if the bailey kit is installed properly thers nothing wrong with it.im running 330 + and ive no problem using it

 

Did you tap your rocker port? I ended up ordering an AS fast road separator, which I guess is similar to the Bailey kit but instead of connecting to the cam cover, I will connect to the pass side of the block. I guess I just don't want to drill and tap if it's not necessary.

 

Be great to see some pics of your car

I have this





Steve

 

Looks great Steve!

I only have a few pics of a very dirty and disheveled machine. Not much to write home about at this time. I'm actually going to be taking all of the "Merkur" identity out of this one with real RS front and rear bumpers and grille and converting to single rear quarter glass.



I'm going a bit overboard I'm afraid but in the end, it will be a stunner!

 

On an older car a gpa coil helps as the old oil filled one is prob outputting half it's original voltage,think the gpa type bumps up voltage by a factor of 250%

Think it's stolen from another's manufactures oem stock so if someone knows what from it may assist in sourcing in us.

Iscv just need the lower section soaked in petrol for a few hrs and also cycle 12 v across contacts to free plunger,it's gets gummed up by emulsion....

Just watch octane of fuel as well cause I've seen grades down as low as 87 in USA and these need 97 as a minimum (depending on local map of course")

Sister in law lives near doylestown , lovely area and visit once a year...

 

ISCV is linked to the throttle position sensor, if it's set wrongly it can cause a high idle.

 

As a check on iscv if you unplug it when idle is erratic and then idle stabilizes it needs a clean if idle stay high as paul says prob tps or vac leak....
I'm having the same issue and thanks to this forum I'd say its narrowed down to incorrectly set tps ....

 

You need carb cleaner

soak the item in the stuff job done

unbolt the ISCV two nuts no gasket needed

 

the bailey oil breather is fine if plumbed in to both sides of the block, but you need to add some pipe to the sump so the oil returns under the oil level, or modified sump plug

 

I soaked both in carb cleaner, assembled one and it doesn't work. I think I will take some pics of both disassembled (the guts are different) and maybe someone could explain the order. I am not even sure they were assembled correctly before I got the car.

Anyone have a procedure for setting the TPS? On the 2.3, I would hook up a volt meter to adjust. What's the desired voltage?

 

That's where I am a little confused (I did search, honest). As far as I understand, vent from intake side of block (remove kidney box), the other vent from the plug under and just aft of the turbo, the tube at the bottom of the separator vents to atmosphere, but where to return oil? I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea of running a connection to the sump drain plug (we have crap road in the US and I'm afraid of something catching on the pipe or hose and draining out all of my oil). I don't see any other sump plugs, are others drilling and tapping the pan?

 

Your ISCV don't work as it ain't plugged in lol

 

You would too if you heard it revving to the stratosphere when that plug is connected!

 

It would be a shame to turn it into a Replic

I do have the bonnet and grille on mine but thats it.

Steve

 

On the 4x4 cosworth sump it has a bit of pipe with a square plate on it with a dip leg on the other side, or get an S shaped bit of pipe welded in, but what ever way you do it the sump has to come off, and a good time to drill tap a hole for future oil temp gauge.

 

adjust it then

 

If you ever replace that rad header tank, can I have first dibs on it please???

 

After 3 previous XR's, I wanted to see how the other side lives
Not to worry though, I have 2 other cars and 1 will be built for my step-son who is 12, so we have a few years yet. The other is a rare (at least in the US) 84' build XR4Ti non-sunroof car. I haven't a clue what to do with it but we Yanks like to stuff V8's into EVERYTHING!

 

Seriously? What would you want an old, discoloured header tank for anyway?

 

Quite serious. As long as it's not too badly cracked, it'll clean up fine i'm sure. It'll replace the Sapphire one I was forced to fit on my 3dr many years ago, which has always rankled. Nice to get back to original

 

Im lucky as i have both






Steve

 

Boobs

Vent from kidney box connection intake side and top of cam cover (if you have one) ,return is into the blank nut under ex manifold you mentioned,as said above you need to fit a dip pipe to nut as well as a connection for return hose to drop return below oil level.otherwise it ll act as a breather rather than a liquid return...

 

Thanks, that may very well be the route I take. I'm not planning on pushing more than about 350. I'm just weary of tapping my cover if I will end up Venting from the block on the exhaust side.

 

Steve, very nice. I may be in the minority, but I much prefer the RS front bumper to the RS500. Just looks clean to me. My car has RS500 upper rear spoiler but will otherwise be RS.

 

Hmmm....necro bump commencing

let me just....


There that's better.

