Repost: 1985 Merkur XR4Ti with a naturally aspirated Lexus 1UZ-FE V8

This story starts with an all too common beginning, with someone wanting and obtaining an XR4Ti, but wanting more "push you into the seat" acceleration from the front-engined, rear wheel drive, coupe platform. While the 2.3Turbo Lima-block-based platform can be improved over stock with not a lot of effort and parts, that won't give you "eyeballs pushed into the back of your head" acceleration. Engine swaps are a common conversation, most frequently with the Ford 302/5.0, but some people have tackled more exotic power plants like the always suggested LS, to Ford 2.3l Duratec and others. 

1985 Merkur XR4Ti with a Lexus V8

Reposted from: https://www.engineswapdepot.com/?p=2911

Craig Thommes had always wanted a Merkur XR4Ti and found one in good condition in Arizona 10 years ago. The factory 2.3 L turbo Lima inline-four was worn out so he rebuilt one with more power. Eventually Craig grew to want more power and dependability as a daily driver.

Craig turned to Jake Reed to work on the solution. Jake has a lot of experience working with the Lexus 1UZ-FE V8 and once the team realized it would fit, it only took Craig one look at the 1UZ power band to decide. To get the engine to work Jake had to make a custom oil pan and custom mounts for the motor, transmission, radiator and fans. He was also able to get the Merkur automatic shifter to work with the Lexus A340E automatic transmission.

This car was intended to be daily driven so everything had to run with factory dependability. That required a lot of wiring by Craig to make sure everything works as it should. He also kept the air conditioning because no one wants to sweat on their drive into work in the summer. A Lexus SC400 cluster was installed which gave the dash a factory look and allowed all car’s vitals to be monitored by the driver.

Another goal was for the car to pass all California emission tests. Craig was happy to find it passed easily and now sports a window sticker by the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board.

Throwback: David Godfrey's Rear Disc Brake Conversion with Thunderbird Rotors, Calipers

David Godfrey's XR4Ti Rear Disc Brake Conversion

David Godfrey is somewhat of a legend in the XR4Ti circles. He was one of the first to figure out a bigger front disc brake option using off the shelf discs, as well as a rear disc brake conversion. 

David no longer makes this and his site is no longer maintained, or even available. I pulled this out of the Internet archives to give it a new place to live, so people can see it, and hopefully start making them again some day. 

Chris

PS - there are better options out there today, though. Mainly in Tim Spencer's Ford Focus 280mm/11" rotor and compatible calipers. I'll get links and information out here on that as well.

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Thanks for your interest in the rear disc conversion brackets I offer. In the past I have provided a copy of the instructions that were included in the Stainless Steel Brake Company's rear disc conversion kit. These instructions are sufficient if you are installing SSBC's complete kit, but more info is needed for the D.I.Y. types. Also, the parking brake cable routing and connection is a bit of a pain to work out even if the SSBC kit is used. Hopefully the info provided will be sufficient to allow for an easy and trouble free installation.
 

Rotors
The cheapest rotors to use come from the rear end of a 87-88 Turbo Coupe. These rotors are not perfectly hubcentric on the XR hubs can be made to work just fine by carefully centering the rotor before tightening the wheel or making a .020 thick shim (using shim stock) .2" wide x 7.50" long and placing this shim between the hub and rotor. SSBC will not tell if the rotors in their kit are standard TC or specially machined TC items with a smaller hole to make it hubcentric. Not a big deal anyway.


Calipers
Rear calipers from an 87-88 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe or 90-92 Lincoln, Taurus, or Sable will fit the brackets that I supply. The interchange manual does not show an alternate listing for the Turbo Coupe calipers but the Lincoln, Taurus and Sable calipers are the same.

Before you buy rebuilt calipers check and make sure of what is included. The local parts stores list rebuilt rear calipers as "loaded", "unloaded" and "semi loaded". Loaded calipers refer to calipers coming with brake pads and unloaded calipers do not. I was not given a specific answer as to what "semi loaded" means. One guy said it comes with hardware but could not tell me what the hardware was.  I asked if the rebuilt caliper included the factory sliding pin mounting bracket and was told it does. When I looked at the caliper they had in stock the bracket was not included. I have run into this before on the SVT/T-bird front brake conversion. If you get rebuilt calipers make sure you ask for "rebuilt calipers, loaded, with brackets". This should ensure you get the entire caliper assembly.

