My Escort - Updated 19-Nov-2013 - more videos added
12-07-2010, 11:56 AM
#562
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: *PF TERRORISTS CARTEL* Bin flocking Youngens :cry:
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Fair play Mike, when I heard you were WRC'ing it I thought it was a bit of shame (not a fan myself) but making it interchangable is an excellent idea. Car's going to be amazing. Can't wait to see the new wheels too. Can't believe I've never been out in it!
This IS the best Escort Cosworth because it's the most highly developed road/track Escos and not a shiny race car, which is still cool but easier to achieve IMO
Quick question, I take it if you got that race shifter arrangement on a standard box all you'd end up doing is crunching and not getting gears...really quickly?
This IS the best Escort Cosworth because it's the most highly developed road/track Escos and not a shiny race car, which is still cool but easier to achieve IMO
Quick question, I take it if you got that race shifter arrangement on a standard box all you'd end up doing is crunching and not getting gears...really quickly?
22-07-2010, 07:20 AM
#568
PassionFord Post Whore!!
awesome work mike, if i get a larger garage sorted for 2011 i'd be tempted to do something similar with my focus....still be fwd though 
some really nice touches and attention to detail, do you mind telling who did the work on the headlining and door cards, been trying to find someone to retrim a steering wheel for ages now !
some really nice touches and attention to detail, do you mind telling who did the work on the headlining and door cards, been trying to find someone to retrim a steering wheel for ages now !
01-09-2010, 04:08 PM
#577
The Ludde gear kit is being sent off to be shot-peened and "super finished". This is a special chemical treatment that I always have done to my gearkits (here are the photos of my Fixit when it was done):
The shot peening is where the material surface is bombarded with small spherical particles, which compress the surface with lots of indentations which relieves any stresses created in the manufacturing process and instead induces specific compressive stress which are tailored to suit the base material and application. This effectively makes the material more stable and increases dynamic performance and damage tolerance. More details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_peening
Superfinishing then removes the indentations caused by shot-peening, and although it looks polished, it is actually a cross-hatched finish, which helps hold the oil to the gears. This reduces wear, pitting of the gears and reduces the noise and operating temps of the gears. More details here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfinishing
Once it is all done, it's going to an ex-Ford-works gearbox builder where it will be built up into a casing and then sent to Harvey's for fitting. While it is there, it will have one of the race-spec shifters I do fitted. This makes the gear change very precise, along with the fact that the Ludde is dog engagement, it will also be VERY fast changing
.
The shot peening is where the material surface is bombarded with small spherical particles, which compress the surface with lots of indentations which relieves any stresses created in the manufacturing process and instead induces specific compressive stress which are tailored to suit the base material and application. This effectively makes the material more stable and increases dynamic performance and damage tolerance. More details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_peening
Superfinishing then removes the indentations caused by shot-peening, and although it looks polished, it is actually a cross-hatched finish, which helps hold the oil to the gears. This reduces wear, pitting of the gears and reduces the noise and operating temps of the gears. More details here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfinishing
Once it is all done, it's going to an ex-Ford-works gearbox builder where it will be built up into a casing and then sent to Harvey's for fitting. While it is there, it will have one of the race-spec shifters I do fitted. This makes the gear change very precise, along with the fact that the Ludde is dog engagement, it will also be VERY fast changing
.
01-09-2010, 04:09 PM
#578
I collected the car from the painters early this morning and ALL the bodywork for this stage is now DONE! 
Having the wing back on totally transforms the car - note the bufty addition (there's some in ALL of us 
) of the black bumper stripe (which has also gone on the wings) .
Obviously the WRC side of things is still to do, but I can do that at my leisure now without delaying the car from being ready.
Having the wing back on totally transforms the car - note the bufty addition (there's some in ALL of us ) of the black bumper stripe (which has also gone on the wings) . Obviously the WRC side of things is still to do, but I can do that at my leisure now without delaying the car from being ready
.
