fiestaturbo.com

[heeman10]

I wasn't sure about the 90-degree crap either Someone tell me how I make sure the belt is at the right tension please

Grant - This level changing is all going on with the header tank cap off. It's not pressurising if I rev it for a while (5-10 secs) then undo the header tank cap, so I don't think the head gasket's gone, even though I'm extremely paranoid about that after all the issues with the TDI head.

[Andy.B]

I think its around 45 degrees for timing belts as they have to be tight to stop it skipping a tooth.

If there is bubbles in the coolent system, try the old trick of running the engine with the overflow pipe off the thermostat housing or the hedder tank and watch for bubbles/air comming out of it. When the water comes out in bursts you know the coolent system is blead propperly. Keep an eye on the level in the tank while doing this.....

[heeman10]

Ok, so I disconnect the top hose on the header tank....and what exactly am I looking for? Water gushing out of the top header tank hose? What's that showing?

You reckon my timing belt looks a bit slack then Andy? If I crank the engine a bit to get the cams into different positions that long length in the pic tightens up of course, so when do I do the 45-degree twist test?

[andyhardy]

After you've tightened it up and let the engine warm up - the belts get a bit of slack after running.

Should be 45 degrees of turn after that I'd have said.

I spent ages buggering about with my alternator belt because of the length it stretched to when running, was fine on startup, take it for a drive and then it starts slipping about 5 miles down the road!

Cheers,

Andy

[heeman10]

The main thing is I don't know which length of belt should twist by 45 degrees. That right hand vertical length is really long, so twisting that by 45 degrees is much easier compared to the left hand vertical. And do I tighten it to be 45 degrees when the cams are in a state of rotation that makes it loose or slack?? I remember the probs you had with your alternator belt

[FezzR]

id be supprised if didnt have a device to let you see when you are correctly tensioned, every other manufacture ive done has had some way of measuring, does it not tell you in haynes

[heeman10]

If what didn't have a device? Ford? People are still kindly telling me it's a 45 degree twist I'm after, but I still don't know if that's when the belt is in the slack position or tight position!!

[FezzR]

all tensioners i have used have like a pointing arrow so you can see when you have the corret tension, (but these are with internal springs)

from reading the haynes manual on a zetec you just tighten against the external spring as far as you can and then the spring will hold the belt in tension. obviously if the spring is old then it wont hold it so tight

[heeman10]

I'm not risking putting the timing out by adjust the tension am I?

[FezzR]

I'm not risking putting the timing out by adjust the tension am I?

you can be,

when adjusting tension always ensure all locking pins / marks are lined up etc, one you have adjusted turn the crank by hand a few rotations and then check they are all still lined up. As you will have noticed as you tension the belt up one side wil stay lacker and this will even slightly once it has been rotated.

[heeman10]

You see, this is still an issue. If I rotate the engine a bit, I can get the bit of belt in the photo I've used to go tight, at which point it would probably only give me about 45 degrees of rotation, but when it's at the slack point it'll go to 90.

[heeman10]

Mmm as I suspected, no reply! No-one seems to know

[PaulC]

Do I have to come and do it for you

Where is the tight/slack points? Is it tight when the cams are at TDC and then goes slacker when they are half way round a revolution?

[heeman10]

No idea, I just noticed the tension coming on and off the belt as I rolled the car in gear, but it still makes no difference at what point it goes slack and tight! The question is....do I tension it to give 45 degrees when tight or slack? You blatently don't know the answer which is why you're skirting around the question I've asked about 570 times now

[heeman10]

Due to the running issues the Mustang injectors have been giving, I've bought a set of beiges. Excursion ran the engine on beiges, and so in theory, it should run almost perfectly with them in. Big thanks to andykam for sending them out to me on a 24 hour recorded service the morning after I said "yes"

I'll go and fit them now, and hopefully it'll idle well both cold and hot. I've spoken to a Zetec specialist now, and his advice on tensioning the cambelt correctly was to check I could get 8mm upward deflection of the belt between the two pulleys at TDC(1+4). I'll have a look at that later and see how it is. I'd expect it to be right, but I want to check to be sure.