Complete Brake Warehouse (800-581-2339, ask for Brian) understands the terminology and has the complete caliper assemblies in stock. Core charge for this caliper is high and typically runs around $75 each. It pays to go scrounging junkyards for either good rear caliper assemblies or cheap cores.


Brake hoses
I looked at various ways to connect the Merkur XR4Ti hard line to the T-bird calipers and settled on a pre-made stainless steel brake hose, part number 3-21-S-B, from Pegasus Racing (800-688-6946).  The hoses have crimped on ends and are pressure tested to 3K PSI. Brake line adapters, part number 3265-16 (also from Pegasus Racing), are required to go from the XR 10mm flare nut to a -3 AN male fitting.  These parts from Pegasus are cheaper than braided steel XR brake hoses. The stock XR flex hoses and the hard lines attached to the rear trailing arm are discarded. Another source for these is Transatlantic Racing  (770-889-0499, ask for Paul). A description is listed below. Transatlantic will get the hoses quickly if they do not have them in stock. Pegasus will not and will call, maybe, when/if they get them.

Note that the caliper has a unique to Ford 10mm x 1.5 thread pitch banjo bolt thread. If you get your calipers from a junkyard make sure you get the banjo bolts also. CBW has the correct banjo bolts listed under part number H9469 at a cost of $6.60 for 4 pieces.


Caliper brackets
The adapters are CNC machined from 1018 series steel and allow the T-bird caliper to be bolted to the XR swing arm.


Parking brake
In the installation instructions below is a description of how to route the parking brake using the stock XR brake cables.


Installation
This is a bolt on installation and the parts install just as easily as the standard XR brakes.

Loosen the wheel flange retaining nut before jacking the car up. Note that the driver's side retaining nut comes off turning clockwise. Then remove the wheel, brake drum, and wheel flange and disconnect the brake line.  Remove the 4 bolts that hold the bearing hub to the trailing arm and then remove the hub and backing plate. Squeeze the 3 prongs on the parking brake cable where it protrudes through the backing plate and remove the cable.

Install the conversion brackets with the caliper mounting holes at the 11 o-clock position on the passenger's side and the 1 o-clock position on the driver's side. Re-install the bearing hub using the stock bolts. Place the wheel flange on the splines and sung down the retaining bolt. At this time you can install the rotor and caliper. Note that the RH caliper is used on the LH side of your XR and the LH caliper is used on the RH side. When installed the parking brake lever should be facing slightly up and forward. The calipers bolt to the brackets with 12mm x 1.75  x  25mm long bolts (now supplied).

The Merkur XR4Ti brake cable can be modified to work with the Turbo Coupe type calipers without using additional brackets.
The brake cable is routed through a hole and grommet on the rear subframe and then secured with a fold over clip on the trailing arm close to the wheel. Remove the cable from the clip and then from the grommet Route the cable back toward the caliper but this time run it between the subframe and body.  After making sure the parking brake handle is in the down position cut the passenger side inner cable wire about 5" in front of the cable mounting clip on the inside of the drive shaft tunnel. Pull the inner cable from the housing and remove the spring from the end of the cable. Re-insert the inner cable in the housing. Remove the driver's side cable and then the spring. Re-insert the cable in the housing and then route it between the sub frame and the body and then around the anchor on the parking brake handle. Position the cable adjuster about 3" from the end of the cable.

Insert the caliper end of the cable through the anchor on the caliper and connect the inner cable to the parking brake lever.  Pull all the slack from the cables and let the ends overlap. Cut the end of the driver's side cable (the end running to the rear) so there is about 3" of overlap. Strip 3" of the plastic covering from the end of each inner wire and splice the together using at least 2 wire rope clips for 1/8" cable. These clips consist of a small U-bolt and saddle and are designed to splice cable together. They can be bought at home supply stores. Tighten the snot out of the clips and then pull hard on the parking brake handle to make sure they do not slip.

