Add some Aussie to your Ford for Under a Grand

Tim Odell

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aussie ford 4l intechAustralia’s identity as a bizarro North America extends beyond its geography and fauna to include the automotive population. Sure, the Big Three did battle down under, but straight sixes were the weapons of choice in many cases. We’ve covered the Chrysler Hemi Six before, but today we’re taking a moment to appreciate a screaming deal on a 4.0L Ford Intech straight six. Normally, I’d use this sentence to hand over facts dredged from a wikipedia article, but as far as I can tell, the 1998-2002 Ford Intech SOHC six has no dedicated wikipedia article! Instead, all the generations of various Aussie sixes are buried in one section of a page dedicated to all Ford straight sixes. The info there matches the seller and some random, possibly bot-generated website: the SOHC, non-HP 4.0L Intech made 210hp and 263ft-lbs of torque.

At $750 for the engine and attached four-speed automatic, that’s on part with any other random craigslist find with similar power (and number of gears). Which is good, because aside from the seller’s blanked eBay listing template, there’s no information about mileage or condition of either unit. It’s tough to make any assumptions about the service history of a motor that’s been out of production for 14 years, but the seller’s an established eBayer, so you could just pick up the phone and call them up if you’re serious.

Now, if only someone had a car-based-truck, aka Ute to put it into…
4.0L Ford Intech Aussie I-6 for sale – eBay Motors

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Tim Odell

Tim Odell

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  1. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    This would be interesting in a classic (like ’64-’66) Mustang. I wonder what five-speeds will bolt up? Also, an hour to go, and no bids?

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      Yeah, but it’s all the way out in Kelso, WA, which is… ah… just a short drive from me.
      No! No, no, no, no, no!

      Reply
      1. Frank T. Cat Avatar
        Frank T. Cat

        Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

        Reply
        1. mdharrell Avatar
          mdharrell

          Six in a row does make a compelling case for six in a row in a compelling case.

          Reply
    2. sporty88 Avatar
      sporty88

      The factory manual transmission is a Borg Warner T5 – I’m not sure exactly what US version of the T5 would be close enough to bolt straight up. Used factory manual bellhousings and flywheels turn up regularly on http://www.ebay.com.au and http://www.gumtree.com.au – usually pretty cheaply ($A20-50) – shipping to the US would probably make that something close to $US100.

      Reply
      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        The factory 4 speed auto is a BTR (Borg Warner evolution of the old BW65), shared with as far as I know, only the Maserati Quattroporte 3.2 V8 turbo.
        No, not that one, the III, or that one, the V.
        This one, not sold in the USA, the stretched Biturbo version, Gandini designed, AM337
        Quattroporte IV (AM337, 1994–2001). Compared to the transmission, sourcing parts for the motor would be easy.
        https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Maserati_Quattroporte_IV_2.jpg

        Reply
  2. PowerTryp Avatar
    PowerTryp

    Damn shame it’s not a 2002 and up Barra I6. Those things look the part as well as back it up.

    Reply
    1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      Yeah if it were a Barra I’d probably have to get it as a potential swap into the truck… then add turbos and a budget for tires.

      Reply
      1. outback_ute Avatar
        outback_ute

        Note that Barra does not automatically mean turbo!

        Reply
        1. PowerTryp Avatar
          PowerTryp

          Not wrong but it is a proven platform for adding turbos to.

          Reply
  3. Tanshanomi Avatar
    Tanshanomi

    Is there anything especially significant about these engines, other than their rarity in this hemisphere? Doesn’t seem to be all that different than a 4.0L Jeep motor, which would be a whole lot easier to find parts and aftermarket support for here.

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      I know! You’re not making it easier for me to walk away from this.

      Reply
      1. Vairship Avatar
        Vairship

        Not to mention the fact that, being Australian in origin, you’d have to mount it upside-down here in the Northern hemisphere.

        Reply
    2. mad_science Avatar
      mad_science

      Depending on what engineering is or isn’t shared with US motors, you’d have to rank the novelty factor pretty high.
      However, if there are oil filters, tranny bellhousings, alternators and/or water pumps that swap, then you’re in decent shape to start with. I’d be worried something as simple as gaskets might be $50 worth of shipping from .au.

      Reply
    3. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      They have the same iron block casting as the ‘old’ Ford OHV inline sixes, and therefore the same engine mountings. Where your old Falcon or F150 or Mustang or etc iron straight six fits, this will bolt in. Just provide power for the EFI, and a fuel pump.
      But the final iteration of this block, the Barra is better, much smoother, better balanced, more economical, powerful and even more reliable.
      These engines are just as (more?) reliable than the Kaiser based Jeep six.

      Reply
      1. outback_ute Avatar
        outback_ute

        The block casting is not “the same”, it was revised for the AU with cross-bolted mains for one thing.
        @mad science, the oil filter is a Z9 but I doubt too many other engine parts would be shared with old versions of the engine due to changes for the SOHC drive chain for one.
        As mentioned earlier the transmissions are evolutions of US origins, the input shaft is different from the V8 offered (302s ran close to the same transmissions with detail changes).
        The engine is physically larger than the early six, and would be a tight fit in an early Falcon, but they are very durable, possibly more so than the DOHC that replaced them, which is one reason why they are cheap.

        Reply
        1. Rover 1 Avatar
          Rover 1

          Isn’t the casting from the foundry the same, but subsequent machining and hole drilling different?

          Reply
          1. outback_ute Avatar
            outback_ute

            I don’t think so, for example there is no provision for camshaft or pushrods in the SOHC block. Probably should have said the EA of 1988 had the new block.

  4. Ted Odell Avatar
    Ted Odell

    Hmm, a Car Based Truck? Is that like a Ranchero?

    Reply
    1. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      1979 XD Falcon Ute with 250 ci all iron pushrod 6 cyl. motor, same as US version in F150 etc
      http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Ford-Falcon-XD-ute.jpg
      1998 XH Falcon Ute with 4.0l OHC alloy head Intech 6 cyl. motor (i.e. this motor, shown.) based on block AND MOUNTING POINTS of old iron motor with new head,pistons, bore & stroke etc
      http://www.mynrma.com.au/media/ford_falcon_xh_longreach_1996.jpg
      http://www.justmusclecars.com.au/images/ProductImages/large/534_1.jpg

      Reply
      1. outback_ute Avatar
        outback_ute

        The XD (and XC before it) had a cross-flow cylinder head to improve emissions, that differed from the US version.

        Reply
        1. Rover 1 Avatar
          Rover 1

          You’re quite right. Aussies were innovating quite early but being ignored in Dearborn due to ‘Not invented here syndrome’.

          Reply