Author Topic: The Escort  (Read 53264 times)

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Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #45 on: April 27, 2010, 09:17:09 PM »
The disc was factory ford and had around 100007k on it. I opted not to replace it when I swapped engines beccause it was a special order item and would have held me up. It was showing it's age then, but it is significantly worse now. Something about the drag racing  and the way I regularly powershift it from dead stop to the speed limit that makes a to small and tired out stock clutch wear out.

Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #46 on: April 30, 2010, 04:58:08 PM »
I made a decision this morning that I wasn't going to ride my bike to school. I thrashed all morning and got it running just in time to make it there. After two weeks of being without the car, it feels nice to beat on it a little.

Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #47 on: May 07, 2010, 01:47:38 AM »
On top of giving me a ride down there, letting me bum a hotel room, giving me a helmet and a racing seat, and all of the other little nickel and dime things that they have helped me out with, the red hot racing guys hooked me up with a jacket that matches theirs. I owe them a big debt of gratitude, they are all top notch guys.



The clutch was really beat by the time I got the new one in:

The flywheel might have gotten a little warm, also:


The new clutch/flywheel is a big difference over the original I had in it. I can spin all the way through first now. I believe that the 1.9 flywheel also balances a bit better than the 1.6 did, but I could be imagining it.

Offline Cajun Kid

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #48 on: May 07, 2010, 06:04:04 PM »
Imagination !!  The foundation dreams are built on..

Keep thrashing...

Charles
ECTA Record Holder Maxton
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Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #49 on: May 07, 2010, 07:36:15 PM »
I believe that the 1.9 flywheel also balances a bit better than the 1.6 did, but I could be imagining it.

Probably just having new components, but I've no doubt that is feels smoother.  I fried a clutch in my '66 Cyclone, and I never realized just how unbalanced the assembly had become until I replaced it and skimmed the flywheel.  It was like night and day.
Imagination !!  The foundation dreams are built on..
And perspiration!  I hate tearing into FWD stuff, but Walt, you don't seem to give it a second thought.  I admire you for that. 

I'm looking forward to what the summer brings you, and your reports.


Chris
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #50 on: May 07, 2010, 10:55:19 PM »
Of all the cars I have had to chance to work on, the Escort is quite easy to work on once you get the rust broken free. The real PITA with Ford FWD vehicles is that they use an interferance fit cv axle in the wheel hub, which means you need a special puller install the axle. The next bugger I have to deal with is that the left inner cv axle ripped, so now I need to yank the strut to fix that. It will give me a good excuse to wack off some coils, though. I am almost finished with the new cold air intake, I got it welded up yesterday and now I only have a few mounting issues to deal with, and then I will make the airbox and make a slit in the cowl to let air into the box. I hope that I can get some of the pressure in the cowl area to give a ram air effect at speed.

Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #51 on: May 10, 2010, 06:24:16 PM »
So I have some cash saved up for seatbelts, and I am wondering if anyone has any recommendations on what to go for. I plan on at least a four point bar with a crossbar in the main hoop to mount the belts on, but I do not know what I should look at for. The ECTA rulebook says  I should have a pull down type tightening mechanism, but from my brief time working starting line in april, the pull ups were a lot easier to tighten, especially when working around the cage and racing seat, and there were cars there running both ways. Does anyone know the reasoning for the down vs. up recomendation? I understand how ups work better for liners and dragsters, but I can't figure out and advantage to the pull downs.

Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #52 on: May 14, 2010, 11:08:33 PM »
At Steve's (whitemonster) suggestion, I called Joe Timney and he patiently explained what I needed to do to install the the belts and set up the seat and roll bar. I have been talking to the welder who has offered to help me out with the cage construction and now I am working out a date to drive down to Ohio and see him. On the 18th I will drive out to the 1/8th to work on tuning the engine a little. I don't have a lot I can do, but when I dropped the engine in, I was in a hurry and I just eyeballed the timing. I also have a few other jet combos I should try, even though the ones I have seem OK.

Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #53 on: May 19, 2010, 08:03:21 AM »
 :-D :-D :-D

I took the car to the local 1/8th mile for a test and tune last night, and I was somewhat pleased with the results. It ran a best time of 10.706 and a best speed of 64.765. I also walked away from a '09 Cadillac CTS. It was one of those deals where I think the driver didn't know what he was doing, since he cut a .5 something light to my .070, but my et was quicker also. I also ended up getting some seat time in an AOD equipped 5.0 Mustang, where I discovered that it takes much less effort to shift and automatic than it does a stick after I put it in park for a split second at 60 mph. The owner of the car let me try again and I ran a respectable 10.2 after that. I made 23 runs with the Escort and I had a pretty good night in general, at least until I discovered I had cut it to close on the "show up to the strip with an nearly empty tank of gas" idea. I bought a gallon of 112 at the track, made two more passes and then drove home. I have a fwe pictures, I will try and get them posted up soon.

Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #54 on: May 27, 2010, 11:23:27 PM »
I have been busy, both on the car and on other things. I got the new cold air intake mostly finished. I made it from scratch at school, and the welding shop took care of sticking it together. Most of the material I used was scrap, and the total cost to make the tube portion was zero. I used leftover aluminum from the grill plug for my air box, and I cut into cowl at the firewall to allow cold air to get to the intake.



My other project is the timing pulley. I machined the old piece to the specs listed on the print, and then I chucked up a hunk of round stock and started turning it down. I got the basic shape done today, then I wrote a program for the CNC mill to cut the adjustment slots and make some indexing lines. I still have to broach in the keyway, and drill a couple of holes so I can make a spanner to help adjust it on the car. for the mating piece, all I have to do is use the CNC mill to pop in my bolt circle, and then I will tap it and call it good.






The machine trades parking lot:

The 'vette belongs to the teacher and is really done up right, the Nova belongs to a good friend of mine, and the 3rd gen is the paropro's daily driver.


Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #55 on: May 28, 2010, 01:03:44 AM »
I wrote a program for the CNC mill to cut the adjustment slots and make some indexing lines.

Nice touch - it sure beats having to set up the protractor everytime you make a cam adjustment. 
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline Beairsto Racing

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #56 on: May 28, 2010, 04:19:20 AM »
I think it's great that you are making your own performance parts! :cheers:
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Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #57 on: May 28, 2010, 09:17:04 AM »
Well, these are fun to do. I messed up link the picture of my air intake, so here it is:

Offline t russell

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #58 on: May 28, 2010, 08:34:11 PM »
Very cool
Keep in the back of your mind we got 3lbs of boost when we removed the air cleaner and put in a screen.
terry

Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Escort
« Reply #59 on: June 02, 2010, 12:05:31 PM »
Ran into a little snag on the timing gear- we don't have a 5mm broach. Oh well, a little bit of time with a file should open it out to the correct size. I installed a new radiator the other day after a rock got propelled into the old one, so at least my cooling system is going to be in good shape. I pick up the header this afternoon, and I go to get the rollbar, racing seat, and seat belts in the car on Saturday. From there on out it's just the little things to get it done for the June meet. After the June meet I will start the process of getting a new engine for the car. I am trying to decide between a duratec V6 (nice stock engine, little aftermarket) or the old tempo v6 (crappy stock engine, great aftermarket).