Modification uk

Well, After a discussion on the FSOC, I realised there is a lot of interest in the amount of parts required to keep a future classic car on the road. In the 2 years I have owned my J reg Ford Sierra, I have replaced many parts, many modified parts sourced within the uk.

Engines
Engine 1 - 1769cc CVH
This engine was in the car for 10,000 Miles and 12 months of my ownership, was replaced due to failure of the gearbox, and due to my inexperience. This was by far the best and most reliable engine i have had in this car; I should have kept this one, however the cylinder head of this engine went onto another CVH in france and is still going strong as far as I know

• 2 Oil Changes
• 1 Cambelt Change
• 1 Set of Bosch Spark Plugs
• 1 Air Filter change
• Exhaust Midsection
• Valve Stem Seals
• Coolant Change

Engine 2 - 1769 CVH
This engine was the first time I ever changed an engine, this engine died after a 4000 miles of service and struggles to keep it going, it replacend engine 1 (above) in July 2005 and was extremely unreliable, with it stalling whenever cold and I removed the foor off the gas. this was due to the modification to the exhaust manifold, and not having the hot air recirc going to the intake. It died due to what is suspected to be piston ring failure, and seized into a solid lump. It followed the CVH nickname of Constantly Venting Hydrocarbons as it burnt oil from day one of running. After one weeks running i replaced the Valve stem seals with new, and this only dampened its appetite for oil.

• 5 gallons of Oil
• 1 oil filter
• 1 air filter
• 1 set of valve stem seals
• 1 cambelt
• 1 set of spark plugs (NGK this time)
• Janspeed 4-2-1 Manifold
• Coolant

Engine 3 - 1998cc 8v DOHC
This is the first real big modification to the car, as it was a case of a complete rebuild of most of the car, from basic 1.8 Carburetor to 2.0 EFI, this modification includes changing the engine, gearbox, propshaft, fuel lines, fuel tank, Engine Loom, Radiator, Full Exhaust system, full intake system, all hoses, tank etc. And at the same time i took the opportunity to fit Power Assisted Steering, this engine has to be one of the worst engines that i have ever purchased, and the donor wasnt in good condition, First got it running after 3 1/2 weeks of working on the 6th January 2006 and was in the car for 8000 miles, and was removed due to excessive coolant usage. Anyways - back to parts this engine has had:

• Oil Filter
• Oil ~9 gallons, it had a few leaks
• 2x Air Filter
• 12x spark plugs (3 sets, eat a set every 3 months
• new set of plug leads
• new distributor and cap
• new temperature sender
• new fan switch
• replacement map sensor
• replacement ISCV (Idle Speed Control Valve)
• Head Gasket
• New Head bolts
• Timing Chain
• Timing chain sprocket
• Timing chain tensioner
• Oil pump chain
• upper and lower guides
• lower timing cover seal
• Upper timing cover seal
• cam cover seal
• cam cover for a non leaking one
• crankshaft seal
• clutch
• coolant x 6-8 gallons
• inlet manifold gasket
• exhaust gasket
• exhaust downpipe

Engine 4 - Automatic 1998cc 8v DOHC

This engine has just gone into the car and started for the first time from the starter (long story regarding starter motors, will post it up another night) on the 16th October 2006. To date this engine has had most parts from the previous engine, However I will list all i needed to do to modify this engine from auto to manual and get it running in this car.

• Flywheel and clutch from the manual engine (engine No 3)
• Brand new spigot bearing from ford
• New Flywheel bolts from ford
• rocker cover (engine No 3)
• upper timing chain cover (engine No 3)
• Manual Sump (engine No 3) - auto sump does not fit due to no impression in the exhaust side for a starter motor
• distributor, cap and plug leads (engine No 3)
• new fan switch
• coolant temp sensor (engine No 3)
• Inlet manifold gasket - new from ford
• Inlet manifold (engine No 3)
• Cleaned up throttle body
• new sump gasket

Today i drove the car for the first time with the new automatic engine in and the Modifications as detailed below

Engine #4
Automatic Inline 4 8V DOHC, modified from automatic to manual via reusing sump and flywheel from engine #3. Flywheel bolts were replaced as was the sumpgasket. All parts were throroughly cleaned to ensure a good seal (a twinky that does not leak!)
4-2-1 Exhaust Manifold, I am currently trying to source a performance midsection and backbox for the car as cheap as possibled, as more modification are on the way which will render this exhaust useless.
Another modification I plan on for this engine, is exhaust wrap the headers and downpipes. This improves the gas flow due to less friction with temperature: as well as lower the intake temperatures as there is less heat under the bonnet, this moodification works especially well with cars using a induction kit.

Not-So Running Report
‘J’ Plated Sierra Sapphire 1.8 GLX – Aka Suicidal Sapphire

In July 2004 there was a sunny morning that I will never forget: It was the day I met the Suicidal Saph, then a quite innocent looking car parked outside a local (ab)used car dealership. I was on the way to a training course with work, I had a quick look over the car and found it was solid. Every day of that week I checked the car out – praying it wouldn’t sell as pay day was Friday. And so on Friday the 30^th July 2004 I handed over the plastic to pay the 295 for my first car, with a full 12 Months MOT, but unfortunately no tax and i still dint have a license

Over the next month until the next pay day – I regularly started the car, discharged the battery and washed her, and on the next pay day I Paid a deposit on the obscene amount of money i had to pay for insurance with a provisional license, and put some tax on her

Then over the next 3 months – I sat 3 driving tests in her – with the final one going my way (altho she broke down on the way to the Final test – with the Valve Stem Seals failing and the Centre section losing a chunk – Totally Chavtastic noise! - got replaced 15 minutes after i passed the test – with 10 of those me telling the examiner he was having a laugh passing me!)

Well, For the 4th time since owning my 1992 Ford Sierra Sapphire 1.8 GLX another engine has gone into her. Starting out as a humble 1769cc Ford inline 4 CVH, the second engine was an identical engine , but with a Janspeed 4-2-1 exhaust manifold, which made the engine a little livelier. The modification really began when the second CVH decided it was going to use 4 litres of oil in about 5 miles; and so the third engine was put into place, when the car went from a carburettor to Fuel Injection. The engine of choice was a 2.0 8v Ford I4 DOHC putting out 125 BHP. This is when more problems occurred over the past 8 months, including the dreaded head gasket failure, most sensors were shot, and finally the head cracked, yesterday the 4th engine went into the car, a straight replacement 2.0 DOHC but this time I may well fit a 4-2-1 manifold i have aquired