Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Took the intermediate drive shaft off the back of the engine last night. I'll be running the long driveshaft I ran with the Zetec, so I'll be keeping the intermediate shaft for a rainy day.

I reckon the intermediate shaft weighs 10Kg, so that was a worthwhile deduction.

Removing the shaft has allowed the oil to drain from the IB5+ box, so I can now look at fitting the driveshaft cups from the BC box, and re-fitting the suspension and RecoProp shafts which will ensure that the engine/gearbox are sat in the same spot as the Zetec sat.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

I weighed the intermediate shaft that I removed. 5KG!

Refitted the NSF Rutland Suspension last night, to check that the driveshafts were fully inserted into the trilobe housing on the gearbox, and so far so good. I'll refit the OSF over the weekend, and drop her on to her wheels for the first time since I fitted the Duratec. So long as I've got the gearbox in the same position as it was when the Zetec was in the car, I wont have any issues with the driveshafts binding on full suspension compression.

The Rutland suspension needs to be re-worked, as I cracked (almost sheared) a tie bar at Snetterton last year. There's a bloke in the USA who's making some custom parts at the moment, and I may elect to go for a complete front end setup (he's already supplying me with aluminium rear trailing arms and ally panhard rod, with ally rod ends throughout).

[cossie matt]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

I Think you might need some softer springs on the front when you get it on the floor after getting rid of that old iron block!!!! It'll be sitting a bit high

Good work mate, love your posts, shame you are gonna miss epynt

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

good idea. i've 300lbs on at the moment. I'll try the 250's

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Discovered a problem, sorry, new challenge tonight. The output cup from the B5 gearbox won't go in to the IB5 gearbox because the duratec block sits in the way. Appears as though there is a strengthening web on the back of the engine that prevents the cup from going in. So box and engine will come out this week so I can take the grinder to the block.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

My new DTA S80Pro has just turned up

The DTA E48 that I'm replacing, is currently listed on Ebay, to offset the upgrade costs.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150335361941

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Sold the E48 for a good price, and a few other bits this morning too, which helps pay for the D-tec conversion.

I've had to refit the intermediate drive shaft on the back of the engine. I'm going to have to run the IB5+ output flanges on the Sequential box, and these use a larger tri-lobe bearing than the ones I've ran previously with the BC output flanges. So, I shall have the longer Zetec driveshaft shortened, and will have both of the BC type tri-lobes replaced with the later IB5+ ones.

Its a shame I have to use the intermediate shaft, as it weighs almost 5kg's. But at least I wont have to cut chunks out the back of the block now.

I've emailed reco-prop for a price for the drive shaft mods. They made the Zetec shafts for me originally, and I'm v.impressed with their work.

And the cheque arrived from the buyer of my Quaife BC box, but it's not been signed, so I'll send it back and this gives me a little longer to strip the BC box down to remove the ATB LSD.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2


She's back on her wheels again, having sat on axle stands since last August. I forget how damn low she sits.

See the Web Cam picture here

http://84.92.60.72/

I've fitted the 275lb springs at the front (were 300lb), and the brakes, and driveshafts are all on too. Now I can measure the length of the driveshaft I'll need for the drivers side. Recoprop said that they dont shorten driveshafts, because of the heat treatment applied makes then difficult to modify and harden. So I'll get a short shaft made up with IB5+ trilobe joints on both shafts.

The D-Tec looks very 'at home' in the engine bay. And I've more ground clearance than ever, so I can lower her a little more than before.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Ordered some 2mm steel sheet so I can get on with the engine steady bar bracket. I've only 3mm and 4mm sheet in the workshop, and it doens't need to be made from anything like that thickness.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Had 2nd thoughts about the 2mm steel, seems way too flexible, so I'll prototype the engine steady bar bracket in 2mm, and then make one from 3mm when happy.


The following two pics show the output flange (gray) from the BC gearbox, alongside the intermediate driveshaft from the Duratec, which allows you to see the difference in the cup size, and therefore the fact that the IB5+ flange requires larger tri-lobe bearings, which is why I'm going to use the IB5+ parts. Biggger must mean stronger.



And here are some shots of the engine / box in the bay.



The final picture shows the long zetec shaft, in situ, which I cant use because I cant get the BC flange (top picture) in the box, because it hits the duratec block.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

No progress this week due to the throat infection, but some new shiny parts have arrived from America. Typical, I had a week off between contracts, tonnes of stuff to do, and I'm too poorly to do anything. Now wifeys caught the bug, so even though I'm better, I'm looking after the kids. D'oh!

This is the rear trailing arms and panhard rod kit that www.KustomEngineering.com are marketing for the Mk1 and Mk2 Fiesta's, and the total kit weighs in at just 1135grammes.

That is, all the tubes are just that, tubular, and the rod ends (or heims) are alloy too, so the combined weight is a huge reduction over standard or even uprated aftermarket equivalents.










Go to http://www.kustomengineering.com/eShop.htm for pricing

This week I've also sold the Raceline Duratec alternator bracket and alternator, and the ST150 power steering pump, so my new gearbox fund is growing...

[Tazman]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Graham, you need to update the stickers

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Finished the tie bar bracket and the tie bar last night, and its now fitted to the car. The engine is now rock solid.

Removed the drivers side driveshaft and spent 20 mins trying to remove the driveshaft from the outer CV joint. Will try again tonight. I cant keep the circlip apart and pull on the driveshaft at the same time.

With the driveshaft removed I can measure the length of the new shaft, and get it ordered. The car can now also go for its exhaust, so I'll make some phone calls. Any recommendations?

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Stripped my 1st Fiesta box tonight. Was quite interesting, and didn't have any bits left over when I reassembled it, apart from the LSD of course, but that was the point of taking it all apart in the 1st place. Nice shiny Quaife internals. Yummy. Box is sold, minus the LSD, and the LSD will be installed in the sequential box when thats built in next couple of months.








And this is the 2nd tie bar and bracket, that now prevent the engine from rocking. Needs paint, but you get the picture. The first tie bar I made from ally bar (bottom of the picture), I'll remake this in steel so its the same as the newer one. I decided I dont like the ally version. Looks naff.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Updated my gearbox page on the dot com site to show the steps involved in taking the BC box apart

http://www.zetecinside.com/xr2/gearbox.shtml#dismantle

Tonight the driveshaft is parting company from the outer CV joint (by hook or by crook) and the car is then going back on its wheels so i can measure the required driveshaft length for the new short shaft.

Hoping to get the car out the garage for a new exhaust next week. Have emailed Tony Law for a quote. Any recommendations on primary sizes for the Duratec?

I'll be going for a 2.25" mild steel system of course, but I guess Tony Law can advise. I'd like to stick with the Walker Dynomax Ultraflow (WLK-17216) exhaust silencer as I'm very happy with the noise and excellent flow rates. (Silencers should flow 1.1CFM per BHP, so for 250BHP you need a silencer that flows around 275CFM. Walker are one of the few companies that actually quotes flow rates, so you can pick the right one for your application.)

Summit racing web site

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=WLK-17216&view=1&N=700+150+

Walkers web site

http://www.dynomax.com/ecat.html

Ultraflow Welded catalog

http://www.dynomax.com/ecat/pdfs/ultraflowelded.pdf