N19's fleet - stretching the legs

[sierraman]

Just now, N19 said:

Standard quick release fuel hose clips. I’d probably try a breakers yard the look very similar to the return hose ones on the Mk4. 

[N19]

1 minute ago, sierraman said:

Standard quick release fuel hose clips. I’d probably try a breakers yard the look very similar to the return hose ones on the Mk4. 

Ta muchly. I'll have a looksee. Look to be a number of different types online, maybe somebody sells a bag of assorted ones.

[sierraman]

1 minute ago, N19 said:

Ta muchly. I'll have a looksee. Look to be a number of different types online, maybe somebody sells a bag of assorted ones.

Usually you’ll find them to be ‘as is’ not sure if you could make some up but you might be able to find a similar one that would work for what you need on a breaker 

[N19]

Just now, sierraman said:

Usually you’ll find them to be ‘as is’ not sure if you could make some up but you might be able to find a similar one that would work for what you need on a breaker 

Sadly not many breakers around here, that I know of anyway. I'll have a dig around.

[sierraman]

https://ebay.us/m/uzP9MS
 

You might be able to rig something up using this?

[sierraman]

Cheaper option thought might be as I say repurposing one off a later one. 

[N19]

Will have a measure of what's left of the old one to check it's the right size. Probably something that the right folk will have a few rolling around the bottom of their tool box or sitting on a car waiting for the scrap heap!

[sierraman]

10 minutes ago, N19 said:

Will have a measure of what's left of the old one to check it's the right size. Probably something that the right folk will have a few rolling around the bottom of their tool box or sitting on a car waiting for the scrap heap!

I did have one on a fuel pump I removed from a later diesel but not needing them they got binned. Always the way! 

[N19]

It's all this newfangled fuel injection malarkey, a spring clip would be fine if it was carbed.

[sierraman]

9 minutes ago, N19 said:

It's all this newfangled fuel injection malarkey, a spring clip would be fine if it was carbed.

https://shop.ford.co.uk/products/fuel-pipe-2?variant=40406732668997&currency=GBP&srsltid=AfmBOopu7KdCvwoECQFNhS8BqkdSI4JG-HwSfd9OB1lsvExW4EYM2VebYyA

[N19]

A selection arrived in the post today, this is the right size.

It does have a tiny amount of movement on the shaft, maybe 1mm, but the o-ring seals.

Also, annoyingly, the Capri's squeaky fanbelt has returned. Something isn't quite right there. But that's for another day.

[N19]

After an inordinate amount of time fiddling around in 10-minute slots between other things.

The Mondeo is now back together and running happily. I never did finish fighting with the alternator to swop it, but cleaning all the earths seemed to work a treat. Trying to reinstate the fanbelt was a pain until I gave in and bought a long-reach 15mm ring spanner which made the job a doddle. The fuel line was cut back, a new piece added with barbed connectors and roll clips to hold it in place, and it happily held pressure (part of me worried, but all good). No ABS light has returned. Which is very good. Did realise that it helps if you plug the alternator back in though!

Capri fan belt was changed for the correct one - it needed the whole adjuster assembly loosening off and adjusting and fitting and now seems to be nice and happy, although time will tell. In a month's time I intend on taking it on a nice long trip so hopefully that's everything pretty much ticketyboo.
 

[N19]

It sits a lot higher now, but has the correct belt and (looking at photos from 2019) is in line with the fitment then.

[N19]

How can a simple v belt cause so many niggles. The new, shorter, correct* belt seemed to be fine until I took it on the motorway and the familiar squeak (on *engine* load, not *alternator* load) returned. A number of tweaks in laybys in the Hertsmere area followed but no, it was tight as a yorkshireman (I am one, so can say that!)

I returned home and scratched my head.

It seemed that the belt on the alternator pulley wasn't sitting right. As if it was being gently forced the wrong way.

And on inspection with a handy bit of wood, yes, the pulleys were a few mm out of alignment.

I took the alternator off and looked at my selection of alternators sitting around. I have three, two with pulleys that are slightly further out, plus this one.