An alternative way to make the cables work without cutting is to work the springs from the ends of the cable and make up the length difference by forming the cable in a loop and then securing the loop with the wire rope clamps.
  

Parking Brake Cable U-bolt Splice

  

Parking Brake Cable View

Parking Brake Cable, Brake Hose, Bracket, & Caliper

Remove the brake flex hose that goes from the body to the trailing arm as well as the hard line that went to the wheel cylinder. Install the brake adapter fitting on the end brake line on the body. Connect the brake line to the adapter and the banjo end of the line to the caliper using the correct banjo bolts and copper sealing washers.

Rear Brake Hose Routing

Remove the stock proportioning valve and replace it with a length of tubing connecting the master cylinder port directly to the rear brake line. The fittings on the hose are kinda odd so it might be hard to match up. Some have used an after market proportioning valve with success. Perhaps the easiest thing to do is pull the guts from the stock proportioning valve. This is easy to do and works well.  Use the dust shields if you want, but I left them off.

Finished Rear Brake Conversion

Required parts
Item                                              Part Number/Application            Quantity        Source
rear brake adapter brackets                                                                   2                      me!

Turbo Coupe rotor                        87-88     Turbo Coupe                     2

rear caliper                                    87-88 Turbo coupe, 90-92              2                     varies
                                                        Lincoln, Taurus & Sable

Banjo bolt                                       stock Ford or CBW #H9469           2                    varies

brake hose                                     3-21-S-B                                           2            Pegasus Racing
                                                        18" long, -3 AN to 10mm (3.8) banjo         Transatlantic Racing

hose adapter                                  3265-16                                            2             Pegasus Racing
                                                          -3AN to 10mm male                                   Transatlantic Racing

copper crush washers                   3241-3/8                                           4             Pegasus Racing

Throwback: David Godfrey's 94 Thunderbird Master Cylinder Upgrade for XR4Ti

David Godfrey's '94 Ford Thunderbird Master Cylinder Upgrade

David Godfrey is somewhat of a legend in the XR4Ti circles. He was one of the first to figure out a bigger front disc brake option using off the shelf discs, as well as a rear disc brake conversion. He also figured out that the 94 T-bird master was a better option for XR4Ti brakes than, certainly, the early '85-'86 master, and even the improved '87-'89 master.

David no longer makes this and his site is no longer maintained, or even available. I pulled this out of the Internet archives to give it a new place to live, so people can see it, and hopefully start making them again some day. 

Chris

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David has developed a master cylinder upgrade for the Merkur XR4Ti that utilizes a lighter and less expensive unit from a 94 T-Bird.  Regarding the master cylinder, David writes:

"I wanted to find one with a bigger diameter piston bore if possible as well as a lighter one since the XR cylinder is cast iron. Never liked the XR cylinder as it is heavy and expensive.  Ended up using a cylinder from a 94 T-bird, non-ABS with a 4.6.  The T-Bird cylinder has a 1.062 in bore vs. the XR's 1.00 in. "

Below are some photos highlighting this modification:

94 T-Bird Master Cylinder with adapter plate installed - View 1

94 T-Bird Master Cylinder with adapter plate installed - View 2

Master Cylinder on brake booster - View 1

Master Cylinder installed on brake booster - View 2

Master Cylinder adapter plate and hardware

"The only trick part is the "slug" that goes in the end cylinder where the booster push rod presses on the end of the piston. The slug makes up the difference caused by the adapter plate and the interface between the XR booster and T-bird cylinder."

Master Cylinder adapter kit "slug"

"The brake lines need to be changed as the XR had two ports for the front line where the t-bird only has one. This worked out in my favor as I want to install a line lock (for drag race burnouts) and I need one line common to both front wheels to do this. The rear line was going to be changed anyway since the stock proportioning valve was going to be removed."

