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2011/08/30 19:55:55
Trentie

Mild Introduction and My Mk1 Bomb.

Hey all,
I'm new to the forum and figured that I'd be polite and introduce myself before blabbering on.
I hail from Toowoomba, QLD, and am currently studying an Advanced Diploma of Mechanical Engineering at Skillstech in Brisbane.
My fleet consists of:
Bertha, a '76 LWB F100 with a almost-stock 351, C6 auto and 4.11 geared limited slip 9",
Betsy, the '81 WB ute with a mildish 308, TH400, and 3.55 geared limited slip 10-bolt diff,
The unnamed 2-ton '42 Chev truck that I've been meaning to drag out of a paddock and hot rod,
And last, littlest but not least, Esther, a '72 Mk1 Escort with an almost-stock, flogged out, oil burning 1600, four speed and factory diff.
I don't know if it's been done before, but I've just bought a 1990 Ford Courier ute that I'm planning on disemboweling and slotting the 2.2L four pot, five speed and diff into Esther.
I went to have a look at the ute this afternoon armed with a tape measure, and the engine's not too tall or long, but the brake booster assembly may have to be ditched for a pedal box.
The 'box should squeeze into the trans tunnel and the diff should fit with a few minor-ish modifications, according to thread.
I'll get Truckline in Toowoomba to modify the courier tailshaft to suit, then just need to get the necessary blue plates and I'll be on my way.
Because everyone loves pictures:
Bertha:


Betsy:




The Poor Ol' Chevy:


And Esther:


 
This is the first non-stock engine upgrade that I've ever taken on, and any advice is greatly appreciated!
27 comments Leave a comment
Luke
Nice collection of cars mate and welcome to the site. I havent heard of anyone doing this conversion, always good to be original
2011/08/30 20:59:27
mud
Welcome Trentie. Hope you enjoy the site.  
2011/08/30 22:43:10
Trentie
Luke

Nice collection of cars mate and welcome to the site. I havent heard of anyone doing this conversion, always good to be original


Thanks, Luke.
I've been hunting around the web for a while and all I could find were Pinto and SR20 conversions, etc etc.
I had a quick look at some pictures of the Courier's F2 2.2 on the net (it's actually a Mazda engine, but I like to think it's a Ford, because I'm pulling it out of a Courier :P), and it's basically a stroked pinto with the head on backwards so the intake and exhaust are on the same sides as the humble Kent engine.
Also, it's carbureted with no catalytic convertor and a proper distributor, which is definitely a bonus. I hate computers, oxygen sensors and crank angle sensors and other associated B.S. in old cars.
I took some measurements, and the engine isn't that much longer than the Kent, and it's just tall enough to fit snugle under the bonnet without any modifications to the sump.

Fingers crossed!

Also, thanks for the warm welcome, guys!

2011/08/31 08:48:24
BrandonC
Welcome Trentie. I am also from toowoomba. I have seen your mk1 parked on Herries street near blockbuster there, lookes pretty nice.

Anyways, just another welcome,
Brandon.
2011/08/31 20:06:53
Trentie
BrandonC

Welcome Trentie. I am also from toowoomba. I have seen your mk1 parked on Herries street near blockbuster there, lookes pretty nice.

Anyways, just another welcome,
Brandon.


Yeeeaaahhh.... She looks pretty good while you're in the driver's seat of a car driving past. :P

But thanks anyway, man.

I work part-time at the caryard on either side of the road there.
2011/09/01 13:48:58
Bloodyeck
Trent, get rid of that horrible purple thing and spend some money the old truck before it's beyond repair. Look forward to hearing more about the Escort project.
2011/09/01 14:00:37
Trentie
Bloodyeck

Trent, get rid of that horrible purple thing and spend some money the old truck before it's beyond repair. Look forward to hearing more about the Escort project.


More heat from the ford guys about the WB, yet nothing mentioned about the Chevy.
Hmm...
Odd.

The truck's actually reasonably straight and rust-free, apart from a couple of spots in weird places, such as in the passenger rear top corner of the roof and in the middle of the passenger side of the bonnet.

I have a hunch that the old couple who owned the old girl before me had it stored in a shed that leaked in a couple of places...
She goes alright, too. Gave a few N/A Skyline boys a run for their money at happy laps at Lakeside a few months ago, and she's run 16.1 down the quarter at Willowbank.

Only problem is that as a result of all this mechanical debauchery with a nigh-on two-tonne truck being pushed around by a healthy 351 Clevo, the poor C6 in between has shat itself. No reverse, and no second gear.

Anyone have a spare C6 laying around?
2011/09/01 14:23:52
BrandonC
The one where that red mx5 sat for years? Or the one next to the butcher?

Brandon.
2011/09/01 22:08:05
Trentie
BrandonC

The one where that red mx5 sat for years? Or the one next to the butcher?

Brandon.


They're the same yard, so yes.
2011/09/02 19:31:34
BrandonC
Ohh okay truee. Didn't know that :/

Anyways, might see you around.

