Hello,

I am in the states and wanting to put a Sapphire 4wd powertrain into a 3 door XR (Merkur over here). Looks as if the cossie gearbox crossmember is about an inch too narrow and 3-4 inches too low. How do people get round this, is there anything that's close to working?

Thanks,

-Steve

 

I think people either cut in a 4x4 tunnel or add a bump where the transfer box is needed to go. When you say cross member do you mean the full front crossmember that holds the engine and front diff? If so then a 4x4 item would be swapped in.

 

No, I have the correct front cross, engine is already bolted in. I am talking about the rear gearbox cross, this is the one that was given with the engine sitting atop the one I pulled out that was holding the T9.

 

This is my tunnel patch that will clear the transfer case.

 

Early MK1 (pre 1985 I think) had a different setup. Best way is to put the whole tunnel section in.

Had this with putting a 24v V6 and auto Gearbox into a 1983 MK1

 

Unfortunately there were never any 4x4 variants imported to the US, I would have to get the whole tunnel bit shipped.

 

Just make a gearbox mount out of box section.

 

Take a look at your front chassis rails too, you might need to cut & weld in some half tube sections for the front driveshafts to clear (if they aren't there already).

 

So this is what I ended up throwing together for the gearbox mount. I do have another question on cooling routing which I have not been able to nail down through searching. Ford shows a "Y" lower rad hose in all their literature but suppliers all show a solid one. How is the lower hose from the overflow tank routed if there is no "Y" in the lower rad hose?

 

 

 

Not sure if this will help you. Its a diagram showing cooling changes for the 4x4 cosworth. I do remember the xr4x4 (V6) had a T in one of the radiator hoses whereas the xr4i had 4 connections to the radiator ( a big and small pipe at each of the 2 corners)
Cheers
David

 

I have seen that, but it's a bit cryptic. What I really need is a good picture from low on the airbox looking across to the power steering resiviour showing the front of a 4x4 Saph motor.

 

Or a panoramic "up skirt" from the front of the rad to the sump, side to side.

 

This is the engine that I am working with.

 

If you still need a 4x4 cosworth tunnel I have one from.an abandoned project I wont be using

 

Thank you Smiley but I sorted it by hacking a hole and then plating over it.

 

No problem mate, keep us updated 😎

 

It is very hard to see what is connected to what both in the pictures and also in real life. I was also not in a position to get under the car to take any pictures.
The hose from the top of the expansion tank runs along the top panel in an oddly shaped hose and ends up at one of the turbo cooling pipes as seen in the 4th photo disappearing under the heat shield just above the wastegate actuator.
The other side of the turbo feeds to the small pipe coming into the side of the thermostat housing as shown in the last 2 pictures.
The other slightly larger blue pipe heading rearward in these 2 photos connects to a pipe that runs back and connects to one side of the heater matrix.
The other side of the heater matrix runs around the back of the head and down to the oil modine under the inlet manifold.
The other side of the modine feeds back to the rear of the head near the coolant temperature sender as seen in the 3rd photo by the dipstick.
The lower pipe from the expansion tank heads down as seen in the second photo and connects to a solid tube that runs along under the radiator. At the other end of the tube is another flexible pipe which is very hard to see, but I believe goes to the smaller pipe on the side of the water pump. The larger water pump pipe is a short link between the pump and the thermostat housing.
The two large radiator hoses obviously feed to the two pipes on the thermostat housing.
Hope this helps
David

 

Thank you for the pictures Aitch! Great help. It's mainly that lower expansion tank hose giving me trouble, I believe I must be missing the solid tube that is under the radiator.

 

The problem is that solid tube, #7 in my second diagram above, always shows being connected to the "Y" hose in Ford literature, not returning to the water pump via a second hose.

 

Burtons and probably others sell this pipe -
https://www.burtonpower.com/radiator...1-sscrtp1.html
Also a picture of the pump showing the small pipe it connects to.
David

 

Hello All,
I am trying to track the source of a loose hub, it has been torqued while on the ground to 230nM but still has play. It seems the parts drawing is a odds with the manual section as to bearing orientation. Which is right round?

 

I've been trolling around the 3 door 4x4 conversions documented here and Have not seen my particular problem. What mis-matched mix of parts could result in this offset?

 

That looks strange. Normally I think you would get that if you used a 4x4 ARB on a 2wd car. But I’m not sure what can cause this on a 4x4 car.