As an ex mechanic myself I say don't stuff around with a 2nd hand engine. You could end up right back at square one again with the same problems. Most 2nd hand engines have either been flogged or had some back yard screwdriver mechanic stuff around with it. Just pull your engine out, strip it, clean it and replace what is needed like big ends etc and you know in your own mind that it's a good engine.

I feel your pain. The shop is spot on about the sludge. I was instructed by a car yard to clean the top end of one of their cars after I warned them about dislodging sludge. Engine seized a week later with blocked oil galleries. With yours, take the engine out, totally disassemble and clean everything. Build it up and start fresh! Don't bother with a gas motor, just make sure yours is genuine fg turbo (inconel valves and turbo rods) in case they've done something dodgy.

Had my ego BF2 F6 for 9 years now. It was my dream car before I got it and it's still my dream car today. Still stock as a rock and still makes me smile every time I put my foot down. Great video!

Hey mate sorry for your loss , I just want to say thank you for teaching us about the lessons you’ve learnt. This was a very informative video as I’m looking to get a very similar car. No one’s done a “what to look out for when buying a barra turbo” thanks again mate.

Great looking car mate! Shame that motor is in such poor condition. I wouldnt waste my time with a gas motor, just build up the original block to be stronger, in the long term the car will be worth more with matching numbers! Good luck with it bud.

Mate shit situation, feel for you, and you’re thinking through things is spot on. Can’t comment on what to do but will follow along, hope she works out in the end, nice looking rig

Sucks to hear about your situation. I love these cars and really feeling for ya that you haven’t been able to fully enjoy the experience yet. I’m subbed and looking forward to seeing you unlock its true potential. I’m in for the ride!

i feel your pain dude, such a nice looking car. When you had your upgrade it would of been great if the mechanics told you to see it for yourself and recommend a fix back then.

The body is spot on mate and same with the interior, they are the really important things that are a nightmare to get right money wise. I would source out a built fg xr6 engine from a speed shop you can trust and cop it sweet while being grateful that body and paint are spot on. In the end you end up with one sweet ride that you know is done right and will go up in value. Go with e86 tune on the new one or just a 98 pump tune forget gas imo.

Honestly man I can't believe you managed to drive it around after finding out about the sludge! Generally speaking the moment you would have known about the sludge you should have realised the ticking time bomb you have, good thing for you as mentioned a turbo barra engine is pretty accessible these days and you can pick up one for like 2k, I would honestly pull out all the internals you have placed on that old motor and check the condition of them, if they're fine put them on the new engine and build that new engine up to spec, even if you find a small defect in rebuilding a second hand engine you would go A - Z on that motor and know yourself there's nothing wrong. With your sludge motor that's as good as gone, the fact that MAXX themselves didn't want to touch it should have spoke volumes, in saying that they should have told you about the sludge the moment they opened it up to do the valve springs, it would have saved you a pretty penny on whatever you've done to that sludge engine. Definitely go with a Barra Turbo motor to preserve the value of the vehicle nonetheless man!

New to your channel and just subscribed. I know how dissappointed you must feel. I bought an XD falcon that was in another state and had it shipped to me in Sydney. All seemed ok until I found a rust hole in the plenum big enough to put my fist through. But as the rest of the car was worth more to me than what the repair cost I got it fixed. That's what you should do George. You've got an awesome car that will only appreciate. Get the engine rebuilt, throw some extra horsepower into it in the process, and then you'll have the car you always wanted it to be.

1) Ditch Max performance - for starters they should not have installed valve springs on an engine like that. Lots of horror stories out of that shop. Bet they were happy to take your money though. 2) Ditch that motor or full rebuild. A replacement standard Fg turbo motor is fine for your goals. Do you really want to daily a built motor? 3) Go to seres enginering, Grieci or springy performance and chat about your goals ect. 4)Ditch Max performance

I reckon your gut feeling is to rebuild ! That’s what you gotta do mate. Awesome lookin beast mate. Thanks for sharing.

