Take one 1979 base model Ford Pinto, add a small block Ford V8 or turbocharged 2.3L engine and you have a great sleeper car suitable for embarassing the rice cars and giving regular V8 cars a run for their money! Check out previous HOT ROD magazines for previous writeups about turbo Pintos.
Pinto History
The Pinto was produced from 1971 to 1980. The Mercury Bobcat started production in 1975. Although a popular car initially, it was low powered with a 1600c "Kent" engine. Later a 2000c engine was introduced with better performance. In 1975 the 2.3 metric 4 cylinder motor with electronic ignition was standard and a 2.8L V6 was optional. While it was a popular car initially, the issue with exploding fuel tanks made sales suffer. Evidently Ford knew about the problem, but after assigning a dollar price to peoples' lives and factoring in the cost to fix the car, it was decided it was not cost effective and the problem was ignored. 3 teenagers were killed in an accident when a Pinto was in a wreck and the fuel tank caught on fire. Ford eventually got away with it, but did install a plastic shield underneath the fuel tank which rectified the problem. It seems that bumper mounting bolts could potentially strike the fuel tank causing a fire. Many people joke about exploding Pintos, but it's strange that no one has ever been able to quantify any others besides the initial one that prompted the lawsuit. Personally, the author is unconcerned the with problem. The Pinto's bumper is certainly more robust than the styrofoam filled bumpers of today's cars. Also, the Pinto's shock abosrbing bumpers are rated for 5mph impact where most of today's cars may only be rated for 2.5mph. The 1980 Pinto/Bobcat were the last models produced. Notice that the 1980-on mustang had a similar front end look. Coincidence?
Project car history and previous Pintos owned
Why a Pinto? Well, the author's first usable car was a Pinto, or actually a Mercury Bobcat station wagon, which is the fancier model from the Mercury devision of Ford Motor Company. Purchased well-used in 1987, it served well until a wreck did it in. A few months later in 1987, a 1979 metallic green base model was acquired for $250. Although in good shape at the time, it has fallen out of use and quietly lives out the rest of its life unused. However, it gave well over 157k relatively trouble-free miles even with a motor and clutch swap. There is speculation it may be revived as a race car. That car was slated to be an engine conversion candidate however, around the middle of November 00, another Pinto was located, this being almost identical to the green one. Both Pintos are base sedan models, meaning they have a trunk rather than a hatchback, no power steering or brakes, no a/c, no fancy radio, and a 2.73 rear axle which provides poor acceleration but great for cruising. This new car is in overall good shape with 73k miles and a functioning engine, but the doors are rusty as well as some undercarriage parts. No significant rust, thankfully. The white paint is still in good shape. Most modern cars seem to have the same basic rounded off shape. The pinto also has rounded corners, but also sharp edges and a unmistakable look. Wide tires fit within the flared wheelwells and looks great. Besides, there's the feeling of doing something that no one (or only a few) have done. Around the middle of Feb 00, an apple green 1980 Pinto hatchback was acquired. It is complete and functioning, but was hit in the rear and will donate parts of better quality to the other two pintos. Nothing will go to waste.
Ok, the project essay starts here! I like to write stories instead of manuals so you'll have to read to pick out what information you are looking for.dsds
Year 1 (2000)
Year 2 (2001)
Year 3 (2002)
Year 4 (2003)
Year 5! (2004
Project car stats, the first year
Mid Nov 00 For now, the car is at home and is just getting cleaned up and made driveable. Interior (98k) is in pretty good shape, although sun-damaged. The fuel line is plugged, but the motor runs great from an external tank. When first brought home, the dirt of 5 years had to be cleaned away and a new set of wheels installed which was a major improvement. Next step will be cleaning out the fuel line, getting the title changed, and then searching for a replacement powerplant. A 2.3L turbo would be desirable,as it would be a bolt-in installation, and would maintain its stock appearance and front weight distribution would not be a problem. However, turbo 2.3s can be hard to find, expecially with all the ancillary devices that will be required. A complete parts car such as a 1988 Ford turbo coupe would almost be a requirement. The other option is to use a common Ford small block V8. This is a popular swap, and would provide plenty of power, even if the engine is mostly stock. The only problems with a V8 swap is fabricating an exhaust system, and concerns with the front end being heavier than normal. However, done right, a V8 conversion can also look stock. At this point, the search is on for a suitable parts car or engine combination. The goal is to have a functioning car for < $1000. As far as the engine goes, any pre high-output model 302 or any 289 V8 engine will work. For the turbo 2.3, only a few cars came with it such as the 1983-1988 Ford turbocoupes and Cougar XR7, and the 1985-1989 Merkur XR4TI, with the 87-88 models being the most desirable due to them having an intercooler.
Project car stats, the second year
14jan01 Finally had some warm weather, so the fuel lines were removed. They were clean but rusty so they were sanded smooth and then the gas tank removed. The tank sending unit was slighty rusty and thoroughly plugged up with gasoline that had solidified over the years. The filter had to be removed and the inlet pipe reamed out to get all the nastiness out. The inside of the tank was washed out, and the outside sanded smooth of rust. Both the tank and mounting straps will be painted flat black and remounted along with all new rubber hoses and clamps. At this point, it will be driveable.
25jan01 Engine donor car located! Through the luck of great caesar's ghost (and the internet) a 1986 Merkur XR4TI was located about 40 miles away for $400. It was inspected quickly, purchased on the spot and brought home. It is in good shape, (77k) side view (51k) but like most turbo 2.3 engines, has a defective head gasket and is unable to stay running due to no compression. The car itself is in good condition. Merkurs themselves are uncommon, since they were built in Germany by Ford, then shipped over here. Price new was over $15k with about 16k produced in 1986. They also have many options including nice seats, sunroof, power everything and avante garde styling for 1986. Even so, the engine (76k)will be removed and the car itself will be sold or parted out to keep other Merkurs running. Nothing will go to waste.
28feb01 Work has commenced on dismantling (64k) the 1980 parts car.(54k) Items removed will be inspected and compared to the same parts installed on the other two pintos, the better of which will be transplanted to the project car. The engine will be sold, and the rolling chassis will be made available to someone who wants the front suspension for a project car of his own. Once this car is removed, the Merkur's engine will be removed and refurbished.
17mar01 Got the engine and transmission and exhaust system removed from the parts pinto. It's now been pushed off into the side yard so the garage can be cleaned and reorganized so the white pinto can be brought inside. The steering shaft, rotors and rear axles/drums will be swapped over to the white car since they are in cleaner condition and not rusty.
02apr01 Not much progress at the moment due to weather. Since the time change has happened, there will be more time after work to do things. More parts continue to be removed from the parts pinto for safekeeping and swapping out to project pinto.
17apr01 Work continues on stripping the parts car. Sway bar, steering shaft, front rotors and calipers were exchanged. A few rear axle studs were saved as well for the original green pinto which has a broken one.
07may01 I've decided to leave the pintos alone for a while and concentrate on getting the turbo engine prepared. The XR4TI's driveshaft and exhaust has been removed and I have been carefully studying and documenting the engine wiring. Even though it looks simple, it would be hard to remember where all the wires go in a few months! Thankfully the engine computer was located underneath the dashboard and most of the wiring is isolated from the rest of the car. Much work still remains such as removing the header pipe, and deciding whether to remove the transmission separately, or remove everything all at once.
25may01 After traveling around and doing other things, I finally made some time to work on car. The exhaust header pipe was removed. I suggest that any WD-40 user throw that stuff away and use some better penetrant called PB BLASTER. Spraying that onto the rusty exhaust pipe bolts made removal very simple. No broken bolts either! If you can find this stuff, it's worth getting.
Part II Removing the transmission has been an adventure within itself. There are a few engine to transmission braces which have to be removed. Strangely enough, the starter bolts are 17mm, but the rest of the bolts are 13mm and the converter to flywheel bolts seemed to be 9/16 as that was the size socket that seemed to fit the best! Also, to anyone who is doing something similar, the two bolts just below the valve cover are very difficult to get to. I ended up jacking the transmission up a few inches, thus tilting the engine forward some and allowing some space to get to the bolts. Even so, I had to move the EGR pipe and remove the water supply line as both pass behind the valve cover. The bolts can be tight, so the only way to get to them is with a 13mm wrench and even with them fully loosened, they cannot be removed due to space contraints. It also turns out that the front suspension control arm and body brace need to be unbolted and lowered so the bellhousing can get by it. That is the only thing that needs to be done before the transmission can come out. Hopefully the fluid cooler lines will come out intact. Next step will be to unbolt motor mounts and finally remove the engine.
27may01 Engine is finally out! Thankfully the roof beams held out ok. Unlike the Pinto engine, there are no factory lift points on this engine so it was hard to decide where to lift it. I finally wrapped a chain around the exhaust manifold and then used a separate hook on the alternator bracket. It seemed rather unstable, but it came out nonetheless.
29may01 Engine stand was purchased to allow dismantling to be easier. As I was mounting the engine, the stand broke and dumped the engine upside down. Thankfully, nothing was damaged. There's something to be said for buying quality items instead of buying the cheapest possible. Also, that engine is very top heavy! I'm a bit leery of engine stands, so for now I may just place the engine on a moving dolly and dismantle it there. Later it may go on the stand for oil pan R&R.
06jun01 With the engine safely back on my utility trailer, I started to dismantle it. Pretty much all you'll need is 8mm, 10mm 13mm and 17mm wrenches. Exhaust manifold with turbo came off first. Be sure to use quality line wrenches (flare nut wrench) on the oil line. I used a cheap set and managed to mangle the nuts but I was able to get a pair of vice grips to loosen then. Most of the time, it's worth buying quality tools like Craftsman. Don't forget about the oil return line underneath the turbo as well. That's easy to miss. Next up was the intake side. I removed the upper intake that goes above the valve cover and then the intake itself along with the fuel rail. Once that was out of the way, I removed the 8mm valve cover bolts and popped that off. I slipped off the timing belt and then loosened the head bolts. Use a 12point 13mm socket and a breaker bar; those bolts are tight! The inner timing belt cover is attached to the front of the cylinder head, so be sure to remove that, then remove head bolts and pull the head straight up and off.
Once the head was off, I inspected what was inside and am somewhat disappointed. The gasket appears to be not damaged but the #4 cylinder was grimy and wet. The other 3 seemed ok. There was sludge near the water jacket hole in the deck. There are also vertical scrape marks in the cylinders, presumably insufficient ring gap caused this. The #4 cylinder head had slight rust and the #3 one was nice and clean where #1 and #2 appeared normal. The camshaft has discoloration on the lobes and looks like there's traces of oil+water mix on it as well. I am not an expert on failure diagnosis, but looks like the engine was overheated several times. At this time, I am undecided whether to dismantle the engine further or just reassemble with a new head gasket.
25jun01 Not having a suitable place to work on the engine parts, I brought a metal 55gallon drum into the garage. With a wooden plank on top, it makes a great work surface. I then put the cylinder head up there to work on. Upon closer inspection of the head gasket, it looks like it got too hot and some thin layers of gasket are left on the deck of the block. In preparation for the cylinder head inspection, the camshaft, tappets and lifters were removed. You can remove the tappets by moving the cam lobes so they point up, then use a large screwdriver or small pipe and lever the valve springs down, then remove the tappets off to the side. Remove the lifters by simply pulling up and out. Be sure to keep everything in order! If you don't everything will wear out twice as fast since all parts have established a wear pattern by now. The camshaft has a retainer on the back of the head. remove the two screws and then the retainer itself. The camshaft can be removed by turning and pulling on it. Be very careful not to hit the lobes or the cam journals against anything while removing it. At this point, the cylinder head is ready to goto the shop for cleaning and testing for warpage and cracks. There's a nasty mixture of oil and coolant around the valve springs, so there has been a leak of some sort. Hopefully, testing will show it can be reused. Meanwhile, the project pinto has had its front sheetmetal removed which will help in engine removal and replacement as well as providing easier access for cleaning and derusting parts which need it.
