ben16i

I got this car around christmas time and am hoping to get in on the road in the next month with the intention of using it for the quarter mile at santa pod through the summer.

The car is not the cleanest by any means but it is a good solid usable car.
The interior and exterior of the car are completly standard and it looks how it should but its the engine and running gear that has had all the work.

lightened and balanced bottom end.
Polished and ported big valve head.
Kent cam
Four branch exhaust manifold.
Twin 45 webber DCOE carbs.
Match ported inlet manifold.
Still running on twin coils.
RS turbo lsd gearbox.
S2 turbo front brakes.

I will get some pictures on in the next couple of days

XR2

Oh nooooooo!!!

Twins

iTrader: (18)

Welcome to pf ,good luck with the project

ben16i

just a quick update.

been out on the car this weekend getting it ready for the rolling road day on 14th march.

adjusted the valve clearances as was a bit noisey, replaced cambelt, tensioner and water pump.

Removed carbs, striped, cleaned and rebuilt with new service kits. Running much better now but need setting up properly, hopefully get in booked in next week for that.

still no photos, i cant manage to get them in this thread but there are a few photos of my car in my photo album that i put on tonight.

Lee Reynolds

Join photobucket and just paste the links into the text boxes mate!

ben16i

Thanks for that mate couldnt work out how to do it, not very good with this technical stuff.

Lee Reynolds

All got to start somewhere mate! NEED to see this RSI

rst in breaking

iTrader: (2)

lets get some piccys up

ben16i

ben16i

ben16i

Out on the car again this weekend doing the last few bits for the mot.








New S2 turbo discs and pads fitted so should stop better than standard.



Does anyone know if this is a genuine 16i wheel as i thought a genuine wheel had writing on one spoke but as you can see these wheels have nothing on the spokes.




The carbs in all there glory.

Hopefully have the car MOT'd by the middle of next week then il be able to start using it and put a few miles on it before the drive up to Ipswich for the rolling road day.

rst in breaking

iTrader: (2)

nice looking car mate, good luck with m.o.t

Lee Reynolds

If you give me the part number on the back of the rims ill check mine as mine are gen.

martinmilne

love the 16i such a cool car any more progress

tony21tq

Just read this. Nice car, BUT shouldn't it have injection?

Lee Reynolds

It should but many owners fit twin carbs!

ben16i

Not done much since last weekend, apart from fit the lower fogs and front number plate, proper wait till the weekend to do the last few bits.

Yes as standard the RS1600i does have injection but that was taking off a few years ago and the twin carbs fitted along with kent cam and head work, it has made quite alot of diferrence to the performance, bloody noisey tho.

tony21tq

In that case cool, keep up the good work. Its good to see some classics getting restored.

RSCAT

Always wanted to buy a mint RS1600i in black but whenever i was buying a car didnt really see one about so ended up buying series 1s or 3drs instead.

ben16i

Not done much this week due to work and waiting for parts. Found a couple more photos on my camera so thought i'd post them.

ben16i

Mucking about with the car again today just doing a couple of bits of tiding up to make it more presantable.


Had to give it a clean earlier as i covered it in dust while i was checking the fire extinguisher as the carbs backfired an spat out flames that made me nervous.






I run the car up today and even took it for a drive. I dont think the neighbours were to happy with the noise. The noise this thing makes is unreal. Had a few problems with it tho. The carbs keep mucking about, so i took it round to a bloke i know who is switched on with carbs and he reckons the problem is down to it not having a fuel regulator, and the pressure is to high, so getting one on order tomorrow. The other problem is its started to smoke, quite bad, think its more than valve stem seals, and it has now got a nasty knocking noise on the top end. It hasn't effected the performance but it ent right. Looks like the ZVH will have to be built up sooner than i thought. I will get it in bits tommorrow and see if its terminal.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Nice motor.Has it got the wrong grill on it.

Lee Ivatt

iTrader: (1)

Thought your stole my resto project for a second

Gotta love the balck rsi (the best colour)

Did you balance your old flywheel or is it a new item, reason i ask i i think i may need an old one to run my twin coils?

can i ask why you chose the Rs turbo box?

Sure the LSD will help a little, but id have thought the 16i gearing would be better suited to the 1/4?

Are those cibe spots, theyre massive

and what exhaust are you running it looks sexy from the rear end!

Will be intresting to see what sort of power it pushes with the 45's

Get some more pics up, would love to see it in more detail

ben16i

yeah love the 16i specally black, wanted one since i was 14 when my dad had a silver one. I did have a white one a few years ago but done a deal with it for an anglia 105e with a pinto in it, and regretted it ever since. Then my wife bought me this one for christmas.

The engine spec is pretty much as it was when i got it, so i dont have an old flywheel im afraid but there is a bloke who lives up the road from me who has had 16i's for years, i will pop round and ask him if he has one as i know he has broke a couple for spares.

The RS turbo box was already in it, i do want to put a 16i box back in it but see if i can use a LSD with it.

Yeah the spots are cibies, not sure what i prefer these or the standard spots. Not sure what they have done with the exhaust, looks like a universal backbox, with no centre silencer.

I cant wait to see what it will do on the rollers, hopefully find out what the knocking noise is tommorrow, if its bad the burton cataloge will be coming out and the zvh on its way.

I have been watching your thread and the car is coming along very well looks a very good shell, the more i look at your engine bay the more i think about sorting mine out as its not the prettiest.

ben16i

Im mot sure now you have mentioned il get the 16i buyers guide out later and look into it,

Lee Ivatt

iTrader: (1)

Your wife bought it, now thats good!!

With the g box im sure you can use the S1 box and put just put the 16i gearing in it. Tho dont quote me on that. Saying that tho the S1 box is pretty livley.