Nice car mate, same as mine. I'd pull the motor down and build it for my reliability. Bad thing about buying from second hand dealers is not knowing the previous life it had before hand.

Hey mate thanks for your post, i can totally relate to what you are going through. I think the benefits of keeping the original engine & getting it rebuilt by somebody you trust definitely has more benefits of stuffing around buying another engine that you know nothing about. I know you have spent some cash on it already but having the original engine reconditioned would be the way to go. Best of luck with it, please keep us posted on how things do.

Man I feel you. I had mine stolen last year. It was recovered but was thrashed. No coolant left in it. Insurance wrote it off due to the unknown damage to engine and trans among other things like suspension all fucked from rallying it through the bush during a police chase. Anyway, I see the car is now for sale at a car yard in Sydney. No mention off being a write off. I feel sorry for who ever buys her. They probably about to get the same condition as yours is. Hope you clean and rebuild it. In the long run the matching numbers will be worth it. Good luck!

I like how honest and open you are with your shit situation. If I saw that sludge, I would’ve parked it and start accumulating parts for a build. Definitely build it as a gassy is still unknown condition and limited in what you can do

Since its gonna be a keeper and you have come this far with upgrading it, i’d recommend tearing the whole motor down and rebuilding it from scratch mate. Do it right the first time and once to avoid any more future headaches

Hey man... not a car guy at all, so most of what you were saying went over my head. But, enjoyed the story, think I'll follow along to see how it plays out. Hopefully all to the good. Side note, not sure why this came up in my recommendations, but glad it did. Subbed.

I rebuilt my FG MK2 T, I honed out the block for oversized pistons, long story short, the only stock thing in it now is the crank and cams. If I was to do my time again, I would just buy a built motor and save a fuckload in cash. I spent 18k where I could of have bought a HP Junkie engine for 12k slapped it straight in and off I went. My car has been off the road since April last year after a “tuner” put three valve springs upside down, I don’t know how he did, but it was possible for him to do it. It bent two valves and cracked the ringlets on piston 3. I regret waiting for deals on prices of parts, it cost me 6k more and that was suppose to be my 5 link. Drove it for the first time today. Base map, just waiting on my new tuner to tune it. However, if you want to go down the path of building your engine it’s, a great learning curve. I enjoyed my time, but I wouldn’t do it again. Haha. Also, don’t waste your time on a Gassie. Just save that money and put it towards this one, send the engine off to either HP Junkie or someone in your area that is 100%. I was going to send my engine from QLD to Victoria just to be built.

Patience is a virtue in the long run bro!! Matching Numbers is the only option...

Hey mate, I am in the same predicament after tuner blew my motor, I know this feeling all too well. I ended up deciding on just a standard rebuild with oil pump gears. I got quoted about a 4-5K difference in price between standard with oil pump or full forged build. I thought long and hard about if I should just spend the extra, but I decided on not wanting to push further than 450rwkw's. I personally just don't want to fall down the rabbit hole of spending on the car, and start setting up my future. It's been documented fairly well that the stock motor with valvesprings, head studs and oil pump gears are good for up to 500rwkw. You'll have to start considering the ZF as well if you want pursue some serious power, as they cannot stand anymore than 450-500rwkw, only managing at that level with a good tune with some good torque reduction. You'll possibly have to do a stronger tailshaft and drive shafts as well. It really comes down to the future plans with the car power wise. Just for reference, with your current mods, you'd be good for about 420-430rwkw on E85, as your fuel system is at it's limit without a surge tank. Still plenty power, but if you don't intend on going further than you currently are, maybe not worth spending the extra coin for a fully built motor. Cheers.

That sucks man ! Very unlucky You see this all the time with fgs man. Very poor on Maxx for not helping you out with some sort of game plan before dropping 15k. Hope you get it all fixed mate

Rebuilding it Brother!!! lacin and the boys will support you man!

