Have I Damaged The Valves? Pinto 1.6

[Guest whiz]

Hi Angus how you doing. mines is still sitting on axle stands no time to do anything.

Andy

[Guest StephenB]

I had a rather old, but solid 1600 Sierra estate which I bought specifically as a work horse but with potential to be used as a spare car. My expectations were more than satisfied. One evening the engine just cut. I suspected it might be the timing belt as the death was instant and there was very little engine braking effect. I had no tools on me at the time, but I did have AA membership and a new timing belt in the spare tyre well.

 

The AA man said gloomily that my engine will have suffered catastrophic failure and he would tow me home. I very confidently fetched my spare timing belt and asked him to indulge me by fitting it, or if he really didn´t want to just let me use a few basic tools.

 

He did as i asked but muttered the entire time,"waste of time, bloody thing won´t run, may as well take it for scrap etc.

 

Undeterred I continued to smile and assure him that Pinto engines were a non interference design.

 

He was convinced otherwise until he turned the key! Then he said I was just lucky.No it was not luck it was design.

 

I hate Fords they should all be scrapped as they roll off the production line. However they have given us a plentiful and cheep supply of vastly over engineered, blueprinted engines that can be tuned to 200+ BHP and fitted into almost any user built car you care to mention.

 

Luck 0 Intended design features 1

[Guest chris brown]

We were in the Cotswolds for a hoody weekend a few years back when Chris N broke a belt about 5 miles from the camp site he called the AA and when he arrived not only changed the belt but it was one he supplied out of the back of his van. Now that's what I call service.

[Guest Pedro]

I my experience the Pinto engine should be ok, it was the Ford CVH engine that bent the valves etc usually when the water pump seized.