ibrooks

Been there, done that and the outside of the plug is now well and truly chewed to prove just how determined it is to stay in there. Also anything I use to get a grip just ends up slipping whilst stripping a little more metal off the outside of the plug. After much grunting and swearing I decided to give it up as a bad job and work around it. Like I said I'll re-visit when the knuckles have healed. It's been suggested that I could weld a big nut to it so I could get a grip with a socket and a long bar (also the heat may help free it). It's another possibility but it's a little close to the fuel tank and ep90 will go up if you get it hot enough so mucho care needs to be taken. All this said I'll probably stick with plan-A coz even popping a halfshaft isn't going to take too long so why muck around. Iain

Hi Guys, I too have the diff plug problem - you know the hexagonal hole in the middle - well I've got one that's round. For the time being I'm going to jack up one side of the car as high as possible and pop a half-shaft. I'll then shove as much oil as possible in there, re-assemble and treat it as a consumable item (I have a spare rear axle or two that I'll rob a diff from for replacement when I have time or when it starts to make noises). Regarding the gearbox filling problem. I have a -well I don't know what it's called really-. It's a big can with a pump on the top and a long tube with a small nozzle on the end. You stick the nozzle in the appropriate orifice and turn the handle and the orifice (or whatever it leads to) is filled with oil. It's currently filled with EP90 and if anyone who want's to collect/return it to Darwen would like to borrow it I just ask that you replace the oil you use. Be warned that the tube is perishing so it may be prone to dump oil all over the floor at an in-oportune moment - if anyone has some suitable tube it would be appreciated - failing that it will be sorted when I get around to it. Iain

I used a bunch of Pyro wiring clips which I had lying around. They are bigger than the pipe and a bit of washer tubing slit and fitted over the tube then packs and pads the space nicely. Not sure what the cost would be if you actually had to buy the stuff though. Iain

Let me know soonish as I'm in the process of giving the engines away. If you want it I'll pull it off before the lump goes. I think I actually have two and they're both from 2.0i engines. The one I used on my 2.1 was from a 1.6 but it's exactly the same. I think it was just the early 1.6's that had the lighter flywheel. Iain

Let's try this. If the file isn't attached send me an e-mail and I'll send it direct. Iain

There's an E-plate possible donor just been put on the for sale board. Hint Hint. Iain

Well as it happens - I have used a switch from Merlin Motorsport which "trips" at 82 degC and turns on my fan. I was intending to convert my Sierra to the same type of system but the plan has changed so I have one of these spare (in it's original packet even). Not sure what the current price is but if you convert it to pints and divide by two you may win a switch. Of course you will have to wait until I find it. I've just moved garage. And for anyone else who's interested I also have an electric fan from a CVH Sierra which is still attached to the duct work for the Sierra rad. Oh yes - I drink Cider Iain

Robbie, I'll dig out the classic Ford in question and see about scanning the relevant pages. I may even be able to supply some of the bits. I'm going to be digging around in my lock-up over the next few days so I'll let you know what I find - I'm sure there's a dizzy and amplifier of the sort you need in there. Unless you've sorted it already - I've been out of it for a while moving house. Iain

The normal problem is the mechanical fuel pump. But like you say once you have gotten rid of that there is loads of room. That's why Ford fit the air-con pump over there. More relevant to us maybe is that many dry-sump kits fit the oil pump over there. I was debating it as a contingency but didn't have any trouble with the alternator where it was so I chickened out. Go for it. Iain

Like Jim says go for the 1.6 if it is a Pinto. The brakes are smaller but they are plenty big enough for a Hood even with a 2.0 and they are lighter than the vented items which is a good thing. You can always upgrade to a bigger lump later (post SVA) and if your build takes as long as mine you will be 25 by then and have no probs insuring it. Iain

Tak, Where are you?. I have the original engine out of my daily driver (donor car from the welsh trip) sat on the floor. It has a standard flywheel and a relatively new clutch (but a cheap one coz I knew I'd be changing the engine before too long). You're welcome to it if you can collect it from Blackburn. Or are you going to a show that someone else from this area will be going to? Iain

Steve, Are you using the socket on the end of a ratchet? Alright I know that sounds like a REALLY stupid question but bear with me. I treated myself to one of those long bars (about 3 foot) with a half-inch drive on the end I think they're called breaker bars. It's amazing how much easier it makes life - just be careful to get a good one coz it hurts if it breaks when you are leaning on the end of it. Also if there is play in the joint you lose the feel and can end up breaking things off rather than un-doing them. Have Fun Iain

See - we anoraks do have our uses - you just have to ask the right questions. Now where did I put my Fordspotters guide????

