My old Sierra Mk1 Lx

[Stixy]

 An engine conversion i did a few years back  i originaly wrote this out at the time so please ignore any time / day refrences 

 

 

 Over the next few weeks time and weather allowing I will be converting this 1987 1.8 Lx to a 2.0 Pinto Injection Auto 

 

 

 

 I originally tried to by this car last November (2006)  out the Autotrader but I mist it by minutes .I was surprised to see it on ebay in Feb but it was to expensive and too far away  

 

But I went to fetch another Sierra in June and when i got there i found out the owner also bought this off ebay when i diddnt   so a deal was done  and i ended buying this and the one i originaly went to fetch 

 

 

  The car is in near excellent condition with only 40k on the clock but the problem I have is I only drive Auto’s due to bad legs so I need to convert it .Having done many Man to Auto conversions I decided the1.8 pinto wouldn’t perform that well with an A4ld bolted to it so the obvious answer was a 2.0 conversion 

 

The first step was to find a donor car and I didn’t have to wait long before a very rotten 88 Ghia auto came along  

 

 

 

 

 The main parts I need for the conversion from this car 

 

Engine/Automatic transmission

Propshaft

Selector Lever 

Pedal box

Fuel tank & pump

Some of the wiring 

 

Both cars have the same Diff and the same spec brakes 

 

First step  remove engine from donor

 

 

 

 

 

Next was to remove the wiring for the fuel injection this is split into 2 halves there is an engine specific engine loom and the car loom  will accept all engines as all the relays on mk2's are in the fusebox .

So dashboad out

 

 

Wiring removed 

 

this is the car half being sorted 

 

 

And this was the part i needed 

 

 

Then i removed the main engine loom

 

 

While the engine was out its time for a good clean and head off to check all is well

 

 

 

 

While the head was off i fitted new valve stem seals gave it a bit of a decoke and fitted a new camshaft 

 

I was suprised how difficult it was to track down a replacement cam kit but like everything there not as popular as they used to be

 

Good news is its an unleaded cylinder head 

 

 

 

A lick of paint and new core plugs its nearly ready to go in  

 

 

 

Started to remove the 1.8 Pinto but rain stopped play

 

 

 

 

So did the wiring instead 

 

  

 

Fitted the "new" section for the Efi and the autobox Kickdown 

 

 

 And the three new relays 

 

Fuel pump

Engine management

Kickdown control

 

 

The rain slowed down a bit so i got on Removing the propshaft & exhaust

 

Its times like these i think how nice it would be to have a 2 post lift 

 

 

 

 

Then droped the 1.8 Pinto & type 9 out 

 

 

 

 

 

Got the engine in position ready to lift in then Fitted the main engine loom and drilled the holes to mount the coil , Airbox, fuel filter 

 

 

 

 

Lifted the engine into position then bolted it up 

 

 

 

Now with the exhaust manifold / water pump & fan / Fuel injection plenum fitted its begining to look like i am putting it in not taking it out  

 

 

A good use for Granny Cossie Alloys 

 

 

Today i replaced the fuel tank for the Efi/Mfi  type and fitted the fuel pump and plumbed it all up

 

 

 

 Fitted the fuel filter and feed and return pipes 

 

 Fitted the inertia switch 

 

 

 Then connected the battery and run the fuel pump with the engine off to test all fuel line connections   

 

All ok 

 

 

 Also fitted the  exhaust , propshaft, selector lever , Auto pedal box     

 

Still a bit to do yet

 

 

 First start up today  

 

Turned the key it fired instantly and run on 3 cyls  

 

So i checked the leads and found that 1 was a dud and they were a new set  

 

so i put the old leads back on and it run fine so i warmed it through set the timing

 

So hopefully its nearly done 

 

All back together and after a short test drive all seems well    

 

 

 

 

2 weeks after at the Ford Sierra owners club  national day in 2007     it won best hatchback 

 

 

 

 

[r.welfare]

Fantastic! What was the reason for putting the earlier grille and headlights on it?

[Stixy]

Fantastic! What was the reason for putting the earlier grille and headlights on it?

It was only on the car for the show as i knew there wouldnt be another one there with the early grille  

 

afterwards it got its original back 

[CortinaDave]

Lovely jubbly. All the sierra chat on here lately is giving me the right horn for one again.

 

Do you still have this car? always thought the LX was a nice spec on the late mk1s

[Stixy]

I sold it a couple of years ago  , its had a turbo fitted since  

[fordperv]

Stixy I really like dre, the New owners intentions aren't really to my taste as it looks straight as fook and a shame to spoil, but each to their own it's his motor, at least it's getting love and it's not on the oval or scrapheap.

[HMC]

The shell on DRE looked mint ! Was there any corrosion?

 

Nice work, I'd love to be able to casually strip a car down and rebuild it to my spec like that.

[Skizzer]

Damn you for making this sound easy! Me, I'd have fled screaming at the start of the wiring loom bit, if not sooner.

[Lord Sterling]

Wow! You Sir, are a legend to the Sierra cause. I am also in awe at the Manual to Auto conversion, I like a lot being someone who prefers autos. My cap is duly doffed.

[Split_Pin]

Another HOT MAMMA thread about Sierras from your good self, I'm loving this.

 

That MK1 structure looks incredible, not even any rust stains from bolts or such like.

 

It certainly deserved its prize at the show.

 

Top work sir, please keep sharing whatever you have as it makes superb reading!

[Sigmund Fraud]

Lovely car and brilliant attention to detail ! I would have never bothered taking the head off, replacing core plugs etc. but that's the kind of stuff that really makes a difference !

[laser wheels]

Marvelous stuff! I've been having unclean thoughts about the motor in my Ghia as well - is it doable to convert my carb' Pinto to EFi? I've even been mulling over Zetec swaps!

 

Keep 'em coming, I love reading about Sierras.

[trigger]

Very nice, I prefer the later style front. Shame to hear that it's been messed about with now though.

[scruff]

Great stuff Stixy, would love to hear more tales from the Sierra shed

[Grundig]

Great stuff Stixy, would love to hear more tales from the Sierra shed

^^^^ Here here, I like these kinda threads ^^^^

[Stixy]

Thanks everybody  for you kind comments 

[Stixy]

Stixy I really like dre, the New owners intentions aren't really to my taste as it looks straight as fook and a shame to spoil, but each to their own it's his motor, at least it's getting love and it's not on the oval or scrapheap.

 

Exactly my thoughts about it     

 

I knew when i sold it the next owner would probably change it  somehow

 

But i cant keep everything 

 

 

When it was advertised for sale  i offered to convert it to manual for free if the new owner wanted 3 pedals instead of 2