Buy an engine stand, engine crane pull the motor. Get a workshop manual for it, you've pulled this far. Strip it, clean it, bearings, timing chain kit, rings, rod bolts gasket set. Carefully reassemble it basic build. Save some money, do something major later. It's still going now with it's current state. This will extend it. Nothing's just simple, is it. All the best mate👍

Hey mate, sorry to hear about the bad luck buying the barra. They are great cars. I've owned my nitro blue xr6turbo for 8 years and still love driving it. I would definitely rebuild the motor, just buy a cheap run a round and keep the falcon for the weekends and special occasions, also keeping the ks down on it.

That's rough man, feel your pain. Hope you can get something sorted

Rebuild, lucky I seen this I was planning on upgrading to a turbo and keep current 2009 fg xr6 as work/daily. Now I'll be more cautious. Feels bad man but if you rebuild I doubt you will have any regrets. That way you know what you have

I would suggest to build it that way you know what's in it when it got done etc you always take a risk with second hand motors and other turbo engines are always thrashed. Also if you pushing power and the motor let's go your just gonna replace it with a stock motor just to happen again I think a built motor will be best even if you only gonna use half a third of its potential it will be bullet proof for the power your after

Hi George Sorry to hear about your engine issues but i seriously think you should rebuild that motor your ganna have to bite the bullet mate it will be worth it in the long run. Besides your keeping it so i would definitely do it.

You clean that motor bud. I have an FG XR6 turbo with 260000km was in the same state not it’s clean as a whistle and runs like a new car. I have built a lot of Barras and can help you out with your bike I’m only local as well. I’f your keen reply👍

Nice rig mate awesome colour, last of the Exocet Missiles. I got the same wheel on mine. I'd keep it because they will go up, but bear in mind you'll probably have to spend money beefing the ZF up in the near future if you do.

I had a Barra with the same sludge issue and over heating so I opted for a clean second motor with low K's from Boss wrecking, a thousand dollars later I was happy when I got the mechanic I use to inspect the second motor and also fit new radiator water pump and thermostat plus a after market trans fluid cooler seperate from the radiator, all up at the end of the day two grand total, now 5 year's on the motor is perfect still and oil changed every five thousand K's.

Had similar experience. Bought a BF FPV turned out to be passing a bit of oil. Had excessive blowby and was up for a rebuild. Like you I weighed up my options and decided to buy a 08' gas green top motor, then upgraded the valve springs and fit billet oil pump to it. 1200cc injectors and a 460 E85 compatible fuel pump. Also fitted a rebuilt upgraded 4speed auto from a performance shop in Melbourne capable of handling 400-450rwkw. Tuner had issues getting the car to make power. It was much lower than it should have been for the boost it was running. Instead of the expected 400+kw it was making about 330kw. We were wanting to run about 18psi but at about 15psi boost started bypassing rings and lifting the dipstick out. Although the engine itself was cheap enough to buy... the cost of all the work and tuning was in vain. In the end rebuilt the original FPV engine using new FG turbo pistons, rings bearings etc. Long story short... build your original engine if the block and head check out to be ok. Unless you plan on big hp no need to go forged. You can make 450kw safely all day long and have a happy drive train.

Love these vids mate 🤙

I recommend building the motor. Keep the same engine number. I have an xr50 making 700hp. I had some smoke issues last year after over boosting and had an engine builder rebuild with forged internals etc capable of bigger hp than what I run now. Nothing like having a brand new strong motor with quality parts. Will last you for many years and gives you the option to go bigger power.

Being a 50th and in the trade mark blue, I’d be inclined to keep the number matching and rebuild it.

12:12 the best way is get rid of most of the sludge is to do 3 oil changes with oil flush in it. It will soften the sludge off.

Rebuild amd keep it mate. Will go up in value in years to come. Great car

If you can still find a suitable s/h or low Ks motor (they are out there) to drop in and keep you on the road, then you can rebuild that matching numbers block at your leisure. I still think you have a very nice car and you are a legend for saving its arse. I love where your heart is at and I wish you all the very best.

I'm really surprised Maxx Performance did the work after they noticed the sludge in your engine. That should of been a warning for them. Maybe something could have been done at that point to save you money. I feel bad for you mate, hopefully you can turn it round. Good luck.

This is the first time ive watched a video of yours but im definitely sticking around for the ride. I say full rebuild mate. Really enjoyed watching even though it was shithouse news. Good Luck with the mighty barra 👌

i hate fords! don,t know why i even started watching! but i gave u benefit of dout after your honesty in regards to mazda! i notice rolling medows im from diggers! maybe when my vl is done ill come find u! respect brother!

Good you exposed these types of dealers. I’m on the lookout for a basic BA XR6 or XR8 and I am only finding thrashed abused examples.

That colour isn't from being hot it's from not having regular oil changes. The fact that Max Performance didn't clean the cam cradles when they had them off is a bit off a worry and would be enough for me to never return. I've also seen plenty of fg's with rocker paint flaking like that. My brother has a 2010 turbo ute that he never services and it looks the same inside. Turbo oil feed was almost completely blocked had to use a pick to scrape out all the sludge. Turbo oil filter was the same. Just rebuild it so you know what you've got or you'll end up paying twice.

It seems like alot of falcon owners are willing to spend bucket loads on parts but not build the engine, I think it should always be the first thing on the list, before anything else

I have owned a mkii since almost new one of the gears on the timing chain let go, and needed an engine rebuild at 40k. I think it was the low gear check for wear, also if the motors start holding high RPM for longer than normal this is the VVT trying to compensate for the timing chain slippage. Also I have the same problem with the cam cover but I can tell you I have never overheated the motor and it gets vary regular service.

Interesting and informative video George. Out of interest I tried calling South Eastern Auto sales and got a 'This inbox is full' message - sounds a bit odd. Also the box on the right side of the general internet search screen indicates they are 'permanently closed'. Hmmm. Their ABN is stil active though. Did you try to get an independant assessment - such as from the RACQ to check the car - can't recall?

Damn bro that's bad luck. Rebuild the original motor. Will be worth more in the future

I'd pull the sump plug, drain the oil, pull cams out, diesel and a scrubbing brush, clean it all up, keep flushing it through, a flushing with diesel until nothing cruddy comes out any more. Put cams back in , new factory chain and guides etc. Fresh oil, I'd run it and change oil and filter every 1000klms up to 5000klms. If all goes well, and oil starts coming out fairly clean at 5k, keep it and drive it, if it actually fails, build it, if not happy days.

she'll be right mate, just rebuild it 1000HP+ Capable. You beauty a blessing in disguise.

shit buddy thats really sad, hope you get it sorted... build a motor... that way you know what you have and you can pull max.... stay strong its a beautiful car... Abu your south african fan

Wow ! What a saga. Your internals have been compromised through heat stress. If we're I , I would rebuild another engine. You know the history of this one. And it's sh1t.

just build a $250 gas engine you could pull 400+ easily with cams and a big snail

Good video George thanks for sharing.

Throw new acl bearing in with the calico costing and 360° thrust bearing. Had a similar situation after building my motor a heater hose popped off cooked the motor and oil the week before power cruise in qld last year to the point it started eating the bearings we changed bearings gave it two or three oil changes during the week to make sure all material was out and the I had fun at pc motor was still going strong till November last year when another side effect of cooking the motor cropped up which was blown head gasket that progressively got worse over time. I would look at getting a new head for yours as well given that one has been Cooked. When doing head studs also get the oversized washers as well.

Bro sry to hear this happened to you as it is a beautiful car. I believe it is in your best interest to rebuild the the original motor with some go fast bits of your desire as later on the car will still have it's matching numbered motor.. Just an opinion. I hope which ever decision you make you are happy with as they are our pride and joy.

tip for the future, if your gonna buy a car sight unseen id recomend a pre purchase. try find a reputable mecahnic within that area and get them to inspect it

love the new car man looks so good

Man this is fucking crazy. Remember I commented on another vid that I nearly bought the same car? I'm in south bris and legit was going to go look at it and the guys there wanted me to trade in my MK6 Golf R for it.. totally wild that I didn't pick it up before you.. I totally would have done them in under stat warranty though. I ended up paying a chunk more for a super clean 2014 FG XR6T in black, kinda wish I had a brighter colour though. Also got myself a Pulsar 3584rs but not yet fitted.. I'll keep the external gate in mind for mine..