 

I fitted one of them, although the pulley is a little too large to use the correct fanbelt. I suspect that the other would fit ok however when spinning it feels like there's some resistance, so I decided to put the other one on and take that one to the reconditioners next week. I'll pop to the motorfactors tomorrow and see if they have a fanbelt which is slightly larger than the original, but not as big as the one I have on now...

Using handy bit of wood, it seems to now be perfectly straight.

Sadly, didn't have time for a motorway trip, although I have one planned next weekend.

Focus got an oil change, and everything checked up on under bonnet. 

[N19]

This wireless gearstick mod is interesting...

[N19]

Well, that was fun! 

Went for an Easter Sunday run, stopped at Wenzels for a snack, got back in the car and felt the gear lever... disassociated from the gearbox. Managed to hold it in position to engage a gear and drive the car in second, aiming for a more convenient spot, although I actually went further from civilisation.

After a lot of fiddling I managed to get it loosely on and threaded into position, in such a way that I could at least select gears being very gentle. By this time I was outside Amersham, so the best way home was via the M25 (not the usual route I'd take, but it meant I'd be making far fewer gear changes) and got home without incident.

When I rebuilt the car, refitting this was a challenge. The thread was a bit mullered (as can be seen above) and I had actually ordered up a good spare, when I managed to get it in position. That foresight was very handy as when I got it back to my garage I was able to pop the good spare in. Then discovered I can't find my water pump pliers to tighten it properly, but luckily the local hardware shop is open even on Easter Sunday, so I've picked up a new pair and will pop down to tighten it up after the obligatory roast.

 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Many moons ago I had an Mk2 Escort van which did the same on a regular basis, I got quite good at holding the lever in place whilst changing gear.  I eventually replaced the gearbox anyway, the old one whined quite badly.  That plastic fitting is pretty crap, not the best of Fords designs.  

[Wibble]

That Escort? gear knob is making my teeth itch though.

[N19]

8 hours ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

Many moons ago I had an Mk2 Escort van which did the same on a regular basis, I got quite good at holding the lever in place whilst changing gear.  I eventually replaced the gearbox anyway, the old one whined quite badly.  That plastic fitting is pretty crap, not the best of Fords designs.  

It was a bit of a challenge refitting it when we got the gearbox back on post refit, so luckily I'd ordered up a better spare one. The plastic thread grooves had become quite mullered and wouldnt sit especially well. It was then fine for over a year! It's not especially easy to tighten.

[N19]

8 hours ago, Wibble said:

That Escort? gear knob is making my teeth itch though.

It is an Escort knob (oo err) which was a replacement for an unmarked one that came with the car!

[N19]

Insert an inordinate amount of commentary about fiddling with fanbelts, mounts, pulleys, washers for shims etc which overall left me with a very slight squeal under load that hopefully ill iron out. 

The new gear lever popped out itself but was then properly screwed in and has been threadlocked. 

That was yesterday and I was honestly feeling a bit meh about taking the car on a long run but off I went. 

The first stop was Emley Moor transmitting station (of course).  185 miles from London and then i discover that when I did check the alternator tension last night I left it unplugged. That's quite some range just running on the battery! It was down to 12.1v but was happy enough to start the engine and the battery then happily re charged. 

I then wended my way through West Yorkshire. The dealer that the car was originally sold from is now an "omoda" (which sounds like one of those unknown brand USB cables you buy off amazon) but there's still a Ford Service sign up. 

And then stopped for a photo in the village the car lived in for the first 19 years of its life. 

Ironic when I drove down that street wondering how many hundreds of times it had been there before. 

[Wibble]

1 hour ago, N19 said:

Insert an inordinate amount of commentary about fiddling with fanbelts, mounts, pulleys, washers for shims etc which overall left me with a very slight squeal under load that hopefully ill iron out. 

The new gear lever popped out itself but was then properly screwed in and has been threadlocked. 

That was yesterday and I was honestly feeling a bit meh about taking the car on a long run but off I went. 

The first stop was Emley Moor transmitting station (of course).  185 miles from London and then i discover that when I did check the alternator tension last night I left it unplugged. That's quite some range just running on the battery! It was down to 12.1v but was happy enough to start the engine and the battery then happily re charged. 

I then wended my way through West Yorkshire. The dealer that the car was originally sold from is now an "omoda" (which sounds like one of those unknown brand USB cables you buy off amazon) but there's still a Ford Service sign up. 

