When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Mapping successfully completed.
Yesterday the bonnet release…. wouldn’t
Flat battery this morning 🤷♂️
Two hours on the dyno and it was all done, it would have been less but I had incorrectly set the base timing so that had to be redone once he figured out what was wrong.
It made 200whp so 20 more than MFI but with 4 PSI less boost.
Since the dyno I’ve had a boost hose pop off and two silicone caps on the inlet burst!!
The part throttle smoothness is amazing.
I just need to get the wideband working to run closed loop and the CanChecked monitor communicating.
Big Thanks to Sitech Racing for a fantastic job.
Hooray. The wideband is working.
It worked initially then I concentrated on trying to get the CanChecked monitor working and couldn’t, but at some time noticed the WB had a comms error.
I tried everything including tearing my hair out but contacted Maxx support last week. After various tests they thought the canbus output on the ECU could be faulty although unlikely as they’ve only had one fail before.
They suggested contacting who I purchased it from for a unit to swap with to test but my son has a Maxx mini on his Fiesta.
so swapped today and it worked.
That’s faults with the brand new Alarm and ECU that I’ve fitted over winter. This playing with cars nonsense isn’t easy.
Not much progress lately not even driving it. Two week holidays and three week away with work have limited play time.
Got my steering rack re-conditioned as I had a few scary moments when overtaking almost going off the road then almost hitting the car I was overtaking when trying to correct. It was like it had a dead area just off straight ahead. It scared me to bits.
I’ve still to get some loose end sorted with the ECU and the monitor working, probably a winter job now.
Conditioned by steering rack services and painted in two pack. I fitted new bushes whilst it was off. Original dust cover was showing its thirty five years. Got a 3D printed one. Fitted perfectly.
My header tank split along the seam today, my first breakdown in 30 years where I couldn’t get it home (broken clutch, sheared input gearbox shaft and snapped clutch cable) have been my previous problems.
I suspect it was a pattern part, I’ve only had it a few years and the original was still good just discoloured.
I’m not overly keen on the alloy fabricated ones but don’t think I have any options as an original one on eBay was Ł450. Unless anyone has other ideas?
I might have a walk around u-pull-it and see if anything will fit and look sensible.
Sounds like little teething problems mate you'll get there ive a spare baileys header tank if you struggle .
Thanks Mat I really appreciate the offer but after phoning Ford this morning and getting the usual NLA I ordered one from Green On Engineering, where I bought my breather kit and I think who done your inlet.
I liked it looking standard-ish under the bonnet but just have to accept the compromise for running Old Ford shite.
Im not paying Ł450, thats for the Concours maniacs and dont want to risk another pattern one splitting.
The replacement header tank arrived and was fitted, I stuck on a Ford 50/50 anti freeze sticker on for weird reasons.
whilst waiting for the tank to arrive I swapped out the clutch to something less heavy duty and changed the gearbox mounts for V8 Range Rover engine mounts. I’ve had a few mounts, standard ones the engine jumps about, Vibra Technics were too race car for me. Standard ones with the voids filled with tiger seal were good but they didn’t last long before the seal worked loose. We will see how these work out.
Also since fitting the Turbo Technics front cross member I’ve had to use the gearbox cradle to jack it in my garage as there’s not enough room down the sides. It wasn’t meant for this and was distorting. Son no2 neatly strengthened it for me and made it look OEM even though it will never be seen.
Today it failed its MOT for the first time in my ownership……on emissions FFS. 30 years of passing on MFI and it fails on EFI. We were able to go and remove fuel from the map at idle and get a pass. Looks like my Lambda has failed.
Last edited by boost monster; 15-09-2023 at 02:28 PM.
I’ve done a few things so far during winter hibernation. I had a small oil leak which was coming from the front of the sump around the half moon area, so a new one was fitted.
I fitted a hose to the over flow outlet.
After the sump was removed the distortion of the seal where it was leaking confirmed I may just be correct this time.
New gasket glued in position with some sealant around the outside of the half moons. I followed a recommendation that was on Fiestaturbo.com
It has been up to temperature and appears to be ok🤞
Also moved my Ctek charger point from under the bonnet to Velcro’s to the front crossmember. Opening the bonnet became too much hassle 🤣
Last edited by boost monster; 01-12-2023 at 02:36 PM.