Reckon I’ve seen you around haha, nice video bro!

Make sure to give the engine a clean down before re assembly as well and be sure to check all tolerances. Get your oil pump ported as well and a atomic high volume spring get xr6 turbo development gears and billet backing plate. Make sure those get tolerance check correctly as well.

Even here in Melb, 2nd hand falcons and commodores are ridiculously expensive nowadays. Especially the manual v8 ones. Most ones in good condition here are selling for at least $30-40k minimum.

What a Shame mate. Thanks for sharing your story if it was me I would rebuild it, best of luck buddy.

Yer good honest vid. Mate new motor looks like. But im no mechanic. Thanx n good luck. Be goin good after

Definite rebuild. The cost compared to peace of mind is nothing. You won’t have any more problems after that if done right

DUDE...you should have gotten a it independent inspection.. i brought from perth and got a guy to do a report and yes he found a few things to which i got the dealer to fix prior to shipping it.

Get a typhoon motor for it bro ,i loved my v8 fg one tonner ute 297kw at the rears with new extractors high flow cats and the the rest of the exhaust cold air intake and a flash tune and with the metal tray she didn't mind getting a bit loose in the ass end 😄 but total fun

Rebuild it as you wish to keep for the long haul, you can make it stronger and get even more power out of it. Its an investment!

Should had binned the engine as soon as you found about the sludge. Do a basic forged bottom end rebuild that will get you along for a long time.

Full rebuild, u two guys got it

100% do rods and pistons with a new timing kit with oil pump gears and head studs. I would have recommended a timing kit when doing valve springs as the broken guide would have been picked up then along with the leaking timing cover and sump. And that rocker cover seal kit is proper cooked. Those seals will be rock hard.

Love it boosting out in Mexico @ 13:00ish 👍🍻 don't give up on the standard block a lot of people have good plans for that engine just need someone in numbers game machining wise don't fuck with the numbers for future value!!

I’ve got a g6 2010 50 anniversary only on my red p’s can’t wait to turbo it. Love ya XR 50

Awesome video mate keep them coming and so shit when that happens it happened to me I got my GTSR from WA got all the way to Sydney and then wouldn’t start I was like I just paid 126k for a 🍋🍋🍋🤬 got it home and took it to get looked at and the injectors was to big 🤬 the W557 package are shit

Rebuild it if your keeping it for years. Good to keep matching numbers. If the car wasn't registered while it was up for sale then most likely the dealership never looked at it for rwc.

I'd get a second hand engine from a reputable seller where you can inspect it for the same sludge beforehand and rebuild that. I suspect to get rid of all that sludge is going to mean completely pulling the whole engine apart and replacing a whole bunch of internal parts as well.

I believe they are more thorough for roadworthy in VIC. Had a family friend buy a car sight unseen from NSW (they said the same thing all roadworthy etc) Well when that went in for inspection it failed miserably and she had to pay a similar amount that you have to get it roadworthy.

Rebuild and upgrade..... Very cool car mate.....

Darn. I know that feeling. Bought my ISF from a Toyota dealer in Sydney. Shipped to Brisbane. Supposed to have a 160 point safety / mechanical check, signed roadworthy etc. Got to Brisbane and a list of stuff 😡😡 With your car, you have a great base. I would rebuild your engine. That way you know what you have and can do it exactly how you want it done. A real pain financially but a nice build that is clean for a start will be a known quantity. I know that car yard. Bodgy Brothers 😡😡

It may be a lot better in the long run to do up your own engine to the specifications that you want. You also know how good everything inside the engine is and it should take a lot more punishment with out the risk of engine damage. It would definitely cost more but the value for money and extra KILOWATTS should make you a happier than the unknown content of a second hand engine. Doing your own engine with extra Kilowatts should also increase the resale value of the vehicle. Good luck and please put another video up when you get it up and running again.

