My engine has just let go !
Discussion
Sounds similar to what happened to mine. Could be big end bearing failure. The smoke could be a cracked block and water getting in. Basically it sounds nasty and you wont know the full extent of the damage until you take your engine apart.
Either way
I know how it feels.
You've got a X-flow in there right? If so, salvage what you can from the engine and either transfer the carbs and wotnot to a new X-flow or bite the bullet and fit a more modern engine.
Lots of options here. Cheapest is gonna be another X-flow. Resurrecting yours may be another option if the damage isn't too bad. Crank could be reground, you'll probably need a new block which can be picked up for bugger all, likely a con-rod might be bent but that should be pretty cheap. If you've been really unlucky there might be valve or head damage. If you're going to try and fix it make sure you get it all crack tested.
Personally I'd drop a Zetec in. Cheap as chips, stick your carbs on it, bung some ARP bolts on it and a Raceline sump. You need to do a bit of fettling to make it work in a Westie but I believe it's nothing too major. You'll get a modern, non-leaky engine into the bargain. Overall though, when you consider all the bits that you'll need (exhaust manifold, bell housing, sump, etc) it will still cost a fair bit.
Either way
I know how it feels. You've got a X-flow in there right? If so, salvage what you can from the engine and either transfer the carbs and wotnot to a new X-flow or bite the bullet and fit a more modern engine.
Lots of options here. Cheapest is gonna be another X-flow. Resurrecting yours may be another option if the damage isn't too bad. Crank could be reground, you'll probably need a new block which can be picked up for bugger all, likely a con-rod might be bent but that should be pretty cheap. If you've been really unlucky there might be valve or head damage. If you're going to try and fix it make sure you get it all crack tested.
Personally I'd drop a Zetec in. Cheap as chips, stick your carbs on it, bung some ARP bolts on it and a Raceline sump. You need to do a bit of fettling to make it work in a Westie but I believe it's nothing too major. You'll get a modern, non-leaky engine into the bargain. Overall though, when you consider all the bits that you'll need (exhaust manifold, bell housing, sump, etc) it will still cost a fair bit.
Thanks for the reply juansolo. I guess I should know more when I start stripping the engine tomorrow.
A little fed up of the car at the moment. Seems to be one problem after another (remember my problem about 4 months ago with a broken stud that reqd an engine out then ?)
<> Any, very rough, idea's of cost ? Trouble is, if I change to a Zetec, aren't I going to need a LOT of other stuff .... exhaust manifold (will the exhaust come out on the same side ?), gearbox (currently got a 4 speed "Rocket" box, bet that wouldn't fit without a fair amount of work), engine mounts (and thus chassis mods ??) so on and so forth ?
{sigh}
The only consolation is that I got a really nice drive in the 308 today, and she drive and behaved like an absolute peach ....
A little fed up of the car at the moment. Seems to be one problem after another (remember my problem about 4 months ago with a broken stud that reqd an engine out then ?)
<
{sigh}
The only consolation is that I got a really nice drive in the 308 today, and she drive and behaved like an absolute peach ....
Sorry to hear this news Nev, when I seized my engine it was a right p*sser so I feel for you. Mine was a little more dramatic though I lost oil pressure and the sensor at the same time (1 in a ?????) so I seized all 4 cylinders and it rammed the crank against the block so hard that it made a 8mm gap which you could see the crank through 
I junked the engine and rebuilt from scratch.
Definately get the engine crack tested before major expense replacing parts. I agree with Juansolo, it may be cheaper to replace the X flow than try to find all the possible problems. The worse case is you fix it all back together and then it goes and does the same because you've missed something.
Best of luck mate.
I junked the engine and rebuilt from scratch. Definately get the engine crack tested before major expense replacing parts. I agree with Juansolo, it may be cheaper to replace the X flow than try to find all the possible problems. The worse case is you fix it all back together and then it goes and does the same because you've missed something.
Best of luck mate.
...exhaust manifold (will the exhaust come out on the same side ?), gearbox (currently got a 4 speed "Rocket" box, bet that wouldn't fit without a fair amount of work), engine mounts (and thus chassis mods ??) so on and so forth ?
Exhaust comes out the same side. Manifold, if you're not going to go mad on the engine get the stainless one from Westfield. Reasonably priced and guarenteed for as long as you own the car IIRC. I would guess it's in the region of £200.
Gearbox depends on what you've got in there. If you've got an RS2000 box in you're going to have to bin it and fit a Type9 (unless you have an MT75 tunneled car, you're stuck with this). If your Rocket box is a Type9 then all you'll need is a bell housing to mate to it.
Engine mounts, depending on what type of car you have, will be available from Westfield. Raceline do them for Caterhams so might also for Westfields. Check with Dunnell also who are another Ford engine tuner.
It'll be a BIG undertaking to swap the engine for a different unit.
Another option would be to get someone to do it for you. I can fully recommend Plays-Kool Motorsport who rebuilt mine. I'm off down there today to have an alternator bracket made up so I'll ask a few questions £-wise and wotnot. They'll make the engine mounts and modify anything that needs it. In fact he has a 4-speed Quaife Pro box (light, VERY strong, straight cut, close ratio box) in at the moment... Could be an option if a new box is needed.
Then again this is the trap you get into, you think, while it's in bits I'll see to this and I'll upgrade that. I did so much to the car that I actually spent double my rebuild budget getting EVERYTHING done. But then I was at Anglesey with BaT yesterday and it was utterly, utterly awesome. I'd had so much track time and such a good time that it didn't even bother me when the alternator bracket let go.