Continuing to get through my list of jobs carefully avoiding the ones that actually matter like getting the closed loop working again and ECU monitor working for the first time🥴
Carpets have been cleaned. Dehumidifier in overnight. The dirty water thing amazes me. The carpets were immaculate 🥴 Decided to fit the centre console extension that I’ve had for about 20 years. Pleased to see Ford, as expected marked where to drill for the bracket. This is the closest to the carpets have been to being removed in my ownership. All fitted complete with the screw cover on the rear fixing. This was my daily for about five years until I retired it, as a result all sorts were throw in the boot damaging the rear seat backs. Not sure using filler on the dents is normal behaviour as who the feck will see it. Primer All done Whilst I liked the look of the original head unit it was rubbish and nothing else is original so a Blaupunkt Bremen was installed. MIC for hand free calls DAB Ariel will be stuck to the windscreen once I decide if I’m going to replace it. The cable was fed up the passenger side A pillar. I wanted to improve the interior lighting and have tried this before by fitting 21w lamps but they melted stuff🤣🤣 It’s not as simple as getting a LED replacement as Ford put 12v+ to the lamp body and 12v- to the centre pin….. the opposite to all LED lamps Whilst being mapped the dyno guru said it didn’t respond “normally” when he needed to add fuel and he suspected my twenty five year old fuel pump🤷♂️. The wiring at the pump was hard and would have cracked if bent. I decided to rewire it and although I’ve never heard it being an RST issue it’s common for Sierras to have less than alternator voltage at the pump. Unwrapping the loom to replace it gave me the opportunity to include the alarm cable for the boot switch in the re wrap. Forgot to take a picture. I have a new pump coming but not arrived yet.
Re-taped the loom after the fuel pump re-wire. Im expecting a noticeable difference in sound quality with the replacement rear speakers. Replaced the boot light with an LED lamp. The replacement fuel pump arrived but A little slip on ice resulted in this for six weeks so any progress will have to wait.
Despite my compromised mobility, after a few week of complete rest I was able to get into the garage and with some help from my sons a few more jobs on “the list” were completed.
The boot trims got their first clean in 36 years! The foam on the vent disintegrated. It was replaced with similar stuff but I’m not organised enough to get pictures of everything. Because I have a TVR Griffith alloy spare wheel it sits much lower in the well and anything placed in the boot just fall into the well. After going to the builders merchants last summer to collect a lintel (Escort boot was wider than my 1 series) I decided to do something about it. A coat of fence stuff. We will see how this works out. New fuel pump fitted. A bracket for the Fire Safety stick. Painted the rocker cover that got damaged during the EFI conversion. Strato silver. Still clean in here despite the big miles. All done and a replacement sticker fitted. Strut brace fabrication under way using my original that no longer fitted with the EFI inlet. I have previously gave my son a tig welder and a bandsaw as Christmas gifts and he put them to good use. All done just to be dressed. All done. I covered it in heat shrink as a painter finish always ends up chipped.
One step forward then two back!
During the winter I replaced the original bonnet release cable as the inner had become kinked at the bonnet end, probably some lubrication in my previous years of ownership would have prevented this. The replacement from Car Parts Express worked perfectly…….. until it was hot then the outer cable turned into a substance somewhere between a solid and liquid and of course it wouldn’t work. If only I knew they were so inferior to the original some heat resistant Sleeving would maybe have saved it.
I fitted another from an alternative source and some heat shielding.
Last year there was a knocking from the passenger side rear shock so I removed them found nothing untoward and refitted them. With hindsight how was this was going to fix it and it didn’t. On closer inspection the top bush was squashed flat compared to the other side, so replacements where fitted.
I prefer powerflex as I have used them before and know the quality. All fitted. The closed loop fuelling has still not been looked at. I had problems with it last year and after a month of fault finding Maxx suggested swapping the ECU and this worked, only for it to stop after a month or so. The first thing I want to do is swap again but the ECU in my sons Fiesta has been completely inaccessible due to the garage being full of BMW 1M panels but slowly they are making their way onto the car. Progress.
Last edited by boost monster; 03-05-2024 at 06:23 AM.
Another unexpected purchase.
It burst a coolant hose on the dyno, I checked if Ford offered a 36 year warranty on their hoses but they didnt! so replacements were ordered. Simon thought my radiator was inefficient so I will try a flush before anything else.
Fuelling was well out on the new pump, AFRs in the 9s All good now. I was able to borrow one from Sitech stock to complete the mapping. Ford v Samco No point in just replacing one.
14-04-2023, 01:44 PM
