Mk2 2.3 Duratec

[Northern Bloke]

Looking very nice indeed

and I know all about that "jamming on the arches" bit - Tom received my axle shortly after I tried fitting the rear wheels

[rs1800mk2]

I would like one for Christmas

[docscars]

not b long now John looking great

[SHIFTY]

Great work mate, looking good

[John Hall]

Latest engine bay update

Under the bonnet is just about finished.

I fitted the throttle and speedo cable and made the camcover and crankcase breather hoses and fitted them to the catch tank.

The vehicle and engine management wiring looms are being worked on, the vehicle loom has been trail fitted once to check the modifications are correct and is now being bound in black plastic over braid.

The only outstanding job to do under the bonnet is the heater matrix hoses. I am hoping SFS will be able to make me a set of moulded silicone hoses to match the radiator ones. I will do a separate post on these hoses once SFS say they can do the job.









A few pictures on the car on its wheels with the narrowed atlas fitted. The ride height is correct. Adjustments are need to the panard rod and camber, castor and tracking. I can do the panard rod in the workshop but the front suspension settings will have to be done on a floor with better levels.







John

[Frosticles]

That is one gorgeous car John. Engine install looks factory. Fantastic work.

[graham John]

agree with Frosticles, excellent job there, well done,

cheeRS

[Dave1800BDA]

i just cant wait to see this car john, looks stunning

[grum]

thats lovely - detailed and clean looking, nothing clustered

[custom219v]

A pat on the back is needed there! Gr8 work

[RStu]

What a car!

[Mr Hoarder]

This seems such a long time ago

[John Hall]

Heater Hoses

Way back in February, on page 5 on this post.
http://bbs.rallyesportescorts.co.uk/...?t=8620&page=5

I was explaining why the heater matrix inlet and outlet spigots are on the passenger side of the bulkhead. This was due to the spigots failing against the water rail and the heater hoses would have been very close to the exhaust manifold if they were left in the original position.

Not to bother with a heater matrix circuit would have been the easiest option but there are good reasons to have a heater matrix circuit plumbed in. The main reason is the heater matrix circuit is the coolant by-pass circuit. Which means when the thermostat is closed during engine warm up, there is a reduced coolant flow around the engine. This allows a stable engine warm up with the heat rising around the engine uniformly and stops head gasket failure which is a common fault with alloy engines during warm up. My other reason is that a steamed up windscreen is a pet hate of mine so I had to find a way to plumb in the heater circuit.

To resolve this, I flipped over the heater matrix in the heater assembly so that the spigots came out the other end of the heater assembly. Looking in the engine bay with the engine stalled this makes the heater matrix spigots now on the intake side of the engine and with no obstructions.

My next problem was the routing of the matrix hoses. The bottom heater hose is straight forward from the thermostat housing by-pass to the bottom spigot on the heater matrix. The top heater hose is a bit more convoluted due to the return to the engine is on the water rail, on the other side of the engine above the exhaust. Which means running a hose behind the engine over the Bellhousing. After many attempts with bits of hose, connectors and hose clips which looked crap. I decided that a bespoke set of silicone hoses moulded to the route were the only option.

A few hours surfing the net, I found that SFS Performance Hoses in Luton do make bespoke hoses to order. But the cost of designing and making the hose mandrels or forming tools is very expensive. So I made the mandrels myself and SFS made the hoses from my mandrels and this is how it was done. This took me six months to get to the finished hoses fitted to the car and has to be the most infuriating and frustrating part of this project so far.

1) Go to B&Q and buy some domestic plastic plumbing pipe with the outside diameter of the plastic being the inside diameter of the heater hoses, in the case 15mm. Using a heat gun and pipe benders, form the plastic pipe to the heater pipe routing. These will be the mandrels made in plastic.







This is what they looked like removed from the engine.





2) Next was to find a toolmaker to make the mandrels about of 15mm solid bar using the plastic mandrels as a pattern.





The large square bosses are welded on the end of the mandrels are so that the mandrel can be clamped in a vice and held firmly to remove the hose after the hose is made.

3) Then the mandrels were sent to SFS and these are finished heater hoses.





And here they are trail fitted to the car with the hose clamps loose.









I am very pleased how they look and they match the radiator hoses which were made by SFS but supplied by Ralloy . Also, I own the mandrels and SFS will make extra sets to order….. This could be the beginning of a cottage industry for me .

John

[grum]

super

well done

[johnylock]

luvly jublie