So, you want to buy and install Euro Ford Sierra Mk1 Lucas/Cibie headlights in your Merkur XR4Ti

Soon after buying my first XR4Ti (in the header picture of this blog), I noticed how good the European headlights looked on Ford Sierras, and, when properly fitted, how great they look on the XR4Ti. Here's an example found on the Internet. Based on this, I started my investigation into what it would take to obtain and install them.

First, the differences between XR4Ti and Sierra headlights

The Merkur XR4Ti had adequate headlights when this 30+ year old car was new, using classic incandescent bulbs with deep reflectors to throw light ahead of the car. The XR4Ti also had fairly useless, separate, inboard light pods that were turned on with the parking lights, serving as sort of daytime running lights, given that concept was just getting legs in the late 80s when these cars came out.

The XR4Ti's European cousin, the Ford Sierra, received large, one-piece headlight/driving light units, with glass faces. Not all Sierra headlights are created equal however, which I'll get to in a minute.

Second, what I learned from looking at two sets of Euro lights

There are two manufacturers of Ford Sierra headlights: Lucas and Cibie. 

I have one pair of Cibie housings that came already fitted on a car I bought, and I have one pair of Lucas housings that I bought separately, with the intention of installing them on my original XR4Ti. 

Here's what I think are the differences, based on looking at two separate sets of lights. 

Lucas:

• originally made for right hand drive (RHD) markets, namely the UK
• originally available in a wide range of Ford Sierras, from estates, saloons, and 3dr coupes
• has "city lights" provision, for a 194 blade-style bulb
• driving lights (inboard "high beams") were optional (if equipped, you'll see an twist opening on the top to allow for placing/replacing the H3 bulb)
• Plastic reflectors, for both driving lights and main lights
• Black, wide steel hold down clips for the front glass
• Uses H4 bulbs in the main lights
• Connectors allow for turning of each of the lights individually, where/when equipped

Cibie:

• originally made for left hand drive (LHD) markets, many European countries, and Argentina
• originally available in  Ford Sierras, also presumably for estates, saloons and 3dr coupes
• has "city lights" provision, for a 194 blade-style bulb
• driving lights (inboard "high beams"), takes a very small H3 bulb with one wire
• Metal reflectors, for both driving lights and main lights
• Bare, smaller steel hold down clips for the front glass
• Uses H4 bulbs in the main lights
• Connectors allow for turning each of the lights on individually; city lights, low and high beams on main bulb have their own trigger, driving lights

Common:

• Same lighting connector, although pins may be missing if no driving or city light options on the housing
• Same mounting, three bolts on the top, one bracket on the bottom
• Both Cibie and Lucas left-hand (driver's side in the US) main light reflectors have lost their chrome. I assume this was from sins of the past, cooking the reflectors with high wattage bulbs. Another reason to switch to LEDs. 

Third: Wiring for the XR4Ti, for LEDs

The XR4Ti has two relevant sets of wires on each side of the car, to run the forward-facing lights you use to drive.

1) headlights - XR4Ti uses a 3 wire socket to hold the main hi/lo bulb. Mine were yellow, white and brown (ground).

2) inboard "city"/DRL lights - XR4Ti uses a pair of wires for this, one grey/red (12v, on with parking lights), one brown (ground).

The XR4Ti wiring and headlight switch worked well enough for the stock lighting, with one high/low bulb. Average bulbs, average lighting for the 80s. They didn't plan, however, for this wiring and the headlight stalk to run more than one high wattage bulb, common in the Euro headlights. 

Euro lights = 55W low; H4 high 60/55W. (H83 Hella = 85W, off road only.)

XR = 9004, 65/45W. (9004 Off-road only, 100W/80).

Looking at the other articles (here and here), they were written 10-15 years ago. They all reference using power directly from the battery, and using the factory headlight wiring to run relays, allowing you to drive the most power directly to the lights. In 202x, we can benefit from low power, high brightness LED bulbs in every shape and form factor. 

So...you don’t need relays and extra wiring to run LEDs. If you still have the super helpful factory “convenience computer”, you may need to wire in resistors to keep the computer and the display happy. 

