Project Project Capri. Back on the road! New earths.

[AndySnapper]

Have you considered digging a pit for your new garage/workshop?

 

Just a thought ............!

 

Andy

[danthecapriman]

I thought the early Mk2 Capri 1.6 had Kent power.

Only the 1.3. All 1.6 and 2.0 uk cars used the Pinto.

[fordperv]

I love pintos so easy to work on and maintain, keep up the good work

 

Ps dont forget to put the tensioner spring on correctly (it's wrong on your pictures before belt removal)

[mat_the_cat]

Yes definitely! I've got to finish the doors off yet, there's a big gap between at the moment. I'll get a more heavy duty lock and I think I'll get some heavy duty hasp and staple type locks and padlocks to back it up. At the moment I've parked another car up against the double doors so they won't open.

Ultimately it's a wooden building though so if someone wants to get in bad enough they will do. I've got my shotgun loaded and ready if it comes to that!

 

My mate has one of these on his garage, triggered by a trip wire just inside the door. In a confined space I can testify it makes rather an alarming noise!

 

http://www.williampowell.com/Shooting--Dogs/Game-Bags--Accessories/Poacher-Alarm_MA101.htm

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Ford were odd back then. Even though the Mark 1 facelift went to the 1600 Pinto, the 2000 stayed with the V4 until the end in '74. The Consul went to the Pinto in early 1975 iirc. The reason for this was that Ford could only just build enough 2000 units to satisfy the Cortina and USA Pinto and when Ford USA built their own version (2.3?), that freed up enough production for the Capri II and Consul. It's a bloody good engine - like the B Series, a well built one really is good.

 

The 1600 goes soooo much better with a well jetted 32/36 Weber btw. 

[fordperv]

^and 2 litre camshaft

[Guest Hooli]

32/36 Weber, I think that's what XR3s came with & I put on a 1.6 Onion to replace the ford vv? joke carb. That went a lot better too.

[danthecapriman]

I love pintos so easy to work on and maintain, keep up the good work

Ps dont forget to put the tensioner spring on correctly (it's wrong on your pictures before belt removal)

'Tis' indeed. It's all loose in the pic.

Those tensioner bolts are shit. As usual this one was tight as fuck and the shitty splined head rounded. The usual problem! Why didn't they just use a normal bolt head to avoid the problem?

 

I had to let the spring off by undoing the cover bolt instead which gave enough room to get some big vice grips around the tensioner bolt, which got it out after a few goes.

[danthecapriman]

Finally! The dishwashers done...

 

IMG_0478 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Fan-tastic!

 

Looks like new, it's even shiny now. Looks much better than it did in the pic further up.

So guys, I can recommend using the dishwasher as a parts washer! 60 degree wash if your interested.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Finally! The dishwashers done...

 

 

Fan-tastic!

 

Looks like new, it's even shiny now. Looks much better than it did in the pic further up.

So guys, I can recommend using the dishwasher as a parts washer! 60 degree wash if your interested.

 

 

 

Given what you can pick an old one up for now, they're recommended.

[danthecapriman]

Did some more cleaning today. It's bloody hot outside today though so I've given it a rest until later this evening before I do any more.

 

Both manifolds are off, again nothing gave any trouble. Even the exhaust manifold undid with barely any effort.

 

IMG_0479 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

IMG_0480 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

IMG_0481 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Box of bits that came off. Some of it will just be cleaned up and reused, some is going to be blasted and reused, and there's a few bits I'll need to replace. The thermostat housing is likely going to need changing as it's very corroded.

 

IMG_0482 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

 

All the dirt and grime is now off the block and head so I'll just give the gasket surfaces a further clean up with emery paper then I'll start refitting the new waterpump and cambelt.

I'll get a local company to do the blasting next week. By then hopefully the engine paints and gasket sets will have turned up so I can start painting everything and reassembly.

[TripleRich]

That fan has come up very well!  I've cleaned various and they are a pain.  The red fan on later engines is the hardest one I've come across to clean so far.

 

Always though the Pinto looked best in blue rather than the later black.

[danthecapriman]

That fan has come up very well!  I've cleaned various and they are a pain.  The red fan on later engines is the hardest one I've come across to clean so far.

 

Always though the Pinto looked best in blue rather than the later black.

Yeah I like the early blue Pinto's. It looks nicer when you open the bonnet I think.

 

You can buy new fans, in an orangey colour but for a bit of effort you can save yourself buying one if there's only a bit of dirt to get rid of.