Brandon.
2011/09/02 19:51:52
Trentie
So I just checked out a mate's factory turbo kit off a MX6 (or something like that) hat he's got collecting dust that will bolt onto the engine that's going to be dropped into the escort.
I do believe that this build has stepped up a notch...


2011/09/06 22:25:36
Trentie
So I dragged this wee beastie back to my place last weekend:
 

 
The body's fairly well rooted, the tray's solid but missing bits, starts, stops, shifts and steers quite well, but the poor old thing wasn't running right.

Cylinder four wasn't pulling its weight.
At all.

Plenty of fuel, air and spark, but the compression was down severely.
I immediately thought 'rings', but usually rings (especially in these tough li'l f*ckers) all wear down evenly, so I was thinking it was either a burnt-out valve or a hole in the piston.

I crossed my fingers, hoped that it wasn't a lightweight piston, and pulled the head off.
 

 
So the bores are squeaky clean (no scoring or glazing and a tiny lip at the top) and the tops of the pistons, bowls and valves are covered in carbon, but I did find this:
 

 
Ah-huh! The culprit!
 
The plan is to clean the bowls, valves and pistons (as best as I can without tearing the engine down) and throw it back together, although I am very, very tempted to tear the entire engine down to its undies, clean everything (the oil's black as black and smells burnt), and throw it back together nice and clean and fresh-ish (I think they're called a re-run engine).
 
Anyone know where to get valves for these things?
 
2011/09/11 23:34:33
Trentie
Quick update:
I cleaned up the mating face and bowls of the of the head the other night. It was in pretty good condition, still has machining scores on the face where the gasket meets, so that's all well and good. The valves are horrendously coked up, along with the exhaust ports, but that's nothing that can't be cleaned.


Got off my proverbial and decided to yank the motor and 'box out.

Propped up in preparation:


Motor and 'box halfway out with Dusan's help:

 
Back of the 'box was stuck on the lip where the floorpan and firewall meet, so after a few failed attempts at prying it out, I jumped up and gave it a bootful.
It worked.


Tadaa!

 
Motor and 'box sitting under the stairs awaiting pulldown, inspection and rebuild

 
On a lighter note:
New workbench!
It's big and steel and awesome.
Picked it up for $300.
(Note the size of it compared to my ute).

 
Where it's sitting for now until it gets the top cleaned up and a coat of black paint.


2011/09/29 14:39:43
martymexico
Nice bench,
Should've used the F truck to move the bench......The old Kingswood wouldve struggled....lol !!
 
2011/09/29 23:28:08
Trentie
I only use the purple thing to move it becaue I've managed to trash the C6 in the truck, but the old girl didn't struggle at all!
2011/10/01 20:09:58
Trentie
So yesterday, myself and a couple of mates decided it'd be a great idea to paint the horrendously yellow workbanch, clean the surface rust off the top (it was sitting in an open-sided shed in a sand and gravel yard), and rearrange the man cave.
Suprisingly enough, it all panned out as planned:
 

 

2011/10/03 13:42:43
Trentie
Not-so-minor update:

With the motor and 'box up on the newly-refurbished workbench, I threw the head back on and dry-fitted the factory turbo and exhaust manifold off a Mazda MX6.
This motor's merely a stroked-out version of the 2L in the MX6s and Telstars.



The only clearance issue was that the exhaust snail fouled on the dipstick, which was remedied quickly and easily with a pair of multigrips.


After these grin-inflicting shenanigans, I broke the 'box off of the motor.



The only problem that I had with the pulldown was the crank sprocket for the timing belt.
No amount of leverage would get it off, so while it soaked in WD-40, I knocked up this little pulliemajig utilising the factory pulled bolts.
Worked a treat.



Motor's all apart ready to be cleaned and regasketed.
:D


Viciously considering a water/methanol injection setup.
Thoughts?
2011/10/06 15:00:41
Trentie
Crank, rods and pistons in.
Excuse the terrible pic, that's what pictures look like with grease/oil over the lens.

 
Lower timing sprocket, water pump, oil pump and windage tray on.

 
Sump on and flipped back right way up.

 
Head and cam gear on.

 
Timing belt, timing belt cover, harmonic balancer and pulleys on.

 
Threw the cam cover on and dipstick in and finally it's ready to bolt up to the gearbox and shoehorn into Esther.

 
Gave the 'box a quick tidy up.
For a 'before' picture, it's the big ,greasy, oily black thing in the background of the photo of the motor disassembled on the bench.

2011/10/22 18:33:52
Trentie
Progress!
Finally done with my housemate's Chevy, so I rolled the wee beastie in and got crackin':
I'm getting my money's worth out of the courier.
Pinched the bonnet support out of it and bolted it onto Esther.
Works a treat.


Bonnet off.


Little cars are good in their own twisted ways.
Pulled the bonnet off by myself


Radiator, overflow and battery out.


Engine crane on and nipped up.


Halfway out...


...and it's out.


Engineless engine bay.


This is how she'll sit for a while yet.


