jimmyesh on Sat Aug 28, 2010 9:58 am

Right, I've pretty much narrowed it down to the engine that's behind the burning oil issue (as opposed to the turbo) 🙁 . I could do with knowing whether it's the headgasket or the rings but as I'm going to remove the engine and strip it down for inspection, I'll just get everything properly cleaned before renewing both those parts anyway. I will do a compression test before I drop the engine out but the symptoms are all pointing towards the engine - (oily spark plugs+threads, blue/grey smoke once engine has been running for a few minutes, coolant boils up).

I figured that once I've got the engine out, I'll change the pistons for a set of 8.5:1 Compression CP items - only £380 with free postage on Ebay 🙂 That way I'll have exactly the same compression as the MK1 Focus RS (I am running my engine on that ECU so it makes sense!).

Also, it's such a pain in the backside actually getting the engine in/out of this car that I'd rather just change everything that could possibly be the problem as I don't fancy doing this on a regular basis! :oooh: There were a few oil leaks to sort around the cam-chain cover etc so they'll be far easier to remedy if the lump's out.

Lately my time has all been taken up with courses & family holidays etc but I have next weekend earmarked for some time on the car so hopefully will have the engine out then - after that I have only a few weeks until I'm out to the 'Stan for 6-7 months so I need to get a move on! :aaah:

I have been out for a few spins in a mate's new FRS MK2 over the summer and it's made me even more pissed off that this isn't finished! 😥

jimmyesh on Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:24 pm

Just ordered some new forged CP Pistons in 88mm bore size and 8.5:1 compression for the little Fez 😀

These are winging their way to me as we speak. I have also ordered a complete set of new gaskets including a new headgasket.

In addition to this, I've just bought a "Turbo Blanket" to cover my exhaust housing - cost me another few quid but I can't take any chances as space is tight in the bulkhead area and I could really do without any fires! :aaah:

I'm getting the car up on the ramps at work tomorrow and will start getting ready to remove the engine. From there I'm going to do a full stripdown and get everything clinically-clean, then everything will be inspected, then reassembled with the new parts as mentioned. 🙂

I've managed to get my faithful old engine stand back so work will begin sharpish 😀

Watch this space 😉

jimmyesh on Thu Sep 02, 2010 6:08 pm

filtra wrote:
Well impressed, hopefully I'll have the cash and knowledge to do something like this in the future.

I'll be interested to find out what was causing it to smoke, always a learning curve these things!
Thanks for the kind words mate, much appreciated 🙂

As promised, today I removed the engine & gearbox (space is so tight in there that it's easier just to lower everything out rather than try to lift the engine out on its own).

Tomorrow I will be separating the transmission from the engine and mounting the engine onto its stand ready for stripdown 🙂

Although this is a hell of a lot of extra work, I'm already glad I'm doing it - I'm treating everything that I've done until now as a "dummy-fit". I know everything works as it should and that everything fits as it should. Now I can concentrate on making everything really clean, well-presented and most of all -reliable! :oooh:

I have always intended that this car could be used reliably daily as well as the odd track day here and there - that's why I can't have it as some half-arsed effort 😳

jimmyesh on Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:46 pm

Spent this morning removing some more ancills and transmission from the engine and mounting it onto its stand, then I move the whole lot back to my own little part of the workshop ready for it to be stripped down.

The pistons won't be here until about Sept 10th so I'll just concentrate on getting everything stripped, cleaned to within an inch of its life ready for the rebuild.

Also will be concentrating on sorting the heatproofing in the bulkhead area - new reflective silver hose covers will be ordered and the new turbo blanket is in the post. I'll also be sticking some aluminised heat reflective material on the underside of the bonnet just above the turbo/exhaust.

When removing the engine, I found out why it stuttered so much when trying to start it - I'd left the nut off the starter solenoid terminal! 😳

jimmyesh on Sat Sep 04, 2010 5:24 pm

Spent today stripping the engine;

Bores still immaculate.

How I left things today;

The pistons and rings are immaculate and undamaged - selling them on now though as I've already ordered the 8.5:1 CP Pistons 🙂

Still at a loss to find the culprit of the oil-burning - the bores/pistons/rings are all in perfect condition. I didn't find any sinister particles in the bottom of the sump or in the engine.

