Malc50

Hi All

The story begins......After a long chat with Stu at Motorsport developments I decided to go for a Lamba controlled 330+ chip and actuator upgarde for my big turbo Escort Cosworth whicch was running a GGR335 conversion. I used Mark, M.A .Devlopments, to set the car up and fit my S.E.C.S montior... I arrived at Marks on Saturday to find that he had already spoken to Stu to check the settings that he would need to set the car up to With all the bullshit and fighting I read on here about whos the best tuner it is very refreshing to see that it doesn't go on betwwen the tuners themsleves and that they can and do work together Anyway after an hour i'm in my car sat next to Mark with all the test equipment attached to the car and it is running spot on....what a difference this conversion has made compared to the GGR335...

As we get back to Marks one of the Evo 6's he's done turns up...at this point i'm very because I just can't remeber the guys name, silver car with a big M.A.Devlopements down the side...Anyway i hardly need to ask before I am in the passenger seat and being hurled down the road at an indiscribable pace This car is amazing and handles and stops as well as it goes....to give you an idea the speedo move as fast as a "normal " cars rev counter Thks mate was an amazing ride

So to the highs and lows By now my own car is ready to go....so I settle up and i'm on my way, it is such a diffenrce I'm well happy (big high) getting nearer home now and got about a 1/3 tank of fuel left, anything more than half throttle and its missing like a good un...Now I know I need to find a shell garage (Optimax ) quick and fill up, its probably just fuel surge but not 100% sure, (I'm sure you know the feeling ) (a small Low) Find a shell , fill up and off I go .....Car is fine massive (massive high) After a 20 mile detour I arrive home and think time to give the old girl a wash now that she is FINISHED (famous last words) ..2 hours later i'm of for a quick spin to get some air around her before being tucked away in the garage....Get to my favorite roundabout and as the road opens up off we go...... NOT... missing and not boosting past 15 psi (big Low) Now I'm thinking all i've done is wash her...mmmmmm..I bet is those shite loom conectors that are under the bonnet vent They got to go So I leave her ovenight to dry off thouroghly..

Sunday comes and while the kids are finishing their lunch I jut pop outside to put some rubbish in the bin ( anyone with kids will know what i mean!!!) so i'm out the door and in the 10 minute window i've just created i'm off down the road and approching the same roundabout as the day before, the road opens and off I go ....and she did , what an amazing coversion well pleased..this means it was water on the electics causing the problem the day before and I can sort that no prob ( big High ) So i'm on my way home, suns out ,cars running sweet and i'm off home to spend some quality time with the family....
Pull up on the drive and pop the bonnet to check the engine loom plugs.....hang on whats that, oil in the water expansion tank (another Low!!) she was / is running so well but you can't leave that sort of problem unchecked..To be honest I half expected the head gasket to go, it is a group A but was fitted with the GGR conversion 8 years ago and although its only done 2000 miles in that time I think they tend to rot over time.... So a quck call to Mark this morning and we are booked in for a new upgraded one....

So there u have it a roller coater of a weekend of Cosworth ownership, everytime I think is it worth it I only have to go for a quick drive to know the answer...

Thks again to Stu/Kenny and Mark for the help and advice and as a little reminder don't let your tuned Escort Cosworth get lower than half a tank of fuel...

SO just the new head gasket then and thats it...or is it !!!!

Cheers Malc....

St3V3_C

Sounds like quite a weekend mate

Stu @ M Developments

iTrader: (12)

Sorry it ended so poorly Malc

Dave Henshall

good old cossies

had a similar high/low weekend myself,

what i was in at stus, i had losta small amout of water from the header tank which i know was down to a jubilee lip that was not tight enough as it was too bigf and had run out of travel, replaced that over the wekend, went out , park up and there is an evern bigger puddle of antifreeze on the floor when i come back header tank has goenfrom high to low in about 3 miles go to start her and she misses like a bitch until i rev her and then it clears, i thnk O NO, headgasket is weaping in water to the bores pulled the cam belt cover off to find mingy water everywhere, check the new clips on the short hose that joint the water pump to thermostat housing, and i got about 4 full turns on each - how when thet were F tight to start with i don know. but that is where the water was coming from any way, waggle the plugs that stu found with water and they have all been sprayed with collant (from this loose hose) and are fukll of water again, split them, and contact cleaner in both ends, connect back up, and she starts first turn of teh key with no misses.