As for the fed up comment. Been there also... Wanted to sell it, the barge and the trailer and buy myself a nice reliable Japanese/German sports car again. But when it is working and you get it on a track it's amazing just how quickly you forgive it and forget all the trouble you have with them. I just don't believe that I could go back to tracking an MX-5 and have this much fun with it.
Unfortunately they do need a lot of attention. There is no such thing as a bullet proof engine when you start banging them around a track so IMO you are much better to fit a standard 2.0 Zetec with strengthend bolts in it but bolt good bits to it. That way, if this happens again you can simply get an £400 engine from a scrappers, another set of bolts for £100 and transfer all the bits over from your original lump. If you are not racing there is no need to have massive bhp. A good reliable lump is what you want. It'll be a big outlay now but will make any subsequent swaps much easier to swallow.
Then again I have a friend with an X-flow engined car who tracks it. He has basically acquired a 2nd X-flow for nothing and is rebuilding that one with a steel bottom end and wotnot. The engine in his car is dry sumped (very cheap to do on an X-flow) and on DTA ignition and goes plenty fast enough. But then he's done all the work himself and loves fettling it. Just swapping the X-flow would be by far the cheapest and easiest option. Depends what you want out of the car really.
If you want a relatively low maintenance and non-leaky engine consider this as an opportunity to bite the bullet and fit a Zetec. Or if you want a cheap as chips powerplant that does the job and sounds cool, stick with the X-flow.
Good luck on whatever you decide to do.
Impressive! Never let it be said that you lunch an engine by halves!
Had a natter to Paul. Basically he said it'd be quite a bit of work and quite expensive to go to a Zetec and recommended building another X-flow. After a chat with him I'd go along with that. Time to start browsing...
Oooh, a tad excessive but why not: www.racecar.co.uk/cgi/forums/YaBB.cgi?board=misc_parts&action=display&num=1043398252
Otherwise have a hunt around the rally sites and wotnot.
Had a natter to Paul. Basically he said it'd be quite a bit of work and quite expensive to go to a Zetec and recommended building another X-flow. After a chat with him I'd go along with that. Time to start browsing...
Oooh, a tad excessive but why not: www.racecar.co.uk/cgi/forums/YaBB.cgi?board=misc_parts&action=display&num=1043398252
Otherwise have a hunt around the rally sites and wotnot.
There is a 1600 XFlow for sale here
www.bbmmotorsport.co.uk/
Only had a brief look but it looks like a good-un!
www.bbmmotorsport.co.uk/
Only had a brief look but it looks like a good-un!
You really lunched that one didn't you Nev 
Sad news mate, sad news.
You can get brand new crated 2.0l Zetecs from Tiger Racing for about £1k. A mate picked up a 1,800 mile one from a local scrappy from a wrecked Mondeo for £500. He loves it to bits. Gets about 175bhp with some mods but did have to make some changes to his Tiger 6. He had a pinto in it before so had to change what side the exhaust exited etc.
Good luck
Paul
Sad news mate, sad news.
You can get brand new crated 2.0l Zetecs from Tiger Racing for about £1k. A mate picked up a 1,800 mile one from a local scrappy from a wrecked Mondeo for £500. He loves it to bits. Gets about 175bhp with some mods but did have to make some changes to his Tiger 6. He had a pinto in it before so had to change what side the exhaust exited etc.
Good luck
Paul
That is really bad news Nev, having mashed a few Xflows in my time in Sylva's I know what it feels like.
Take heart in that there a Shed loads of tuned crossflows around. If you need a quick fix check out Classic Ford magazine or the classifieds in the back of Motorsport News, out this Wednesday.
Don't worry though for a few hundred quid you'll get a reaosnable 1700 in there in no time.
Take heart in that there a Shed loads of tuned crossflows around. If you need a quick fix check out Classic Ford magazine or the classifieds in the back of Motorsport News, out this Wednesday.
Don't worry though for a few hundred quid you'll get a reaosnable 1700 in there in no time.
A mechanic at the place where my wife works has just had a look at the pics. He says that his mate had something identical with his X flow a few years back, and that it was down to the carbs being out of tune with each other, causing the valves to overheat and eventually melt. He says, looking at the colour of the valves, that this looks to be the case here. This doesn't cheer me up much, the fact that I could have avoided this (theorectially) and that it's my fault
Serious comment : if anyone knows of a tuned X flow (1600/1700) engine for sale in the Midlands area (or thereabouts) could you drop me a line ?
robp ... followed that link, couldn't see anything about it on the site, is this insider knowledge ?
Serious comment : if anyone knows of a tuned X flow (1600/1700) engine for sale in the Midlands area (or thereabouts) could you drop me a line ?
robp ... followed that link, couldn't see anything about it on the site, is this insider knowledge ?
nevpugh308 said:
robp ... followed that link, couldn't see anything about it on the site, is this insider knowledge ?
No its not insider knowledge. The advert is a bugger to find, I only found it while browsing some Westfield sites.
Have emailed you it offline!
>> Edited by robp on Monday 27th January 13:18
Mark B said: Nev,
Have a look on find it uk.co.uk (Not sure of the URL) follow links through to kit car parts, there are a couple of 1700 Xflow on there.
My advice would be the Classic Ford route, brilliant for Mk 2 Escort spares. Word of warning, the fiesta XR2 Xflow is different.
Wasn't the fiesta XR2 a 1.6 CVH?
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