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Ive got one at last...


fordy

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Im now a Westfield owner - yipeee - picked it up at the weekend and drove it back yesterday, 220 miles from southport to maidenhead - and fun it was too.  Its a yellow Sei 1700 xflow, which leads me to a couple of questions>>

1. It doesnt have an unleaded head, but has been driven on unleaded with an adative - is this the same as LRP or is it worth using LRP??

2. How often should i change the oil in the gearbox and diff - its a type 9 box, and westfield independent diff??

Thanks very much to all the people that have been answering my questions over the last couple of months which helped me alot in choosing my westy - im sure ill have many more in the future!!!!!

cheers

Chris

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Congratulations.

LRP and Unleaded/additive are solutions to the same problem. I have no idea about what the actual chemicals involved are, but LRP should be ok. Just don't mix too much LRP from different suppliers. In the long term, I'd get the head modified. It's not an expensive job, and not too difficult either.

How often should i change the oil in the gearbox and diff - its a type 9 box, and Westfield independent diff??

Is it a narrow bodied car, or an early wide bodied? Westfield never made a diff, but inserted Ford Escort "English" diffs into a Westfield badged aluminium carrier. If it's a later wide body, it'll be a Sierra diff. Either way you won't find a drain hole on a bog standard type 9 'box or diff. If the diff or 'box were in their "standard" application road cars, you'd never change the oil. Others will disagree, but Ford spent millions on R&D for these 'boxes and diffs, and decided that changing oil wasn't necessary, or they'd have fitted a drain plug and specified servicing intervals........The argument that Westfields exert higher stresses on these parts because of the nature of their use is offset by lighter weight, and similar/less outright speed than their "standard" applications.

I don't worry at all about changing 'box or diff oil.

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Thanks blatman.

Its a 98 wide bodied car, so i guess that'll mean its a sierra diff?  Is there a top up plug on either ???

To upgrade to unleaded head - does this just involve changing the head, or does it also need new valves,etc - is it worth doing this ASAP, or waiting til the current head is showing signs of seat wear??

sorry for all the questions

cheers

Chris

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so i guess that'll mean its a sierra diff?  Is there a top up plug on either

There's a plug on the back face which you can undo.  Fill the diff up with diff oil until it starts to dribble out of the filler hole then pop the plug in asap.

To upgrade to unleaded head - does this just involve changing the head, or does it also need new valves,etc - is it worth doing this ASAP, or waiting til the current head is showing signs of seat wear??

Vulcan do exchange unleaded heads for, I think, about £250.  Adverts in CCC every month.  They come with hardened valve seats and, I think, bronze guides and you can get various "Stages" depending on the state of tune of the engine.

Personally I'd be inclined to do it sooner rather than later simply because LRP plus an additive is much more expensive than unleaded.

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Me an' Nick nearly always agree, and this time is no different ;)

Vulcan are about to get my Cossie head for some porting work. The fella I spoke to was happy to show me round the workshop and appeared to know what he was on about, so I would give it some serious thought, sooner rather than later.

Is it a 98 car, or was it registered in 98. What was the actual chassis construction/original customer order date?

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Original customer order was 98 - it was registered and SVA'd in 99.

Engine i think is from 1988.  Its had Accralite pistons added, twin 45's (jetted for 40 though) a piper cam, luminition, and a vernier - about 120-130BHP i think.

Is LRP a higher octane??, i.e if i start using LRP will i have to adjust the timing??

I read in the last WW that Shells Optimax is supposed to be good - or is this the same as using LRP??

thanks again.

Chris

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Optimax is similar to super-unleaded.

LRP is, I think, about 95 RON which puts it in the same ball-park as normal unleaded.  If you swap the head then I'd suggest you get the engine / carbs set up on a rolling road and they will adjust the timing to suit.

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Better than LRP is to use Super Unleaded and add Millers CVL to it. This will give you near to 100 octane fuel and as close as possible to old 4 star. If you want a unleaded head conversion, speak to Rob Morley at Protune 0208 449 4447. Hes in Barnet, North London.

John

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thanks guys.  

Dont think ill be using LRP if its only 95 ron - ill either use optimax and some lead adative, or try super and that millers stuff.  Cant afford the head conversion yet, so itll have to wait - hope adative is good enough.

cheers

Chris

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