Two things have got me thinking though... The Moly lube for the ARP studs had all congealed in the bottom of the sump -could this have continually mixed with the oil to cause a smokey engine? 😕 (I'd have thought that as long as the oil was properly controlled that it wouldn't matter if there was some moly-lube in there?).

The second problem is that my turbo oil-drain is below the max oil level of the sump :rolleyes: I can't really position it much higher either as the Duratec has such a shallow sump (the crank is mounted higher in the engine in a girdle). Looks like I might have to get creative with some aluminium to make a kind of "extension" to the rear of the sump that my return can go to or try and find a suitable place on the rear of the block (without getting in the way of the driveshaft extension).

Just waiting for the pistons and a few other bits to arrive - should be a few days yet... 🙂

jimmyesh on Sat Sep 04, 2010 6:59 pm

Ruishy1 wrote:
Hmmm, it could very likely have been your turbo then if your drain was too low :oooh:
i hope not as th :oooh: n this stripdown is just more work for nothing 😥

It's ok mate, I will be happier with the CP 8.5:1 Pistons in there TBH and I'm squaring away quite a bit of work that I was dreading when the powertrain was still in place! :oooh:

The best bit is that I've just sold my VW camper on Ebay for £7400 so I may even treat myself to a brand-spanking GT28R! 😆 (Can't go too mad as we have work to do on the house 🙂 )

I too thought the low oil-drain could have been the culprit but i remember very briefly isolating the turbo oil suppy with the wastegate held open and it still smoked :rolleyes: While everything's out I'm just going to fit a new turbo and reassemble the engine correctly with all the new parts - hopefully I'll have a nice, reliable 19yr-old Fez!

jimmyesh on Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:42 pm

Right, I've splashed the cash this month! :oooh:

I decided my car deserves a new turbo - a brand new Garrett GT28R :Q Just the same as it had already but obviously nice and new 🙂

http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobyga ... 6541_1.htm

I ordered it today so should have it early next week.

Plus my shiny new CP Pistons of 88mm / 8.5:1 comp arrived today 😀 :aviator:

I've also splashed out on a rather nice turbo blanket, some new steel Garrett water lines (to replace my shonky home-made efforts!), some more heat matting (for underside of bonnet).

The original oil return into the sump is blocked off and some nifty mods are taking place - basically a piece of aluminium 35mm tube is to be welded into the back of the sump at the highest possible point (the duratec sump is very shallow as the crank sits higher than on say, a Zetec - up in a girdle in the block). This alloy tube has a -8 AN fitting mounted on top so that the oil drain can go directly down to it. 🙂 My mate, Zig is doing that for me this week.

I've got another month or so left in the UK before my delightful 7-month stint in the 'stan so I think I'll easily have all this reassembled and be driving my car soon! (fingers crossed 😳 )

jimmyesh on Tue Sep 14, 2010 5:19 pm

Always nice to find this box waiting for you when you get home... :oooh:

...especially when you open it and there's a brand-spanking new Garrett GT28R ball-bearing turbo inside :Q

With new billet alloy compressor inlet fitted.

I've also ordered a Stack wideband Lambda kit and a couple of Spal pull-fans to replace my single, weedy push fan of unknown origin. I'm using "pull" as opposed to "push" fans as, unlike a normal FRST, I have plenty of room behind the rad due to only having my inlet manifold at the front.

Talking of inlet manifolds, I've decided to test my homemade effort for boost leaks by fitting a bicycle inner-tube over the throttle-body and sealing all vacuum take-offs off, then sealing it to my stainless work bench! :oooh:

Lo and behold, I got it to 20 PSI and found a small leak in one of the welds on the O/S edge - I'll be handing it to Ziggy the welder tomorrow for some remedial attention 🙂 I'd rather find things like this out now than wait until the car's on the road and losing boost/power and having to rip things back out! :aaah:

Tomorrow, I'm getting busy gapping the CP piston ring end gaps to the correct specification and seeing how my sump is coming along with Zig.

Not long until this beastie is on the road - I mean it this time, honest! 😆