Injectors from bottom to top - FRST Blues, 701 Beiges, Mustang:

[heeman10]

Well, it runs on the beiges, allbeit quite rich still from the smell of it. It's booked in for an MOT tomorrow at about 2:30, so I'll have a fiddle with the CO when I'm there I think. If it's not too far above MOT levels I'll wind it down, otherwise it might get a bit tricky. Either way, as it is, I think it should be ok for a gentle run down to MSD on the beiges. I'll have a bit of a drive around once it's MOT'd and taxed to get a feel for how it's running. An MOT will be a relief though, as it's only 12 days from today till the live map!

[MarkRS2K]

beiges always make a frst run a bit rich ive heard.
Good stuff tho

[PaulC]

You blatently don't know the answer which is why you're skirting around the question I've asked about 570 times now

Correct, I've told you what to do 570 times I've only tensioned a belt and checked a belt on TDC, I wouldnt know any other way of doing it

Good luck with the MOT mate, fingers crossed

[heeman10]

Just took it for a mile down our private road and it all seems fine, apart from the tickover when warm, still hunting It's running fine, only took it as far as 3,500rpm or so, and no boost really. Just enough throttle to release the chatter Temps are fine, doesn't smell quite so rich anymore. I tightened up the alternator belt in case it was that that was making the intermittent noises, but it's still there It's hard to pin down precisely where it's coming from.

Anyhoo, it won't be driven hard for a long time, and will be fine going to the MOT station as it is. Cheers for the crossed fingers!

m4frd - That's rubbish I'm afraid, to be blunt! No need for them to run rich, almost any injector can be mapped to run at the right mixture, particularly something as easily-matched as a beige on a FRST!

[Spanthefestaman]

Zetec belts are fairly simple.

Set the timing TDC

To do it properly you have to take the cam cover off and fit a locking plate to the back of the cams (you can get a kit from sealey)

The bottom mark is a notch in the pulley. [ERRR] its the second notch cant quiet remember with out doin the job. Which lines up with the mark in the sump (its part of the casting in the sump). Use a ruler on the flat surface of the casting to line it up with the notch in the pulley.

Then you MUST slacken the cam pulleys, obviously holding the cams witht the required kit.

Then slacken the tensioner bolt and let the spring sety the tension.

Then tighten all bolts, remove plate turn engine twice and re check timing.

Having said that. Zetec engines crack the tensioner pulley if not replaced and the bearing on the pulley can also get noisy.

If you want to manually set the tension you can but remove the spring. And possily the bolt that holds it.

If when tensioning the belt you dont slacken the cam pulleys, which are a tapered type you can get a slackness between the short stretch across the top which in some cases has been know to throw the belts off.

Also were the two lower guides replaced they could be noisy.

Hope this helps you get your monster of a car sorted.

[Spanthefestaman]

o and the idle should be at around 1350 ish (cant remember exactly) and progressively drop ie

1350
1100
900

Possibly not the right rpms but should do that from cold.

[heeman10]

Cheers for the info, I hope the belt tension's right because I don't want to be doing all that now!! I'll check the tension tomorrow probably, then see what the crack is. I can't really check the idle because it's up and down all over the place

MOT in 2 and a half hours

[Captain Tightpants]

Good luck matey!