Lived this experience myself. Did a rebuild in my windswept carport. Needs must. Got a cracking turbo tonner six speed bf manual from the factory, still matching numbers,but what a learning curve

Probably sold it by now . "A Turbo Barra man" Sol's Creations has some brilliant posts re the NA Car and motor , he installed a turbo to the engine that he stripped and rebuilt from scratch . Hope you can find his work on YT . Everything is as clean as an operating room in a hospital when he is working on it. Thanks for the laugh with your friend on the crow bar....a mirror image of myself getting the front plate off to get to the timing settings for the first time .

Rebuild the existing engine, numbers matching. Complete strip to bare block and head. Get the block and head crack tested, given the signs of overheating. You already know what power you want at the rear wheels. Source rebuild parts, including oil pump and oil pick up, from a well regarded build shop that specialises in those engines. Maybe get them to do the head rebuild including polishing the combustion chambers etc. Costs you more up front but less dramas down the track and you retain numbers matching. Not to mention you end up with a cracking fast car that's reliable. Would like to see an update on the end result. Cheers

great video mate, I tell you what though, Im absolutely shocked that the tuning house that did the modifications continued with the sludge in that state, they should have called you before commencing any modifications and asked you to collect the car and have it sorted out. TBH I wouldn't blame the car yard, they wouldnt have known, however a pre mechanical inspection would have been beneficial.

Barra’s pretty easy to get hold of I wouid think. Or strip down the long block and rebuild?

You’re lucky it didn’t actually jump teeth on the timing chain, can’t believe that didn’t happen. Happened to me on my 2010 G6ET and had 3 bent valves 😭 Couldn’t recommend upgraded timing chain guides highly enough, as serious as the flex plate dilemmas

The moment I heard flakes/shavings in the oil my heart sank, that really sucks dude I'm sorry. Seeing a motor rebuild with upgrades would kind of round out what you've already started working on with the mods so far!

Build one man, Sounding like you had a similar story to my lump aha. Sorry to hear

crap to hear man, stuff happens, i’d try to find a turbo motor, throw it in and start from there, it’s like taking a step backwards but at least it will be solid 👍🏼

As someone who rebuilt a barra and has some form of engine experience but is definitely no expert. It's definitely achievable. But I'm also on my 2nd rebuild now. It's easy to rebuild an engine. But it's even easier tk make a mistake or over look something. It's cost me close to 7 or 8k now in rebuilds. And I'm still using stock rotating assy. Just my 2c of caution ⚠️ 😌

Love the colour.

You could just go a quickie gas swap, fb market place, $500, keep boost low,just to get it back on the road, then do freshy on the original motor, strip it, hot tank, hone, new bearings, reseal kit reassemble, paint job. Depending on your power can go rods and pistons for couple k more,motors half built already with the pump gears and springs, add the rods n pistons about sorted up too 800-1000hp then. Also, guys taking the cam bridges off and putting them back on covered in shit is a bit rough..

Good vid. Go for a rebuild on the engine.

I had same experience with a yard in Vic. Cost me more then 15k all together over the years fixing

I was in the same situation a few years ago, i went with the cheap kunt option and got a low km territory engine for $500, swapped the oil pick up over, machined the sump for the oil return line from the turbo, tuned it for 98 and it was all good. made 350@wheels but it was a conservative tune to try n save the btr... Didn't work haha. gone thru 2 of em now

Ah what a spew bro, such a shame man, still a very nice car though, I reckon take your time on this one and rebuild it yourself, forged bottom end, chuck a couple of atomic cams into it, and an atomic head, to match your stage 4 mods, Then retune and dyno with a zf box edit tune to support all your engine mods. But whatever you decide bro I'm sure it's gonna turn out sick! 🤙

Build your engine then you insure quality control. No regrets when you're done. I'm inclined to keep my SV6 manual 6 speed now, I reckon in time tgey will be sought after...maybe lol

DO A FGX!!!! Would love to watch you do a Ford XR6 fgxt

Thanks for sharing the story very interesting but terrible news.