05jul01 The two front tires were leaking around the bead. Sometimes hammering on the tire gets it to seal, but didnt work here. I took the two tires to a brake shop and told them to reseat the tires. They wanted $15 each to do it! Needless to say, I went back home. All I needed to do was deflate the tires and clean the bead, then reinflate. I tried driving up on a board laying on the tire, but that didnt work. I ended up trying a trick that off-roaders use even though I didnt know it at the time. I got my HILIFT jack and placed its base on the tire, then put the jack's lifting point below the RV's bumper and started to jack. The resulting action started to push the tire off the bead. I used the curved end of a crowbar to continue working the tire loose and then did the other side of the wheel. Then the other wheel was done the same way. Once that was done, I cleaned the rim and tire bead with a wet rag. Finally, I used soapy water to moisten the tire bead and rim edge and inflated the tire up to 40 psi which seated it just fine. Both tires are now holding air just fine and I saved $30. There's always more than one way to skin a cat. (Take that, PETA!)
07jul01 Whilst cleaning the garage, I was putting my tools away and decided to look at the cylinder head. I turned it downside up and looked at the combustion chambers. Much to my dismay, I found a crack in #4 right around the exhaust valve, just like I've heard before! It's about an inch long, near the valve and extended up from there. Certainly not repairable. That would explain the rusty valves and different colouring in that cylinder. Looks like the project is suspended for now until a suitable replacement can be found. Meanwhile the engine will be temporarily reassembled just to make sure nothing gets lost or rusty due to corrosion. As far as the pinto itself goes, the front suspension is quite rusty. One solution is to wire-brush everything but is quite time consuming. Another option is blasting with sand or pecan shells which may be looked into at a later time.
23jul01 Whilst being depressed about finding a cracked cylinder head, not much was done with the car. The engine was partly reassembled in the interim. Searching for online junkyards proved fruitless until I found a webring for junkyards. Using the junkyards' request forms, I was able to source a few places with cylinder heads. Prices and the locations vary widely, from $100 locally to $400 across the US. The $100 head was located about an hour's drive away, and the car had been in a fire. The head had been pulled and placed on a shelf in the shop. When it was inspected, it was very grungy and the cam pulley and tensioner were rusted from being in the fire as well as the spark plug boots were all melted. At least it had been wrapped in plastic, and the camshaft was not rusted or pitted. Valves look good and the chambers have a uniform colour so it looks like it is not cracked. By inspecting the car, I deduced that it had been running at the time of the accident and a resulting fuel line rupture started the engine bay fire so theoretically, the head should be intact. Nonetheless, the junkyard provides a 30 day guarantee, so it will need to be checked out before time expires so it can be taken back if necessary.
25jul01 The cylinder head had gotten rained on sitting in the back of the truck, so it was disassembled. The camshaft pulley is stuck on the camshaft, but everything else came apart ok. So far, it looks serviceable. Valves will need to be removed and then off to the machine shop for testing.
02aug01 Work has commenced on getting the original engine out of the project pinto. Since this has been done before, removal should be quick and easy. Its important to remember that the driveline is metric, but the car itself is SAE. The only real trouble that is forseen is removing rusty exhaust bolts.
20aug01 The engine has been removed from the car at this time. Actually, it was done two weeks previous, but didn't update this page at this time. Thankfully, since the exhaust bolts were soaked in PB BLASTER, they unscrewed very easy and my roof beams held up once more to get the engine out. Once the engine was out, transmission was then removed from underneath. The shift boot was cut in order to get the shifter out with the transmission. Otherwise, I wouldve had to unscrew it and remove it first. The engine and transmission mounts were removed as they will be used, and the engine and transmission combo is up for sale. Next things to do are to replace the steering coupler, remove clutch cable, and install engine mounts.
21aug01 Motor mounts installed on engine. Be sure you get the shorter bolts that go with the nonturbo mounts. The longer bolts that were used on the XR4TI are not used. Thankfully, everything bolts together. On the XR setup, there was a motor mount to transmission brace that will also have to be done away with.
26sep01 Being stressed out with other tasks, not much done, but found a machine shop close by and took the junkyard cylinder head to them for cleaning and testing. Hopefully it won't need any major work done to it.
27sep01 Got the head back from the machine shop and it checks out ok thankfully. I did not get it surfaced, as I hope I can get away with not doing it. It's nice and clean now so once I got it home, I oiled it down good to prevent rusting. Next up is gaskets and such to put everything back together. The rack and pinion was removed from the car and the parts car to compare which one is better to use. The tie rod ends come off easy if you first spray em with that PB Blaster stuff I mentioned before. Slacken, but do not remove the 3/4 in nut after removing the cotter pin and unscrew it just enough so it's flush with the end of the bolt, then hit it a few times with a big hammer and it pops loose. Nothing to it. For the steering shaft, that was another story. There's an 11mm pinch bolt that holds it to the rack so you have to remove that bolt first. Use nothing but a 12point 11m socket there. Where the steering shaft connects to the column near the firewall, remove the 9/16 (or was that a 5/8) nut first, then since it's a pinch bolt, it won't come out all the way, but just pull it out as far as you can, (I had to hammer on mine to work it loose) then pull on the steering shaft and it should come loose. You'll probably have to sit on the front crossmember whilst doing this. If your steering coupler is broken which most are or getting close, you can buy a rebuild kit for it at NAPA.
08oct01 It's getting cold at night, so I better start working faster! It's been decided to use the steering rack from the parts car so it was cleaned up and ready to go. The bushing mounts are rotten so replacements will be acquired before reinstallation. The parts car is stripped, but still has a lot of good parts remaining to be sold, that is getting dismantled as well. It has also been verified that the turbo motor will need a Pinto oil pan, pickup and dipstick installed so the search is on for that.
12oct01 Time to get working! New steering rack bushings from racerwalsh were ordered today. Part 2244 for $20. I figure it's better to do them now instead of trying to underneath the car later. Got a lead on a pressure washer I could borrow which would be great for cleaning the car really good. No place around here has a valve spring compressor for OHC motors so I might have to go ahead and get the one that Sears has. It won't work with the head on the car, but will work for getting the springs out so new seals can be installed. Then it's back to NAPA for a gasket set.
23oct01 Some nice warm days now, so the rest of the exhaust system was removed and the oil drained out of the turbo motor so it could be turned upside down. After removing the 10 and 13mm bolts, the pan comes off. Everything inside looks good so now it's time to search for a pinto oil pan and pickup.
20oct01 No oil pan found yet, but need to follow up on a lead on one at an old country junkyard. Did discover two XR4TIs out there, both with no cylinder heads. Looks like others know about cracked turbo heads! The steering rack bushings from racerwalsh finally arrived. They are red hard plastic parts, two on each side. On the steering rack, the metal inserts have to be driven out with a socket, then the rubber bushings can be removed by twisting them out. Although I have not done it yet, the red replacement bushings are pressed in the mounting holes in the rack, then finally the metal inserts pushed into those. Two of the red bushings have chamfered ends of which the metal inserts seat into, so that has be watched out for. When finally installed, There should be no play in the steering rack at all. Plans are made to replace the sway bar end link bushings, and might be a good idea to R&R the ones in the rest of the front suspension.
05nov01 Struck out at the junkyard! After getting there at opening, I walked around and found out the place was reorganized and both the Dodge van and the Bobcat I was going to take parts from were both missing so the search is back on for parts. Unfortunately, most junkyards are only keeping cars from 1990 on up.
The replacement steering rack bushings proved to be quite difficult install. So much so that they haven't been installed yet! They are an interference fit so some light sanding will have to be done so they can be pressed in and then the metal inserts installed after that. Then the steering rack can finally be reinstalled.
10nov01 Steering rack bushings are a PITA to install. I spent several hours sanding them with 120 and 80 grit sandpaper and only now can the metal inserts be pushed into them. Still can't get em installed yet because when the bushing is pressed into the mounting points on the rack, that squeezes them smaller... Anyway, the oil dipstick and tube were removed from the engine as well as the oil pump pickup. The oil pump had to come out to do this using 8mm 12point socket. It's also been verified that the engine is using a Garret T3 turbo. The Pinto's engine bay was cleaned up for reassembly. The best way to clean out greasy areas is with plain old gasoline and a brush but for places that can't be reached, oven cleaner is the next best thing. The greasy engine bay and crossmember came out nice and clean after treatment.
Pinto's empty engine compartment. Bigger view? Notice the rusty battery tray which will get tossed. Some rusty areas can be spotted, but nothing serious. There IS a way to easily remove rust from small and medium size parts. The wheels that show in the smaller pic are ones that came from a Mustang II and were painted with black BBQ paint which makes them look better. If I don't use the slot mags from my other pinto, these will be used. In the bigger pic, notice the transmission is still in place held up with a white wire. You can also see some crap drained out of the ignition regulator box and on down the frame rail. I don't know what it is, but it still worked. <?>
23nov01 At last! Had a 4 day weekend, so I had time to check out a country junkyard that's only open on weekdays. with 4000+ cars, they should have something. Sure enough, they had a few Pintos and even a Mustang II. I spent time wandering the yard looking at all they had. Neat stuff, like a Checker Aerobus! Also found 3 intact Merkur XR4TIs just in case more parts are needed. Wish I had known about them instead of buying that junkyard head the past summer! Initially, they didn't want to sell me just an oil pan, but a guy there I spoke to earlier said I could indeed get one. I rode along on a skid loader and picked up a silver 78 runabout with the rare all glass hatch. Too bad they flipped it on its side as I may have wanted the door to replace the rusty one on the project car. Anyway about an hour later, the pan was removed along with the oil pump and pickup. The motor had milky oil so there was water in it, but the parts I needed were ok. I had to make a second run out to the Mustang II to get its dipstick and tube. Total price of parts was $53 although I don't think I got charged for the oil pump. No matter, I got what I need now to get the motor back together! Next thing is to get a gasket set and start assembly!
03dec01 Thankfully, warm weather has allowed work to be done. Using a sanding disc on a drill, I was able to narrow the steering rack bushings enough to press them in with a hammer. Dunking them in hot water makes them more pliable, but not for very long. It's nice to put a clean steering rack in a clean engine bay. The rubber donut on the steering shaft had long since fell apart and it looks like replacement donuts sold these days are close to fitting, but do not match close enough to use. The steering shaft from the apple green parts Pinto had its donut replaced at one time, so I planned to use that particular steering shaft but found out there seems to be two methods of how the steering shaft attaches to the steering column so I had to disassemble that part to get the donut and rebuild the project car's steering shaft. Don't forget to use a 12point 12mm socket on the bolt that tightens the coupling to the steering rack. The rack mounting bolts were tightened just enough to compress the bushings, the tie rod ends attached, and now at least I have some steering and a way to move the car to the side of the garage. Now the garage will be cleared out some so that engine assembly may finally begin.
10dec01 Nothing done the previous weekend except for derusting motor mounts so that they may be painted. Gasket set was ordered from NAPA for $75. Since the motor was manufactured in the first half of 1986, the gaskets were available.
19dec01 Gasket set was picked up from NAPA on the 14th. Thankfully it includes everything. Initially, the head gasket couldnt be found until the box was dismantled and it was packed by itself to minimise damage. It's a Victor-Reinz brand and seems to fit just about any 2.3 with the extra turbo gaskets included. Meanwhile, the power steering pump bracket was removed from the engine block so moving it around was made easier. Since the reciprocating assembly is not being disturbed , two cans of carb cleaner was used in an attempt to remove the sludge from that area. It worked mostly, but the aux shaft area was still pretty nasty. Since I have complete gaskets a decision was taken in where the aux shaft and all front engine parts will be removed for cleanup and gasket replacement which turns out to be a good thing since the 10mm bolts were not that tight, causing oil leaks in that area. aux shaft and pulley were removed as well as fuel pump blockoff plate. Once the crankshaft timing gear can be removed, further cleanup and subsequent reassembly will commence. Since an engine stand is not available, the engine block sits on a small wooden cart which was initially built to carry around a gasoline powered generator. 55 gallon drums provide a workable table as well. The car itself has been moved to the rear of the facility.
23dec01 Time to clean parts. The aux shaft and front covers were cleaned up and gasket surfaces scraped clean with a little help of some gasket remover spray in a can. That stuff really works, but be careful since it also removes paint. Sharp razor blades also help too. Once everything was cleaned, the aux shaft was covered with assembly lubricant and installed as well as its retaining plate. crankshaft cover was also installed, both with new seals. Crankcase was also cleaned as much as possible so oil pump and pan may be fitted shortly. A new torque wrench, 10mm socket and OHC valve spring compressor were purchased as well but the compressor has to be returned since it will not work.
