Hello Ppz,

I'm new at this forum, and I hope that someone can help me.
Since a while I'm driving an Escort RS2K with a new builded 2300 engine.
This car first belong to a friend of mine and he had never troubles with it (only the usual ).
He traded the car for a Sierra Cosworth and the car has been at the 'Ford Specialist' (Not! in my opinion).
I don't know if he tried to find out what parts exactly have been used or something, but if you ask me, he dismantled the engine or something.
But ok, it was his car so he had the right to do that.

When I did a trial run with the car, I noticed the engine was stuttering (forgive me if that's not the right word, but I mean shaking, holding back).
I've told that to the 'Specialist' and he would fix it so I could buy the car.
This was in December last year......

I've been back many times for this and he (claims to have) has done different things to the car.
A new fusebox, new computer with a new chip from Superchips, new injectionrail and a new pressurevalve and so on.
He says the bobines (if that's not a word, then I mean the 2 boxes at the sparkplugs) are fine and not the problem.

The stupid thing is that the engine is not always stuttering, sometimes I can drive for days with a perfect car, other days it's constantly stuttering above 2500RPM.
When I put the pedal to the metal, there's no prob, but if I'm driving at for example 3000RPM and a constant speed, the car keeps shaking.
Often when it's stuttering and I'm driving for a while at a constant speed then at once, the car takes a little run (a bit more gas) itself and then everything is allright!!! A bit like that the computer has 'programmed' itself or something, I don't know how I can say it.
Also if I take a sprint, it's often that after that the car starts to stutter again. And after a while it's gone again.

The only thing that I can imagine after what's done already is maybe a powerproblem of the computer, so that it constantly resetting or something, but as far as I can see the contacts are all allright.
I don't understand that everything is fine when I 'flat out'. If I see my sprint times, the HP hasn't really changed, so the engine seems fine to me.
Maybe a problem with the EFI? The 'bobines' or sparkplugs + ignition wiring?
I really don't know it anymore...

I'm using the car as a daily driver and it's so fucking irritating.
I also want to go on holiday with it, but more than 1000 miles with a stuttering car is not what I prefer.

I hope anyone can help me, give me some hints, whatever...

Thank you all in advance.

 

I did a 2.3 conversion a while back on my RS2000 and did not have any of your trouble. The RS2000 suffers from the wiring loom breaking down and shorting out under the bonnet. The two main problem areas are the small loom that goes to the injectors and the one that feeds the coil packs.
If you remove them you can check for damage and repair as needed.

Tons more good info on the RS2000 and 2.3 conversion here

http://www.rs2000-16v.com/

 

usually the crank position sensor plays up, its down the back of the block.
ive got the same problem on my 1.8 zetec but its not the sensor on that.
i cant seem to find my problem, im thinking that mine could have stichy valve syndrome causing the prob.
maybe yours has got somethin simular, have you changed the oil in it for some nice thin 5w30?
i take it youve changed the spark plugs etc..