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Response

Some of this week's Letters to AutoSpeed

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Imported Ram

My boyfriend and I are trying to purchase a Dodge Ram SRT Viper. We need to order this from the US and have it converted, etc. I am just wondering if we would go through a Chrysler dealership to handle an inquiry like this?

Tamara Radic
Australia

Try asking Craig Dean at Sports and Luxury Cars - +61 3 9753 5799 www.sportsluxurycars.com.au

DFA Qs #1

I've read about the Do-It-Yourself DFA (Digital Fuel Adjuster) with great interest. I wish to seek your advice on the following questions.

1. Why is it called digital when all fuel calculations from, say, a Bosch Motronic computer still base its flow calculation in the analogue domain?

2. If the fuel adjustment is skewed too much, how much will the ignition timing be affected?

Jeoff Chen
Taiwan

The ‘digital’ part of DFA refers to the unit’s digital onboard microprocessor. The change in ignition timing varies from car to car and with the amount of DFA adjustment. Note that all interceptors working on the airflow meter signal also vary ignition timing a bit.

DFA Qs #2

I have a Mitsubishi Mirage CE with a cold air intake, reground camshaft, ported head, extractors and 2 inch exhaust. I have some rough idling and even through gear changes it feels like it wants to take off but it hesitates then starts to wind up. My questions are...

Would the Digital Fuel Adjuster (DFA) fix my problems?

Would the DFA also work well on, say, a supercharger kit for this car?

Sean Howe
Australia

We believe your car runs a voltage-outputting MAP sensor so, yes, the DFA can be used. The DFA should certainly let you improve upon the characteristics you’ve described, however, as with any MAP-sensed car with a big cam, it won't work as well as it would if working with an airflow meter. When adding forced induction you’ll need a 2 Bar MAP sensor that can handle boost pressure. We have not yet had feedback from anyone employing the DFA after swapping from a 1 Bar to 2 Bar MAP sensor and adding forced induction.

All Terrain RTV?

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As Australia's leading automotive online news source I thought you would be interested in this:

Are you aware that there is no all-terrain tyre that can be legally fitted to Ford’s Rugged Terrain Vehicle ("RTV") in Australia?

Amazingly, Ford has known about this since the release of their RTV in 2003, yet they maintain that the only tyres available for the RTV are Goodyear Marathon P215/65R16C 106/104T CARGO G26 HIGHWAY tyres in a highway tread pattern. NO motoring journalists have picked this up.

I found out about this only after I took delivery of my brand new RTV last week and drove it to a tyre outlet to have all-terrain tyres fitted - and was told that there are none!!!

Ford have known that in all mainland Australian States there is common legislation that specifies a wheel and tyre combination diameter no greater than 15mm over the OD of the tyre on the Tyre Compliance Plate on the front driver’s door of the vehicle - refer www.vicroads.vic.gov.au  & www.rta.nsw.gov.au & www.transport.qld.gov.au

This means there are no all-terrain tyres that comply.

I have spoken to certifying vehicle engineers and insurance companies and they say that there is no way around this, except for Ford specifying a tyre size option that will allow all-terrain tyres to be fitted.

The insurance companies says that, in spite of being told there are modifications to a vehicle, the underlying condition of their policies is the vehicle is legal and if it is not, there is NO insurance coverage.

Goodyear Tyre Service told me that at least 1 in 8 vehicles on the road today are illegal due to this 15mm OD law. That is over 1.69 million illegal vehicles on Australiaroads out of 13.5 million - www.abs.gov.au

I have been in constant contact with Ford all week and they say the only tyres that are specified or will be specified are P215/65R16C.

Do you know of an all-terrain tyre that can be fitted to a 16” x 7” rim and fall within 15mm of the OD of a 215/65R16? – I can’t find any!

How can Ford sell a Rugged Terrain Vehicle and not allow their customers to legally fit all-terrain tyres to it? Any experienced driver knows that it is extremely unsafe to drive highway tyres onto rugged terrain or dirt roads and then expect to be able to drive out even after only light rain.

John Hooper
Australia

Can any readers suggest an all-terrain tyre to suit?

Bit of Confusion...

In an article dated August 14th, 2001 (Lantra Ball of Fun) you mention that Silverwater Auto Services had built a supercharged Daewoo Lanos. I have spoken to them and they claim not to have done so. I was wondering whether the name of the shop that has supercharged a Lanos is available, as the article talks of Peter Alexander - who, according to SAS, does not work there... I am trying to find out for someone who wants to add a blower to their Lanos.

Damion Smy
Australia

As quoted in the article, a national 4 cylinder magazine supercharged a Lanos as a project car. Silverwater Automotive Services (SAS) was involved in only the tuning. The Lanos’ supercharger installation was performed by Centrifugal Air Pumps Australia(CAPA). See www.capa.com.au And, yep, we made a name error - the man at SAS is David Alexander, not Peter Alexander (Peter is the name of the vehicle owner at the article you mentioned). Now fixed.

Super Hiace

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An article on the Toyota Hi-Ace Super Custom Limited would be excellent!!! I love this site BTW.

Andrew Whitaker
Australia

Hi-Ace?! You’ve come to the right place... Check out Van Fan, Hi-Ace Hankering and Super Custom

Turbo ID Mix-Up

I started to read the article Used Turbo Info - Part One and there is one error that I noticed... The IHI VJ26 is a diesel turbo from an Isuzu 4x4 - the Mazda Familia 1.8 GTR uses a VJ23. Both are BB turbos but the exhaust AR is a lot bigger on the GTR turbo. The VJ26 is good for about 350hp (261kW) on a gas engine where the GTR turbo the VJ23 is good for about 420hp (313kW).

Jason King
Barbados

Thanks for that – we’ve added your message at the end of the article.

1UZ Info

I was lucky enough to have two 1UZ-FE engines dumped in my lap. I am wanting to do some work to get far more kWs from the engines but cannot find any information as to bearing specs, cam specs or other such details - do you have a source that I may use to acquire such information?

Garth Dorrans
Australia

We suggest contacting local Lexus dealerships for info – maybe purchase a factory workshop manual. Obviously, this info will apply to the Australian-spec engine which may be different to version used in Japan. Can any readers offer some useful web links?

Slow Chaser

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I own a 1989 Toyota Chaser Avante with a 1G-FE motor and GX81 chassis. I live in Germany and drive the autobahn everyday. Does anybody make performance parts for this car? If not where can I get in contact with an OE source? So far I have been lucky scavenging parts from various other Toyotas. Will a Supra motor swap work?

Chris Goddard
Germany

Your best approach is a factory supercharged or twin-turbo 1G engine. Enquire to www.adelaidejap.com.au about importing a bare engine or complete half-cut for a conversion. The 1G twin-turbo engine and the 7M-GTE 3.0 Turbo were both available in the Japanese market Supra. So the 7M-GTE should also fit your Chaser, but it probably won’t be such a straightforward swap as either of the forced aspirated 1G engines.

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