And then stopped for a photo in the village the car lived in for the first 19 years of its life. 

Ironic when I drove down that street wondering how many hundreds of times it had been there before. 

Brilliant! Also, I’m sorry if I upset you with my gear knob comment. You’ve gone to such lengths to get this car so right, it just stood out to me as not being right for the car.

[N19]

21 minutes ago, Wibble said:

Brilliant! Also, I’m sorry if I upset you with my gear knob comment. You’ve gone to such lengths to get this car so right, it just stood out to me as not being right for the car.

Not at all! When I bought the car, almost 10 years ago now, there was a generic "CAPRI" gear stick. I bought that as the nearest I could find and it was actually the first piece of "work" I did, changing it over, a few days later. But, I'll have a look at what should have been there on one of that era and maybe have a rummage at Enfield. 

[Wibble]

18 minutes ago, N19 said:

Not at all! When I bought the car, almost 10 years ago now, there was a generic "CAPRI" gear stick. I bought that as the nearest I could find and it was actually the first piece of "work" I did, changing it over, a few days later. But, I'll have a look at what should have been there on one of that era and maybe have a rummage at Enfield. 

Phew! Thanks. It should be like this, the same as a Cortina or Escort of the era:

I’m sure @danthecapriman can confirm.

[robt100]

iirc there are a few options for the capri. 4spd or 5spd (4 i assume?). Theres long and short gaiters too i think depending on age/trim.

 

[danthecapriman]

There are a few different ones. 
Did your car come with a centre console @N19? The gaiter is part of the console on cars that did have them. Only low spec cars didn’t have the console. Early cars had chrome sticks and the little round trim finisher around the top of the gaiter was chrome too. Sports and later cars were black or grey. 
Some of the sticks themselves seem shorter or longer too.

Here’s my stick (😆)

Mines an early basic car so no console but has the chrome sticks & trim with black gaiter.

[sierraman]

14 hours ago, N19 said:

Insert an inordinate amount of commentary about fiddling with fanbelts, mounts, pulleys, washers for shims etc which overall left me with a very slight squeal under load that hopefully ill iron out. 

The new gear lever popped out itself but was then properly screwed in and has been threadlocked. 

That was yesterday and I was honestly feeling a bit meh about taking the car on a long run but off I went. 

The first stop was Emley Moor transmitting station (of course).  185 miles from London and then i discover that when I did check the alternator tension last night I left it unplugged. That's quite some range just running on the battery! It was down to 12.1v but was happy enough to start the engine and the battery then happily re charged. 

I then wended my way through West Yorkshire. The dealer that the car was originally sold from is now an "omoda" (which sounds like one of those unknown brand USB cables you buy off amazon) but there's still a Ford Service sign up. 

And then stopped for a photo in the village the car lived in for the first 19 years of its life. 

Ironic when I drove down that street wondering how many hundreds of times it had been there before. 

What’s the story behind it? 

[Brigsy]

185 miles on batt power only is mad. In a modern ish be lucky to do 20 miles

[N19]

6 hours ago, sierraman said:

What’s the story behind it? 

The car itself?

Manufactured Dec 79 (and recorded as such for tax purposes!), sold in Jan 80 to a guy in Keighley who kept it for 19 years, main dealer servicing, although in 1996 he was wild and got a new battery and a service at a chain place. I assume the guy was older, as the mileage each year decreased over time. 

Sold in 1999 and spent the early part of the 00s in the Dearne Valley, the latter part of the 00s in Totley, then down to a guy in Warwickshire who did quite a bit to get it back on the road as it needed an unleaded head, interior tidy up, welding etc. He sold it in 2015, it was then pretty much unused till I bought it in 2016. 

In the 10 years I've had it I've done a reasonable mileage and had a wonderful time. Including the rebuild documented here 

[N19]

6 hours ago, Brigsy said:

185 miles on batt power only is mad. In a modern ish be lucky to do 20 miles

I thought it was turning over a little slower than usual when I started it at the services, so when I stopped at the mast I thought I'd double check what's what, and... hmm, 12.1v when running, is the alternator not ch.... oops, realised the issue.

But yes - in my mind I was assuming you might get a few miles, but not that far!