I remember my S1 had the original box and my mates S1 i gave him a XR3 unit was a noticable difference expecially in the 5th top end gearing.

Dont talk to me about burtons I made a worse mistake then opening the catalogue, i actully took a drive over there a few weeks back and ended up with not much change from a grand

I quite like the cibies on yours, theres a 16i on the S1turbo forum with a quadret of cibies (like yours but also replacing the 2 rectangular ones with the round cibies) and it looks so weird that it actually works!

haha, my engine bay really isnt anything to get excited about. I really have only very quickly tidied it up. I think it looks quite ugly now, its always been the escorts (well most 80-90's fords) biggest let downs is the some what ramdon mess od wiring loom and pipes.
I remember finishing my S1 and getting pissed off as id done all that work and the engine bay still looked so untidy.

Yeh gotta love the black 16i I keep telling myself and everyone (my wife mostly) that i promise to keep this one. I think i will for alteast the summer, but as much as i swore id never have another cossie after the escos, i just cant shake off the sapp in the back of my mind!

Id really appreciate you asking your contact, im hoping the flywheel on mine is Rsi, but if its not then i will need to buy one or get this one magnatised.

looking foward to some more pics of yours!

Lee Ivatt

iTrader: (1)

16i grille has fully open slats, for aided cooling

The ghia,xr3, xr3i and all other mk3 variants only have the lower 2 slats open for air to get in.

ben16i

Thanks for the info, just gone outside and checked the grille and its not a 16i one. I will go round that blokes house in the week to see what he has and let you know.

ben16i

Not done much this week due to work, good news is the engine ent knackered. I found the noise is due to the cambelt tensioner that is falling to bits already and the smoke is down to it over fueling. This will be sorted at the weekend as my bits have arrived from rally design and my mate is putting smaller jets in the carbs as he said they are to big.
I am going to convert the car to run a distributer so then i can run an Omex shift light with lauch control as this system wont work with the twin coils. Has anyone got any thoghts or advise on doing this.

ben16i

Not done much on it for a while so got out on it this weekend and done a bit. My plans have changed slightly and have decided to turbo it but still using the twin carbs. I am going to use low boost without lowering the compression ratio for now just to see how well it works.
I am still waiting for quite a few of the parts that i need so iv just been getting on with the parts i have for now.



2wd cossie intercooler and dump valve.



Front panel and bumper cut out ready.



The intercooler fitted in the bumper and bumper fitted to the car. Rad has been moved back a bit and moved to the right to get clearance for the hose outlets, just need to make new brackets.

And with everything back together. Need to modify spot light brackets and get them back on, it looks naked without them.

Did some work on the inside too, and got some of the dreaded wiring out the way.

Switchies in and cables run for the nitrous system and electric bottle opener.

And electronic boost control in wired in and working.



Even got the boost gauge and pod in.


I will have more of an update in the week when more of the parts arrive.

Lee Ivatt

iTrader: (1)

It wont work well, just ask anyone whos fitted a turbo technics kit to a 16i.

If i were you id swap the block for a RST lump with the flat pistons (ie lower compression).

With the normal compression youl be lucky to get 150bhp, and any more than 7psi and your engine will go all melty melty.
A N/A rsi with cam and decent set up will hit 135bhp

Not to mention the poor head gasket and bolts, if your straping on a turbo the least you can do to give it a change is treat it to a group A head gasket and heavyduty bolts. And if your doing that you may as well go low compression whilst its all out.

Intresting use of the cosworth intercooler, looks like it fits in a treat tho.

Will also be intresting to see if it runs on a cossie Dump valve, Id have thought your want a RSt one on there for vacum reasons?

What sort of ECU are you going to use? I know of a few mappable ones up for grabs, which id advise you use to make adjustments as your doing it all bespoke!

ben16i

Iv decided that it i was going to turbo the 16i i would listen to what people have said and lower the compression from the start so i started today by taking the head off.


Coils and manifold off.


Carbs removed.


Rockers and lifters removed.



And finaly head is off.



Bores look in ok condition.



Head looks in good condition. Will get the valves and tomorrow to make sure everything is ok.




I take it that the adjuster lifters should look like this...



And not like this one. There was only one in there that was like this.

Will also get the sump of and pistons out tomorrow ready for the turbo rods and pistons to arrive. Had to call it a day at lunch time as the boss wanted some painting done.
Will update tomorrow night.

XR2

the first follower is an aftermarket part and quite horrible to set up,
the second one is standard RSi

ben16i

Thanks for the info i thought something was missing from the second one.
Do you know if standard 16i ones are still available or is it just the after market ones that are available.

XR2

RSi ones are no longer available new. But you can use the bottom parts of new hydraulic ones and make them fit for the upper mechanical part of the RSi items. You just have to pull it out...

ben16i

Not much happened over the last couple of weeks, due to waiting for parts and getting the arsehole with it, but at the weekend i found some enthusiasum and got out on it. I had a quick measure up for the plenum and found the heater motor was going to course me some problems so i removed the whole thing.




and welded a plate over the motor hole.

I then removed the exhaust manifold and down pipe




ready to fit the T3 turbo and manifold


The head is only tempary fitted as im still waiting for the low comp pistons



so i could fit the turbo amd manifold to start lining things up and make various pipe work.


A rough mock up of the plenum was made out of cardboard and fitted to the carbs to test for clearance.

and found the lip on the bulkhead needed triming back about 10mm to give enough clearance.




The carbs were then fitted to the engine to double check everthing was clear and not hitting.
Now it is fitted i think im going to take about 20mm of the bottom and make it about 15mm wider on the right hand side where the inlet will be.
I dropped of the dimensions and templates today to a mate of mine who will be fabricating the back plate and plenum box this week.
Hopefully have this back and the pistons by the weekend so i can start to make real progress.