fiestaturbo.com

[Excursion]

I'm going to start stripping my Orion 1.8 LX in the next few days because it had excellent gearing and I want it back in, so I'll let you know what's in that. Spent ages trying to find another box the same without any success Much nicer ratios than the XR2i and RS1800 boxes though!

Get an iB5 if you can, much nicer changes and a fair bit stronger than the old BC

[Smo]

Trying to find one is going to be a nightmare though! And is there any obvious way of telling the difference between an uprated BC box (like what I've got already) and an iB5? And you reckon the GTi/Si boxes are a bit short? Or is that just 5th? I should probably have bought that diseasal box off you when you offered

I really like the ratios of my old Orion box I had when I fitted the engine, I just think a diff bearing has gone... But now you make me think that may be an iB5 will last me. Nothing else seems to

Edit: Just noticed that I said I'm stripping my old Orion 1.8 LX - that was meant to be Orion 1.8 LX gearbox!

[Excursion]

Nicely done....oooh i'd love to have a pile of new parts like that to put on my car.

What colour is it? it looks black but then it almost looks like a really dark metallic brown kind of colour.

Colour is Aubergine

[Excursion]

Trying to find one is going to be a nightmare though! And is there any obvious way of telling the difference between an uprated BC box (like what I've got already) and an iB5? And you reckon the GTi/Si boxes are a bit short? Or is that just 5th? I should probably have bought that diseasal box off you when you offered

I really like the ratios of my old Orion box I had when I fitted the engine, I just think a diff bearing has gone... But now you make me think that may be an iB5 will last me. Nothing else seems to

Edit: Just noticed that I said I'm stripping my old Orion 1.8 LX - that was meant to be Orion 1.8 LX gearbox!

iB5 bellhousing is easy to spot, look at the top profile in my image. One of the major weak points of the BC 'box is case flex. the iB5 bellhousing was redesigned to negate this as much as possible. The later revisions took webbing to an extreme! iB5's are easy enough to find.

There is no such thing as an 'uprated' BC gearbox in terms of bearings and synchros. The later BC 'boxes had 8 diff bolts as apposed to the earlier 6, but this doesn't really help reliability - just torque handling (to a point!).

[Smo]

Ah OK! Cheers for that, Mark

Reason I called what I have an uprated BC box was because, as far as I was aware, it was the later BC gearbox that had larger diff bearings? But may be I'm wrong! Thanks again, though, you're such a helpful person

[Excursion]

Reason I called what I have an uprated BC box was because, as far as I was aware, it was the later BC gearbox that had larger diff bearings? But may be I'm wrong!

Nope, not the case.

Thanks again, though, you're such a helpful person

You're pretty hot TBH.

[Smo]

Thanks again, though, you're such a helpful person

You're pretty hot TBH.

Thanks

[~nomad~]

excuse my ignorance. the series 2 box in mine is a BC then?

[Excursion]

Yes mate

[~nomad~]

yeah mate! sorted! yeah!

[jonyb4]

lol them boxes om the left, the Ib5's are both fiesta mk4/5, Ka or puma boxes

The original Zetec Mk3's had a twin tube down pipe but this was discontinued due to problems and replaced in 1993 with the more familiar single tube item.

i can support that, the one i took off a mk5 escort 1.8 zetec had twin downpipes that merged into one under the sump

[Max M4X WW]

Great thread, Great car and project!

Mark, The gearbox in my car is a CTS 2+ box out of an ERST, will fiesta driveshafts fit this?

When we removed it from the ERST we struggled to separate the shafts from the CV's (to retain oil) and in the end just removed the whole lot. We thought this was due to different driveshaft design on the earlier car but both have no idea about these things. Just trying to work out what shafts I need!

Cheers

[rs220bhp]

Great thread, Great car and project!

Mark, The gearbox in my car is a CTS 2+ box out of an ERST, will fiesta driveshafts fit this?

When we removed it from the ERST we struggled to separate the shafts from the CV's (to retain oil) and in the end just removed the whole lot. We thought this was due to different driveshaft design on the earlier car but both have no idea about these things. Just trying to work out what shafts I need!

Cheers

Yeah they will, BC and IB5 boxes will take a fiesta input cv joint

[Excursion]

Guide: Puma Gear Linkage Conversion http://www.mwstewart.co.uk/articles/pumalinkage/

[Dazza]

Mark, I scanned this topic and will read it correctly later but what bhp has this got with the new manifold? What do you plan doing with the car?

[muz]

There is no such thing as an 'uprated' BC gearbox in terms of bearings and synchros. The later BC 'boxes had 8 diff bolts as apposed to the earlier 6, but this doesn't really help reliability - just torque handling (to a point!).

Doesn't an IB5 have larger mainshaft bearings than a BC box though which is a common conversion on BC boxes by companies such as CTS? On my BC box you can see inside where the casing has been machined for larger bearings.

[Excursion]

Doesn't an IB5 have larger mainshaft bearings than a BC box though which is a common conversion on BC boxes by companies such as CTS? On my BC box you can see inside where the casing has been machined for larger bearings.

That is true for the after market. Ford never did this, though. Uprated bearings in the older case will only provide so much strength as the real problem is case flex under power which puts the bearings out of alignment.

[muz]

Ahh I see Mark. Makes sence now. Is there anything that can be done about case flex? Like some sort of home-made brace?

[Excursion]

Ahh I see Mark. Makes sence now. Is there anything that can be done about case flex? Like some sort of home-made brace?