29dec01 It's turning colder now but today was a halfway warm day. Before the pan could be installed the long bolt on which the original oil pump pickup mounted on had to be cut short. A few minutes with a Dremel tool equipped with a cutting wheel took off about 1/4 inch which was enough. The engine was standing on its flywheel with the reciprocating assembly covered with plastic to prevent metal filings from contaminating the oil later. The oil pump had been fitted by now, so the distributor was temporarily installed so that the aux shaft sprocket could be turned and oil poured down the pickup to see if everything worked. Unfortunately, I had removed front oil gallery plugs during initial cleaning but didnt reinstall them so everything got oiled down pretty good. They were installed and then old oil started coming out of the oil filter connection. More oil was run through until it flowed clean. The oil pan got a final washing down and then the oil pan gasket was installed using red sealant and then immediately attached to the engine. Tighten the 4 13mm corner bolts slightly first to locate the pan, then follow up with the other 10mm bolts going in a random pattern. Don't overtighten though or you'll smash the gasket and bend the pan seating surface. As it seats, you'll have to go around several times and tighten the bolts some. Once that was completed, the outside of the motor was washed with gasoline, and then the distributor and clamp was cleaned and fitted, as well as both motor mounts. The oil filter assembly was removed, cleaned and new O rings installed and then replaced. Being able to have the oil filter in a vertical position will certainly help during startup as the filter can be filled with oil beforehand, preventing a risky dry start. Noticing the dipstick nearby, I thought that might be installed, but then remembered that the hole is available in the original Pinto location, but is plugged up. I had to remove the oil pan, and drive out the plug using a punch, then the pan went back on again. The sealant was starting to cure but hopefully there won't be any leaks later. Finally, the water pump was installed. I suggest gluing the gasket to the pump only which will make it easier to remove later. Also, it's a lot less messy to smear a thin coat of sealant on the gasket itself, then stick it to the pump. I didnt do it that way with the oil pan and as a result, got sealant on bolts and the edges of the pan. The power steering accessory bracket will be installed as soon as the PS pump is removed since the Pinto has a manual steering rack.
30dec01 Continuing on the current progress, the engine block was moved from its cart onto a utility trailer and wooden blocks placed under the motor mounts so that way the oil pan doesnt get crushed or bent or scraped. The transmission was also lifted into the trailer as well. The back end of the engine was propped up and the metal plate between the engine and transmission was cleaned and installed in its place. Since garage accomodations are sparse, the engine and transmission were leveled on the trailer just right so they could be pushed together after aligning the torque converter and flexplate. The bolt locations are square, so there's no specific arrangement like on other cars. Apply a little anti-sieze paste to the mounting points on the engine so the transmission seats easier. Then the 13mm bolts were installed and tightened to draw it into place and finally the torque converter bolts can be tightened with a 14mm deepwell socket. Starter was subsequently fitted. Unfortunately, the top starter bolt hole in the transmission is stripped out. If a suitable heli-coil can be found, that will be used, otherwise a 1/4 inch bolt will be used to provide clamping force through the hole just like what was used on Pinto #1. Next thing to do will be to prepare the cylinder head and manifolds. Still plenty of work to be done yet.
Project cart stats, the third year
10jan02 I'm transitioning to another place so time to work on car will have to be scheduled. 40 hours worth of work time is estimated to completion not including troubleshooting which could take forever. The incorrect valve spring compressor was returned and another one purchased. This new type looks like a big letter C and it used for non OHC engines. When I first tried it, the springs did not squeeze down at all. Eventually I suspected the valve keepers were wedged down into the retainers. A big socket was placed on top of the spring retainers and hit with a hammer. When they sprung back, I knew then that the retainers would then come away from the keepers. Using the valve spring compressor is easy and thankfully just squeezes the spring enough to remove the keepers. Make sure the compressor doesn't jam against the cam towers when removing valves in those locations. Once the keepers were removed, the compressor was removed, and then retainer, spring and then valve are removed and placed in order so they go back in the same locations they came from. Valve stem seals were then pried off and removed with a screwdriver. A few of them were hardened and broke right off, due to high miles and possibly the engine fire the cylinder head went through. Next thing to do is remove the oil plugs and camshaft seal and then off to the machine shop for a light surfacing and subsequent reassembly.
14jan02 Cylinder head came back from machine shop with a nice and clean surface. I'm glad it was done. Major change from what it was before! Head has been oiled down and stored in plastic bag in new truck to minimise corrosion. Unfortunately, my valve grinding equipment went bad from nonuse so $15 <!> bought me two suction cup things to spin the valves with as well as coarse and fine grinding pastes. As far as the intake side goes, all valves and their seats cleaned up nicely. The exhaust side needs much more work. The valves themselves have slight pitting on the face although none are burned. They were lapped as well, but not sure of the eventual outcome. The valves from the original cracked head appear to be in good shape, and there is thought of using those instead. With this being a junkyard head and the need to minimise expenses, having more head work done is doubtful. More research will be done to see what decision to take.
06feb02 Having to move a large computer collection and make marriage plans has prevented any motor work being done. A few days previous, the good set of valves from the cracked head were inspected and lapped onto the good head. The valve's seats and margins seem within spec with no damage or burn marks so they will be lapped with the finishing compound and used. It's not a good idea to recycle parts like this, but with a new truck to pay for as well as an upcoming wedding and new house hopefully with a big garage, spending for new valves, springs and everything related is not feasable. The head was again soaked with a water dispersant to prevent corrosion and stored in a plastic bag until final assembly can begin.
10feb02 The valves were given another lap job this time with fine paste. Two of the intake ports still look a bit questionable, but the sealing surfaces are as good as they are gonna get. It had been raining earlier in the day and the day was quite cool and humid. I went inside to take a nap and two hours later, flash rust had formed on the machined parts of the head! Thankfully, it can be removed easily by rubbing and scraping with a razor blade. Anytime you leave unfinished metal exposed, treat with a corrosion inhibitor. The valves were cleaned in solvent and put aside and the intake and exhaust ports were cleaned using a toothbrush and a brass brush as well. There are areas in the head where casting flash could be removed to promote better flow, but time and materials are short right now. The head was again treated with a water dispersant and wrapped in plastic. Next step will be to give the entire head a bath in solvent to insure it's totally clean followed by valve installation so it can be installed on the engine block. The alternator and power steering bracket was also cleaned and mounted to the block using 15mm and 17mm bolts.
17feb02 Finally able to get some real work done! With it being a dry cool day, it was a perfect time to complete assembly. The cylinder head was again cleaned in solvent and given a good going over with a brass bristled brush. Be careful while doing this though, as the bristles can break off. Valve stem seals were then installed and then the valve assemblies themselves. Be sure to lubricate valves before installing them. Thermostat got installed next and then the camshaft oil seal and spark plugs. Considerable time was spent using a razor blade on the deck surface to make sure old gasket remnants were not left behind, compromising the seal. Two locating pins (actually sleeves) are installed on the exhaust side of the block deck and then everything is flushed clean with carb cleaner just to make sure no trash is left inside. Finally the head gasket is laid into place. Take note of its position as well. The gasket will say FRONT UP on it so make sure you have it right. Finally, the head was offered into place and the bolts having been already cleaned, screwed into place. A small amount of anti-seize was applied to the bolts' head to insure accurate torque readings. For best results, torque the head in small increments and NEVER torque the bolts in a circular pattern. Always use the diagram specified in any shop manual. At this time, the bolts only have 50 pounds-feet on them. When the camshaft and intake manifold are installed, final torque will be applied. Oil gallery plugs were then screwed in. Don't forget these, or you will have oil all over the place. The last thing done this weekend was to fit the exhast manifold and turbo. They will not be separated since everything looks in good shape and there's a risk of breaking bolts as well. External surfaces will be cleaned and that's it. The turbo's impeller blades appear to be in good shape. Originally, this motor did not have a manifold gasket, but one was fitted since the gasket was in the rebuild kit. Use anti-seize on the manifold bolts to facilitate removal later. The turbo oil drain line presented some problems of its own. If you remove the brass drainback fitting, take extra care not to damage it. A wrench slipped off, and deformed some threads and some time had to be taken to reform those threads and force the drainback line fitting to thread back into it. The turbo has a lower mount that attaches to the block below the oil drainback and the drainback line itself comes straight out, then up to the turbo itself. Trying to mount the manifold whilst fitting the drainback line can prove challenging. In my case, the lower mount bolt did not line up, so the manifold bolts had to be loosened so the mounting flange could be pried over and the bolt screwed in. The manifold bolts are two sizes, 15mm and 17mm, but their location does not seem to be important. The engine is certainly getting much heavier now as components are added to it. Next step will be to clean the turbo's external surfaces and water/oil lines, and then move over to installing things on the intake side.
24feb02 I had read that turbo 2.3 engines did not use an exhaust gasket so I went back and removed it. The turbo was not disassembled, the the intake and outlet on the compressor side were removed and cleaned, then reassembled with new gaskets. The turbo's blades look in good condition with only minor nicks on the leading edges. The oil supply line was then cleaned and installed as well as the oil pressure sending unit. Over on the other side of the engine, the intake manifold was separated into its major parts. When the bolts for the fuel rail are removed, be careful when removing the rail as the injectors come with it. It helps to twist the injectors to help get them loose. The lower intake manifold was then cleaned and reinstalled. Two of the intake manifold bolts are shorter, so take note of where they go. Also, be sure the injector sockets are perfectly clean as trash in there will compromise the seal when under pressure. Finally, the upper alternator bracket was installed. The alternator itself will be installed once the the engine is in place.
03mar02 The intake manifold bolts were torqued to 15 pounds feet and then the head bolts were brought up to 90 pounds feet in 3 torque sequences using a staggered pattern. It's always better to tighten the bolts slowly several times rather than tighen them all the way one time. The lash adjusters were cleaned, oiled and installed in order. Camshaft was next to be installed. Engine assembly lube was liberally applied to all lobes and bearing surfaces as well as the front seal and carefully slid into place. Once that was done, the camshaft retainer was installed. Even though this camshaft came out of the warped and cracked head, it rotates freely. Oil was then poured over the camshaft to prevent corrosion and to fill the sump. The aux shaft pulley was then rotated until the oil pump was primed and oil started coming out of the sending unit, then it was turned some more to ensure that oil was circulating throughout the engine. Finally the belt tensioner was installed and tightened so that the belt may be easily installed around it. Next step will be to set the camshaft and distributor timing so that the belt may be installed and then the camshaft followers themselves.
10mar02 The original camshaft belt was still good, so it was reused. Timing belts did change styles slightly, since the pulleys either had square or round teeth. Thankfully the replacement cam pulley was a square tooth design so everything was compatible. Aligning the three pulleys to set timing does take some practice. I got it right on the second try. First thing to do is set the engine to TDC. The crankshaft keyway should be pointing straight up and you can pinpoint it by having a screwdriver or something through the spark plug hole to determine with the piston is at TDC. There's also an index mark on the crankshaft timing belt guide that lines up with a matching notch in the front crankcase cover. Much easier to site the keyway though. Next step is to set the distributor timing. Turn the pulley until the rotor points to cylinder #1. To set the camshaft timing, turn the camshaft until the pointer on the pulley is near the bottom. Use a string or a straightedge and make a line from the center of the camshaft bolt to the center of the aux pulley bolt. Then, turn the camshaft pulley until the index mark is in line with the straightedge. Then, install the belt and let the tensioner loose so it tightens the belt and spin the motor around a few revolutions to see it everything matches up. I got it right on the second try. It's important you get this right because if it's one tooth off, it can start and run, but so poorly that it's possible to think other problems are causing it. After the belt was installed, the belt guide was put on as well as the crankshaft pulley and then the camshaft followers. They werent installed previously because the camshaft is easier to turn to make adjustments when installing the timing belt. Be sure to grease them well with assembly lube since they will be dry until oil pressure builds up. Next step will be clean and install the fuel rail and injectors as well as coolant lines.
