Everything in lif is timing

[moosetestbestanden]

Anyone out there know where I can source a stock lower pulley & timing gear for the Duratec? My aftermarket one (sold to me w/ the engine) has come undone. If I can find one soon perhaps I can make the weekend in the 7.

Do tell.

[Roll a 7]

Chris, Try focussport.com or focus-central.com Or,why not a Ford dealer. The Ford performance parts area might also have something interesting. Guys buy motors from kansasracingproducts.com and they might also have something.

Looking forward to seeing your M3 in action, if not your 7.

[moosetestbestanden]

Thanks Brad. It's a focus-central.com part, and a real pos designwise. A Ford or Mazda dealer is on the cards for tomorrow but the real problem will be finding someone who can and will do the work before the end of Friday. Then I have to get the car there somehow because it's not driveable, and I can't really leave work - new and real shitty job. I have neither the tools nor the experience to do what's required either. Bleah.

I think I'm sol.

[Matt S]

How can I tell if I have the stock pulley? I have a duratec with about 7000 miles on it with no problem yet. I would rather be proactive about fixing the problem than wiat for it to strike!

-Matt

[moosetestbestanden]

I posted a photo here:

http://home.comcast.net/~chris.carter4/Pulley01.jpg

It's the skinny ali toothed gear behind the pulley that comes loose.

It's not just a matter of being proactive. If it fails quickly so will the engine as when the timing is lost pistons hit valves n stuff like that. I was very lucky mine held together while I limped the few miles home.

I'm in the midst of acquiring the tools required to do the work now. Not surprisingly, your local Ford dealer (why would anyone buy those cars from those people?) won't have em, won't know how to get em and won't even think about doing the work for you. The dealer I went to couldn't even find an engine man in his shop, probably because he didn't have one. Of course, that's the Bic Lighter logic behind the Duratec - they're so cheap that you don't fix em, you just replace em.

[Slartybartfast]

Not the timing belt/chain (?)

Hi

That doesn't look like a timing belt to me - it looks like your auxiliary drive belt that drives things like the alternator (on the left in the picture), and the water pump (probably that pulley in the middle). I don't know this engine, so I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.

The timing "belt" is usually a chain. At the very least, it has to have big teeth in it so that it absolutely can not slip. The belt shown in the picture has no teeth (those little dents are to help the belt go round corners - they are not teeth).

As for the "gear". That's no gear :) That looks like a castelated (sic?) washer. The purpose of those is usually to stop something from rotating. If it's loose this is probably bad, but not as catestrophic as you think. I don't think you are in any danger of pistons striking valves.

Bottom line: Don't panic, I don't think your engine is about to blow up. However, you probably do need to get it looked at by someone who has some experience with that engine. There must be plenty of people who could help on this forum. Unfortunately for you, I'm not one of them - I have a 1967 Ford Crossflow in my Seven.

[Slartybartfast]

Hang on ... I think I mis-understood what you were saying.

Are you saying that disk is for adjusting the spark timing ? That makes much more sense.

If that is loose then your engine is going to run very badly, but you are still in no danger of the pistons hitting the valves. You could still damage the engine due to pre-ignition ("pinking") if the timing is *way* off, so you need to get it looked at. Again - it's not that bad, so don't get too stressed out :)