Well almost 4 years later I'm back to share my mostly completed project. I won't go into ALL of the details on this thing but rest assured that it was a nearly nuts and bolts restoration/modification/upgrade that went into full effect starting in the fall of 2014. The project consisted of but not limited to:

complete chassis/suspension/brake/diff upgrades

body work including new rocker panels, genuine Cossie bumpers, and many hours modifying XR rear quarters for Sierra rear glass, plus paint prep and all that, painted in Dodge "Scarlet Red"

YBB engine completely overhauled, includes Cosworth Racing 1mm overbore pistons, ARP studs, GT35R turbo, AS plenum, Airtec RS500 intercooler and rad etc.

custom trimmed seats and complete Auto Meter gauge package.

On to pics:










Now that she is on the road.....I'm running into some pretty tough to solve issues. I have quietly been searching through old threads but I'm coming up empty. The engine has a very scary lean condition at certain points most concerning at high RPM/boost. Whats more, it seems to match with a dodgy rev counter. Now I know what you're thinking....but I've tried that, I feel that it's got to be in the wiring harness somewhere but maybe someone has better insight? Here are relevant details:

fully rebuilt YBB 8:1 compression
GT35R turbo with 18psi actuator
L8 computer on what must be L1 3-door engine harness (no closed loop, knock etc)
Bayjoo stage 3 with greens and 3 bar MAP, amal valve
All sensors replaced including CPS and Phase sensor (all correct gaps)
Grp A coil
AEM rising rate fuel pressure regulator (gauge on regulator but no gauge in interior) set to correct base fuel pressure
Walbro 255 LPH in-tank fuel pump
uprated plugs gapped correctly from what I can tell
correct TPS for L8, wired correctly
Autometer rev counter connected to original green signal wire from coil
AEM wideband O2 sensor and boost gauge

So what happens....well the engine runs beautifully except for a few areas. The rev counter will occasionally bounce at various RPM...mostly OFF of boost. Once on boost, the revs are smooth as silk (so it can't necessarily be a plug gap issue), SAME with air fuel ratio, it sticks around 12 when going from 1-say 18psi...as long as I'm not reving above say 5,500RPM, At upper revs, the rev counter goes crazy bouncing and the fuel ratio gets scary LEAN. at "tip-in", just barely touching the throttle, the rev counter will bounce and the fuel will go stupid lean, once applying modest throttle and getting into boost, the ratio returns to safe, foot off the throttle into vacuum (-20) and ratio stays safe, it's that initial "tip-in" throttle where the lean condition happens most
I had assumed that the signal from CPS to ecu was causing the computer to misfire and cut fuel, but I've checked and rechecked the gaps, they are perfect and the sensors are brand new. It's still got to be related to that but what else should I do? I can't just throw a bunch of parts at the problems hoping they will eventually be fixed though my long term plan is to do something like a LINK system so I can do my own tuning on my side of the pond. I'm not ready for all of that yet, I'd like to see if I can get this thing sorted first.
I know my harness is a bit suspect as I wasn't the one who originally fitted the YBB to the Merkur but I'm not sure a new harness will fix it. Should I look at the coil? the IGN module? TPS? I've had a long standing issue using the ISCV, even new ones won't work correctly, I'm thinking the wiring may be reversed. I need to read fuel pressure during these lean events. Any suggestions would be more than appreciated, I know "Cosworth Misfire" is a pretty common thread title.

 

wow,,very nice

 

Thanks mate, its been a dream come true.

 

Great looking car!

But a GT35R on a Bayjoo stage 3 chip with grens can never be good in my opinion. How the L1 loom and L8 computer work together I don't know. But a stage 3 chip will be for I guess a T3 or a T34, but not for a GT35R. I also don't understand the GT35R with greens. The greens will only do about enough fuel for 350 HP while the GT35R should maybe even do more than 500 HP?

I'd be very careful driving it like this, you might just melt the engine.

 

What he said ^^^^^^^^

And as you mentioned your best bet is new management. Something that someone can map properly local to you. Good mapping is the key.

Car looks sweet. What wheels are they?

 

Looks very nice


Must turn a few heads over there!


Did you upgrade the wiring to the fuel pump ? Cossies suffer from voltage drop at the pump if you use the old loom - could be a cheaper fix than a new management...

 

Boober944. When you did the re-build did you replace the engine, fuel pump and radiator fans wiring looms? Some of the problems you have had could be down to the old original Ford wiring looms breaking down. It is a fairly common fault and myself and quite a few other 3 door and Sapphire Cosworth owners have done it to their cars.
Your car looks stunning and you should be proud of what you have done.

