The face of Ford Falcon performance has changed
completely since the introduction of the BA XR6 Turbo. The mid-$40k XR6T is
arguably the best performance car on the market. But what if you can achieve
similar performance in an EA - AU 6-cylinder Falcon with an all-up cost starting
at around 10 grand - including purchase of the car? Believe it or
not, Ford's unloved SOHC straight-six is a grunter waiting to be unleashed; all
of a sudden those 400,000km ex-taxis have some real potential!
The father and son team of Jim and Brendan Mock
(of Jim Mock Motorsport, Melbourne) has accrued a vast amount of experience
with the big Ford six. You may remember a test we did of a Jim Mock enhanced
Falcon sedan back in Issue 166 - see
Promise Delivered. Since that February 2002 story, the Mock team has continued to beaver away on the EA -
AU Ford six and has released a much-improved range of atmo power-up kits. (And
we thought the previous generation was a ball-tearer!)
Right now, do yourself a favour. Forget about
power numbers and get yourself a ride in Jim's enhanced Falcon workshop ute. Beg
if you have to. Any reservations you might have about a seriously grunty atmo
Ford six fly out the window when Jim nails it - the way this ute peels rubber
and lunges toward the scenery is alarming. This is performance with
guts
- don't expect a turbine smooth power delivery, but do expect a muscles-flexed
torque rampage!
So what have Jim and Brendan Mock been
up to since out last tasting of their product? Well, the range of power-up kits
(known as DEVs) has recently been revised and there are some new developments on
the scene. Let's take a look at each DEV kit as they are today...
The DEV Kits
The entry-level kit - DEV1 - focuses primarily on
exhaust flow. The factory exhaust manifold is replaced by fourth generation
custom 3>2>1 headers, which then connect to a 2½-inch aluminised mild
steel mandrel exhaust. A high-flow cat converter and a pair of straight-through
mufflers are fitted to ensure emission and noise compliance.Like all DEV kits,
the DEV1 upgrade also includes a set of US-sourced Autolite spark plugs that
enhance power in the big Ford six - dyno tests prove it. The final component of
the DEV1 upgrade is dyno testing of mixtures, timing and a general assessment.
You want figures? Sure. A healthy EA to AU Falcon six with a DEV1 kit breathes
to the tune of up to 112kW at the back wheels (varying depending on the model
and driveline). The DEV1 upgrade comes fitted and tuned for AUD$980 and is a
great stepping stone for further development...
Brendan Mock tells us a DEV2 upgrade is available, but most customers find the extra cash to go for the more serious DEV3 kit; still, the DEV2 kit gives a tidy power increase... You get all the hardware included in DEV1 plus a model-specific Tickford airbox snorkel, low resistance Champion plug leads and a very mild camshaft with adjustable timing gear. Jim Mock Motorsport has tested more cam grinds than they'd care to count, so you can rest assured the final choice has the right specs for the job. DEV2 sees most Ford EA - AU sixes crank out up to 125kW at the wheels and checks in at AUD$1980. This kit comes highly recommended for commercial and towing applications
Lured by the extra bang-for-buck, over the DEV2 most Jim Mock Motorsport customers opt for the slightly more expensive DEV3 kit. This configuration gives up to 140kW at the treads and comes fitted and tuned for AUD$2200 - just AUD$220 more than the 125kW ATW DEV2 kit. The only mechanical difference is the camshaft, which is slightly more aggressive. This kit is recommended for performance street applications
A variation on this kit is the newly introduced
DEV3 HL (high lift) package. Aimed at giving maximum performance without the
hassle (and cost) of removing the cylinder head, the DEV3 HL kit comes with an
even more serious camshaft profile that requires the fitment of upgrade valve
springs. Brendan Mock says these springs have been custom made to aviation spec
to ensure long service life and tension. Interestingly, there are no fuel or
management changes in any of the kits up to DEV3 HL - the Mock boys have
carefully optimised engine airflow to suit the existing fuel delivery. This kit
can get you up to the 150kW at the wheels for a cost of AUD$2500.
Beyond this we must step into the devil's realm
and remove the cylinder head...
The DEV4 package involves splitting the engine
apart to give the SOHC head some porting and combustion chamber shaping. (This is
a photo of a standard EB Falcon exhaust port.) The compression ratio is also
increased to around 9.6:1, primarily thanks to a triple-layer metal head gasket
(and note that the extra compression requires that you now fill with premium
unleaded at all times).
DEV4 also has its own cam profile with upgrade valve
springs while the fuelling department receives a remanufactured fuel pressure
regulator. The remanufactured regulator helps achieve the appropriate mixtures,
but ignition timing remains unaltered (except for across-the-board adjustment of
the dizzy). These changes push power up to 160kW at the wheels while the bill
amounts to AUD$4300. Note that your 4300 hard-earned bucks also include full
cylinder head reconditioning with all new gaskets and seals.
