[murcod]

Martin, have you got a manual transmission in it?

 

[Martin1977]

Martin, have you got a manual transmission in it?

Morning.
yes, manual.
I avoided the auto as it meant I didn’t have to worry about torque limiting the gearbox when I had the car remapped.

 

[murcod]

That would be cool, especially with the mods you've done. We only got the auto here in the Mk1.

 

[murcod]

@murcod the standard dust covers / bump stops retro fitted (just!).

@Martin1977 apparently the B6 struts are made with an inverted mono tube shock. So the strut's visible chrome section is actually the body of the shock (unlike the factory strut where it's the internal piston.) The piston shaft is inside the lower section of the strut body along with an internal bump stop. So no need to fit the factory external bump stop, but the dust cover is still required.

(IIRC the bump stop is what locates the factory dust cover, so an aftermarket dust cover may be required? Bilstein part number 6-1009 88911 is on the dust cover I got supplied but searching that part number gives nothing.)

 

[Martin1977]

@Martin1977 apparently the B6 struts are made with an inverted mono tube shock. So the strut's visible chrome section is actually the body of the shock (unlike the factory strut where it's the internal piston.) The piston shaft is inside the lower section of the strut body along with an internal bump stop. So no need to fit the factory external bump stop, but the dust cover is still required.

(IIRC the bump stop is what locates the factory dust cover, so an aftermarket dust cover may be required? Bilstein part number 6-1009 88911 is on the dust cover I got supplied but searching that part number gives nothing.)

nice one!! that's a good bit of detective work... I'll take apart the rear this weekend and give it a look over, I'd guess that my re-assembly has inadvertently been 'correct' as the dust covers etc are exactly where they should be.. I'll double check in any case.

 

[murcod]

I'll take apart the rear this weekend and give it a look over, I'd guess that my re-assembly has inadvertently been 'correct' as the dust covers etc are exactly where they should be.. I'll double check in any case.

That only applies to the front struts. The rear B6's appear to be a standard shock (not inverted)- as the chrome piston shaft is a lot smaller in diameter. As per your earlier photo:

 

[Martin1977]

Doesn’t feel like 6months since these were last changed over... I guess to summarise, that means nothing car related has happened in that time!!
Car is going into a garage next week to have the oil changed and book stamped up. I’ll supply my own materials for this though.

 

[Martin1977]

Another milestone reached ?

 

[The Ace]

Mileage or mpg ?

 

[Martin1977]

Mileage or mpg ?

Hahaha!!! Best I’ve ever had (over 100miles) was 32mpg....
The worst was 19mpg.... I could actually see the trees wilt’ as I drove past. ?

 

[smartguy69]

Mileage or mpg ?

I was thinking that too. Or to get above freezing in Scotland at this time of year or managed to get in the car before 7.20 in the morning.

 

[Martin1977]

It seems that corona virus isn’t only affecting people...
With the car having been sat redundant for 9x days now, I thought a quick startup and let the battery re-charge would be a good idea... also to keep the environmentalists on their toes with my love of big engines and single use plastics...
Anyway.. a battery voltage of 9.8v meant the trees wouldn’t be wilting any time soon...
A bump start got her going, a 20min run and all seemed well. Next day, same issue.
thankfully, batteries are easily replaced and ordered online. £90 had this beauty delivered. It’s the correct battery for my car / engine, however the capacity and starting currents are uprated from the OEM equipment.
Here’s the before.....

 

[Martin1977]

And the ‘after’... a ten minute job all in.

I’m also considering replacing the alternator and belts. Reason being I’d notice that once or twice over the 2x years I’ve owned the car that the alternator was Noisy on start up... I’d get ‘traction control fault’ ping up then disappear... I’d hear relays clicking on/off due to the load shedding tech in the car when heated seats etc were switched on... with time on my hands this weekend.. looks like that’s next. If it avoids me having to call out a breakdown company while we’re under lockdown, for the £200 in parts it’s a no brainier to ensure reliability.

 

[smartguy69]

60AH original battery seems a bit small for the size of the engine. My lawnmower has a 30AH battery.

 

[Martin1977]

60AH original battery seems a bit small for the size of the engine. My lawnmower has a 30AH battery.

I thought that too ... Id imagine it was what Ford had lying around at the time!
8yrs old now so can’t grumble too much.

 

[smartguy69]

I think petrol engines don't require as big a battery. It's done well though if it was the original.

 

[murcod]

60AH original battery seems a bit small for the size of the engine.

The CCA rating matters more- that's the Cold Cranking Amps- sustained output for 30 seconds at 0 F.

AH (or Amp Hour) rating is more relevant to deep cycle use. Where low current levels are drawn over a longer period of time.

 

[Martin1977]

The CCA rating matters more- that's the Cold Cranking Amps- sustained output for 30 seconds at 0 F.

AH (or Amp Hour) rating is more relevant to deep cycle use. Where low current levels are drawn over a longer period of time.

Exactly that, the new battery looks to have a much higher output and capacity. If the 2x new be,st come today, I’ll get them installed along with the new alternator.

 

[Martin1977]

Following on from yesterday’s posts, new belts received to match the new alternator. £200 all in for parts.
The alternator itself is located down in the depths of the engine beneath the inlet manifold (just beside where the dipstick is in the photos)

no idea WHY ford decided to fit trees stupid clips rather than the ‘jubilee’ variety.... bloody rubbish.. that’s something else I’ll need to buy/find now...here’s the inlet manifold being removed and the gaps plugged to avoid debris getting where it shouldn’t... simple couple of cables to disconnect and it’s out.

some things to note if you’re going to do this yourself... you’re battery will be disconnected, so if you need into the boot for a locking wheel but key for removing a wheel(ifyou plan to change belts), get this before you start!!
There are of course 2(of) belts, one for the air con (nearest belt), another for the alternator.(inside belt), they’re different lengths so get them the right way around.. the belts are only £20 for the pair so why wouldn’t you replace ..
To get access however you need to remove your inner arch and then the nearest belt tensioner.. a T50 torx is required to loosen the tensioner first for removing the belt. Then it’s a simple bolt out job. You won’t be able to do the job without a T50 torx. Hopefully you’ll be able to see from the photos what I mean.

new alternator now in and all back together running sweet. Took around 2hrs but I already have the-standard air box removed for my induction kit... YOUTUBE is your friend here... good luck!

 

[Martin1977]