To go along with the rebuild of my car, I thought it probably deserved a new engine as well. Also, I needed something to do after it gets too late to use the angry grinder.

Luckily ebay came to the rescue and provided a set of custom forged Zetec turbo pistons made by Cosworth, an overbored Zetec block, a set of Eagle steel rods and an entire spare engine for very little money. Bonus.

Lets get building!

Firstly, strip block and head, and ready all parts for the parts washer


Before using the parts washer, make sure that domestic management has either given her permission (no chance) or has gone out for the day. Load parts into parts washer and add dishwasher tablet


Wait an hour, and grab the parts before the drying cycle really gets going. Dry everything with clean workshop rag, then spray everything with WD40, as the dishwasher salt makes everything get surface rust REALLY quickly. Turns out nice though:


In the case of the block, the outer surface of the block wasn't WD40'd, as I painted it with some blue Hammerite. Looks nice:




With the block painted. it was time to go and do some shopping for some new piston rings, new main and big end bearing shells, a head gasket set and some new stretch bolts for the head.

More soon...

Tom

quote:

---

Originally posted by djtom
Before using the parts washer, make sure that domestic management has either given her permission (no chance) or has gone out for the day. Load parts into parts washer and add dishwasher tablet

---

DUDE ! Your making my pinto rebuild look bad!

I just had to show the wife that lol.

Ive sneaked a few small bits in but never a zetec block

You are very brave putting a block in there.

Your engine matches your vice!!

Ill be flollowing this keenly. I intednd a zetec turbo for my winter build/mod.

any pictures of the dish washer after?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Danozeman

Your engine matches your vice!!

---

So three expensive packages from Cosworth turned up...



Piston rings are alarmingly expensive! You can also see the core plug used to block off the main block breather here (usual block breather won't fit behind the turbo) and the stub breather pressed into the block to replace it. One of the engine mount bolts was drilled out to allow this to be pressed in - there's one on each side of the block.

Time to gap the rings. Starting with the top ring, put a ring in each bore


and use a piston to push it down until it is square



Then use a feeler gauge to measure the ring gap.


Compare to the piston manufacturer's recommended gap. Surprisingly enough, all of mine were pretty much spot on - 0.40mm for the top rings (0.35-0.50 suggested), 0.40mm for the second rings (0.40mm suggested) and I can't remember about the oil control rings, but they were in spec as well. Excellent - no ring filing - a job I hate.

Time to fit rings to pistons. Essential equipment top right. Only 4% to aid concentration :-)


Rings fitted


Old pistons next to new pistons. Spot the difference!


[Edited on 16/4/09 by djtom]

[Edited on 16/4/09 by djtom]

Main bearing side of block ready to accept main shells



New main shells





Main shells fitted



Note the centre shell incorporates the side thrustwashers


Fitting shells to main caps. See how the tab on the bearing locates in the recess in the shell.




Next job - make sure that the journal to bearing clearances are within spec. For which we need Plastigauge, a simple yet clever invention.




You cut a strip to length, place it on the journal, torque the main cap up to the specified torque, then undo it again and measure the width of the squashed plastiguage against the supplied measurement strip.







All the main bearings were within spec (as defined by the Haynes Book of Lies, anyway) so that should be ok - no need for the crank to be reground.

Next on the list was to check the crankshaft endfloat. All the main caps were refitted and torqued up, then a dial gauge was set up to measure longitudinal movement of the crankshaft.



Using a screwdriver between one of the crank webs and one of the main caps, the crankshaft was levered as far as it would go in one direction, the reading on the dial was noted, then it was levered the other way and the new reading noted. The difference between the two is the endfloat. Again, within spec, at 0.14mm.


Tom

Fantastic thread....keepm um coming...I love the engine block in the dishwasher :-)

this has been bookmarked in my "Special Car Stuff" bookmarks folder. Picked up 1.8 silvertop zetec engine for 26 quid in january. Whipped the head cover off yesterday as I was arsing about in the garage, the cams look mint and the oil is lovely and golden (with a reputed 90,000 miles on the clock) it looks like I've picked up a much loved engine which is going to get some special treatment