RSTurbo 90 Spec Project

[MarcoB]

Finally got some work done on this yesterday. I've pretty much just looked at it for the past 2 weeks because I lost all motivation when I realised how much more there was too it.

I started off trying to get it going and I knew it was a fueling issue so I checked there was a feed at the fuel pump. There was! So next I tried to remove the fuel pump and its bracket... Not a chance, it won't come off. All of the bolts are rusted together and there is no sign of any threads left on the bolts thats hold it on. Im going to have to cut it off.

I wanted to drain the tank to see if there was anything left in it and to get any s**t out. I had to cut the big pipe to the fuel pump because the hose clip is that rusted it won't turn. The colour of the fuel that came out was a murky brown and it looked like toilet water after a nasty curry.

Realising I couldn't do any more to get it running (couldn't get a pump and don't have a hacksaw at home), I thought I may as well get started on the front end. I was originally just going to fit the poly bush bottom arms to it.

Half way through doing the bottom arm I realised I may aswell just lower it and fit the poly bush top mounts to it. So I cracked on and fitted the springs... I know why it failed on it's MOT for the lowering springs. The springs are that short that when you jack it up they fall out of the cups. It may settle down before it's MOT. I wasn't going to bother fitting the polybush ARB bushes because I couldn't be bothered. I had a change of heart, thought f**k it may aswell while my hands are dirty!

The lad I bought it off came down with the bonnet catch so I fitted that and I started fitting the O/S indicator and headlight. I couldn't work out how the bottom adjuster on the headlight is meant to stay tight so I gave up.

All in all a productive day. Basically polybushed the whole front end and lowered it. Shame that the fuel pump won't come off because I'd like to hear it going without having to tip fuel in the inlet.

Pics to follow.

 

[Cookson]

Do NOT tip fuel in the inlet FFS

Can you hear the pump prime when you switch ignition on? It should make a loud buzz noise from the back end. If you cant hear that, then its probably the pink relay thats fucked. These are about £45 each. I have one here.

Stud that exhaust up before trying to start it.

Are all the injectors on the metering unit? Have you dont a compression test? Did you drop a little oil down the bores before trying to turn it over by hand?

marco, seriously, do you know what you are doing with this car? They take a LOT of work

 

[MarcoB]

Thanks for the concern! I haven't personally tipped fuel into the metering head the guy I bought it off did it to show that it actually ran. I forgot to mention I bolted the exhaust manifold up before I tried to start it.

I fitted a new fuel filter to it last week when I was bored and the old one was bone dry. I checked with a test lamp to see if there was power at the pump while my mate turned it over and there was. That's why I think its the pump not the relay. When I drained the tank the fuel which came out was brown. Can't be healthy for the pump.

Tbh I know what I'm doing to a degree but I work with an ex Ford master technician so he explains anything personal to RSturbos that I need to know.

 

[MarcB]

Stick with it and work on it.

I have been pricing up poly bushes for my S2 Turbo as i get them rather cheap, Infact Very cheap.

The more you work on it and get it back to standard as much as possible the more you will fall in love with it.

 

[MarcoB]

A very nice example you have there, I'm so close to have it going but still so far! I've got the next few days off to work on it though so should make some good progress.

Could you take a picture of your headlight mountings Marc? I can't for the life of me get mine to stay in on the bottom mounting.

I am half tempted to buy a mk4 escort for bits but they are all a bit too much money for the little bits I need.

 

[MarcB]

Only photos i have of the headlights are these 2 below.
I won't be at the garage again till sunday.

 

[MarcoB]

Thanks, I can only really see the bolt part but I need to see the ones in the bottom corners. Ive just noticed mine has loads of shiny bits under the bonnet and there was a few things I hadn't noticed were different on mine and yours.

I may be off to get some bits off a scrap one tomorrow so will have a good look around it and make notes.