01-09-2010, 04:35 PM
#582
Video footage (showing around the car):
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/3...video/16951125
In-car video footage:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/bc96a2ce809e66b85ffd9a83c1398d66/video/16952959
This is on low boost, as the intercooler is much more efficient and high boost gives in excess of 2.5 bar
. So needs the boost curve remapping to suit. Even on this low setting, the boost eventually climbs to 2.2 bar at high rpm, so not sluggish and good enough to kill the clutch master cylinder 
. At between 5.40 and 5.50 you can hear the revs flair as the clutch peddle sticks to the floor, as I still hadn't been brave enough to do clutchless changes (seems so alien 
).
So now the bad news - the rod out of the master cylinder jumped out and landed in the bell-housing, before being spat out the side from the rotational force of the clutch - 9.50 to 10.00! 12.00 to 13.00 you can hear the rod rattling around against the flywheel before it finally leaves (thank fuck) .
I borrowed Martin's borescope and confirmed that nothing was in there before fitting a new master cylinder and everything is now back to normal. I have also now perfected clutchless changes (although I still wince when doing so
) and the box changes as quick as you can move the gear-lever !
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/3...video/16951125
In-car video footage:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/bc96a2ce809e66b85ffd9a83c1398d66/video/16952959
This is on low boost, as the intercooler is much more efficient and high boost gives in excess of 2.5 bar
. So needs the boost curve remapping to suit. Even on this low setting, the boost eventually climbs to 2.2 bar at high rpm, so not sluggish and good enough to kill the clutch master cylinder . At between 5.40 and 5.50 you can hear the revs flair as the clutch peddle sticks to the floor, as I still hadn't been brave enough to do clutchless changes (seems so alien ).So now the bad news - the rod out of the master cylinder jumped out and landed in the bell-housing, before being spat out the side from the rotational force of the clutch
- 9.50 to 10.00! 12.00 to 13.00 you can hear the rod rattling around against the flywheel before it finally leaves (thank fuck) .I borrowed Martin's borescope and confirmed that nothing was in there before fitting a new master cylinder and everything is now back to normal. I have also now perfected clutchless changes (although I still wince when doing so
) and the box changes as quick as you can move the gear-lever !
01-09-2010, 04:39 PM
#583
Shut it Luke 
. At least I am updating it .
Robbed off another post, as I forgot to take my camera to Ford Fair:
My journey into Silverstone was a little stressful with engine temps peaking at 115°C and not daring to shut the engine down due to the many electrical gremlins the car was still suffering (unsure if the battery was taking a charge) and then the Pectel monitor locked with an "invalid signal", which didn't bode to well. Finally on stand and with everything cooled down, the monitor was up and running again, but I daren't risk going out on track with this and the ECU problem: Unfortunately when I collected the car, Harvey advised me that the issue with the poor cold starting (running extremely rich) that I had asked him to sort, was a problem with the battery compensation on the ECU. When this goes down, it throws all the sensor signals out of range, so some are over-reading and some under-reading. To compensate, he added a load of fuel to make it safe and said that it should be okay to drive on track in the low boost setting, but after the above issues on the way to Silverstone, I decided that I needed to be a bit more cautious and not run the risk of lunching the engine, just to get some action. It is being sent off to Pectel and should be all sorted by this weekend - fingers crossed no damage has been done, as it ran terribly rich on the way home, with the throttle response extremely "woolly".
I actually didn't like the look of the Monte wheels on my car* and then Lee (AKA Porkie) came along and removed one of the centre caps and it transformed the looks of the wheel . I can't believe such a simple thing made such a difference, so now the verdict is out until the flush fit centres are test fitted.
*The only reason I fitted them is that the forecast was rain and so I thought the brand new tyres fitted to these wheels would have the best chance of providing the best grip on track.
. At least I am updating it .Robbed off another post, as I forgot to take my camera to Ford Fair:
My journey into Silverstone was a little stressful with engine temps peaking at 115°C and not daring to shut the engine down due to the many electrical gremlins the car was still suffering (unsure if the battery was taking a charge) and then the Pectel monitor locked with an "invalid signal", which didn't bode to well. Finally on stand and with everything cooled down, the monitor was up and running again, but I daren't risk going out on track with this and the ECU problem: Unfortunately when I collected the car, Harvey advised me that the issue with the poor cold starting (running extremely rich) that I had asked him to sort, was a problem with the battery compensation on the ECU. When this goes down, it throws all the sensor signals out of range, so some are over-reading and some under-reading. To compensate, he added a load of fuel to make it safe and said that it should be okay to drive on track in the low boost setting, but after the above issues on the way to Silverstone, I decided that I needed to be a bit more cautious and not run the risk of lunching the engine, just to get some action. It is being sent off to Pectel and should be all sorted by this weekend - fingers crossed no damage has been done, as it ran terribly rich on the way home, with the throttle response extremely "woolly".
