Dean Roberts

I give in, just tried to time the ignition and the capacitor in the timing gun blew. It's been a bloody unlucky, exhausting week and I'm having a midweek drink and watching a movie. If I don't walk away now, then I will fall out of love with the car....or cars if the bloody alarm on the tin top wakes me again tonight. Cheers everybody for the support, but I'm throwing in towel tonight.

Cheer Rich, I will give U a ring if I get stuck.

Rich, I have just taken a look from above, due to a steel plough being underneath the car protecting everything. I do believe I can just make out a washer just behind the crank front pulley. Tension looks good on the belt and it's only a little worn. Not much I can do, without removing the rad, so how about I attempt starting the car keep an eye on the belt and try the timing light before putting the cover back on. Or wait until after Hollowell?

Nikki informs me the burping and farting from the car has gone away since fixing the No 3 HT lead on again. Will give the car a good blast tonight and see if it pops off again when the engine cools down. Meantime, timing needs doing, but slipping timing belt needs attending too, (pics above).

A few more pics to try and help: Sorry if you cant make out much, but there's not much room to fit a camera and pull the hose pipe out of the way.

Rich, I have just got in from work, took cover off and took these pics: Can anybody make if anything is missing? To me it all looks intact, but I have no manual to reference.

have you have the cambelt off or adjusted the tensioner? No & No, only took cover off to get better access for the timing light. is the edge of the belt marked where it's rubbing on the cover or is the cover similarly marked. Inside of the cover was caked in old oil and since been cleaned (no noticeable marks), belt did look worn and a shade lighter nearer the cover. I can possibly get a cam pulley washer today if yours is missing. I won't know until I get home from work myself

Your suggestion was better than Nikki's "use - NO NAILS!"

Cheers C. will take this into consideration if the crimping don't work.

Something maybe like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-96-00-Civic-EK-EM-A-T-Auto-2-Row-Aluminum-Radiator-1-5L-1-6L-D15-D16-2-3-4/181006721840?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D8025205612193299157%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D20131017132637%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D171342606735 Remove old rad & oil cooler from car. Move new Rad to the very front of the nose cone connect up new silicone hosing. Re-connect existing oil cooling pipes. Refill coolant and refit fan and cowling, Job done! Sounds easy until you start doing it.

will do, cheers Ian

A little bit more info since the wife has been in the car this morning and it started burping an farting again. Quick check and the wife informs me that No 3 HT lead keeps popping off the sparkplug...(explains the above) Take into consideration this is : another new spark plug another new HT lead After replacing them once already! Any ideas why this one in particular keeps coming off? Especially as when you push them on they all click and feel very tight and secure.

Ahaaaaa....I get to use the car ramps again, yippee!

If you can slide the belt back on the pulley then it's probably too loose. Oh yes, I can just push it back using my fingers (no tools required). Thanks Rich, a nice long list of things to check out tonight then Remove radiator fan (for access). Remove Cambelt cover. Check tensioner for wear. Check for big washer (which I don't believe I saw last night). Check front crank pulley for damage (after finding bits on garage floor). Then head back to forum with head in hands and demand a large alcoholic beverage from the alter ego.....Nikki

I will confirm this tonight after work, but it's still bloody hard to see anything past the radiator fan.

I thought that cloud of smoke was normal on start-up! Spin tensioner pulley and listen for wear - noted

“I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed!”

Not strange.....Just misunderstood

Is the belt moving forwards on the pulley? Yes and keeps moving forwards until I switch off the engine and slide it back to the rear of the pulley myself. Is the belt tension correct? Unsure, as the radiator and fan (with cut-out for pulleys) are in the way. I may remove the fan tonight and check the tension and state of the broken alternator pulley. Fouled plugs on idle might be mixture, are the plugs oily or sooty? Hmmmmm.......one spark plug I removed last night was oily.

Yeah...it's shirt and tie during the day, stockings and high heels of a night Weekends are very confusing, so decided to just stick with the birthday suit.

New dizzy, cap, HT leads, sparks, ignition coil....... Car stopped burping and farting last night after I replaced 2 new spark plugs with another new pair and re-seated the HT leads. Nikki will give it a good blast around today and find out how reliable it is. But still worried about the slipping timing belt (see post #30) and why the sparks got so dirty on just tick over

Dude, I've got a timing light......! But when I came to using it late last night......It seems I have more of an issue with the timing belt When I removed the timing belt cover to use the the light and started the car.....The bloody timing belt started slipping of the pulleys. It seems the cover is the only thing that is stopping the belt from coming off at the moment. To make matters worse, to tighten the timing belt or replace any of the pulleys I have to remove the bloody radiator and fan. Not the 5 minute job I expected, when servicing the car. (I have since found a small piece of one of the alternator belt pulleys on the garage floor last night, which doesn't bode well). So putting the feelers out for a replacement 2 core aluminium radiator with integrated oil cooler to move to the front of the car and make things a little easier to work on. So new cooling system to kill 2 birds with one stone (gearbox cooler & radiator), then onto changing the timing belt, pulleys and fixing the timing etc....

Arrrrgghhhh, if it's not the kit car its the bloody new one....Crap alarm keeps going off every night.... Right.....Replaced 2 of the new spark plugs with more new spark plugs and re-seated all of the HT leads again. Tuned the dizzy by ear to a nice steady tick over of 1000 rpm with the vacuum lead removed. Took it for a spin around the block (22:30) and no coughing, popping, burping and farting from the car, drives much better again now. Nikki will take it out for a spin today and give a verdict on how it feels, but still unhappy that the car hasn't done any miles yet on a new set of HT leads, spark plugs, ignition coil and dizzy. Yet the spark plugs are black and oily when removed. Let's hope it's nothing serious!

Car ran like a dream last night.... Come home tonight to find it coughing, spluttering and very slow. Found loose ht lead, fitted back on but still crap. Any ideas.

Quick couple of questions another winter project: I have an auto gearbox using an oil cooler which is sitting in front of my radiator. Is it possible to swap out both (rad & oil cooler), freeing up space in the front nose cone using a replacement radiator with integrated oil cooler, if there is such a thing? If this is possible, what sort of rad would I be looking at for sufficient cooling on a 2.0 Pinto? Anybody know what core the existing VW polo rads are (if this is what I have fitted). Also any ideas on sizing for the inlet/outlet pipes for any silicone piping? All info greatly appreciated as I build up a list of what is required. PS - Anybody recommend a good water temperature sender/sensor for my existing radiator (which has broken this weekend). Cheers Dino & Nikki