Euro Lamp Socket (TOP)

• City Lamp (18ga, grey) --> to have them turn on with parking lights, use factory b/grey (driver side), r/grey (passenger side) from smaller running lamp inboard of original headlamp. For the factory brown wire that runs with each, run the brown to a ground. This solved a dim light issue on my XR.
• High Beam (14ga, yellow) --> factory white
• Low Beam (14ga, white) --> factory yellow
• Driving Light (14ga, yellow) --> either, factory white, or separate switch
• Ground (16ga, brown) --> use factory brown ground wire

Other Headlight Options:

1987-1993 Ford Mustang housings are bolt-in replacements for the factory XR4Ti headlight housing, which retains the stock inboard running lights. 

Chevy Silverado (year?) housings have also been used.

Throwback: David Godfrey's Manual Clutch Adjuster

DAVID GODFREY'S MANUAL CLUTCH ADJUSTER

David Godfrey is somewhat of a legend in the XR4Ti circles. He was one of the first to figure out a bigger front disc brake option using off the shelf discs, as well as a rear disc brake conversion. The clutch adjuster is one of his creations that is still highly desired. This helps preserve the plastic quadrant the clutch cable rides which is prone to break, given the repeated tension the piece is under while being actuated dozens of times every time the car is driven.

David no longer makes this and his site is no longer maintained, or even available. I pulled this out of the Internet archives to give it a new place to live, so people can see it, and hopefully start making them again some day. Last time I saw them being sold they were $120-150/ea.

Chris

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Thanks for your interest in the Merkur XR4Ti manual clutch adjuster. I have been working on this project for some time and have developed a product that will allow for the clutch release point to be manually adjusted. Benefits of this are cleaner engagement of gears, quicker shifting, and elimination of the failure prone ratchet adjustment mechanism.

 

Important to the design is to come up with an adjuster that would work for both T-5 and T-9 transmissions and either the XR4Ti or Mustang clutch cable. I can easily come up with a one off solution to fit my car, but when a design has to fit multiple configurations and be installed by a typical XR owner (whatever that is!) the constraints get a lot tougher.

 

The manual clutch adjuster works by rotating the cable cam through it range of motion. Slight modification is required to the cam and an existing hole in the clutch pedal needs to be enlarged for the adjustment screw. These are simple mods that can be done by that "average" Merkur XR4Ti owner.

 

A few years ago I conducted a survey on the IMON list of clutch quadrant failures. Of the 30 something reply's I got only one person had a failure of the cable cam. All other failures were either the ratchet teeth or the spring. The pedal mounted adjuster can use the cable cam even if it is stripped.

Contents of the clutch adjuster kit are:

CNC machined aluminum Clutch Pivot assembly

Pivot trunion assembly with set screw

Pedal trunion

Adjustment Rod

Spacer

Lock Nut

 
 

 

Installation instructions

The clutch pedal needs to be removed to install the clutch adjuster. The best way to do this is to remove the whole pedal assembly from the car. This task sounds a lot worse than it is.

Begin by removing the sound deadener panel, lower steering column cover, and lower dash from the drivers side. Release the clutch cable by pulling up on the pedal to disengage the ratchet. The end of the cable can then be pulled from the cable cam. From under the hood pull the cable from the guide tube. The hardest part is now over! 

Remove the spring clip from the end of the brake booster rod where it comes through the brake pedal. Remove the connector from the brake light switch or the entire switch by twisting it 90 degrees and pulling it from the bracket. If you XR has cruise control disconnect the hose to the vacuum switches.

With the above done the pedal assembly is ready to unbolt and remove. There are two 17mm nuts where the pedal bracket meets the firewall. You will have to pull the carpet back to see them. Remove the nuts and flat washers. There is a 12mm-headed bolt going up from the pedal bracket to the dash support structure. Remove this bolt and the pedal assembly can be removed. With the clutch pedal assembly out make sure the nylon bushing on the end of the brake rod does not fall off and get lost.
 
 

STOCK PEDAL ASSEMBLY

 

With the pedal bracket out you can see a big hair pin type clip that holds the clutch pedal on the shaft. Remove this clip and the two nuts that hold the guide tube to the pedal bracket. You can now remove the pedal from the shaft.