Can't wait to hook in and dummy fit the new motor and 'box!
2011/11/15 02:13:37
s_ikari2015
Hey Trentie! We can't wait for you to hook in and get it on the road! Sounds like a ripper of a conversion, especially with the MX6 Turbo added. ;)
2011/11/24 21:05:12
Trentie
Hey guys,
Sorry about the lack of updates, but I haven't been anywhere near Esther until yesterday, so yesterday I decided to hook in and get some stuff done.
Starting off with getting rid of the courier.

Gettin' my minitrucker on.


Loading the courier onto the truck to be taken away.


Cya, Courier! Glad to have the space back.


I decided to get stuck into the brakes:
Caliper off.


Rotor off.


Backing plate off.


So now I'm left with the enviable task of finding suitable bearings, machining stuff and whatnot, which I couldn't get done at 6pm, so I opted for some fun motor stuff.

Radiator support's gotta go.


Tadaa!


Dummy fitted the motor and radiator.


Almost looks like it's meant to be there.


The motor's coming down and forward with a World Cup crossmember with lowered rack mounts. It's just sitting there for mockup.


Enough clearance to run the factory mechanical fan.


Threw the exhaust and intake on to see how they go.


Again, almost looks factory.


Put the stock courier air cleaner on to see how it'd go.


Again, looks factory.


But it didn't fit under the bonnet, so I'll probably just go for a foam filter.

If anyone has any constructive input, I'm more than glad to hear it. :D
2012/02/14 19:37:40
Trentie
The motor still sits too high, so I've just ordered this world cup crossmember with lowered rack mounts from Burton Power over in the UK.

I thought it was a steal for around $220 delivered to my door.

Anyone used these before? I've only ever heard good things about Burton Power, but better safe than sorry, eh?
2012/02/15 13:37:34
Trentie
At long last, some progress:
Had to cut half of this channel out to fit the 'box in properly. It's the neatest job I could do while lying underneath the car and it'll be boxed in later:


The 'box is snug up in the trans tunnel:


Where the 'box mount sits compared to the crossmember mounts:


It's a poofteenth off using the factory crossmemeber:


I need to move the hole in the floor back:


This is pretty much where the motor will sit:

I then dropped the radiator in to check some clearances:


Dummy fitted the factory escort radiator fan. It just needs a little bit of love and it'll fit perfectly. The courier fan stuck out too much and fouled on the radiator:


How the shed looked around midnight last night when I headed to bed:


I'm curious to know as to what the general concensus is on using the factory gearbox crossmember. Is it strong enough?
2012/06/05 19:02:43
evobda2
Remember with World Cup cross members and in particular with lowered rack mounts it doesn't put the suspension back to the same geometry as standard as they were designed more for rally cars with +1" travel etc. And allowed for the change in steering geometry of these cars.
 
If your planning on having the car lowered or near standard you really need cranked steering arms to get the geometry back to something decent otherwise you could encounter some serious problems like bump steer etc. (not good!)
eg: http://www.motorsport-too...ear-side-p-268441.html
 
Also, as your using a lowered rack i can't recall if you need to use a group4 type extended steering coupling or not..? (someone might want to confirm this)
eg: http://www.motorsport-too...eel-long-p-267977.html
2012/06/05 20:29:40
Brett
Nice work on the conversion.
Before you finish the engine & gearbox mounts be sure to check your prop shaft to gearbox angle (pinion angle) . Less angle the better. Too much angle will result in prop shaft vibration, premeture wear and possible failure - so pretty important to get this right.
Keep the photos coming - looking good.
http://www.justanswer.com/gm/4s1xy-gmc-sierra-2500-hd-check-pinion-aangle.html 

2012/06/06 09:43:07
Trentie
evobda2

Remember with World Cup cross members and in particular with lowered rack mounts it doesn't put the suspension back to the same geometry as standard as they were designed more for rally cars with +1" travel etc. And allowed for the change in steering geometry of these cars.

If your planning on having the car lowered or near standard you really need cranked steering arms to get the geometry back to something decent otherwise you could encounter some serious problems like bump steer etc. (not good!)
eg: http://www.motorsport-too...ear-side-p-268441.html

Also, as your using a lowered rack i can't recall if you need to use a group4 type extended steering coupling or not..? (someone might want to confirm this)
eg: http://www.motorsport-too...eel-long-p-267977.html


Brett

Nice work on the conversion.
Before you finish the engine & gearbox mounts be sure to check your prop shaft to gearbox angle (pinion angle) . Less angle the better. Too much angle will result in prop shaft vibration, premeture wear and possible failure - so pretty important to get this right.
Keep the photos coming - looking good.
http://www.justanswer.com/gm/4s1xy-gmc-sierra-2500-hd-check-pinion-aangle.html



Thanks for the input, guys.

Evobda2, I've heard of bump steer problems with the lowered rack mounts, but I didn't even know that those steering arms existed. Thank you very much for that.

And Brett, I already knew about the yoke angles having to match, but thanks anyway. Once the motor and 'box is fully set up, I'll set the car on the ground and get the angles with a magnetic 'devil's level', and match the angles on the modified courier diff mounts to that.
2012/06/06 22:11:46
evobda2
There's some good reading on suspension geo and bump steer etc on this page..
http://oldschool.co.nz/ph...rt&start=280 
 
2012/06/08 00:49:33

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