The XR4i came in two variants. The early three door ones had the 2.8 V6 on the end of a type-9 box which I beleive has been shoehorned into a 2B but it's not a small job. Their rear brakes were drums but bigger than the rest of their contemporary Sierra's (I think they bacame the standard later - like the vented front discs). They were killed off by the arrival of the Cosworth. Later the badge was resurrected for a sporty version of the 5-door hatch and as Jon said they had the DOHC engine (but I beleive it was tweaked) on the end of an MT75 box and rear discs. The XR4x4 came in three versions. The early ones had the 4x4 version of the type-9 box and the same 2.8 V6 as the XR4i. Later the transmission was changed for a 4x4 variant of the MT75 box and the engine was changed to either the 2.0 DOHC or the 2.9 V6. The 4x4 system would probably be a non-starter as, for one, the front diff lives under the engine and so you have even less ground clearance and no possibility of shortening the sump (DAX have used a 4x4 system though I'm not sure about it's origins). The 4x4 rear axle may be a good option though as it can be connected to a "normal" transmission but it contains an LSD. Regarding the LSD - this is really track technology and not necessary for road use (or at least sensible road use). They can make the car very twitchy in slippery conditions so you have to decide how you intend to use the car to decide whether you want to fit one. Have Fun Iain

You haven't just got the wrong servo have you? I beleive that the XR4i had a fiercer servo than the standard Sierra and that can result in the symptoms you are describing. I also beleive that RHE offered these as part of one of their enhancement packs at some time in the past (thoughts were at the time that they had gotten a job lot of them cheap). Worth a check but I don't know how you would tell the difference - don't recall seeing a part number anywhere on mine. Iain

The one with May on the cover (I think). You're right that June's is due any day (in fact it may be sat on the doormat as I type). If you can't get the older one I could probably sort something out from my copy (but not copying the relevant pages complete coz that would probably violate a copyright law - yeah right). Iain

You might also want to buy a copy of last month's Classic Ford as they supplied an idiots guide to doing this job. Iain

I actually used the vice and hammer method as the rubber bit had gone sloppy. I took a cold chisel to the outer metal sleeve of the damper to separate the two parts of the stick. I then used a sharp blade to clean the remains of the rubber off the bottom and drilled a hole down the end of the resulting bit (the metal is thicker inside the rubber than the rest of the stick). I cut the sleeve off the top part and turned it down a little to fit the afore-mentioned hole. I then inserted the top into the bottom and when I was happy with the length drilled a hole across the two for a small bolt. As a final paranoia step I filled the hole with epoxy before I fastened it all together for the final time. The stick now feels like a single seater racer and it has a slightly shorter throw. I did have a spare stick lying in the wings in case I bolloxed it all up though (am I a man or a mouse? - pass the cheese and I'll squeek the answer to you). If someone want's the spare stick to have a go give me a shout. Iain

The track is measured to the centre line of the wheels so competition cars can have a wider overall width at the rear because the wheels are wider or have a different offset (the Porsche, Smart cars and various others). Wider at the front is generally better with the extreme being the early three-wheelers (Morgans etc) some kits use this style too (Grinnal etc). Narrower at the front is a bad thing for cornering (Reliant Robin - nuff said). Generally road cars have the same track front and rear because they don't want to carry two different spares. The sliding pillar 2B has a narrower track at the front than the rear - probably a function of the steering rack that RHE used rather than any calculations. I beleive the wishbone motors had the same track front and rear as they use the Sierra rack. Some of the NW guys have converted to wishbones using parts of the Sierra rack on the original RHE supplied one to increase it's width. Anti-roll bars are a good thing when they are correctly tuned but WILL cause more trouble than not being there if they are not. The Sierra bar is unsuitable for a car as much lighter as the Robin Hood and so it is better left on the shell than messing around trying to fit it. Westfield's rear anti roll bar should be a doddle to fit to a 2B if you can adjust the lengths of the drop links enough. Have Fun Iain

There's an idiots guide to fitting this system in this months Classic Ford mag it goes through what you need and how to wire it (also which cars you need to target at the scrapyard). There's also a guide to Weber carbs as fitted to Fords through the ages with pics pro's/con's and another targetting guide. Iain

Are there any markings on the guages? - not that I could help any more if they have but I would suggest the people that could will need the markings to get it right. You might try CAI (they own all the Smiths stuff nowadays) but I've no experience of how helpful they are when you're not buying from them, they aren't very expensive for senders though so it might be an idea to at least suggest that you intend to buy the senders from them. Alternatively someone (I think Jim Stott - was it you uncle Jim?) has mentioned a place that reconditions Smiths guages in the NW area. I seem to remember that some of the club have used them and reported good service so they may be worth a try for details of the senders (and maybe to pretty-fy the guages before use too). Not much help but maybe some places to try. Iain

Yeah but what would an astra GTE dash cost? If you shop around you may even be able to get one of those sexy vauxhall 16v engines at the same time. Iain

Mark II Astra GTE's had a digital dash. The temp sender should fit a Sierra lump. The rev counter (bargraph display) should be do-able as it probably runs from the ignition. The speedo was run by a sender that fastened into the box where the cable went in on lesser models and a wire went to the guages. Now if all that sender generates is pulses then it should be possible to drive the thing accurately from a Sierra drivetrain (or any other car for that matter). Fuel senders can be done (most of us have) and illumination should be simple. Just a suggestion. Iain

Best place I could suggest is Burton. I think www.burtonpower.co.uk Iain

Must admit I saw that last night too (I'm stuck in a hotel in Portsmouth during the week at the moment). The DJ struck me as an alright sort of bloke though (he hadn't asked to be in the programme). The skinny guy really annoys me but the fat guy (hey pot this is kettle) seems like a decent sort - he doesn't pretend to know the top of an engine from the bottom but he does know the trade which is what he's there for - look what he did to the Ferrari dealers profit margin. The same presenters were in (I think) an episode of fifth gear where Damon Hill was test driving two sports cars (one was a Merc so don't take that too literally). Well Mr Hill really did seem to be giving the cars some stick and the presenters, one in each car were very quiet during the drives around the test track - that was at least until the fat guy had to lean out of the window to throw up. Hats off to him for letting them show it on telly. Iain