Remove the clip from the end of the rod that holds the ratchet in place. Remove the rod, ratchet, and ratchet mousetrap spring. Disconnect the large spring to the cable cam and discard. Remove the cable cam from the pedal.

 
 

CLUTCH PEDAL, GUIDE TUBE, CLIP

PARTS REMOVED FROM CLUTCH PEDAL

Using a hacksaw, sharp knife, or side cutters, remove the tab from the end on the cam as shown in the picture. Make sure the tab is completely removed and flush with the flat surface.
 
 

STOCK CABLE CAM

MODIFIED CABLE CAM

Place the clutch pivot on the cam and press the pre-installed roll pin in place. The cam is now ready for installation. The roll pin can easily be pressed into place using a bench vise or channel lock type pliers.
 
 

CAM WITH CLUTCH PIVOT INSTALLED

The pedal needs to be modified so the adjustment rod can be installed. There is a small slot on the front of the pedal near the pivot. Drill the slot out with a 1/2" drill. It was easier to drill the hole if the slot is made somewhat round by using a rat-tail file. When the drill is through the pedal rotate it slightly up to elongate the hole. Remove any burrs with a round file. The spacer needs to fit in the hole and be able to rock up slightly.
 
 

SLOT IN CLUTCH PEDAL

DRILL OUT SLOT TO 1/2"

 

ROTATE DRILL UP AS SHOWN

Place the adjustment rod through the spacer and then through the hole in the pedal. Thread the pedal trunion on the adjustment rod with the flat side of the trunion facing away from the pedal. 
 
 

ADJUSTMENT ROD, LOCK NUT, SPACER, & PEDAL TRUNION INSTALLED

Place the pivot trunion in the clutch pivot. Place the cam in place on the pedal and turn the adjustment screw in until the end engages the pivot trunion. Snug up the set screw using a 1/16" Allen wrench to engage the groove in the end of the adjuster. The set screw does not need to be tightened down on the adjuster, but just engage the slot to keep the adjustment rod captive to pivot trunion.
 
 

MODIFIED CAM & ADJUSTER INSTALLED

PEDAL RE-INSTALLED ON BRACKET

Place the pedal assy on the shaft and install the guide tube and the big hairpin clip making sure the clip is fully seated in the groove on the shaft. The shaft is spring loaded so it can be pressed out to make putting the clip in place easier. Install the clip before tightening the nuts on the cable guide tube. Turn the adjustment screw rotating the cam to the forward position.

And now, the most famous instruction, "installation is the reversal of removal."

With the cam rotated all the way forward (adjuster rod fully extended from the pedal) place the clutch cable through the guide tube and hook the end over the cable cam. Turn the adjuster screw to tighten the cable and set the release point. When satisfied with the adjustment tighten down the lock nut making sure the spacer is properly engaged in the pedal trunion. Install the lower dash and other parts. Once installed the clutch adjuster can easily be reached from the foot well area.

XR4Ti Steering Racks, The Definitive Guide

Given these cars are 30+ years old, the seals in the steering rack tend to go bad. And/or the plastic boots crumble, leading to contamination of the rack and fluid, destroying the seals. Based on that, you're likely going to have to deal with some steering rack issues, regardless. You may also want to change the rack, or how it works, depending on your situation. For example, there are options for powering the rack hydraulics, such as Electrohydraulic Power Steering (EHPS) pumps from several manufacturers. I'm putting together another post for the known options there.

The XR4Ti came with two steering racks as standard, the TRW early on, and switching to the ZF for most of the production timeline of the car. Given these cars are 30+ years old, power steering rack seals and boots tend to fail, so knowing the rack is probably a good idea. 

TRW

Model years: 1985 - mid-1986
Lock-to-lock (L2L): 2.7 turns (According to what I assume is specs released early in the production of the XR4Ti, the rack was 3.6 turns, https://www.carfolio.com/merkur-xr4ti-99077?car=99077). 
Suitability: average driving, cruising

Note: Identifiable by a smooth surface on the rack housing. 