Not really mate, the entire case twists so there's not really one area you can concentrate on. An iB5 is your best bet and there are plenty with the Escort centre housings. You could sell your CTS box for a fortune, pick up an iB5 for £25 and be no worse off, unless you had an LSD in which case that can be swapped across

[muz]

It's got a full Quaife straight cut gear set so want to keep it really

If I do change the box I will go down the MTX route

[Excursion]

It's got a full Quaife straight cut gear set so want to keep it really

If I do change the box I will go down the MTX route

Fair enough, you could always re-case it at some point

MTX is a good 'box, slight design flaw with 3rd gear as it doesn't get lubricated as well as the rest - always use Ford oil

[jonyb4]

man you know your stuff with boxes, any particular reason? like a engineer at quaife or something?

[MotorcyclesFish]

man you know your stuff with boxes, any particular reason? like a engineer at quaife or something?

He's slept with about 40% of the ford product development team at one time or another during the heady early days of jumpstyle scooter raving. It just goes to show you should always stay in touch even if you think they might be pregnant.

[Ruishy1]

man you know your stuff with boxes, any particular reason? like a engineer at quaife or something?

He's slept with about 40% of the ford product development team at one time or another during the heady early days of jumpstyle scooter raving. It just goes to show you should always stay in touch even if you think they might be pregnant.

[Excursion]

I regret buying this; I can't just buy a car and leave it 'as is'. It's taken up too much time! Current works are:

• New Ford doors
• New Ford tailgate
• New Ford rear quarters
• New Ford Bonnet
• Front Wings
• Front Valance

The shell is good, one of the better ones I've seen but it's 15 years old so isn't without rust - I've noticed the front inner wings tend to go on these. The only giveaway is a few tiny blemishes on the outside face that look completely innocent, but corrosion inside is advanced to the point that it is detrimental to occupant safety. I rebuilt both inner wing outer sections with 2mm sheet (Standard is 1mm)


I've started using spray copper grease in place of waxoyl. It's perfect and you can pick up 12 cans for £35. It gets into the seams much better than waxoyl and is easier to use.

I've wired up electric mirrors, heated front screen, deadlocks and Ford alarm (had an ultra rare 2 door deadlock loom) and also a passenger airbag (being a Mk3.5 the electric pack loom plugs in without further modification).
ZS rear beam, RS2K front brakes (keeping 14's), RS1800 wheels with new Falkens all round. New GMAX all round. Pretty much everything on the car with a service life or wear limit is brand new and genuine Ford, from wiring to bushes, engine pumps, track rods, lower arms, top mounts, all hoses, engine gaskets, screws, bolts, new genuine steering rack (I find the PAS racks loose their sharpness after 40k) etc. etc. Too much to list.

I have a perfect set of FRST Recaro's and my G/F's mum is re trimming the centres in Si fabric. I've got several rolls of sound deadening.

Engine wise it's HO inlet, ST170 manifold I made to fit, and I have a set of Dunnel cams to go in. New genuine clutch, skimmed flywheel - everything is refurbished. Exhaust is Scorpion but it annoys me so a standard one will go on (standard are straight through anyway and I prefer the deeper note a mild steel exhaust gives)
I've done an iB5 conversion with custom ratios and a new Puma linkage.
All fluids are genuine Ford.

I'm hoping to paint it within 2 months.

Panels were replaced due to car park dents - not rust.

[Sphinx]

As usual, awesome work mate! What are the lower sections like inside the rear quarter panel?
Have you ever used any Bilt Hamber products, like the wax? How do you rate them?

[Excursion]

As usual, awesome work mate! What are the lower sections like inside the rear quarter panel?

N/S one had surface rust, in the usual place where the inner sill is spot welded to the outer sill.

Have you ever used any Bilt Hamber products, like the wax? How do you rate them?

I find grease is far better than wax, and a lot cheaper as it can be real budget stuff. Anything else is a waste of money IMO.

[jonyb4]

awsome work as usual mate, sorry to be rude but it seems a bit bittersweet using parts that would better suit a 2.0/1.8 like the manifolds on a 1.6

but it should atleast help it breath better and remove flat spots in the power band

[Excursion]

awsome work as usual mate, sorry to be rude but it seems a bit bittersweet using parts that would better suit a 2.0/1.8 like the manifolds on a 1.6

but it should atleast help it breath better and remove flat spots in the power band

It is a 2.0 - I should have mentioned that. The only time I drove this with the 1.6 was on the way back from buying the car, and I got burnt off by a middle-aged lady in a Honda Jazz

I bought the car to convert it, the 1.6 is just way to s-l-o-w.

[Smo]

Awesome work going on there!

I can see what you mean about those inner wings now!

[jonosi]

great project Mark

always have to look at work done by yourself as it is to such a great standard. top stuff

might have to think about looking into a new box for my Si as it does seem to run out of gears pretty quickly on the motorway

[RS rob]

fantastic progress mate!!

[Excursion]

Thanks guys. I just want to get it finished now so I can concentrate on the Quattro. I bought this as a bit of cheap fun...it didn't remain so

[Dave G fsi]

Doing an awesome job mate!

[jonyb4]

always have to look at work done by yourself as it is to such a great standard. top stuff

you can say that again


sorry mate didnt realise it was a 2.0

in that case crack on

how easy is the St manifold to fit? and what prices are they going for? or is it just best to get a four branch from burton power etc?