17mar02 Stupid Pep Boys didnt have any bulk coolant lines in stock, so just some carb cleaner was purchased and a rethreading kit to fix the stripped out bolt hole for the starter. Time to install the injector and fuel rails, so the fuel rail got a thorough cleaning first, then the pressure test fitting and the fuel pressure regulator were reinstalled. The injectors had old Orings on them which pried off as well as the plastic tip. Use screwdrivers and a small open end wrench to get them off. Once that was done, each injector was given a bath in solvent, then dried. For a quick test to see if they were clogged, just blow into the inlet whilst pushing the injector pin with your fingernail. All 4 injectors passed this test without a problem. Seal kits for the injectors were purchased and installed. Each seal kit contains 4 parts: 2 orings, 1 plastic washer and the injector tip. The orings are the same so don't worry about which one to choose. For the outlet side, the plastic washer goes on first, then the rubber oring and finally the plastic cap. Use some oil when installing the parts, and when I had trouble pressing the plastic cap on, I pressed the injector against a block of wood which snapped it on. Be careful of the injector tip! The fuel rail injector sockets were coated with oil and the injectors pressed into the rail. Then, the rail itself was installed and the injectors rotated to a position where the connectors are easily accessable. Finally moderate pressure was applied to the fuel rail whilst pushing against the injectors and the bolts tightened. After that, the wiring was installed.
The upper intake manifold was cleaned and installed next. Two of the bolts have studs on top of them for mounting something else, so they were not fully tightened until final assembly begins. The throttle body was cleaned somewhat using a toothbrush which helps to get into the IAC area as well as being able to clean the throttle plate good. Since the throttle body mounts over the valve cover, that won't be installed unless I either get a better looking valve cover, or I give up and use the one I have. EGR was inspected and seeing it was not coked up bad, was installed. When it was first disassembled, a solid gasket had been installed which rendered the EGR useless. A proper gasket has been refitted. Meanwhile, the external water cooling lines are getting the derust treatment before they are painted with flat black BBQ paint and mounted.
On Sunday, the Merkur was brought out of the backyard and sold for $250 to someone who will either turn it into a racecar or use for parts for other vehicles. Thankfully, it's a car that won't end up destroyed after sitting in a junkyard. The Shifter console and some minor engine wiring was removed before the car was sold.
23mar02 Motor is almost completed! The throttle body got a final cleaning and then the IAC and TPS were installed. Since the TPS cannot be adjusted until the electricals are hooked up, it was reinstalled in the same position as before by referencing the old gasket. The fuel pressure regulator was bolted on and some coolant lines were installed as well as the alternator.
24mar02 Today saw the installation of the valve cover. It can be difficult to get a bent gasket to conform to shape whilst getting red gasket glue everywhere. It helps to screw the bolts into the cover and through the gasket which helps to hold it there. Two of the bolts had pins on the heads which were dremeled off so a socket could be used on them. Torque the bolts in a staggered pattern but not too tight. Plug wires were installed next. Firing order is 1-3-4-2. Throttle body got installed next along with the flexible coupling to the turbo outlet. All metal coolant pipes got the derusting treatment and painted with black BBQ paint and allowed to dry. The will be installed next time. Only other thing left is to find a plug for the rear dipstick hole and repair the one stripped starter attaching bolt.
02apr02 Motor is complete! All it needs is a fanbelt now. Over the last week, the coolant lines got installed. Liquid soap helps to get the rubber coolant hose onto the metal pipes. Some 3/8 inch metal rod was acquired and a 1inch portion was cut off and ground down on one end so that it would fit into the rear oil dipstick hole to seal it. Permatex sells a thread rebuilding kit which consists of epoxy and some kind of thread release compound. The epoxy is mixed together and put into the stripped threads. Then the bolt is coated with the release compound and screwed into the threads for a few minutes, then it's removed and the epoxy allowed to dry. Unfortunately, I forgot the bolt was installed, and it took quite some effort to remove it. The end result is that the starter bolt hole is now completely repaired. The thread rebuild kit really seems to consist of JBWeld and alcohol or paint thinner for thread release compound. The only thing left on the engine was to install the transmission kickdown cable. Since I'm taking time to install the engine, a 2ton engine hoist from Harbor Freight was purchased for just over $200 and assembled. It was used to lift the engine off the utility trailer it was sitting on and lowered to the shop floor to rest on wooden blocks for now. When lifting the engine, I used 2 feet of 3/8 inch chain secured to the motor. This engine did not originally have a lift point on the back. Early 2.3 engines used in the Pinto and others had a lifting ring attached to the last bolt on the exhaust manifold. One was installed when the exhaust manifold was fitted. The alternator bracket has a hole in it near the top through which I passed a 1.5 inch bolt through and into the last link in the lifting chain and tightened with a nut. This will allow a very safe method of lifting a very heavy and unwieldy engine and transmission combination without fear of having it come loose. It's important to use a chain long enough to keep the chain unstressed. Using a very short lifting chain would cause way too much sideways strain on the lifting points. Only problem with this setup is that it's difficult to manage or adjust the tilt of the engine as the transmission is moved into place. It can be done, but care must be taken not to damage anything. The Pinto was brought up to the shop floor so that it may be prepared. There's the typical rust where the battery tray used to sit so that will be addressed before the engine goes in. The motor mounts and hood latch support were also removed to facilitate installation.
15apr02 Not much has happened lately. The engine bay has undergone cleaning and treatment of rusty areas where the battery tray was and the hood hinge area. Motor mounts have been cleaned and painted and will be installed before motor goes in.
18apr02 Motor is finally in! Engine bay was not detailed, but clean and ready to go. The lifting chain was biased a bit which allowed slight rearward tilt of the engine and transmission. Initially the garage door was too low so that was moved out of the way. The motor is much wider than the original one, so the car wiring was moved out of the way for now. A flat board was placed underneath the car to allow the tranmission to slide on it if it needed to. The most tedious part was getting the engine up high enough to clear the radiator support, and then getting the tailshaft started down. Have an engine leveler would have made this job go much faster! At one point, I blocked up the motor when it was halfway in and rearranged the chain so that the motor tilted back more. Another problem then showed up. Turns out the the legs of the engine hoist were extended out too far and would not fit underneath the lower A arms. I could have placed short wooden blocks under the front tires to raise it up, but since work was in progress, I retracted the legs so I could roll the hoist farther forward. This of course makes it more unstable, but it worked. The only other issue was to coax the bellhousing over the front crossmember and remove the oil filter so that it could fit past the steering shaft. Since the lifting chain connects to both sides of the motor, it tended to tilt a bit to one side causing the drivers side motor mount to touch first and the tranmission to kick off to the left. Once the motor mount fell into place, the transmission was centered and the engine lowered some until the other mount touched. At this point I found out the coolant exit line for the turbo was interfering so it was removed and the engine dropped all the way into place. The O2 sensor almost does touch the fan blower motor, so that will be removed from inside the car. The heater coolant hoses will have to be rearranged to get them to fit the engine's coolant hoses. There's plenty of room in front of the engine so perhaps installing the engine and transmission seperately might be somewhat easier. Another option would be to cut the radiator support and putting it in from the front. That option is not recommended since that would really compromise the structure of the front end. There's not much metal up there to make it strong anyway.
Major work can be done now such as wiring, engine connections and transmission mount. The engine is in there, view1 (85k) view2 (121k) but still lots of work to do.
21apr02 Nothing done to the car this weekend since I had to do repairs on RV and prepare a truck to be sold. The apple green parts pinto is scheduled to be picked up by a scrap metal dealer. A final once over was done to gather up some extra bolts as well as get the 90 degree heater hoses which might come in handy later.
14may02 Amazingly nothing's been done lately. The truck was sold and while looking over the transmission mount, I found my first problem. The Merkur C3 transmission has a single bolt mount whereas the Pinto used a 2 bolt mount which means the tailshaft had changed sometime during the C3 production run. Thankfully a fellow Pinto enthusiast sent me a Pinto C3 mount since the manual transmission one certainly would not work. Unfortunately, the auto transmission mount didn't work either so work has stopped until a solution can be found. Switching out tailshafts was considered, but there would be the matter of finding one and then taking care that the swap works without introducing other problems. It seems it may be possible to use the existing single bolt mounting point and tranmission mount crossmember, using a suitable spacer between the two such as a piece of channel iron. More testing will be underway.
03jun02 Things have been very hectic lately with getting married and being forced to liquidate a lot of personal possessions. Thankfully, the Pinto still remains. There has been some progress, but mostly just planning and testing various options for problems that arise. As stated before, the transmission mount was not going to work, and something would have to be created. I looked at all possible variations of the stock 4 speed mount and the Merkur mount, trying to make something work. I took the transmission crossmember and the manual transmission bracket to someone that had access to a machine shop. He lengthened the slots in the crossmember, and cut some metal away from the transmission mount as well as lengthening a bolt hole. I removed .25 inch of metal from the top edge of the rubber part of the mount. Using these, I found that I could have a workable alternative. I acquired a scrap piece of aluminium which was a cylinder 1 inch tall, .75 inches diameter with a hole in middle like a spool. I drilled the hole out to a bigger size, and used that as a spacer in order to make the transmission pan level with the frame so now I have the original transmission crossmember installed backwards, the rubber mount with the top edge removed .25 inch installed backwards, and then the modified 4 speed mount with the spacer above that touching the single mount point on the tailshaft of the transmission with the original single bolt connecting them. It seems to work, but the transmission is not perfectly centered though and the pan is not quite level. I have acquired more aluminium scrap including some very thick pieces, so I might redo it some and make a solid mount. Now that a nice digicam is on hand, some pictures would be worth having to describe the parts.
Whilst inspecting the engine bay, I noticed that the O2 sensor was dented by the interior fan that sticks into the engine compartment. That fan will be removed, the only disadvantage is that the defroster and heater wont work very good anymore. The ductwork inside the car has to be removed to get to the fan motor and it's rather tedious to do so. Removing the glove box, radio and center console helps to get to the parts underneath the dashboard. I was also very dismayed to see that one of the turbo exhaust bolts hits the inner fenderwell and did a nice job of scratching and gouging that area that I previously derusted and painted. I may remove the engine and rework that area. That may also explain why the transmission is not centered right. I'm leery of cutting metal on a unibody car, so I will look into bending the metal away to allow the turbo to fit properly.
An angle grinder was purchased with a wire wheel installed and experimented with on the rusty door on the right side. The results are great! That grinder knocks rust and body filler off faster than anything else! All that's left is bare metal and whatever rust holes show up. It will be handy to remove rust on the floor pans. Installing a grinding wheel allows one to cut metal and even quickly grind metal away. This was done on the rubber transmission mount to get it to fit backwards so it didnt interfere with the transmission pan. Just watch out for the sparks and wear safety glasses! After I'd use the wire brush, I would find tiny wires in my shirt where they flew off the wheel and hit me. They also did hit my face before I decided to wear safety glasses. I don't need a disaster to show me the right way to do something.
09jun02 Previously, I was working on getting the heater fan motor out since it was hitting the O2 sensor. The A/C equipped cars have the fan motor in a different location. If you decide to also remove the fan motor, plan on at least two hours of work. Choose a cool day, have tools on hand, and remove the passenger seat which makes it much easier to work underneath the dashboard. I ended up removing the center console, radio and glovebox. There are some plastic rivets you have to pry out in order to move the defroster ductwork up and out of the way and some cables have to be removed that control the airdoors. Finally, remove the 7/16 bolt holding the right side of the heater up to a bracket underneath the dashboard and then you can move the whole assembly down. I did not remove it entirely which saved the trouble of having to remove the heater hoses. It's tight but can be done. There are 11 or 12 clips holding the plastic heater halves together so prise them off with a screwdriver and then you can seperate the halves. The motor can be removed with a 7/16 deep well socket on the 4 nuts on the back end and then disconnect the wires to it. Putting everything back together is much easier. There's a big hole now in the firewall, but that will be covered with aluminium plate, or that might be a good place to route wires back to the computer through there. Everything will get reassembled shortly, and then it's time to reshape the area where the turbo exhaust hits the fenderwell.
23jul02 Long time without any work being done! There's plenty of excuses though. I got married on 22jun02, with a honeymoon in Maui. Two days before the wedding, the person that took over my previous domicile reneged on her agreement for me to keep my stuff there, including the Pintos. As a result, they had to be quickly moved to a friend's house who helped me out. Now with moving house, there's little time to work on the car. That should change soon thankfully. The engine will come out to work on the fenderwell interference and also to install a rubber 1pc valve cover gasket. The 2pc cork gasket is hard to fit without getting gasket glue everywhere.
22oct02 update at last! The Pinto is back home now and in the garage. (111k) A tow bar was acquired and brought home (141k) without incident. A quick wash and finally parked. Notice the birdnest (80k)discovered when it was parked outside for the summer! Now the interference and transmission mounting issues can be worked on. It's been quite a long time, but hopefully things go quicker from here. I worked quite some time on my garage in order to prepare it and have plenty of floor space. A Craftsman workbench and tool cabinet on wheels were purchased as well as a cheap metal cart on wheels to hold tools and such. The thing I'm most proud of is the shelves I built. The garage has a high ceiling and I constructed shelves that are about 8 feet up. 2x4s were nailed to the walls at a height dictated by the side door. I then extended more 2x4 beams out to 36 inches, holding up the outer edges with chain and eye bolts. 1x4 pieces are cut to 40 inches long and nailed down every 2 inches using 8d nails. The end result is well over 20 feet of secure shelf space up out of the way. Check out my picture links if you want to see what it looks like. I did not have any plans and just thought it up as I went. I do not remember the cost, but probably just over $100. So far, the Pinto fenders, old outboard motors and my superdart race kart are up there.
10nov02 Last week, the Pinto got washed and the pitted pot metal logos removed. Be careful when removing them, as they break all too easy. Don't forget to hose out those fenderwells too, all around! Mud gets into places you wouldn't think. The engine hoist is out on loan, so once that is brought back, the engine's coming out for a better valve cover gasket and engine bay interference modifications.
20nov02 With it getting cold, it's time to think of a heater. Kerosene would work, but anything with flame there's a possibility of bad things happening if something flammalble is spilled. An electric heater is another option, but probably wouldn't put out as much heat and cut run the electric bill way up. So far, daytime work is not too bad. Once the sun goes down, it can get really cold.
A replacement valve cover gasket was purchased and installed. Its part number is F57Z-6584-A. At $30 or so it's pretty expensive but worth it. It's a preformed rubber gasket with steel inserts around the bolt holes and even has a locating pin that fits into the cam tower to help hold it there. So much better than dealing with gasket glue getting everywhere and then having the gasket squeeze out. It can also be reused. The old gasket glue was tediously removed from the valve cover and then remaining residue was cleaned off using a scotchbrite dishwashing sponge then everything was put back together. Be sure to tighten the bolts in a staggered pattern as they'll be loose by the next time you come around to tighten them.
The turbo exhaust interference issue is still being thought over. If hammering the metal away won't work, there is thought of using a metal nibbler to remove a little as possible to preserve strength in that area. The turbo outlet can't be rotated so space has to be made unless the engine was crooked sitting in the motor mounts. That will be checked to see if any adjustments can be made there.
30nov02 Finally, some real progress! I knew the fenderwell would have to be clearanced for the turbo outlet exhaust, but didn't know how much. There was thought of using a nibbler or some other tool, then I remembered my Dremel tool. The motor got reinstalled, and some measurements and marks made. As you can see by the pic, there is not much room. (39k). With the engine removed, a hole was started with a drill bit and then opened up with the Dremel tool equipped with a cutting wheel. After 3 trial fittings, and 8-9 cutting disks later, there is enough room at last. The sharp edges were filed off and the area painted with primer. With the engine installed, the pipe can be fitted although the transmission dipstick tube had to be removed to allow it to fit for now. This picture (36k) pic2 (33k) shows where cuts had to be made. What you cannot see very good is some dimpling where the transmission dipstick tube goes and the area behind the round hole where the bottom of the turbo would touch. This was done with an assortment of sockets and a BFH. Since the engine was out, the turbo support bracket was removed and the lower bolt hole slotted so that subsequent removals in the car will be much easier. A gasket must be recreated for the turbo oil drain line since the existing one was reused but leaks. Here are some images of the finished work. Pic1(163k) - Pic2(110k) - Pic3(49k) - Pic4(22k)
14dec02 Didnt get much of an update earlier since we had an ice storm to deal with the previous week and there were guests staying here. Some things were done during the week however. The seats were removed previously and the interior cleaned really good. After they were reinstalled and I was admiring my work, I opened the driver's door and as most Pinto owners know, they either do not close or open right due to worn out hinges. I attempted to fix the problem by loosening the door hinges, jacking up the end of the door until the body lines on the door and rear body lined up, and then tightening the bolts. No matter how much adjustment I did, the door would still drop down. Before I knew it, I had the lower door hinge off and was busy disassembling it. One end of the hinge pin had to be cut off using my Dremel and once that was done, the bronze bushing were driven out. Replacements can be acquired at any car parts store. Look for Help/Motormite 38375 GM/Ford door hinge bushings. Press them in with taps from a small hammer. I had to file down the hinge pin at the end I cut off to get it to slide in. Note that the pin now has to be installed in what was previously known as an upside down position but it still works fine. I doubt it will ever work loose. The net result is now the door will close with a push rather than having to slam it or having to hold the door up so that it can close on the latch. I little anti-seize on the striker bolt and some lubricant on the part that keeps the door opened at a certain position keeps everything quiet. The other door is fine since it never got opened enough. Once this was completed, I could get back to the project's problems.
I powered up my wire wheel equipped grinder and went to work again on the battery shelf area as well as the area underneath within the fenderwell. The rust is gone, but there is some pitting and small holes from corrosion. Nothing too bad, thank goodness. People just don't know how corrosive battery acid and fumes can be. After discovering this, I did some net research on rust repair and prevention. There are two popular products for this. The first used to be called COROLESS, but now it's called Rust Encapsulator at eastwoodco.com. Another product is POR-15 at (where else?) www.por15.com. This is what I'm using. They make a super starter kit which contains several small items of everything that's needed which makes it quick and easy for me since I only have a small area to repair. I won't go into details about these products since you've got the websites to goto.
The engine had gotten some slight surface rust on the engine mounts, water pump and the like during its summer stay outside for the summer. That was all cleaned up with a wire wheel on a drill. Later when the motor starts to leak and get dirty like all motors do, this won't happen anymore.
Wandering around the shop, I found the fuel line from the XR. Doing a test fit, it looks like it may work with little modification provided I can mount the XR's fuel pump in the right place. There's an access hole on the Pinto's left fenderwell that the fuel line can come through. Also found was the transmission modulator line which will be installed as soon as it can be rebent to what it should be. One transmission cooling line was found although the other cannot. Initial trial testing shows that may also work with little modification.
Once the rust removal kit arrives and that completed to satisfaction, the motor's going in for good. Then the shop has to be cleaned up some and the Pinto moved to one side of the garage so the wife can park in there. I can have it my way most of the time.
Needless to say, working in a cold garage sucks, but better than being outside! A heater was purchased for warmth. A radiator type was tried, but was not suitable since it heated by convection and there's no way to get on top of it. A 1500 watt fan type was acquired and it works quite well since it provides radiant heat. 1500 watts isnt much, but provides heat on the worktable and keeps hands warm. It can also be moved to where it needs to provide heat too. Circuit breaker has already been tripped due to drawing too much power after two lights, heater, radio, and drill tripped it.
Boxing day Rather cold today. In fact, too much so but work was done the previous week. The POR15 stuff arrived and the rusty areas were treated. The metal prep solution seems to dry very slowly in cold weather, so final coating with POR hasnt been done yet. The motor finally got installed for good and fits better now since previous interference with the wheelwell was fixed. The car was moved over to one side of the garage and placed on jackstands (76k) so access from underneath is possible. The transmission mount has not been installed yet as a jack is holding it up and level so that the transmission mount can be modified accordingly. Meanwhile, the Merkur fuel pump and filter was dismantled and inspected, only to find the pump is defective. Time to start putting things back together now.
Project car stats, the fourth year
01jan03 New year, so it's best to start out by doing plenty and getting off to a good start. Only problem was that I just acquired a Fantic minibike and spend half the day assembling it and then tuning/cleaning/adjusting/riding it. Once satisfied with that, I went to the car. The header pipe was installed. Stainless steel standard thread nuts were used to bolt up the pipe to the turbo outlet. Additional cuts had to be made to the fenderwell to allow the outer nut to be tightened. Using the Dremel with the cutting wheel, about 4mm were cut from the top edge of the cut-out hole. This allowed the header pipe flange to tighten up to the turbo outlet without hitting the fenderwell. Finished pic (28k) of fenderwell modifications.With that done for now, the original engine compartment wiring was routed around the area and ziptied into place. The original plugs for the voltage regulator and distributor will remain for now until I figure out later what can be removed. The XR coil was attached to the left side fenderwell using one existing hole. A 1/4 inch hole was drilled for the other side and then the coil cable routed to it. A couple of days before, camshaft timing was checked before the timing cover was fitted and the tensioner adjusted. The crank and water pump pulleys were then installed. The battery box that was purchased some time ago was inspected and trial fitted in the trunk after removing the trunk lid. The best place to put it would be in the spare tire well, but that's where the spare tire goes. Meanwhile, the XR engine wiring will be laid out and seen how to integrate it. The VAF was trial fitted using the original XR intake hose. It may be possible to fit it using some L shaped brackets going to the frame just behind where the horn goes since a welding machine is not available at this time. Things are FINALLY coming together. Having warm days makes all the difference!
06jan03 Thankfully the holiday season is over so that makes more time to do important things such as getting a proper fan belt and cleaning the garage up! Garage mess (245K) Garage less messier (189k) I took the fan belt I cut to the store and had it matched up. The one I got fits fine, although it seems a bit wide and rides high in the grooves. It grips the pulleys however. The battery box was not mounted yet, but the battery cable was routed through the car. I didnt want to cut holes, but I found out I did not have to. The car has a rear window defroster so I ran the battery cable along the same route through the rear fender and down to the rocker panel. I removed the rear interior plastic paneling and ziptied the cable in a few places. The door sill was removed and the cable laid in the same channel as the defroster wiring. From there, it went up to the side of the dashboard, over the air duct and glove box, and then out a precut hole in the firewall that was plugged with a grommet. From there, it goes down a few inches, then does a Uturn and back up to the starter relay. Much easier than I thought although I had to figure out where to run it however. I used almost the entire length of the battery cable except for maybe 2 feet. The ground cable was attached to one of the bolts that holds the trunk latch in place. Since I destroyed the engine grounding strap when I removed the original engine, a new one was bought for $3 <!> and installed on the left side of the engine since it's less crowded and then reattached to the same place on the firewall. I picked one of two starter relays I had and installed that. Even though no computer wiring or fuel system is installed yet, I wanted to see if the engine would at least turn over with the key. I hooked up the battery and tried it. All I got at first was a click and then after hooking up my battery charger all I got was the same click and some smoke from the relay when the starter cable connects to it. I replaced it with relay number two which did the trick. The engine actually turns over! It sounds different than the Pinto engine did when starting. It has compression though and everything turns.
The next day I decided to see about mounting the VAF. The hose that goes from it to the turbo inlet is only a few inches long, so I made that the criteria to use in which to mount it. The workable option I discovered is to have the VAF on its side, mounting holes down. Rooting through junk I keep, I found two heavy duty angle brackets which were originally used to hold a server to a shipping crate of all things. They are slotted on one side too which makes everything adjustable. I like adjustability in things so that way I can improve something later if I didnt do it right. Later, I went to the hardware store and bought some flat steel brackets with holes in them and once drilling a hole center in one end, I bolted them to the angle brackets. The flat steel brackets will then be bolted to the frame rail. The VAF input will then go forward of the radiator support to an air cleaner. Take a look at the VAF with mounting bracket installed. (89k)
13jan03 This month is the dead of winter and makes garage work difficult. The wiring harness was untangled and everything labeled. The firewall grommet was cut off and the tape removed so the wires underneath can be moved around in case it has to bend in a different direction. Some red wire covering is on order which will be used. Blue may be used for the original Pinto wiring so that the two can be identified since there will be a mess of wiring once everything is in place. A good sized hole will need to be cut in the firewall to allow the socket for the computer to fit through. That will be determined once the wiring is in place. The rubber hose from the VAF to the turbo was cleaned up and the inside wire reinstalled to keep it from collapsing from suction under boost. A stock fuel pump is on the way for $20. Since I really didnt do anything, you might want to check out the car as it sits in the garage. Pic1 (160k) Pic2 (160k)
25jan03 Sometimes it gets so cold that it sucks to work on the car, and lately it has been that way. Doing the electrical system has posed some challenges since the engine harness will remain seperate from the Pinto wiring. The starter relay bracket was notched to allow the wiring conduit to run in the channel right below it. There was thought of moving the relay, but the original position seems to be the most efficient. It was discovered that the Merkur alternator uses an internal regulator whereas the Pinto one does not. However, the Pinto wiring is still in place, so it was decided to use it instead. Unfortunately, the Pinto alternator won't fit the bracket, even after slight modification. A Pinto bracket will need to be found.
In other news, the engine wiring was routed in place and a location found on the firewall where a hole could be cut to run the wiring through. A hole was cut to the left of the heater motor hole. The seat was removed again and the heater core moved out of the way to determine the best spot to cut the hole. There's soundproofing material under the carpet that goes up to the firewall which was cut out of the way. After some tedious measuring, the hole was enlarged and the sharp edges filed down. The hole is just big enough to pass the connector for the computer box and the wires through. Since I'm still working with wiring issues, that's enough for now.
Since the original Pinto charging system is being used, I ran through schematics to see if anything has to be changed. The alternator wiring plug did not fit the regulator's plug because of some ears on the plug which prevent it from fitting. Those were cut off and now it can plug in. While sorting out the main wires, some dodgy connections were discovered where two wires connect to 1 going to the fusible link and the starter relay. Those will untwisted and resoldered. Thankfully there is enough slack to allow some cutting without adding new wire.
The VAF was finally installed in place. Only one of the brackets created previously was used since it was long enough to use an existing bolt hole in the frame while also needing to position it for proximity to the turbo inlet. There is also an existing bolt here where the horn used to mount. A 5 inch angle bracket was acquired, then shortened and twisted so that it mounts to the bolt hole mentioned, then attaches to the VAF. The end result is a halfway sturdy mount and the plug can be installed without interference. Later, a small aluminium block may be placed under the VAF to address any vibration problems.
09feb03 Cold weather and sickness have prevented any nonstop work from happening but some progress has been made. The factory regular and ignition box were reinstalled and the original wiring plugged in. It's hard to determine what all is needed to make the charging system work, so I figure everything can be left in there for now. The Pinto's electrical system comes out of the firewall near the steering column, then goes up and splits there to both sides. New corrugated sheating was used and the wires placed in the small channel that runs near the top of the firewall where the back of the hood touches. Zip ties were used to hold it in place. The Merkur wiring harness is difficult to bend, so the plastic sheathing was removed and the electrical tape surrounding the wires was all stripped and removed resulting in more flexability. Red corrugated tubing was then placed on the wiring so it's easy to seperate it from the car's wiring. Various sensors of which I do not know their purpose were installed on the right side fenderwell and their connectors plugged in. Since the Merkur wiring has not been altered, that limits placement of the sensors. The BCS still has to be mounted. The routing for the wiring actually worked out fairly well. The computer will either reside in the glovebox, or in the area just behind it on top of the heater core. The wires then go out through the firewall and split, with one group staying on the right side feeding the sensors and VAF, and the other group of wires running underneath the Pinto's original wiring along the firewall which feed the injectors, TPS, and secondary ignition system. It's crowded, but organized. There are some additional connections that went to the Merkur, but are unused for now.
It was testing time, but the EEC troubleshooting and modification book was missing, so everything was by trial and error. From research, it seems that the computer needs two 12 volt sources, 1 always on, and another that is switched by the ignition key. There was a fusible link lead coming off the harness so that was pretty easy to figure out it went to a 12volt source. It was connected to the hot side of the starter relay but nothing happened and the code scanner showed nothing.The notes that were at hand didn't show the other power source, so the wiring was all undone and laid out so individual wires could be traced. Eventually there was a number of red wires traced that went to every sensor and finally several joined into one red wire and led to a socketed connection. 12 volts was applied, and a click was heard, presumably the EEC relay. The code scanner was activated, and gave a code 67 which is yet to be resolved. The starter relay was then shorted to get the engine to crank with a spark plug removed to see if there was spark. There was not, but only at first. Once the loose connection on the coil was tightened and the coil wire pressed firmly into place, there was spark at the plugs! A bit weak, but a flat battery and old plugs is most likely the cause. Having the key-on 12volt source identified (hopefully), the wiring harness was rewrapped and rerouted and re-ziptied into place. Now it's time to route all the vacuum hoses.
23feb03 Wiring issues have been resolved at last. The wiring harness was removed and wires separated. Each wire going to the computer box was labeled and then traced to its destination. Having done this before having everything installed would have made everything much easier. Some wires previously unknown are now identified. The 67 code showing up before turns out to be related to the neutral drive switch. That wire was grounded along with the other ground wires and 12 volts jumped to the VPWR input. After a loud click, my computer tester showed CODE 11 which means everything passed! I'm surprised, but happy nonetheless. Some wiring that extended past the VAF connector is related to the A/C so that has been wrapped up out of the way as well as some wiring farther up near the computer box. At a later time, I may remove those wires to simplify things. On the driver's side, there were three extra connectors. Turns out one was for the EGR control which has been installed since I finally found the switch. The second is a socket plug with two contacts. One is 12v keyswitch VPOWER and the other goes to the distributor but for what I don't know. The last connector is square-shaped with 6 wires going to it which are for oil and temp sensors as well as some diagnostic terminal points it seems. Nothing really needed here except for VPOWER.
A stock replacement fuel pump arrived and it was tested and found to work fine. Due to size constraints, the fuel filter that mounts beside it cannot be used. The car's fuel lines were removed and the fuel pump trial fitted into several places to where it would best fit. One potential place is inboard of the left side leaf spring where the emergency brake cable runs. The floor pan is a little higher in that area but there is really no suitable mounting points unless going through the floor pan to a bracket above would work. As the pump is believed to be a non-priming type, it must be as low as possible and then the issue of fabricating fuel lines comes next. Some people are using standard metal line and hose clamps, but with 40 psi pressure, I don't want any leakage at all. Gas tank to the pump can be low pressure but not after the pump. Obviously any rubber line used must be specifically for FI systems which means it is also more expensive.
07mar03 It's getting close to finishing time, both because I'm getting close to finishing time, and because warm weather is on the way. Some replacement polyamide fuel line and fittings were purchased at way inflated prices and am now studying ways to route the fuel line. There are 3 lines going to the stock fuel tank. They are supply, return, and vent. The return line will be reused and a supply line fabricated. The fuel pump will have to go in the place originally thought due to insufficient clearance elsewhere. In other areas, the heater core was finally reinstalled into place and the passenger seat put back in, hopefully for good. The wires to the computer are now in a place where I should not have to tear all that out again although it does still have to be mounted in place. It's being left loose now for testing purposes.
The car used to be a 4 speed and since the left side of the engine bay was getting crowded, it was decided to remove the clutch cable. Removing the pedal is easy enough by just removing a spring clip. The clutch cable itself takes more work of course. The driver's seat was removed to gain more working room which you will certainly need. The cable itself is held to the firewall by a metal sleeve with fingers on it that expands and locks it into place, very similar to the way E-brake cables are fastened to the backing plate of a rear axle. Attempts were made to compress the fingers to go through the hole in the firewall which did not work at all due to limited working room. In desperation, the fingers were bent backwards and then the cable was pulled in a attempt to get it partway through the hole where that part could be cut off. Amazingly that metal sleeve popped off and the cable came out. Turns out that sleeve has a slot in it, so it would be possible to open it up with a screwdriver and slide it off beforehand. Next time, the half-hour job will take 5 minutes. The radiator still has not been installed yet, but the hood latch support was installed and the hood release cable hooked up. It's temping to use hood pins, but measurements will be taken to see if they will work.
09mar03 Serendipity the RV got my time this weekend with some fibreglas work to fix some leaks and some rotten framework replacement. In the meantime, here's a list of the pinouts for the engine wiring I used. This is for the Merkur wiring. Others will vary.
| Pin Location | Application/Name | Notes |
| 1 | Keep alive Power KAPWR | Attach to battery |
| 4 | Ignition Diag monitor IDM | |
| 7 | Engine coolant temp ECT | |
| 10 | A/C clutch ACC | Not present |
| 16 | Ignition ground IGN GND | |
| 17 | Self test output STO | |
| 20 | Case Ground CSE GND | metal wiring |
| 21 | Idle Speed control ISC | |
| 22 | Fuel pump control FP | |
| 23 | Knock sensor KS | |
| 25 | Vane Air Temp VAT | Sensor in VAF |
| 26 | Voltage reference Vref | |
| 29 | Oxygen sensor EGO | |
| 30 | Nuetral drive switch NDS | Ground this wire |
| 32 | Boost control BOOST | |
| 34 | Data output link DOL | |
| 35 | EGR shutoff S/O | |
| 36 | Spark output SPOUT | near distributor |
| 37 | Vehicle power V PWR | 12 from key |
| 40 | Battery ground BATT GND | ground anywhere |
| 43 | Vane air flow VAF | |
| 45 | Barometric pressure BP | |
| 46 | Signal return SIG RET | |
| 47 | Throttle position TP or TPS | |
| 48 | Self test input STI | |
| 49 | EGO ground EGO GND | |
| 54 | WOT A/C cutoff WAC | not present here |
| 58 | Injector bank 1 INJ 1 | |
| 59 | Injector bank 2 INJ 2 | |
| 60 | Battery ground BATT GND | ground anywhere |
Saw a car show and though I did not attend, I looked through the gate and I was disappointed to see the typical 21st century corvettes and rice burners, particularly front wheel drive cars with rear wings which is the stupidest thing ever done. I guess even stupid people have the right to spend money too. I was surprised to see an SVO Mustang there. Also saw a Model A old-skool hotrod and needless to say, neither of those cars seemed to gather much attention. Seeing those cars there is giving me the encouragement to speed up my project.
24mar03 Didnt do an update last week and haven't felt like doing one, but much work has been done and demands a new essay. Vacuum and fuel lines were purchased with a promise to get the fuel system working. The vacuum lines to the BCS were routed to the turbo and the radiator got installed, complete with a new cap with the little release lever on it. I had an upper radiator hose, but missing the lower one. I went to Pep Boys and after looking through their stock, I secured the last 1.5x1.25 radiator hose they had which was just the size I needed! There is no fan, but one will have to get installed eventually.
After many hours of staring at the engine compartment, I finally decided on the fuel line routing. I had wanted to go inside of the frame rails, then up back against the firewall and under the master cylinder, but that requires a lot of bending which I know I could not get right, even with multiple tries. I decided to follow the routing of the original lines to the point where they come to the wheelwell, then go straight up through a hole I drilled, then it would bend, pointing straight at the fuel rail connection. It's far enough way from the master cylinder and EGR cutoff valve. It does not look as clean as I wanted, but will work for now. Some test bends were made, and then matched what I made to a good piece of fuel line with the quick connect fitting on one end. Using my trusty cheap tubing bender (which was a MUST), I got it just about perfect. All that's needed now is to mount it and connect both ends. A factory 90 degree quick disconnect will be used from the fuel rail to point it to the metal line where another quick disconnect will be there. Enough slack in the line will be needed to allow for engine movement. The fuel return will be routed to the factory line that ends near the bottom of the frame rail. Still havent figured out how to mount the fuel pump though.
I'm getting rather impatient about having an engine start. I want to at least know it runs. I got compression and spark which is good. 3 main things I have to finish first; cooling lines, transmission cooler and fuel system. For the turbo water line, I got a 90degree coolant fitting from NAPA and used it to direct the line coming out of the side of the block forward. Then, standard heater hose was routed up to the turbo water line fitting that was rotated so it faced forward. It will work for now, although a hard line will be fabricated later. For simplicity's sake, the heater will be bypassed for now. Using some copper line and fittings, a bypass was constructed so that water flowing from one of the metal lines beside the valve cover now flows into the vertical pipe that goes down and around to the other side of the engine. I managed to get some transmission cooling lines from an old van that was being junked and the fittings are the same thread as the C3. Even better, they are the old fashioned flared fittings too. The plan is to cut them down to 12 inches so bends can be made to get them to fit, then additional line will be used as needed to connect to the transmission cooler which is still to come.
Fuel system was next. The fuel pump relay was wired in using some old wire from the van mentioned above along with making some solderless connectors fit the terminals for testing purposes. Since I just want to do an engine start right now, I just wired everything across the motor with the engine computer hanging out of the glovebox with a jumper connecting the ground leads to the radio support and the fuel pump and relay sitting on the air intake vents just in front of the windshield. When I jumped 12 volts to the keypower circuit, everything clicked, but the relay just buzzed like crazy. Everything was wired right, and when I powered the fuel pump straight off 12 volts, it worked fine. It took me a few hours that night to figure out the schematic I was looking at. The diagram was showing the wiring of the SOCKET and not the relay itself, so the wiring was backwards! Once I corrected that, the fuel pump turned on for about two seconds like it should. So far, so good. The pump appears to have good suction, so the plan is to have the fuel pump and fuel return lines go to a gas can, with a test of the fuel system to make sure there is no leaks. If it's good, then hopefully, the engine will come to life soon.
29mar03 IT RUNS! I'm a bit surprised, but happy nonetheless. I decided I wanted to see what the motor would do today. The transmission cooling lines that were obtained from an old Ford van turned out not to work. They threaded in, but the connection was a different style. Two replacement fittings had to be purchased which use the quick release fuel line style connection. A length of 12inch replacement fuel line had been purchased with the quick-connect fittings on both ends so it was cut in half. Each half then got ~120 degree bend using a well-worn tubing bender which will allow them to clear the header pipe, and then will eventually go underneath the transmission pan and then forward to the transmission cooler which was also recently bought. It's a very small size, but should prove adequate. It will be attached in front of the radiator. For now, a rubber hose connected these short lengths of metal line since the cooler has not been installed yet. The transmission was then filled with Type F fluid. When I checked the dipstick, I noticed it said Dexron III was required for the warranty. I then look at the bottle, and it said for Ford transmissions 1986 and after! Previously, Ford used Type F in everything, and then they go and change like this. This C3 is certainly not like earlier C3s like I thought. Since the motor was not started yet, the transmission pan was drained and cleaned along with the external valve body. Everything was put back into place and the proper fluid added. The cooling system was then filled up with plain water from the hose. A heater line was removed to make sure there was no air trapped. A few hose clamps had to be tightened a bit, but soon everything was leakproof. The fuel pump intake and fuel return lines were routed to a small 1 gallon gas can that was full. The fuel pump was still wired up the same from last week. 12 volts from the hot side of the starter relay was jumped to the keypower pin in the socket near the distributor side of the engine wiring. I turned the key and it cranked, and hit once or twice before the battery went dead even though the fuel pump was pressurizing the system like it should. The battery charger got hooked up and several more attempts were made. At one point, it seemed to sputter but only for a few seconds. Everything was checked, and the TPS and timing fiddled with, but with no real improvement. The code scanner was activated and it gave a 23, which means the TPS is out of range so it was returned back to its original position which was assumed to be correct. Spark was checked, and looked good although it seemed weak on only one plug even though all spark plugs were brand new. The engine was rotated to TDC and the distributor checked and the rotor was in the right position.I knew at least the basic ignition and fuel system were working because the fuel pump would run for two seconds when the distributor's rotor moved. The camshaft timing was checked and appeared to be one tooth off. The tensioner was moved out of the way while the camshaft was moved one tooth over, then the belt was reinstalled. To make things easier, the starter relay was shorted out with a pair of pliers so the engine could be checked whilst starting it. Since I was not able to get a good reading on the TPS voltage, I rotated it while cranking the engine. Having a certain combination of the TPS and WOT got the engine to hit and sputter some but it was not accelerating. I reached over and opened the VAF door with my other hand and that got the engine to run about 500 rpm. In the next test start, I kept the VAF air door open with a screwdriver and then started it again. It was running, but very slow. Still holding the throttle at WOT, I advanced the distributor and that woke the engine up! It smoothed out and was certainly running on all four. The screwdriver was removed from the VAF and the throttle released. It was running on its own! The turbo to throttle body hose was tightened down some, and the water level topped off. It was smoking pretty good from oil on the engine burning off and the turbo started to make that wonderful jet engine sound as it proved it was spinning. It didnt take long for the thermostat to open and the engine was up to running temperature. The throttle was goosed, and it revved up without a problem. Looks like the sweat-soldered heat bypass worked without a problem the first time. No knocks, or any strange noises and was not too loud considering it was just an open pipe. More testing had to then be canceled as the wife started to complain of the noise. The 12volt line to the keypower line was removed and the engine shut off right away. A timing light should be used to set the proper timing and the TPS should be set right as well as a KOER test performed, but so far, the hardest part is done and I even forgot to install the bolts that hold the engine to the frame mounts! Some oil will be drained to check for metal filings and the oil filter replaced with a proper FL-1.
Just for fun, the hood was attached only to find out the throttle bellcrank hits the center frame bracket in the hood. Some small adjustments with a cutting wheel should fix that problems.
There's still much work to be done like mount the fuel system as well as the transmission cooler, attach the shifter, and route the vacuum hoses and put the front end back on as well as a set of whels. The rest should be easy now.
25apr03 Yes, not much update lately. Was on holiday to Lost Wages, and most time is dedicated to getting Serendipity ready for the Memorial day shakedown cruise. Update coming soon.
18may03 Havent done much lately due to working on the RV getting it ready to go and having to do things I hate like cutting grass and taking the trash out. Anyway, the fuel pump relay has been wired up and has to be installed.Pin 1 (blue) on the relay goes to Pin 22 on the computer. Pin 2 (red) is Vpower. Pin 3 (green) goes to the fuel pump proper and Pin 4 (red) goes to a hot 12volt source. Extra wires from stereo harness and other extras were used. Some small spade terminals were acquired that fit the smaller connections on the relay itself since I do not have the plug.
A transmission mount has just about been fabricated. A few more test bends and it will be ready for welding. The driveshaft was test fitted and installs just fine. New u-joints will have to be installed. Once placement of the fuel pump can be figured out, the hardest parts will have been done.
10jun03 Time to get back to work! A lot of time was taken up repairing my RV, only to get rid of it and replacing it with a trailer. With not much to do any more, it's time to have the car ready to drive. The main reason work stopped was because there was no acceptable way to run the main fuel line. Recently, I came across a 1986 XR7 for parts and I acquired the polyamide fuel lines from it. The main feed line was 8 feet long and included the quick connect fitting on one end. I removed the metal line I made and routed this new line through a hole I drilled and then ran it straight back to the car. Right now, it starts at the fuel dampener, then curves down to a hole that was drilled below the master cylinder then it follows the original metal fuel return line to the back of the car. A quick connect fitting was then put on this end to go to the fuel pump after using boiling water to soften the fuel line enough that the connector could be pushed on. The fuel pump was mounted on the floor pan under the left side rear bucket seat. The fuel pump mount has 3 holes with grommets in them so holes were drilled to match them. Sheet metal screws hold it in for now, but that might be changed to bolts and nuts with a strengthening plate at a later time as well as moving it a bit farther back since the fuel line has to curve upwards a bit from the floorpan to the higher area where the pump is mounted. Under the Pinto, you'll notice the floor pan kicks up near where the rear springs mount. The fuel pump wiring connector was plugged into the pump and the plug cut off. The positive wire is spliced into the long green wire from the relay and the black wire was spliced into another short length which goes to a terminal connector that's attached to the framework under the seat. There are some access holes in the floor pan near the pump so the wires are routed from inside the car through one of these holes to the pump itself. The green power wire is about 6 feet long and there is doubt whether it's sufficient size to carry current without too much voltage drop. It will work for now and will eventually be routed under the door sill and under the carpet. Only thing left to do now is run some low pressure hose from the tank sending unit to the pump inlet. When 12v is applied to the engine wiring, the pump comes on momentarily as it should. Next thing to do is replace the u-joints and get the transmission mount welded up and the front end back on. It will be tempting to drive the car without everything being perfect. The computer and fuel pump relay are still hanging out of the glove box and the alternator bracket needs to be replaced with one that will hold it correctly.
15jun03 Two $8 ujoints were bought and installed in about 30 minutes time. These were much easier to change than a heavy duty van that was done before. These could be pressed out in one shot rather than having to do it multiple times with the heavy duty driveshaft. These joints looked like they were made for inside snap rings, but worked fine as direct replacements for the outer snap ring type the car uses. The driveshaft was then mounted into place with no problems. A 2 foot length of fuel line was installed from tank to pump. It actually seems to be a bit short, but the natural curve it has makes it go up and over the rear axle. This might change if a fuel filter is added in. Just for fun, I was going to do a test engine run just to hear that turbo spool up again but the car wouldn't start. The solenoid would click, but that's it. I had another starter in the shop so that was swapped out but the problem was still there! The next day, both starters were taken into an auto parts place and they tested good so the original one went back in. Using a test light and some jumper wires, various tests were done to see if the starter motor power cable and/or solenoid were suspect and both were fine. The only thing that was happening was a click from the solenoid. Running the electrical cable from the starter straight to the hot side of the solenoid only caused sparks. After doing more testing and inspecting the realy closely, I noticed the engine ground strap was disconnected! Figuring that this was the problem, a jumper was connected to it to complete the grounding circuit and sure enough, the starter worked fine. That $5 braided cable was just crimped at both ends so it will be removed and soldered instead. Anyway, the engine started, but not easily although once it got going it idled fine but sputtered from time to time. Coolant came up to temp and I got that wonderful turbo spooling noise. Eventually it sputtered and quit and I ran the battery down attempting a restart. The TPS and timing really need to be set so those can be ruled out when doing further engine tests. The turbo gets quite hot and after engine runup, the battery cable that runs nearby was quite hot. It will be rerouted so it comes out of the firewall in the same place the engine wiring does so it will not get damaged by heat. The transmission mount will also get some final adjustments before getting welded up and installed for good. Meanwhile, a manual transmission has been sourced which might be a future modification for the car.
22jun03 It's my first wedding anniversary but with my wife sick and resting, I've nothing else to do but work on car. The 12volt main power lead to the starter relay has been rerouted through the hole for the computer wiring which keeps it away from the turbo heat. The engine ground lead was resoldered and moved slightly for easier access later. The front fenders were brought down from storage and fitted on the car. Now it's starting to look like a car!
I've been screwing around with a transmission mount for some time and decided to get something to work. Some brackets were found that when welded would do the trick but I do not have a welder. After some quick measurements with the original transmission bracket, a hole was drilled in it which lines up with the transmission bolt hole. Using a spacer cut down to size, the original bolt was used as well. What I have now is the original transmission mount bolt going through the header pipe hanger, then through this short spacer, then the transmission mount, then a shim and then finally into the transmission itself. So far, it seems like it will really work although another mount might be fabricated just in case this one does not hold out. Meanwhile, the engine mount bolts were located and installed and the steering rack put back in place since it never was when the starter was reinstalled. The gear selector rod was found and test fitted although a floor shifter is still needed as it looks like the Merkur's one will not work since the Pinto never had a center console. About the only thing left on the underside is the transmission cooling lines. Once the wheels get cleaned and repainted, they will go on and the car gets to sit on the ground finally.
01jul03 This car is supposed to be running by now! It is summer and that's the time for driving and racing. Oh well, its close now. The front end got bolted on and it looks like a real car now. I forgot how a Pinto is supposed to look! The fenders are not rusty, but will need some refinishing at some point. I do have the plastic part that goes under the front bumper but is broken up and not sure if it can be repaired. The radiator attachment bolts were replaced with real nuts and bolts instead of those pseudo-speed nut things used. I also know for sure now that my VAF mount is not going to work where it is because of the turn signal light being in the way. I may have to move it back some or put the air cleaner in another place. The factory steel rally rims need sandblasting before they can get painted, so I put the slot mags on the car. $30 got me a set of cheap lug nuts and locks to get them on with. Even being 13 inch wheels, they give a great look to the car. I don't know who makes them, but they have ET IV stamped on the inside.