DEV5 goes wilder again with extra porting, larger
one-piece valves and high-as-possible-on-pump-fuel compression. The
remanufactured fuel pressure reg is also carried over. Recommended for
street/strip use, the DEV5 costs AUD$4900 and provides up to 170kW at the
wheels. Brendan Mock points out that this kit replaces the DEV5a configuration
we tested in our original drive back in Feb 2002. "The new DEV5 kit is much more
streetable and it makes 99 percent of the power the old DEV5a kit used to," he
says.
The ultimate off-the-shelf upgrade is the latest
incarnation of DEV5a. The new DEV5a kit uses all the same hardware used in the
revised DEV5 package but also includes a UniChip interceptor. The UniChip allows
accurate tuning of mixtures and ignition timing. For AUD$6300, the new DEV5a kit
punches out up to 175kW at the wheels and enough performance to go club racing,
off-road racing, etc.
If you're chasing even more power, Jim Mock
Motorsport can accommodate. Their DEV6 option is tailor-made to your
requirements and is intended for competition use. Price is on application.
What
About the SOHC VCT Engine?
Jim
Mock Motorsport also offers DEV kits suitable for the SOHC 4.0-litre engine
featuring variable cam timing (as fitted to the AU XR6 HP and Fairlane). Chose
from VCT DEV1, VCT DEV3+, VCT DEV4+ or VCT DEV5 (there is no VCT DEV2)...
The
VCT DEV1 kit lifts power from about 110kW at the wheels up to 128kW ATW using
the same hardware as the conventional DEV1 kit. VCT DEV1 costs AUD$1080
fitted.
VCT
DEV3+ adds a free-flow air intake, Champion plug leads and a UniChip
interceptor. Power is increased up to 142kW at the wheel and the bill goes up to
AUD$2800.
The
newly introduced VCT DEV4+ kit introduces head porting and slightly higher
compression to achieve up to 152kW at the wheels. Of course, the cylinder head
needs to come off for these mods - this contributes to the AUD$5200 (fitted and
tuned) cost.
The
most potent upgrade for the VCT engine is VCT DEV5+. In this kit, the standard
camshaft is replaced with something a little bumpier, the valve springs are
upgraded and more time is spent porting. AUD$5900 gets you up to 160kW ATW.
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DEV Kit Options
There
are a couple of extra-cost options applicable to all DEV kits.
The
optional Race Series air intake comprises a 3-inch mandrel bent and HPC'd pipe
between the airbox and throttle body. A conical aftermarket air filter (which
fits inside the factory airbox) is also included as part of the AUD$550 Race
Series intake.
Optional
Race Series headers (with mandrel bent pipes) are also available, offering a
more generous torque spread and sharper throttle response. The Race Series
headers cost AUD$245. Oh, and the conventional DEV headers and Race Series
headers can be HPC'd for an extra AUD$145.
Note
that, for optimal results, it is advised that the Race Series intake and headers
are fitted as a pair.
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The Jim Mock Motorsport Workshop Ute
What you're looking at here is no show
pony - more like a draught horse. The Mock workshop XH Ford Falcon ute has been
subjected to unspeakable tortures and has been a long-serving test mule. Sure,
it might be layered in workshop dust and grime - but that's soon blown off!
You can't help have fun behind the wheel of this
ute - fitted with the DEV5 kit and the optional Race Series intake and exhaust,
it simply begs to be driven! Driveability at very low rpm is very strong and
there are no noticeable flat-spots on the way up the tacho - there's just
torque, torque and more torque. The long-stroke SOHC Ford six is not a high
revver but we found it all too easy to bounce off the 5800-ish rev limiter in
low gears (a 5-speed manual gearbox is fitted to the ute). Our only criticism is
engine roughness when returning down to idle - the engine actually stalled once
in this scenario. Jim Mock puts this down to the fact the ute was way overdue
for a service and new spark plugs.
In hand-timed 0 - 100 km/h sprints, the Falcon ute
was difficult to get off to a clean start - the unladen rear-end allowed bulk
wheelspin whenever we gave it a small clutch dump. Still, we recorded 7.2 -
7.3-seconds time after time and we couldn't help think it could be faster given
a more effective launch. Interestingly, we managed a high 6-second 0 - 100 by
launching in second gear! This indicates that amount of torque on tap...
Certainly, a taller diff ratio would make the most of the DEV5's power and
torque curves.
And - hang on - before you start comparing our 0 -
100 km/h times with other performance benchmarks... The consummate ease with which
the Falcon achieved these acceleration times was quite remarkable. In real-world
scenarios we reckon the tickled Falcon could out-gun cars that are
supposed to be faster. Let's take a Subaru WRX as an example. Unless the
WRX driver absolutely nails the launch (which is damn hard to do!) it is easily a second or more slower to 100 km/h than is quoted. In the DEV'd
Falcon you could totally screw up the launch and still be within a few tenths of
its optimal time.
If we were betting people we'd back the Mock work
ute against some pretty stiff competition - grime an' all! A ball of fun to drive? You'd better bloody believe it.
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