I did wonder about the heat in the dishwasher but in hindsight it could have easily taken an even hotter wash I think.

[oldford]

I like the Pinto, nice simple engine, mine came with some shiny bits.  I had a nightmare painting the exhaust manifold on mine, what I found to work was brush on Barbecue paint, the much more expensive Halfords high temperature spray paint flaked off after 10 miles.

 

[danthecapriman]

That's a mighty nice engine bay you've got there. It's spotless!

 

I was going to ask about the exhaust manifold. I'm going to have mine blasted clean but wasn't sure what to paint it with afterwards.

Great idea on the barbecue paint. Never would have thought of that.

[oldford]

It's attention to detail, I recently re wrapped the wiring loom, got some Motorcraft stickers for the old Banner battery, new washer tubing, cleaned the plastic tanks - all the little things which add up.  To reproduce the wide tape on the wiring loom, I used normal black shiny duct tape which I dulled down with some abrasive paper.  The cloth loom tape is good at finishing things off.

 

A Google search of engine bay pictures should give you a good idea of what they were like when they left the factory.

[danthecapriman]

This mornings work was to reassemble the front end of the engine.

 

New parts. Water pump, cam belt and tensioner with new bolt.

 

IMG_0484 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

IMG_0485 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

First job was to install the new water pump. New gasket and a thin smear of sealer just to make sure. All the bolts have been wire brushed clean and a smear of grease on the threads should stop them seizing in future.

 

IMG_0486 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

New belt tensioner fitted. Spring sitting in properly this time.

 

IMG_0487 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Next fit the belt. Start at the top and hold the belt on the top pulley, pull the belt tightly down and feed it around the next pulley on the non tensioned side of the belt run (in this case the dizzy drive pulley) then around the crank pulley then loop the belt over the tensioner. Make sure nothing moves when fitting the belt or pulling it tight. Make sure the tensioner is backed right off when this bit is done.

 

IMG_0488 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

When everything's good release the tensioner bolt and let the spring pull everything tight. Put the bottom pulley bolt back in and use it to rotate the engine. Two turns of the bottom pulley = one turn of the top so if everything was lined up correctly the engine won't lock solid and all the timing marks will line up again. Check the tension is right by twisting the belt on its longest straight run between pulleys. It should twist 90 degrees to its normal but no more.

 

IMG_0489 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Make sure there's no loose belt runs that can let the belt flap around.

 

IMG_0491 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Next job was to get the rocker cover off. Everything looks good underneath.

 

IMG_0492 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

I've got a new oil spray bar for this so that can go on now.

 

IMG_0494 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

The oil spray bar was the cause of a lot of the trouble on these engines. The oil gallery feeds up through the cam shafts centre bearing tower, then into the spray bar, and along both ways spraying oil out through the little holes onto the cam lobes.

They can get blocked if the oil isn't changed regularly which starves the cam of oil.

 

IMG_0495 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

That's about it for now until my paints and gaskets arrive.

[danthecapriman]

This thread was going ages between updates and now there's one almost every day!

 

Today my engine paints arrived and so too did my gasket sets. Hopefully over the next few days I'll start getting them used.

Something else arrived today too. I ordered a can of Miami blue aerosol paint. This was intended for doing a few small bits and pieces as needed, but one of those pieces is the cars VIN and spec plate...

I didn't want this anywhere except in my possession at all times just in case it went missing so this afternoon I've cleaned it up and painted it body colour!

 

First was a clean up of the thin pressed aluminium tag. Then a coat of etch primer.

 

IMG_0497 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Then on goes the blue.

 

IMG_0499 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Still drying and needs some lacquer to get a good shine but I've finally got something off the car in body colour!

I do like this colour a lot and it's going to look stunning on the car once it's all painted and polished up. Although I still wonder what this car would look like in Purple Velvet! I love that colour but not sure I could live with it permanently or not!?

I'll stick with the Miami blue I think.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I always run a small drill though the spray bar oil holes to make them bigger. It doesn't drop the oil pressure one bit, yet gets a lot more oil on the cam.

[Vince70]

I'm just wondering back in the day any old 20/50 cheap mineral oil was put in a pinto so I guess it didn't help the spray bar much and you could hear a cam rattle on an old abused pinto a mile away but most still soldered on like that.

With all these advanced modern synthetic oils what would you use in an old classic ford engine these days.

 

I love the colour my father built me an old Raleigh Chopper back in the 70s out of two busted ones and painted it the same ford blue and all my mates thought it was some special edition.