so ive gone from potential head gasket failure adn poor starting AGAIN, to full bill of health just by tightening a junilee clip up - goes to show u shouldn't always look on teh dark side

Malc50

Nah its no prob, I expected it really. If you going to do it you gotta do it properly Once the gaskets done i'm back in action

It is was / is running so well it more than compensates any hickups on the way to making it reliable , as i siad i knew i was pushing the gasket...and as for the 13 year old loom connectors Soon be beck better than before

Cheers again for all the advise.....Malc

RSKim

Sounds like an eventful weekend

Malc50

Nice one Dave...same here with the missing when wet prob ..just got to sort the loom connectors out no big prob...Head gasket will take a little longer but will get there in the end...

Cheers Malc

Mike Rainbird

iTrader: (3)

Told you it would be worth it (and also that the GGR claims are on the optimistic side ) . Should have gone 403s and closed loop though, as you'll soon be craving more .

Malc50

Hi Mike...

You are probalby right but at least this way the gearbox might last a bit longer ...I'll be in touch re a pro alloy water tank and swirl pot before the head gasket gets done (and all the required black hoses)

Cheers Malc

Dave Henshall

as long as the headgasket isnt blowing, you shouldnt need an uprated heater tank, mine is fine, just ordered a new ford one when i did the head as the old ont had gone brown and balooned with the gasket failing

MATCOS

iTrader: (1)

malc, what power is it running now, I have a MAD stage 4 (330ishbhp) and would be interested to see if it's money well spent

frog

Malc, whereabouts you from ? Fancy popping along to the berks PF meet every month ?

Back on subject, I've only ever heard mark / stu say good things about each other

Malc50

Hi

Dave, fair point but thought a swirl pot might be a good idea to help reliability and the standard tank has not got the correct input/outputs so thought I might bling it up a bit , in black of course!!!! Mine has done the same as your and balloned slightly

Matcos, not sure of the power but I suspect its about the same as yours, it is holding 24 psi so i guess 330 ish?? (Probaby get shot down by the experts) but it feels really strong and with the Lamba control working got 180 to a tank when before was only 150miles

A well worth excersie from my point of view, just gotto get the head gasket done and i'm back in action ....can't wait...

Cheers Malc

Dave Henshall

i had the stg 3 with lamda control off stu a couple of weeks ago now, just got 260 miles on the last tank of fuel - about 200 before even only on stg 1 - cant be bad

Malc50

Dave you must be taking it easy Well my tank of fuel did include the set up!!!!

Mrs Frog i'm from essex and never get anytime to go to the RS meetings i'm afraid, got a young family and their needs more important but they are getting older so soon all be there!!!!!! Thks for the thought anyway....

By the way my comment about Mark and Stu talking should not be taken the wrong way, just meant it was great that they where sorting out the details of my tune between themsleves so that my car was spot on...great customer servcie from both

Mike Rainbird

iTrader: (3)

I got 187 miles to a tank-full yesterday and we got to Silverstone from Norwich in 90 minutes . No lamda control and very "spirited" driving . I can coax 280, but it's not much fun .

MrsFrog

That'ld be Kevin (Atkins) taking you out in his silver MAD evo!! And him and his car do exactly what it says on the tin!! They're M A D!!!

Malc50

Yep it was Kevin, it was all a bit of a blur....Top guy and he can certainly drive it too!!!!

Kevin Atkins

Hi Mate, glad you enjoyed the hoon out from Marks. Couldn't give it too much large but I think you got the feel of the car.

Mark will sort your probs for sure, rest assured mine goes only to Mark.

Rgds Kev

Malc50

Hi Kev

It really was fantastic mate, both the car and ur driving Thks again.....Although was a bit warm in the car

I could try and get the gasket done locally but I have made the same decision as you to use Mark and thats it, that way I know exactly where I stand, always!!!

All part of the fun...

Cheers Malc..

I have been boring everybody at work today about ur car whether they want to listen or not, a true weapon....