Locking the modified crank during assembly

**Sivi Ptich** · 16-02-2017, 10:44

Hi all duratec experts.

This is my own first disassembly and duratec assembly so have some concerns. This time I am swapping parts between two engines to have one 100 stock and other tuned.

I have noticed that crank has been lightened and the counterweight where it should touch the timing peg does not exist long or thick enough to touch the peg.

I intended to degree the crank and cams (I have timing disc and verniers on cams) but once I remove degree tools and start to assemble the side cover with trigger wheel how do I lock the crank & cams (if after a degree cam bar won't fit) ??

Thanks,
Luka

**Hornet600** · 16-02-2017, 11:21

What I did was fit the front cover with cams not fitted. Torqued up crank bolt by jamming flywheel with a lever. Turned engine over by hand with dial gauge into plug hole and found top dead centre on cylinder 1, Fitted cams and dialled them in. Hope this makes sense.

**Sivi Ptich** · 17-02-2017, 01:15

Today, I ran to some more issues... block had erosion where water flows on exhaust side (seems that this block has some decent milage on it), meaning I have to machine skim the surface to make it even. This lip can be easy felt with finger nail. I disassembled everything from the block apart from crank. I rather don't want to touch the crank. Good thing I will raise a compression just by little.
1. There is solid spigot from the water pump that is higher that the block surface. How do I remove it, is it pressed in or?

2. I had to disassemble the oil pump and oil pump gear, tensioner, chain slides.. are there any torque valuse for their bolts. Do you guys use any light/medium loctite on all those bolts?

3. This block and engine I am assembling it's for my race car. Believe it or not I still have AC compressor on the block...it's purpose is sole as belt pulley. If I remove it I can then run the the shorter belt from the PAS pump to water pulley to crank timing pulley. But then the contact surface on water pulley will be reduced... please see the photo. So will it spin the water pump pulley at revs up to 8000? Or it will slip?

4. Believe it or not I have had only 1 diamond washer on this engine that sits between sprocket and crank. I've looked everywhere, checked the crank pulley that washer is not accidentally sicked to it but not a trace of it. I've checked by the chassy number and I should have them two for this application. However the engine that I pulled out of fiesta is a second used engine of unknown history to me. The original engine is with me in bits and pieces, unfortunately that one had a con rod snapped.

5. The pistons are flat and have factory small exhaust valve pockets. Can you tell me what engines had those pistons? And exhaust valve pockets on OEM cams... exh valves are 30mm dia with max cam lift of 7.7mm and factory cut exhaust valve pockets??? Is it possible that those pistons were installed wrong in the first place, that this pockets are intend to be on the intake side?

to be continued...

**Sivi Ptich** · 17-02-2017, 01:42

Originally Posted by Hornet600

What I did was fit the front cover with cams not fitted. Torqued up crank bolt by jamming flywheel with a lever. Turned engine over by hand with dial gauge into plug hole and found top dead centre on cylinder 1, Fitted cams and dialled them in. Hope this makes sense.

Yes, can you tell me where was your degree wheel mounted, was it in between bolt and the trigger crank pulley?

**LAWRENCEM** · 17-02-2017, 19:00

Not that it probably helps much but the sprocket for the oil pump is 25nm

You will end up over speeding your water pump which can cause cavitation I think you can buy bigger pulleys to stop this are you going to try running standard power steering? Most people get rid and use one on the column like the cores columns there is a lot you can buy from retroford and raceline that puts another idler in the loop to sort thisnout

**Sivi Ptich** · 17-02-2017, 20:24

Power steering pump stays. I need it. I will install bigger water pump pulley and smaller crank triger pulley. That will help to have everything spinning at lower rews.

Crank is out and block need to be machined because coolant was eroding between block and gasket. They will have to skim the block for at least 0.3mm. My head is already skimmed for 0.1mm that is total of 0.4mm
How much I can lower the head and block on stock pistons and stock gasket?? Squish, compression on stock ingnition?

I will run cosworth cams 9.5mm 255dur and I have single uprated valve springs from crower.

**_PauL_** · 18-02-2017, 23:14

where is the erosion ? in those photos

**Sivi Ptich** · 23-02-2017, 20:27

Okay.... erosion occurred around water channels on exhaust side. Block was skimmed for 0.2mm. Now the surface is not polished... I wonder will I get any blow by from gasses since it use metal gasket...

Keying the crank. I've decided to key the crank only the sprocket. Crank was easy cut for 3mm key but sprocket is hardened, cemented it was impossible to cut it...I know it that it's cemented....brutal hard. So we had to cut it using 0.4mm diamond wire with electro...+/- using special liquid...(I don't understand this process completely since it was explained to me over the phone.)

For all you just to know... maybe is easier to purchase one of fabricated sprocket with key.

**Sivi Ptich** · 06-03-2017, 16:33

Block was re machined again to high polish finish prior to head instalation. Crank fitted, old pistons with old rings. Head was a mess. I have had to change 8 exhaust valves since all of them left marks on the pistons. Interesting once head was out, it hold the test pressure to max levels! A very rare coincidence that all valves were bent and hold the pressure. Since the valves were from supertech +1mm bigger I have had no time to purchase the same so in machine shop they have had to cut out and install new seats for oem valves. Job professionally done and head assembled. Noticed that uprated springs from crower with titanium retainer (kit) have had destroyed the valve seal metal hat. What they did was from the spring pressure the thin seal hat was so thin that it started to fell apart on some. So 16 new valve seals were installed as well.

Head was mounted on the block using old gasket and did a plaster test on 3rd cylinder. I have had 2mm + on intake and 3mm on exhaust valve to piston clearance. Still with this setup if you overspin the engine the pistons will kick the exhaust valves and not the intake. I have small pockets cutted in the pistons for the exhaust valves only. I am not sure is this stock or it's done by the previous engine builder.

Crank was keyed and I have had to dial the cams using dial gauge. I played with the intake (9.5mm lift and 255 adv duration for both cams) cam since the factory specs were 113dgr ATDC which looked a little bit retarded compared to other speck cams manufacturer so I advanced it by 5dgr to 108.

It's interesting that the oil pump chain did not had lower chain slider, only the chain tensioner. Interesting and a now proven case that you can run duratec without one on up to 7000rpm, tested in various races.

Engine started quickly and I am happy that all went well and it's running smooth and strong! This way I have had completed my first duratec build. Thanks to previous ford/mazda engine build manual and cosworth duratec build manual that I have found on the net and your help from this forum.