 

Thanks all for the kind compliments, most folks don't have a clue what the car is and that's perfectly alright by me.

on the turbo with stage 3...

I had bought the greens and stage 3 chip long before buying the turbo. Later on, while shopping for a replacement turbo, I was stunned how expensive they are over your side! The GT35R, for me, was about the same price as a stage 1 hybrid (factoring in exchange and all) in U.K. Overkill for sure, I just couldn't justify spending same money on "old tech" when I could have latest and greatest. Once progressing through my build, I realised that my injectors weren't going to be big enough so I sourced some Siemens 83lb Deka injectors. I matched up the part numbers to make sure they were the correct spec and ordered a custom chip from MD. Finally all ready to go, I had issues trying to get the car to start for the first time. Pulling a plug showed I was WAY over fueling on start up. I swapped out the Siemens for the greens and put in the Bayjoo chip and she fired right up. I tried repeated emails to MD regarding the chip issues but never heard back from them, that's the rub of being an ocean away it seems. I got busy with the build and never went back to try diagnosing the problems. I still have the 83's so I hope to be able to use them in whatever custom system I chose. I never planned to run the stage 3 long term.

One of the problems with this whole thing is that I'm running a YB in a Merkur. The body loom is ALL Merkur XR. How similar they are to Cossie body looms is anyones guess. The engine loom is probably L1 or L6 loom as far as I can tell. I went over the wiring and tested it, all seemed fine but again, who knows? The fuel pump wiring is standard but I don't remember U.S. guys replacing fuel pump wiring at all. On a previous car with 2.3L Lima based motor, I ran close to 400hp with just a 255LPH pump in the tank. I am thinking I need to prioritize getting a look at my fuel pressure while driving though

 

I had mine checked over after a rebuild last year and found that it was leaning off at about 5500rpm.
a quick check of the fuel pressure found that it was never reaching what it should (only running 16psi on standard yellow injectors and stage 1 chip) and couldn't hold the pressure it was achieving either.
fitted a new fuel pump loom and a Bosch 044 (more overkill) and it now runs a treat.
the guy doing the diagnostics said it was more than likely to be the loom that needed replacing as it couldn't deliver the full 12v to the pump rather than the pump itself but did both while I was at it

 

Hmmm thanks for that input.

Which begs the question...would the dodgy rev counter signal CAUSE the ECU to pull fuel? Or is a dodgy rev counter caused BY a fueling issue which results in misfire and the misfire makes the rev counter jump? Chicken or Egg scenario there.

I still wonder though what would cause the lean fuel at "tip-in"? That wouldn't necessarily be a cause of low voltage to the fuel pump.

 

It's quite logical that it starts and idles OK on the greens and Bayjoo chip because at idle the turbo doesn't do anything yet. But I guess the higher the revs get the bigger the problems will be. You should really get a different chip in it. But I wouldn't think an off the shelf chip can be done on a GT30R and you would need live mapping. If I were you I'd contact Motorsport Developments (MSD) again as I assume that's what you mean with MD.

 

Yes meant Motorsport Developments. The car actually does beautifully from 1psi-18 or 20psi, the air fuel ratios are pretty safe, pulls like a freight train. It's in upper revs (5,500+) where the rev counter starts freaking out and the air fuel goes more lean, if I go full throttle under those revs, the turbo spools quickly and boosts easily/smoothly with no lean fuel

 

Perhaps the GT35R is more comparable to the T3 or T34 upto 5500 rpm and above the GT35R is more efficient making the difference better noticeable above 5500 rpm. But running a chip that is meant for a different turbo is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

I'll have to keep an eye out for your car when i'm travelling as I spend a lot of time a couple of hours north of you. Looks brilliant in red, only thing i'd probably change is the wheels just for something slightly bigger but thats personal choice.

Hope you get your issue sorted, I personally think it sounds like the turbos making way too much air for the fuel system to keep up with, that turbo won't come alive till quite high up the range when you'd really start to notice it leaning out. I'd check the loom for the fuel pump and that the pump can keep up. Then get it mapped for the turbo.

 

Look closely as it won't be spending more than about 1,000 miles a year on the roads!

I like a little meat on my wheels so I went with 16's, I do not like the rubber band look. However, I may be forced to go 17 in future as I plan 13" front rotors with 4-pot pistons and my current wheels won't clear. I'm thinking Fifteen52 tarmac wheels in white.

on the response, the GT35R is actually as good or better than most conventional T3/T4 based hybrids in that area. Garrett designed the GT series for better flexibility and the 35R is said to be good for engines as small as 2 litre. I've had no real issue with boosting in lower RPM, I can make 10psi by 4,500 rpm easily.