Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Wowee. The only downside is i have to check the fluid in the reservoir regularly so i dont run it dry. The bottle on the floor captures the oil drained from the brakes.

[Roadsport]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

I had air in the rear main cylinder and it just did not come out until both the front and the rear brake bleed valves were opend simultainously.
One man pushed the pedal one opend the front and third opened the rear bleed valves. Did the job beautifully but I would have never thought that myself.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Bled the fronts on Friday evening, and then finished the lower rear engine steady bar, which braces the rear of the engine to the front bulkhead, using some brackets I migged and a simple adjustable steady bar using some threaded tube and M10 rod ends.



I'll have the brackets powder coated once I've proved that they'll stand up to the abuse. There is a second engine steady bar, that runs from the top of the gearbox, also to the bulkhead, so by lengthening one tie bar against the other, I can essentially lock the engine solid, thus preventing any movement.

Unfortunately Tony Law had to remove the tie bar in the picture to accomodate their manifold, and the tie bar was meant to sit in the centre of both the brackets. So for now I've added alloy tube spacers to the bolts that pass through the brackets, so I can torque them up without squashing the brackets.

I've also re-routed the flexible hydraulic clutch hose inside the car, so its away from the heat from the exhaust manifold on the rear of the Duratec.

I'll bleed the clutch next (home Weds) and then run the engine and make sure I can select gears. Wonder what the top speed on axle stands is 8-)

[Roadsport]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Why do you need these steady bars? I'm just saying I'm afraid they may resonate quite a bit? And maybe provide some stress for the engine block or even vibrations on the internals.
Why won't the two mounts and the torque restrictor with HD bushing do the job? Or perhaps it would be possible to isolate the bracets in the bulkhead with rubber?
But on the other hand some people bolt their engines directy to the chassis.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Just makes all the windows rattle, nothing worse than that. My Zetec was locked in a similar way.

My Zetec install retained the Fiesta Mk1 engine cradle which in conjunction with Vibratechnics solid engine mounts, gave a pretty harsh, but effective means of keeping it still.

The Duratec is suspended from above, and I need some means of stopping it from moving. I'm not using the torque restrictor, so these are the next best thing. The M-Sport top mounts are stiff, but not as hard as the Vibratechnics mounts on the Zetec, so it may not be so bad. Time will tell.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Bled the clutch last night. Took about 3 seconds using the vacuum pump. Not sure how its supposed to feel when I press the pedal, and I've no indication of any movement like I would have had with a cable clutch. But there is resistance to the pedal movement, like I'd expect to feel, and theres no 'orrible noises, so hopefully its working. My concern is the size of the master cylinder to the capacity of the slave. I'm running a 0.75" master, which gives the least amount of fluid movement compared to the other masters I had lying around, so I'll only know when I try to drive the car at the weekend for the first time.

I also finished cleaning up the foor inner wheel arches, and sprayed them with some fresh stone chip.






M-Sport are sending me a pair of inner cv joint boots, which I should be getting today. When I went back to Ford for the complete boot kit, they were quoting 5-10 days lead time (minimum), so I politely declined.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Rubber CV boots have arrived from M-Sport, as has Kustom Karls decals for the car. I'll reassemble the NSF tonight, and get MrsB to help bleed the brakes one last time.

All systems go for a first drive at the weekend.

[Graham]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

All systems go for a first drive at the weekend.

goodo looking forward to hearing your verdict on the changes

[trophyyride]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Hi boXXer. Yes I must agree with you. I love cute little car.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

The rubber boots arrived from M-Sport (thanks Graeme) and tonight I assembled the near side drive shaft, and refitted the hub, having packed the inboard CV with good quality grease first. I then realised that I had a problem with the way that I'd fitted the Kustom suspension on the near side. Where the inboard heim (rod end) for the track control arm locates in the chassis leg, Karl had supplied a very neat brace assembly, that fits inside the original chassis leg box section, and runs forward to the tie bar mount. I'd not fitted the brace bar fully up inside the chassis, and there was a whitness mark on the alloy heim, which shows that when the car sits on the suspension, the heim had been resting on the uppermost section of the brace box. Still with me? My fault for not fitting it correctly. However, when I tried to push the box section further up inside the chassis leg, the brace that runs underneath the gearbox, hit the box, and the gear selector mechanism. Simples. I removed the brace and cut off the tube that runs forward. I've done exactly the same on the drivers side as my Duratec sump also hit the brace bar. So no great loss considering I'd not ran brace bars previously.

So with the Kustom box section now fully inside the chassis leg, I refitted the track control heim, and then re-assembled the front suspension. I then realised I hadn't yet torqued up the tie bar brackets, so I had to undo the fasteners for the radiator, so I could move it sideways to allow access to the top of the bolts that hold the tie bar brackets in place. Everything was then quickly torqued up, but I'd run out of time to give the brakes one last bleed, so I'll do that tomorrow evening, prior to trying out the clutch for the first time at the weekend.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

New rack arrived, and it is brand new, manufactured in 1987 I think from the codes on the rack and the box.
Fitted it, and the car is back on her wheels again.
Fitted the cool-it mat to the underside of the car. Sticky orrible job, but someones got to do it

[exboyracer]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

All ready for it's first trip out at the weekend then ?

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Yep, FordFair on Sunday. If I can get gears, which I'll know in the next evening or two.

Then it'll be off to the rollers for a base mapping, and some power runs. Then I can start to drive her in anger again. Hoping to get a session at Donington in September, just to blow the cobwebs away.

Box and engine are still standard though, so I still need to fit the slipper, SCCR gear kit, and have the engine rebuilt.

Forgot to say that I had to change the rack, as the one on the car was toast. Gearbox was ruined by 7 years of competition use, and the tie bars were too short for the new wider track. New rack turned up on ebay, and I'd rather have a later Mk2 rack than a Mk1 rack anyday.

[mervhill]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

How much wider is the track now Graham?

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Not a great deal wider, say an inch wider overall. But every little helps

Fed and watered the gearbox last night with Halfords finest (cheapest) gbox oil.
Aligned the steering so the wheels are pointing roughly in parallel.

Will fire her up tonight and get the engine up to operating temperature for the first time.
Then I'll check the bite point. Hopefully not leaving any '11's down the driveway.