 

[MarcoB]

Put a fuel pump on it and some new fuel. When it first started up it sounded like this. Now I think the connectors on the inlet manifold are the wrong way round.
http://youtu.be/VVUUTgkYcv0

It ran like this and then smoothed out with the black plug on the cold start injector and the blue plug on the aux air device, boost gauge ran at -16psi. Now I've swapped them to what this says and it won't fire at all? boost gauge says 0 when it cranks.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a100/norwichcruzers/connectors-1.jpg

I still think the brown plug and the grey plug are on the wrong way round though.

 

[MarcoB]

Just gone and had another look because it's bugging me. I dont have a grey connector I have a black round one instead. They all seem to be in the right place though. Even double checked the yellow one and it was on the right connector.

 

[Cookson]

Round black one goes on the grey coolant temp.

Cold start injector plug should be blue, but leave it unplugged for now as it will just flood you.

That thing is missing its tits off though. If its not been run for a while, drain out all the oil, fill with semi-synth 10w 40. Then take the king lead off the coil and turn the engine over til the oil light goes out on the dash. then try it again.

If its still missing, you need to do a compression test and hope for the best. Should be about 140psi across the cylinders

 

[MarcoB]

I will try that tomorrow, I was given some 15w50 oil and a filter with the car? It smoothed itself out but would not rev up. I could get it to 3k if I gradually built the revs up. For some reason I don't think its getting enough fuel?

 

[Hixle]

Best of luck with this mate. How's the sunroof? I remember my mates smashing at 90ish

Would love a clean, totally standard s2.

 

[MarcoB]

The sunroof is fine! No leaks, opens fine. It remind me of my mk2 golf where the sunroof was that low you could poke your head out with ease while you were driving.

I've made more progress in 2 weeks than the guy who owned it did in 4 years! :/ Just need to sort this running issue and get it in for a test.

 

[MaLicE]

Video sounds like its knocking it's tits off... U sure the engine is good?

 

[MarcoB]

It has quietened down now but I can only get it to start with the black plug on the cold start injector and the blue one on the aux vac thing?!!

Even if it was fooked I'd just overhaul the lot. I ideally don't want to do that though.

 

[Cookson]

Its possible that the connectors have been changed around, but I doubt it. If the loom looks fine then there is something else amiss. If the loom has been chopped about, then you need to make sure you have the correct colours on the wires rather than the plug connectors.

As said though, thats missing badly or knocking from the crank. Neither are good. Leave the blue plug off, put black to black. Try that. Sure you got the spark plug leads on correctly? How is the dizzy and rotor arm?

I really would be doing a compression test before anything else though

 

[MarcoB]

Right!!! Think I might know what it is... I wanted to see if there was enough fuel at the metering head so I disconnected the banjo pipe going to the fuel filter and the fuel literally dribbles out. Put a yellow relay into the fuel pump relay slot so it runs constantly and it doesn't seem to come out as a constant flow it just kind of spits out every 5 seconds. The fuel coming out was a yellow pissy colour so I drained what I could with the fuel pump.

Im going to brim the tank on friday with good fuel and give that a try.

 

[Cookson]

I f**king dispair. You arent listening are you?

 

[MarcoB]

Haha compression test tomorrow, fuel on friday

 

[Cookson]

Take the pipes off each of the injectors at the metering unit and check they all flow. The injectors all flow at the same time and just collect in the inlet chamber. They arent sequential or anything.

But that sounded like a BAD missfire, like a plug was dead, or it was losing comprssion, so check them first

 

[MarcoB]

Put a new dizzy cap and rotor arm on for piece of mind yesterday. I've not tried to start it since I put the fuel in last week. Compression is good, means I haven't washed the bores by trying to turn it over

I have basically drained the gallon that I put in last week and it is hopefully going on a ramp this weekend so it can be looked at next week. I bought what I thought was rear bulb holders, orange indicators and the L brackets that hold the head lights in... The guy sent me clear indicators and some tinted rear lights with bulb holders and seals! I'm not complaining for the time being because my other lights had a corner off and these lights come with seals whereas mine just leaked in!

Couple of pics to keep the thread alive.

 

[Cookson]

So what were the results of the comp test on each cylinder?

Did you disconnect the fuel pum and do it on WOT?

If thats fine, then probably just timing out, so you will need to twist the dizzy and find the sweet spot til you can get it set up properly

 

[Laine_16v]

God bless EFI.