Note: Interchangeable with the ZF rack.

ZF

Model years: mid-1986 - 1989
Lock-to-lock (L2L) : 2.7 turns

Suitability: average driving, cruising, racing

Note: Identifiable by the waffle pattern on the rack housing.

Note: Interchangeable with the TRW rack.

Manual Steering Rack Conversion

Manual racks are desirable for road racing and drifting since you're aggressively turning the wheel and working the rack. These racks were never designed to take the abuse a rack will receive on a race track, especially drifting. 

Manual racks aren't desirable for a daily driver because you're having to do all the work yourself at slow speeds. Makes you realize just how heavy a car can be. 

A manual rack does simplify the engine bay by removing a pump and the belt(s) that run it. Looks great!

If you're going to run a manual rack, beef up the rag joint and steering shaft mounts, since they weren't designed to take the abuse of non-power steering forces on them.

Manual racks are not recommended if you're rally racing.

How to Order a New ZF rack at AutoZone (as of 2008):

AutoZone was $139.00, Advance Auto was $350.

"For example, the way to get the ZF rack from Autozone is to have the sales person phone ATSCO at the time you place the order. I had no problem getting them to do this. The Autozone sales person should tell ATSCO they want the Type 2 ZF rack. ATSCO will then link the order and the rack type to the PO# which Autozone also supplies.

ZF Rack: ATSCO p/n 6441 Type 2 $139.99 + $90 core

TRW Rack: ATSCO p/n 6441 Type 1 $139.99 + $90 core"

Note: Oreilly brand is A1 CARDONE part no 26-1921

Steering Rack Bushings

Stock, the XR4Ti comes with rubber bushings in the rack. You might be able to get poly or solid aluminum bushings, depending on timing and vendors:

MC2 Racing, a site by avid autocrosser Chris Grayson, has had poly and aluminum steering rack bushings available from time to time, but now recommends nylon steering rack bushings, available here. 

Steering Rack Fluid Cooling

You can use power steering coolers, akin to automatic transmission fluid coolers, purchased from many places, but Summit Racing as them for $25 (Item DER-13200). 

Steering Rack Rebuilds

You can get XR4Ti steering rack rebuild kits from: Power Steering Rebuild Kits, XR4Ti TRW Rack Kit, XR4Ti ZF Rack Kit

The size of the rack end seals (2 required) for the TRW rack are: 24-33-7 referring to the inner diameter, outer diameter, and thickness, respectively, in millimeters. Most industrial/pneumatic supply houses can provide these if you're inclined to just replace the end seals on the existing, early rack.

Other options

Ford Sierra (European) Manual Rack: 

Model years: unknown, all Ford Sierra's with non-power steering

Lock-to-lock (L2L) : 3.75+ Turns 

Suitability: average driving, cruising

Where to buy: http://www.kellybraysteering.co.uk/pages/manual_steering_racks_12938.cfm 

Requires manual steering shaft, European part: https://www.motomobil.com/en/products/steering-idler-shaft-not-for-power-steering-not-4wd-lhd-60959030-1 

 

Aftermarket Ford Sierra (European) Manual "Quick" Rack: 

Model years: aftermarket only.

Lock-to-lock (L2L) : 2.7 Turns

Suitability: racing, right hand drive (RHD) only.

Where to buy: http://www.kellybraysteering.co.uk/pages/manual_steering_racks_12938.cfm 

Requires manual steering shaft, European part: https://www.motomobil.com/en/products/steering-idler-shaft-not-for-power-steering-not-4wd-lhd-60959030-1 

Throwback: Ford Sierra Euro Headlight/Lamp Wiring for the XR4Ti (old article)

This was originally distributed as a file called litewiring.bmp through the IMON mailing list. I searched for it and couldn't find it, so I recreated it here, as well as attached the scan, of the copy, of the printout, of the attachment from the email. I'm about to do this myself, so I'm going to take this, as well as what's out on merkurencyclopedia.com and combine them into a new article.

Dec 2020 update: Here is what I did in a new 23turbo article.

Chris