The Build P19

jimmyesh on Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:17 pm

I feel as if the best thing I could do now is drop the engine, strip it down and give it a good once-over :oooh: After some checks I did today it's looking like it may be the engine that's at fault 🙁 It may be the headgasket but I'm not getting any "mayo" in the oil/dipstick but it does seem to get hot very quickly and bubbles up in the header tank (I do still have some coolant leaks though so that doesn't help). Also, it's running very rich on the Siemens 630CC injectors and standard Focus RS Map (no surprise really) so I'll probably fit some standard Focus RS injectors for the time being, as it's using the map for them and if I want silly power at a later date I can re-fit the Siemens - I think the standard Focus RS injectors can handle up to 300BHP or so anyway 😕 The spark plugs were all black (from the richness) but also seeemed oily on the threads which leads me to thinking of either headgasket or piston ring problems 😕

I know it sounds a bit drastic but I'm more than happy that this car is even running (and well too! 😛 ), given the mish-mash of parts and new ideas trialled here. To be honest, up until now a lot of what I've done has been experimental and really I can just take it as a dummy-fitment of the parts, before removing the powertrain and giving everything a good spruce-up to make it all look perfect and fit immaculately under-bonnet.

Other developments are;

As you know, the MK1 Focus RS came with a boost gauge built into the instrument-cluster, unfortunately this meant that they didn't fit a temperature gauge! :rolleyes: Personally I like to know how hot my engine is at any given moment so have just bought this, a Stack capillary water temp gauge (nice and accurate but not as £££ expensive as their "stepper-motor" types).

I also bought a Nomad A-pilllar twin-gauge pod, as I'm going fit a nice Stack wideband lambda gauge.

Here is the temp gauge illuminated;

I'm still waiting for my Spax PSX adjustable front shocks to arrive in the post (should be here by Wednesday) but have received my -35mm Spax MK3 Fez RST lowering springs (part no 11036). I bought these as the car had some G-max things on the rear and some pikey cut-down springs on the front! :aaah:

The Koni adjustable rear shocks are now fitted (I adjusted them before hand as you have to dismantle them to do it).

The rear sits around the same height as before which is good 🙂

Also, I dropped the tank, fitted the MK5 fez fuel sender (inverted) and removed the crappy diaphragm thingy. Fuel gauge works 100% now 🙂

Time is getting tight to get the car done now as I'm on a 6-month tour again as of September, time with my family is precious and work is hectic so I'll do what I can in the meantime! 🙂

jimmyesh on Tue Jul 06, 2010 6:20 pm

My new Spax front shocks arrived today, along with a turbo pre-filter 🙂

Now just need to get my hands on a set of standard MK1 Focus RS injectors - anyone happen to know the rating (in lb or cc), or the part numbers for them? 😕

I know the white Bosch injectors on the Blacktop 2.0 Zetec are around 200cc, the ST170 ones are 315cc, not sure if the 170 shared the same ones as the RS? 😕 I know people keep the same injectors on the FRS up to 300+ BHP so I would have thought they were closer to 400cc? 😕

jimmyesh on Fri Jul 09, 2010 6:24 pm

Had a spare hour or two today so fitted the spax PSX front shocks with -35 Spax Fiesta RST springs.

Old pikey "modified with an angle grinder" springs :oooh: (previous owner's work not mine!)

:aaah: