Hello Everyone,

I have now stripped my Blacktop 2.0 Zetec down to bare engine and had planned to just paint it, change the cambelt and fit into my Seven adding twin 40 webers and a megajolt along with the other mods needed to mate it to my type 9. I have heard the engine running before I stripped it out of an X reg Mondeo and it sounds fine, has done 80,000 miles but I don't really know any more than that about it.

My questions are:

How much BHP should I expect to get with the set up described above?

Is there anything I could/should do while it is in its current state (out of a car and easy to work on) to give cheapish extra performance?

And I was thinking it would probably be worth taking the head off and changing the gasket while I have it on a stand and am changing the cambelt just for some peace of mind. Is it worth it as there is no sign of head gasket problems?

The engine cost me what was left of a Sierra I had and whilst I don't want to spend a fortune on it I don't mind saving up for something that will make a tangible difference performance or reliability wise. I will be making the mos of my Pinto until the winter so there is no hurry to get it in the car.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Dave.

Well I guess around 170bhp, why have you put Webbers on it?

They drip and waste more petrol than they can burn, horrible antiquated things, inject it all the way.
I used to run 45,s a few years ago so I have been there!

You could change the cam, cams, flow the head.

Thanks Hicost. Sticking with the webers for now as I already have them on the pinto so it will save me a bit of dosh. Not too worried about fuel economy to be honest, and I am not sure I have the expertise to fit injection but I do know what I'm doing with a pair of carbs (I think!) and I like the look and sound of them.

Long term I will look at injection but not for a couple of years probably due to lack of knowledge...

Is a performance cam worth the money? It is something I am interested in but does it add 'useable/noticable' performance? And could I change the cam without followers (extra cost) etc and get a worthwhile result?

[Edited on 17/7/11 by david_hornet27]

this was on yesterday

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=158327

Check the price of Gaskets and bolts before you change it for the sake of it.

If it was running OK, why 'fix' it.

Some recomend head skim if removing an ally head.

You may 'find' something you want to address if you take the head off and that will cost even more.

Elbow grease for valve lapping - very costly. (and unless you have a valve compressor that fits the Zetec head,
one of those as well)

If you take the head off, you may want to remove the pistons to check ring wear and while you are at it,
the mains and big ends as well. By the end of the day, you spend £500 plus on labour and parts.

HTH

Len.

Thanks Jamster. Yeah I saw that but can't work out if it is totally standard. Sounds like an aftermarket ECU system? I have asked the question on that post.

Len, I think you have confirmed what I was thinking. Start getting deeper and deeper into 'rebuilding' and losing sight of the fact that I am trying to kind of have a reasonable budget. I think I will take your advice and if it goes bang buy another and use the bits I have left.

I can remember reading that the webers have to be the 5 hole progresive type to work without any flat spots on a zetec.
I would sell the webers and put some bike carbs on, thats what most folk do.

AS said go for bike carbs. Cheaper and run better. Not worth total strip if all running ok. Zetecs cost more to repair than to buy s/hand.

Hmmmm...

Maybe I'd better start researching bike carbs then. I thought they were tough to set up, and maintain, which is why I hadn't really considered them...

TBH I will probably run the webers and change at a later date if that's where I decide to go.

As a guide my 2.0 silvertop with bike carbs & megajolt made 140bhp at wheels on rolling road. Dont forget you will need to change the water pump as it will be running the wrong way unless you stay with standard belt.

Thank Macc, I have the 1.8 waterpump and all the other bits like starter, 1.8 flywheel and clutch etc ready to go. Just a few last minute ??? before I crack on with putting it all together.

Maybe I will crack on as I had first thought, and just look to upgrade the cam...

Can always chop and change carbs/injection later.

Thanks everybody for giving me something to think about! (Bike carbs are now stuck in my mind lol) Just bought an inlet manifold for the zetec and webers so I really, really can't go and buy bike carbs or I might end up divorced before I have even got married!!!!

Black top and 1.8 water pump? Confused.

I thought that the silvertop required the waterpump from an ESCORT 1.8.

I got the wrong pump on my silvertop and only found out the problem
once it was all assembled. Now I need an idler to get the pump to rotate
in the correct direction.

Len.

The blacktop pump stays. No reasonable alternative and you add an idler to run it in the correct direction. Only on the silvertops can you swap to the 1.8 escort pump.

Oops! I guess the water pump will be going on ebay then!