Cool project, i would love a black S2 ERST to play with

 

[MarcoB]

Yes as instructed Around 170psi across all 4, the furthest away from cambelt was down 5 but the Ford tech at work said its because its the hot side? Probably BS but its not that far off.

Tonight I bolted the headlights in, filled the gearbox, cv boot clips on, washer bottle on, steering wheel on and put 2 gallon in. I finished at 10 so didn't want to piss the neighbours off starting. It would idle at least, won't rev though.

Took it off it's blocks and put it on the floor. It seems to have a lot of negative camber! Might have to get some Konis for it... I'm getting some dealer number plates next week for discount price

I don't really play with this because it's on a gravel drive which makes most jobs a c**t. I still think I'm slightly mad for buying this piece of s**t. I am more into my Pugs and this is my first Ford.

Excuse the pics my phone was piss wrapped

 

[yeecup]

I'd agree, u were mad to buy this. Total money pit. I had a mint one years ago, compared to say a ph1 172 they are piles of s**t. Can't believe how people hanker over these old fords and why they cost so much even back when they came out they were average at best. Your money and time though.

 

[Cookson]

Doesnt look negative camber, looks standard. You probably used to slammed cars.

170is a little high. That head cant have much meat left on it. If you run that over 10psi, youre asking for trouble. Should be around 140psi

 

[MarcoB]

Will get some better pics tomorrow.

Ahh s**t, it's going to the garage tomorrow morning to finish everything off. I hope that isn't the reason why it's not running properly

It's staying standard for the moment, which is 9? Would love an engine of your spec though.

Edit: I noticed that PF seems to be lacking a guru. There's no Fred for RSTs.

 

[MarcoB]

Towed it to the garage on the hand brake which was interesting

Had a productive day! Have done everything on the car apart from making it run but have come to the conclusion it is the metering head. Stripped it down and the plunger was stuck closed Fuel pressure to the 5th injector and to the metering head but no fuel coming out of the metering head injector side. The only reason it ran before is because the 5th injector had a permanent live to it and this injected enough fuel to make it run.

Stripped metering head.
Serviced it.
Bled brakes properly.
Fitted Mud Guards- Genuine Ford. By no means rally ones!
Removed Ghey belts.
Bolted head lights on and set beam.
Sorted the exhaust blow.

It's £50 for a metering head so I need to save some money next week and get one bought.

 

[MarcoB]

This will be for sale on ph soon for around 2.3k I think

 

[Cookson]

why selling up?

 

[Djw Dave]

Saw this coming. Real shame.

 

[yeecup]

id imagine cause its a rotten money pit.......

 

[MarcoB]

I'm seriously ill mate. If I recover I will fix it, otherwise I'm going to live a bit.

Its not rotten one bit.

 

[Djw John]

Oh, hope you get better ASAP mate, was enjoying he read as well, something about shitty old fords

 

[MarcoB]

My dad has talked me out of selling it and we are off to get a metering head today. Happiest I've been for ages!

If we can get it running this afternoon then videos/pics will follow.

 

[Richyy182]

Glad you are keeping. Hope you're feeling better mate

 

[Djw Dave]

Glad to see you're sticking with it. Hope it all comes together in the end.

 

[MarcoB]

New metering head on, can't get fuel out of it?! I need to find some way of bleeding it. We tried everything to get fuel through apart from physically sucking it through. It seems like the fuel will go to the cold start injector but not the 4 injectors.

I want to book it in at a specialist but my dad wants to exhaust every option before that happens If anyone knows any good ones in the North-West please let me know so I can plan to get it there.

Also got a chipped ecu for 30 quid off the same guy but that is currently a paper weight and will be for a long time.

 

[Stephenx77]

Love these cars, I went to ford fair a couple of years ago and everytime one went past I dribbled a bit

 

[yeecup]

i admire your persistance. i would of given in a long time ago. owned one years ago, would like a mercury grey minter totally standard but the prices of proper ones is crazy, its not like they were great cars when they were new. rs fords just seem to go up and up in value for proper mint ones.