I actually didn't like the look of the Monte wheels on my car* and then Lee (AKA Porkie) came along and removed one of the centre caps and it transformed the looks of the wheel . I can't believe such a simple thing made such a difference, so now the verdict is out until the flush fit centres are test fitted.
*The only reason I fitted them is that the forecast was rain and so I thought the brand new tyres fitted to these wheels would have the best chance of providing the best grip on track.
01-09-2010, 04:40 PM
#584
Firstly, many thanks to the people that took photos, as I forgot my camera .
As you can see, the interior still isn't finished. I have purchased another centre console off Graham (AKA Polaris) and the intention is to almost completely enclose the space that the gear lever protrudes through (well the Twins are going to do this ), along with installing the tyre pressure monitor where the ashtray was (similar to how I had it before).
The double DIN Alpine head unit was purchased through K&M Accoustics on here and is an excellent piece of kit.
I have gone for the RS500 hose finish, but in black and now the carbon Grp A airbox has been fitted.
FYI, I already have flat centres (courtessy of our very own "Monster"), I just haven't had time to collect them from the powder coaters. I think they will also make the MOs appear deeper as well - will post up pics when I collect them.
.As you can see, the interior still isn't finished. I have purchased another centre console off Graham (AKA Polaris
) and the intention is to almost completely enclose the space that the gear lever protrudes through (well the Twins are going to do this ), along with installing the tyre pressure monitor where the ashtray was (similar to how I had it before).The double DIN Alpine head unit was purchased through K&M Accoustics on here and is an excellent piece of kit
.I have gone for the RS500 hose finish, but in black and now the carbon Grp A airbox has been fitted
.FYI, I already have flat centres (courtessy of our very own "Monster"), I just haven't had time to collect them from the powder coaters. I think they will also make the MOs appear deeper as well - will post up pics when I collect them
.
01-09-2010, 04:41 PM
#585
Anyway . Got my ECU back on Friday, and all is well in the white Escort Cosworth world - well, almost . It appears the ECU had gradually been getting worse over a period of time, so all the map tweaks that had been carried out over the years to get it running perfectly have to be re-done, as these were carried out when the ECU was "poorly", so aren't relevant anymore . Obviously I knew I had to remap the boost curve due to the improved efficiency of the intercooler, but now I have to have all the part throttle stuff re-done as well, as it is a bit "shunty" at the moment (which is to do with smoothing out the multi-map transitions).
I took the centre caps out and washed it at the weekend and it looks a LOT better.
. Got my ECU back on Friday, and all is well in the white Escort Cosworth world - well, almost . It appears the ECU had gradually been getting worse over a period of time, so all the map tweaks that had been carried out over the years to get it running perfectly have to be re-done, as these were carried out when the ECU was "poorly", so aren't relevant anymore . Obviously I knew I had to remap the boost curve due to the improved efficiency of the intercooler, but now I have to have all the part throttle stuff re-done as well, as it is a bit "shunty" at the moment (which is to do with smoothing out the multi-map transitions). I took the centre caps out and washed it at the weekend and it looks a LOT better
.
...looks superb Mike!!!
02-09-2010, 11:07 AM
#593
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
Join Date: Aug 2003
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As alwyas, reading about your escort is a joy!! superbly sorted streetlegal racer with spot on looks!
And thanks for supporting me with going for "orange is the new white"!! lol
And thanks for supporting me with going for "orange is the new white"!! lol
02-09-2010, 01:29 PM
#600
Fantastic work Mike, looks fantastic and sounds like its going to be much faster than before too.
Are you going to go out on a limb and predict your new ring time in it?
7:45 would seem like a realistic target for a man of your talents in a weapon like that?
Are you going to go out on a limb and predict your new ring time in it?
7:45 would seem like a realistic target for a man of your talents in a weapon like that?