[Tamworthbay]

They like good old mineral,or semi, bitbthe emphasis is on good. High ZDDP content and changed frequently. Much as they are a bit of a boat anchor I love the old Pinto and have a nice 2.0 to drop in mine when the time comes.

[Felly Magic]

Oldford's Tincorner is mintier than the Trebor Extra Strong Mint factory. I'm glad you are sticking with this beast, and once it is resto'd, perhaps a meeting with the buttery biscuitbASe Sierra could be arranged

[danthecapriman]

I'm just wondering back in the day any old 20/50 cheap mineral oil was put in a pinto so I guess it didn't help the spray bar much and you could hear a cam rattle on an old abused pinto a mile away but most still soldered on like that.

With all these advanced modern synthetic oils what would you use in an old classic ford engine these days.

I love the colour my father built me an old Raleigh Chopper back in the 70s out of two busted ones and painted it the same ford blue and all my mates thought it was some special edition.

Since I bought this car it's been run on a combination of 10W40 and 15W40 semi synthetic oils of brand name only, usually using a genuine filter. The 2.0 Pinto in my Transit gets the same treatment.

I change the oil and filter regularly too and all this seems to have kept them in rude health I think. Neither of mine are particularly clattery or even dirty inside. Certainly seems to have done the job anyway.

[oldford]

Since I bought this car it's been run on a combination of 10W40 and 15W40 semi synthetic oils of brand name only, usually using a genuine filter. The 2.0 Pinto in my Transit gets the same treatment.

I change the oil and filter regularly too and all this seems to have kept them in rude health I think. Neither of mine are particularly clattery or even dirty inside. Certainly seems to have done the job anyway.

 

That's exactly what I do with mine, though I tend to change the filter at every other oil change, so 3,000 miles for the oil and 6,000 for the filter.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The Pinto oil pump is so good that David Vizard once built one with big end shells 10 thou oversize (std shells, 10 thou crank grind) so see what it would do - not a lot as it happened. Oil pressure still 'factory'. I'd use something like a 10/40 semi synthetic, nothing exotic.

 

Here's a question on Ford 5 speed boxes: Obviously the 1600 had a 4 speed Type 3 as standard and the 2000 had the bigger unit - was there a five speed version of the 1600 T3 box or did they all just use the same Type 9? I always thought the Type 3 was the best box they made, good ratios and the best gear change.

[danthecapriman]

All 5 speeds were the type 9 I believe. Obviously they weren't available on Capri's as old as mine from new though, it was a later mk3 thing!

I prefer the 4 speed too, it's a nice box and feels nicer to use I think. It's a stronger box too. I'd rather of had the auto though... I did (briefly) consider converting this one to an auto while it's in bits but can't be arsed now! I think the 1600 with an auto might have been a bit gutless and I've got the Volvo and Mercury for good old auto cruisin!

 

Nothing's been done today. I was out all night on standby working, got in at 05:30 this morning and slept in until 12 and I'm nackered! it's been hot today too so couldn't be bothered.

All my new parts, paints and gaskets are now here though so plenty to get on with. The box of stuff to get blasted needs sorting too still but I might have found a place local who can do that and also does wheels so I may get them to blast the wheels and powder coat them at the same time.

[trigger]

The original 4 speed in my Cortina was a million times sweeter than the T9 i replaced it with, saying that after driving Semi-C's Cortina last night which also had a T9 fitted i think it was more down to my gearbox as his was very tight and smooth just like my old 4 speed was.

[danthecapriman]

The original 4 speed in my Cortina was a million times sweeter than the T9 i replaced it with, saying that after driving Semi-C's Cortina last night which also had a T9 fitted i think it was more down to my gearbox as his was very tight and smooth just like my old 4 speed was.

My mate had an 86 D plate Capri 2.0 Laser with the 5 speed. His was quite worn and wasn't a very nice box to use. Yet, as you say some feel really good. I guess at the age they are now most of its to do with how well they've aged more than the actual box?

 

His Capri Laser absolutely flew though, with its twin choke Webber. It'd leave my mk2 standing with ease. I'd always get him back though as his used to keep breaking down! It was a giffer owned car that had been sat in a garage for years and the fuel system kept getting blocked.

My mk2 was slow but never once left me at the roadside broke down.

[fordperv]

his was very tight and smooth.

Oooh errr mrs

[BorniteIdentity]

Another upvote for the humble pinto/4speed combo. The Sierra genuinely does still feed good in this regard.

 

It's just the rest of it...