One of the main delay factors recently was how to route the transmission cooling lines. There is an aftermarket cooler in front of the radiator with the lines coming back along the frame rail on the left side. Not wanting to spend money on something that could be fabricated, some leftover metal fuel line was used and another length of rubber line was found to get something to finally work after many test fits. For now, two lengths of metal line connect to the cooler's hoses, then under the motor mount, past the steering shaft and then take a 90 degree bend so it points straight to the back edge of the transmission pan. The hose connects that to the previously installed lengths of the line from the transmission that curve down and away from the exhaust pipe. It's not as good as it should be, but good enough for now. The Pinto speedometer cable does not reach the hole in the transmission of the nuetral/backup switch wiring is different so that's the next thing to tackle. A search is underway for the alternator bracket that is still needed and a factory shifter since the Merkur one will not work. Might also get a metal fan since no electric fan is going to be used.
10jul03 Health issues have prevented much work getting done on the car, much less anything else. Since the car didn't want to start very good last time, I decided to adjust the TPS. Instead of cutting into the wires, I separated the plugs and then ran about 10 inches of wire between the TPS socket and plug and then used a DVM to measure the TPS voltage from the wires I spliced in and got it down to .94 volts. It's touchy to do, but was not difficult. Car still wouldn't start right until I advanced the distributor and then it woke up. Still does not seem to rev up as good as it should. I'll have to properly set the timing next. Looks like all the engine wiring is hooked up properly. The VPWR wire still has to be hooked to a keyswitch 12v source. From using a test light, it seems the best place to splice in is the FIELD wire going from the voltage regulator to the alternator. Unfortunately, I've discovered that the insulation on those wires is literally falling off! A spare voltage regulator is on hand, so the old will have to be removed and the new one soldered in.
While testing the headlights, it was noticed that the left side was not working. Then I remembered the ground wire wasnt attached. As I did, I noticed that it lit up dimly. As I scraped the metal for a better connection it got nice and bright. The ground leads on both sides were reattached with new screws. If you notice your lights are dim, check the grounds. Many electrical problems can be sourced to a faulty ground.
The XR catalytic converter was installed. It will help to quiet the car a little bit during engine runs so the wife won't complain and I'll probably need it to pass inspection here.
Right now, lack of some parts is holding up some work. Still needed is an alternator bracket, a console shifter and a fan to put on the water pump. Unfortunately, what is available is not affordable.
Coming soon is some nice detailed pics of the engine bay and underneath to show details of my work.
24jul03 Last week, the oil was changed. I went with mineral based 20w50 and Motorcraft oil filter along with a magnetic drain plug. The old oil filter was not cut apart for inspection, but no iron filings were noted in the oil so everything is considered to be ok. Another engine runup was done and this time, the engine fired right up like it was supposed to do! Having the TPS correct had something to do with it, I'm sure. Motor runs better, but is misfiring at high RPM but which will be diagnosed at a later time. One thing different is that the exhaust was white and smoked up the garage a lot. Because the catalytic converter was installed, that's probably what it causing it. It is a bit quieter on the neighbors which was the reason for putting it on. Once the engine was up to operating temperature, it was shut down. No leaks were noted anywhere under the car.
The speedometer cable was installed as well, although it was done before the engine runup. Thankfully it pulled out enough to just make it to the transmission tailshaft. There is a little fork-shaped part to retain the cable end, but a large washer was used instead. Only thing left is gear selector and backup lights.
Since an original fan could not be found, one was purchased from Summit racing along with K&N filter which is on special order. The fan came in and at 14 inches in diameter fits perfectly! However, $16 for a plastic fan seems expensive. A 2 inch spacer had to be acquired to get it to fit without clearance issues and since the SAE bolts with the spacer didn't work, some M8x60mm bolts worked perfectly. The end result is a rather expensive fan setup, but one that looks good and will never be a problem later.
Since a compatible air filter couldnt be found to work, I had to break down and order a K&N. Model number 0930 was suggested, but note that that type will ONLY work with the large VAF with the 3 inch opening. I have the small VAF which is .25 inches smaller. A call to K&N and they set me up with a small cone-shaped one with a 10 degree tilt on it. I also ordered it from Summit, but was a special order and am still waiting on it.
Around 20jul03 an engine and transmission were found that came from a 1985 XR7. Removing it was not too difficult. The best thing is that the engine runs perfectly except for a high idle. No knocks and no abnormal leaks and the turbo exhibits no shaft play. The 5speed transmission is also in good shape. The engine will be great for a spare since parts are getting hard to find and the transmission might be swapped in at a later time.
08aug03 Right now, the car has some ET IV slot mags on it. The backs are 10 inches wide and the fronts are 6 inch which look perfect under the flared wheelwells. The are unilug which means the bolt holes are oval shaped to use on a variety of bolt circles. I found a set of aftermarket lugnuts which work, but the shank of the lugnuts is the same width as the wheel, so they can be tightened down all the way, but in reality the wheel is not clamped onto the rotor very tight. There was thought about grinding them shorter a fraction of an inch or using a thin shim under the washer, but the preferred thing to do is get some shorter shank lugnuts. The more important issue is the washers. Previously, standard lugnut washers were used, but after some research, it was discovered that using the oval washers is very important! Thankfully, the local auto store had them. They fit perfectly in the oval shaped recess in the slot mags and no doubt provide more of a clamping load against the rim itself. Now that this is known, I'm surprised there were no issues previously when the round washers were used! The tires are weathered, and am unsure that Comp T/A replacements could be found now. It sounds strange that tires that get used last longer than tires that are stored away or unused.
The K&N filter finally arrived. It's a big bigger than a soup can and has a hole that fits the VAF perfectly as well as having a 10 degree bend in it. Test mounting it in the car now shows that the original VAF-->turbo hose cannot be used anymore so a flexible replacement that's 3 inches in diameter will have to be found.
A floor shifter and alternator bracket are STILL needed. The fuel sending unit has to be wired up and the battery box mounted for good. It's been a long time building, but looks to be coming to a close. Before the car comes off the jackstands, some pictures of the installation will be taken and published.
13aug03 Previously, the fuel tank sending unit wire was cut to facilitate tank removal so the wires had to be spliced back together. There is enough slack in the wires to cut the ends and solder them together. Normally, one just twists one wire around the other to make the connection but there's a better way. Seperate the strands of the wire, then push the two ends together and then twist, so that the strands twist together like a rope. That helps to make the solder joint smaller and supposedly makes better contact as well.
Once that was done, attention was turned to the backup lights. Theres two wires coming out of the floorboard that is the connection for the backup light switch on the transmission. When these wires are connection, the lights come on. The Merkur C3 that's being used has a 4 pin connection. From doing some testing with a DMM, there are only wires needed. They are what looks like purple&white and purple and black. Splicing these wires into the ones coming from the floorboards will enable the backup lights when the transmission is placed in reverse. With the transmission selector lever pulled all the way back, that is PARK. Pushing it forward one notch is REVERSE.
Some experimentation with the air filter mounting has been done. Using part of the Merkur's air intake hose, it's possible to have the air filter mount beside the radiator. It's a tight fit, but just might work. The one thing left to find is a 3inch OD pipe that will fit the air hose and the air filter so they can be connected.
09sep03 Finally out of the garage! The computer collection is being moved from an offsite storage unit to the house, so the car had to be removed for staging purposes. The backup light switch wires were soldered up and then the tires inflated. Since the car was so high up on jackstands, using a standard bottle jack would be rather complicated, so on labor day, Sears was selling a floor jack with 2 jackstands for $80 so that was bought of the first day of the sale. The best thing about this jack is that its the better kind where the handle is turned to lower it and it raises up quickly to the jacking point so you don't have to pump it 100 times to raise it up. I forgot how low the car is, thankfully the jack is just a little bit lower than the front crossmember. Unfortunately, it seems that the brakes quit working. Anyway, it's outside for now and will go back in the garage eventually for a little more underside work. In this area, all emissions crap must be installed which means the catalytic converter is compulsory. It's installed, but the end of it has that funky swivel type ball flange mount. Going back to the old 1985 XR7, the rest of the old exhaust system was brought back so that the pipe after the converter can be used. The muffler was cut off, and it will be put in place to keep the converter from dragging on the ground.
For the VAF mount, a better idea was thought up. A scrap piece of aluminium was acquired and given a 90 degree bend so it can install along the frame rail and also provide a nice wide and stable point for the VAF to bolt to.
The days are getting shorter and cooler, so it's time to speed things up to get it done without having to go for 3 years.
14sep03 A few days previous, a country junkyard was located and amazingly, they had one 1977 or so Pinto with the proper alternator bracket that's needed! Country junkyards are the best since cars are placed everywhere and one can wander throughout looking at all the discarded goodies at a leisurely pace. 30 minutes with a 17mm wrench and a 13mm socket and a $20 bill got the two parts needed. The upper bracket will not fit without modification due to the intake manifold. A grinder was used to remove about .50 inch of the bracket near the right side bolt hole. Since I don't have a pic before installation, test fitting it will best show what material has to be removed. After enough metal was ground away, the bracket was cleaned and the bare spots painted with flat black BBQ paint and everything put back into place. Only thing left is to get a shorter fan belt.
The scrap exhaust pipe from the XR7 was bolted onto the catalytic converter, but the pipe goes in the wrong direction. A custom pipe will have to be fabricated since the original car's system was on the right side and now it's on the left.
17feb03 The wiring going to the fuel pump was rerouted and run through the rocker panel and then up in front of the door and finally coming out near the hood release. The wires going to the fuel pump relay are long enough to mount the relay in that area as well. An engine test run was attempted, and it actually ran considering the VAF was not connected. <!> Also had an engine knock, but that was the fault of the new oil drain plug not seated good so most of the oil slowly drained out over the weeks. Thankfully, no harm was done. A new fanbelt was acquired that's the correct length for the new bracket. Use a Dynaflex 15430. It's short enough to allow plenty of room for tightening.
The air filter and the factory air intake elbow are both about 3 inches in diameter. Earlier, a 3inch OD exhaust pipe was bought and about 1.5 inches was cut from that and the edges filed down smooth. This small part will allow the air filter and air intake elbow to fit together perfectly. The other end of the air intake elbow will fit directly onto the VAF. Once the hurricane passes by, the VAF can be permanently mounted.
Using a test light, some probes were done to determine what wire goes hot when the ignition key is turned to ON. The F (field) wire coming from the voltage regulator does, as well as two of the four wires in a socket that comes from the ignition box. That socket originally plugged into the distributor. A purple wire from the socket was chosen to be wired up to the keyed power connection on the engine wiring. The engine wiring is now switched by the key as if from the factory. The battery also got a better ground. A hole was drilled in the side of the trunk lock base, and the battery ground cable mounted there instead of using one of the trunk latch bolts.
04Nov03 This car was supposed to be done by now and having fun testing it out! Yard work, married life and managing a computer collection move has taken more time than estimated. The car's back in the garage up on jackstands again for easy access. The VAF has finally been mounted in an acceptable way. There was some difficulty in deciding what to do because of the shape and size of the air filter. Some options were to mount the VAF in the fenderwell, but since the inner fenders are not installed, it could get damaged and dirty. Plus, it's hard to get at. Second option was to mount the air filter right on the VAF. It will fit, but jams right up behind the light sockets. Another option was to use an existing hose and angle the air filter down beside the radiator. Anyway, a scrap aluminium plate about 15x12 was salvaged and given a 90 degree bend 3 inches from the long end so it's shaped like the letter L. The VAF will mount on the 3 inch wide area. There's an existing hole in the frame rail for mounting the horn, so that was used an a few inches forward of that was a small hole that was drilled through and a self tapping sheet metal screw used there. These were used to hold this bracket to the frame rail. Measurements were taken so that when the VAF is mounted to the bracket, the intake/outlet to the turbo were within .50 inch. The most tedious part was positioning the VAF on the bracket so there's enough space between it and the turbo for engine movement within the confines of the pleated hose, and enough space for the air filter to be positioned. Some test fits were done, and holes drilled. Once a trial fit was done, provisions had to be made for the VAF wiring plug. Several holes were drilled in that area side by side, and then filed out so that the plug and wiring could install without interference. A small slot was filed to the edge of the bracket to slide the wires through, but now the hole has been made big enough for the entire plug to fit. Fitting the air filter was now the challenge. On hand was a 90 degree rubber hose from the Cougar's air filter and the strangely twisted hose off the air cleaner assembly from the Merkur. One thought was to use the 90 degree bend off the VAF to point the filter up or angled down, but just didn't look good. It was eventually decided to use the Merkur hose.