Steve

[Pez]

Just seen a post elsewhere and im assuming the MOT didnt go well, any updates to give or are you resigned to crying in a corner and vowing never to own a Ford ever again? Everyone has been there

[heeman10]

Yeah I'm crying in a corner, not happy at all really, and it's the wettest day for a long time, just to make things worse. Hole in the rear passenger sill, can't believe it. Never had any doubts about an MOT before, and this is the first fail I've had. Looks as though the oil feed hose union at the back of the block might be leaky too

[Pez]

Yeah i saw the other thread seconds after i posted. Gutted mate, but, these things are sent to try us. If it wasnt for the love of the car and the thought of success and all that, you wouldnt have got this far. To Jack Knackers along the street its a Fiesta with a bodykit, to you, its your pride and joy, put a lot of heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into it, dont give up now. If you are in need of some assistance with anything, feel free to ask and ill do my best to help. Good luck with getting things sorted for the mapping

[Smo]

put a lot of heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into it

God, no wonder it rusted

Seriously though, what a shame. If he does plate it up for now, make sure you get it done properly as soon as you can. My car had never failed an MOT until September last year, when it failed on exactly the same thing, but on the driver's side. He plated it over, but in less than a year it's rusting like crazy where he's done it They don't cut any of the rust out at all, so it just continues eating everything, just at a faster rate than before The plan is to redo mine myself properly this weekend Scary stuff!

Good luck getting it all sorted

[dannyboy]

Id check the drivers side aswell just incase its gone there too and it fails again, sorry to hear this

[heeman10]

If you are in need of some assistance with anything, feel free to ask and ill do my best to help.

Ok, I'll ask. Pez, please will you come and respray my car, sort any hint of rust and waxoyl it all? Cheers for the words of encouragement. You're right, it is my pride and joy. After 11 months of not being able to drive it, it's been feeling increasingly a bit like insurance: pouring a lot of money into it and getting nothing back, so the motivation does waiver at times.

Smo - Good luck with it, I'm sure a normal MOT guy wouldn't give a crap about a car that's cared for, they'd just patch it over and get it out of the garage. I'll get it cut right back to clean stuff when I can get it into a bodyshop, and welded up nicely.

danny - He checked all the underside matey, it was an MOT after all! Driver's side was showing signs of wanting to start, so I need to get it all solid then waxoyl it all. I need more time, money and sunshine!

[Pez]

I can fit you in for that little lot on Septober the 32nd 1845

[heeman10]

baxtered!

[Spanthefestaman]

I work in a garage and must say that nearly every garage i know would weld back to crap.

When i sold my FRST i thought i best weld up a tiny hole in the inside of the arch. It then turned out to be the whole of the drivers rear arch (alot of plating in there) and both front inners, but suprisingly the passenger rear inner was fine, infact spot on. But as it was my own car i cut out all the crap then ground out the bits i couldnt cut then plated it solid. Then grounf the welds back and completely bodysealed every repair before waxoiling. Id say the proud owner of J695 LKK wont get any grief out of my repairs for years.

[ERRR] way enuff rambling, best of luck with the repair, if you get a body shop top do it keep poking your nose in and make sure its done right. its hard to plate a plate when it to comes off.

[SimonIce]

Just taken me an hour to read through all this!

Excellent stuff with plenty of info for people who are thinking about doing this conversion ( just like me! )

Keep up the good work!

[heeman10]

Spanthefesterman - It will just be plated for now, enough to get it through the MOT and make it safe. It's looking as though the car will almost definitely be getting a working over in a bodyshop after the show season. The plate will be taken out, rust ground riiiight back and plated up properly, same with anything else that looks threatening

SimonIce - There is quite a bit to read through now isn't there?! Hopefully it's enough to fish through and pick out problem areas for people (like you ) doing a conversion of this type


Random update
After Vix's helpful "Squidging" tip, I though I might as well see if opposite-pin indicator bulbs would indeed fit the Fiesta's offset housings, and they did So finally, after ages of wanting them gone, the orange bulbs have snuffed it Pic below shows orange-bulbed indicator on left, Silvatec in the middle, and the holed indicator lense which has been replaced by the one in the middle:



Good job I have some headlight protectors on their way from eBay Yet another finishing touch I've wanted for ages! Will come in handy when I get new headlights to go with the respray!

[Max M4X WW]

Good stuff, Did mine the week i got it and looks much better.