Quote: jimmyesh on Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:56 am
Right, I'm literally days away from deploying on tour now - the delay gave me time to find a suitable powerplant for the silver one 🙂
I was wracking my brain trying to decide what engine to go for (Focus RS - Been done before in a few MK5's, Focus ST 2.5 - Maybe a bit long as has an extra cylinder 😕 , 2.0 Duratec HE Turbo - 2.0 Duratec (fiesta ST, Mondeo/focus) These engines are still a bit pricey in the UK due to all the classic Ford boys snapping them up and....
...Why bother with the 2.0 when Ford also kindly made a 2.3 All-Alloy Duratec for the U.S market Ford Focus which weighs less than a 2.0 Zetec (or a 1.8 for that matter)! 😀 Also, the duratec has the Inlet at the front of the engine bay (which I think is better 😛 ) in that it keeps the roasting-hot turbo away from the rad/intercooler without the need to dangle the turbo above the gearbox etc. I'll be keeping the individual coil-on-plug ignition setup too.
So that's what I've managed to buy for $500 (£250) - a low-mileage 2.3 Focus Duratec + $200 (£100) shipping to Barking in Essex - Just down the road from me! :Q What with the dollar being so weak at the moment, it's a great time to get stuff like this from the states and use a U.S shipping company 😀
Needless to say I'm getting proper rods/pistons/bolts etc and a few Cosworth goodies for it (Cosworth do loads of nice products for the Duratec). Also it will be turbocharged and should make 300+BHP with relative ease, nice and reliably hopefully as this engine is basically the Mazda 2.3 MPS engine but in N/A form (for now!... :devil: )
I'm replacing the manky alloy rocker cover with the Black one that features on many 2.0 Duratecs too and mine will be running on aftermarket management so the wiring will look a hell of a lot nicer than it does in the pic! :aaah:
Right, there won't be much in the way of progress in a "hands-on" kind of way for a few months but I will get to the internet suite whenever I can at camp Bastion and order some bits here and there to hit the ground running when I return 😉
Quote: jimmyesh on Thu May 29, 2008 10:33 am
As expected, this project is throwing up a few hurdles which I fully welcome as I love a challenge! 🙂
Just won these Focus RS Clocks on Ebay (after some punk outbid me in the last 5 seconds on another set I was after! :rolleyes: ).
One of the first problems was the fact I'm using the Getrag MT285 6-Speed Gearbox (standard kit for ST170/ Mini Cooper S/ Mondeo SCi) and this was never fitted with a mechanical speedo-drive as it's a modern gearbox so it never needed that facility. CTS told me that it's not really possible (or cost-effective!) to retro-fit a mechanical drive.
I then decided I'd fit Focus clocks (as I did in my previous project) as they're electronic and can be used with the VSS (Vehicle speed sensor) of the ST170 'Box. The problem this threw up was that the focus VSS output goes to a black box called the GEM (Generic Electronic Module) which converts the VSS pulsed output into sine & cosine waves to drive the speedometer, this module also controls everything from the dash to the anti-theft system to the wipers! Therefore there's tons of wiring, incoporating a Data "Highway" which carries the converted signal to the dash (blimey what a mouthful! :aaah: ).
Although I fitted the whole Focus loom from an ST170 successfully before in the "Manj", it's just not practical for this car as I'm using standalone management and don't want all the extra weight and clutter from all the Focus loom/fusebox/Ecu/Gem... :rolleyes:
The other difference is that the MT285 6-Speed 'box has a VSS output of 89 pulses per driveshaft revoultion, whereas the Focus RS 'Box (MTX 75) has 26 pulses/rev. With 195/45/15 tyres my VSS frequency output from the gearbox sender will be 3.78 KHZ @ 165MPH @ 270 degrees meter (MAX) deflection. NOT that I'm planning on doing 165MPH on VR-rated 15's though!!
I've managed to find a chip that's specifically designed to drive electronic speedo's and tach's by converting the VSS pulsed outputs into sine & cosine inputs for the meter. Basically, the component values surrouning this chip are calculated for my specific frequency and there will be a potentiometer fitted to allow calibration for different wheel size etc.
When I return from Afghan (I fly out next Wednesday) I will be bench-testing a prototype of this circuit by using a good old Army-issue signal-generator to simulate the Gearbox VSS sender output and will be able to trim out any gremlins there (hopefully!).
Sorry for the essay to those with a short attention-span 😛
This car will have a few "never-seen-before-on-MK3" Mods and I'll be doing them all myself (with the odd bit of help from workmates 🙂 )
Quote: jimmyesh on Thu May 29, 2008 2:23 pm
heeman10 wrote:
I clicked on this thinking it was for the Mk2 Escort...I don't think I'd realised you were going to turbo a 2.3 🙂 What a laugh! What are your power aspirations Mr Esh? Commandeered yourself a handy shed yet?
Ah, hello James! The silver one is tucked away in my old garage at my last unit in Berkshire with a good friend looking after it while I'm away. I've sourced a car trailer and van to move it daaarn Essex once I return, then I've got a MASSIVE workshop (way bigger and better-equipped than when I built the Manj :Q ) that my boss says I can use out-of-hours (just got to keep my marriage in one piece then! :oooh:
As for power I'm hoping it will be 300-350BHP which really isn't a massive ask from a 2.3 (It's actually "only" 2261cc in standard 87.5mm bore but I'm having it rebored and am using 88.5 pisons for a "real" 2.3). It so happens that Mazda have revised this engine for their 2009 range and are making it 2.5 litres and still the same physical size as the 2.0 & 2.3. So if an upgrade is required I know where to look!
Engine Spec list - at the moment (subject to change at any time my messed-up head sees fit! 😛 )
88.5mm Wossner 8.5:1 Pistons
Eagle Forged steel Rods
ARP Fasteners throughout
Cosworth Duratec Main & Big-end bearings
Cosworth Duratec Valve Springs
Cosworth Duratec d-power Inlet manifold
Cosworth Duratec 67mm Throttle Body
Cometic Head Gasket
Focussport Turbo Manifold & Downpipe
Garrett GT28RS
Wideband Lambda
Omex 710 Management
Coil-on-plug ignition
Focus or Mondeo Duratec Engine mount.
Pro-alloy Intercooler & Rad
Drivetrain
SPEC or Fidanza Flywheel & stage 3+ clutch (ST170 {14-Spline, 1"input shaft} friction plate
Getrag MT285 6-Speed Gearbox from (2002-2005) Mini Cooper S (gearchange mech smaller than st170 so won't foul servo)
Mini Cooper S gearshift cables, gearshift mechanism and gearlever... (and gearknob!)
Mondeo SCi Bellhousing & Hydraulic Release Bearing
ST170 Driveshafts (one custom shortened one made from billet steel)
Quaife ATB Diff
St170 Gearbox mounts
Fiesta MK "3.5" or MK4 Front Hubs & carriers (Direct fit for ST170 'shafts)
There is more than all this mate, just wish that I could just crack on with it all now and get it done but I've got this tour to do first, but then I need the tour to save the cash, D'oh!!! :aaah: