Sloppy timing belt

[slomove]

I must admit I did not check much of my engine (old Contour Zetec ZX1) except fluids since I rebuilt it 4 or 5 years ago. Today I noticed the timing belt whipping in idle and found it to be quite sloppy. This belt was new at rebuild time. I don't think it was loose enough to skip or I would probably have noticed...

 

I tried to take the slop out with the tension pulley, but found the adjustment slot in the pulley hub is at its end. Can it be that the timing belt stretched? I mean, the pulleys probably did not shrink

 

Anyway, I will get a new belt and while I am at it adjust the valve timing just to be sure.

 

Anything else to check?

[slomove]

The remark with the shrinking pulleys was meant be a joke.

 

But I replaced the timing belt and....only slightly better. Then I had a closer look and found the pretty adjustable aluminum pulleys did shrink indeed. I don't have the timing belt cover on and I guess the road dust converts the timing belt into a belt sander. After about 30,000 miles there is now a step of approx 30/1000" on the pulleys where the belt runs. Considering the circumference and that the belt goes approx 300 degrees around both pulleys it could account for about 0.16" belt slop.

 

Maybe I should carefully check how much a new set of pulleys is.

 

[coffee break]

Could the 0.030" step be to keep the belt from wondering off center?

[slomove]

Could the 0.030" step be to keep the belt from wondering off center?

 

Unfortunately not. The pulleys used to be totally even outside and nicely anodized. In the meantime I found another picture that took in 2009. It shows the pulleys and that it had already dug in but not as far as it is now. Back then I just did not pay attention.

 

The timing belt is actually kept in place by flanges on the crank pulley.

[11Budlite]

I'm surprised how much wear you have on your pulleys. I suppose after it wore through the hard anodized outer layer it began to wear very quickly. Just as a comparison, my car has a little over 15k miles on it and I run it without the timing belt cover. I just checked and the pulleys look polished where the belt rides but no step wear at all. I suppose my driving conditions are probably a little less dusty than what you are exposed to out there. I'm running the Esslinger pulleys.

 

Here's a quick photo I took without taking the nose cone off:

[pi7ot]

The pulley teeth do look coarse sanded.

I use Focus sport ones.

I think that The belts will stretch when the engine expands as it warms from ambient to operating temp, but after an age the belt remains stretched as it hardens due to age, heat and the oily vapors under the bonnet.

I should check mine but it is -17 degrees F At the mo...

 

m

[slomove]

I'm surprised how much wear you have on your pulleys. I suppose after it wore through the hard anodized outer layer it began to wear very quickly. Just as a comparison, my car has a little over 15k miles on it and I run it without the timing belt cover. I just checked and the pulleys look polished where the belt rides but no step wear at all. I suppose my driving conditions are probably a little less dusty than what you are exposed to out there. I'm running the Esslinger pulleys.

 

Here's a quick photo I took without taking the nose cone off:

 

Aha....thanks, good comparison. Do you happen to have the ZX1 with the metal valve cover? I believe the camshafts are the same for all Zetec versions but I am not sure. I got a lead for similar pulleys from from Esslinger or CFM but they list Zetec ZX2 and ZX3.

 

Yes, I am not that picky driving one or the other dirt road but 99+ percent of my driving is on normal pavement.

[scannon]

Yes, I am not that picky driving one or the other dirt road but 99+ percent of my driving is on normal pavement.

 

That's why we named him "Dirt Gert" during the Yellowstone run a few years ago.

[11Budlite]

Aha....thanks, good comparison. Do you happen to have the ZX1 with the metal valve cover? I believe the camshafts are the same for all Zetec versions but I am not sure. I got a lead for similar pulleys from from Esslinger or CFM but they list Zetec ZX2 and ZX3.

 

Yes, I am not that picky driving one or the other dirt road but 99+ percent of my driving is on normal pavement.

 

Yes, it's a 1996 ZX1 with the metal valve cover.

[slomove]

Yes, it's a 1996 ZX1 with the metal valve cover.

 

Cool! Then I will just order one from Esslinger. A bit cheaper than Ken Cams and no international shipping

[inis]

there was never a zx1 in the united states, there was a zx2 (escort) zx3 (focus) zx5 (focus) and also the ford contour had the zetec as well in the U.S.

 

Not all cams are the same however all cam gears are interchangeable but the vct/svt head needs a cam shaft adapter.

 

I've got a bit of zetec knowledge under me if you have any questions.

[slomove]

there was never a zx1 in the united states, there was a zx2 (escort) zx3 (focus) zx5 (focus) and also the ford contour had the zetec as well in the U.S.

 

Not all cams are the same however all cam gears are interchangeable but the vct/svt head needs a cam shaft adapter.

 

I've got a bit of zetec knowledge under me if you have any questions.

 

I absolutely believe you that you have relevant Zetec knowledge. But in that regard you are not correct (or maybe too young to know ;-).

 

The ZX1 was used on the Ford Mondeo in Europe as 2.0l and a few other models with smaller displacement. It was "value-engineered" for the US Market. They got rid of the under-piston oil squirters but I believe made the rod bolts somewhat bigger. But otherwise it is the same silvertop engine with hydraulic lifters. It was installed in Contours and Mercury Cougars from 1994 until March of 1998. Then they switched to the ZX2 with VCT. Not long ago I purchased a spare engine from the scrap yard that belonged to a 1996 Contour. You will find a few of them in older Birkins (including the Dunnell tuned engines from Pete Challinor).

 

It is a nice engine but some spares are hard to come by nowadays. I.e. the special bolts for the crank bearings are not available anywhere in the US.

Edited February 25, 2014 by slomove

[dallasdude]

Cool! Then I will just order one from Esslinger. A bit cheaper than Ken Cams and no international shipping

 

I am not sure you can still order Zetec cam gears from Esslinger. I think they still make them, but make you buy them through ZX Tuner. Esslinger was involved in Zetecs several years back, but got back their roots which is Pinto based engines.

 

I probably have a couple sets lying around if you can't find elsewhere.

[slomove]

I am not sure you can still order Zetec cam gears from Esslinger. I think they still make them, but make you buy them through ZX Tuner. Esslinger was involved in Zetecs several years back, but got back their roots which is Pinto based engines.

 

I probably have a couple sets lying around if you can't find elsewhere.

 

It is a strange situation. Esslinger does not sell Zetec parts anymore officially but a web search still shows an Esslinger web site for the parts that link to the ZXtuner site. But there the cam gears are shown to be out of stock. Apparently nobody cared to remove these old pages.

 

Fortunately Esslinger is only 10 minutes away from where I work. I went over there and asked and they still had a set rotting away in their warehouse. They were happy to get rid of them and sold me the set for $120 (used to be $320 list). So I am not going to complain. I still did not try them on but I am 95% sure it will fit.

[inis]

I absolutely believe you that you have relevant Zetec knowledge. But in that regard you are not correct (or maybe too young to know ;-).

 

The ZX1 was used on the Ford Mondeo in Europe as 2.0l and a few other models with smaller displacement. It was "value-engineered" for the US Market. They got rid of the under-piston oil squirters but I believe made the rod bolts somewhat bigger. But otherwise it is the same silvertop engine with hydraulic lifters. It was installed in Contours and Mercury Cougars from 1994 until March of 1998. Then they switched to the ZX2 with VCT. Not long ago I purchased a spare engine from the scrap yard that belonged to a 1996 Contour. You will find a few of them in older Birkins (including the Dunnell tuned engines from Pete Challinor).

 

It is a nice engine but some spares are hard to come by nowadays. I.e. the special bolts for the crank bearings are not available anywhere in the US.

 

 

Since we're going to start off with insults- Maybe you are to old to read, the U.S. never had a vehicle named "zx1" as I stated in my post.

 

You are referring to a zetec-e block, also known as zeta 1 or gen 1 zetec. The gen 2 that is more common in the U.S. (zetec-r or zeta 2) did have versions that have oil squirter's and vct/non vct heads(also note the two blocks are different in many other ways then just under piston oil squirter's, mentioned bolts), they are identical in CC/CI .

 

I currently own 3 vehicles with zetec's and also have two engine's sitting in my garage. They vary from N/A 40mpg car's to a 400+ hp dry sumped FI cgi block zetec.

 

ZX1 is a fictional zetec name created by the lotus and caterham forums over the last 10 years. This name started in the U.S. and multiplied when the zx2 (escort) and zx3 (focus) came into production. No British forum with there head on straight uses this "name".

 

Now how young am I?

 

:ack:

 

It is a strange situation. Esslinger does not sell Zetec parts anymore officially but a web search still shows an Esslinger web site for the parts that link to the ZXtuner site. But there the cam gears are shown to be out of stock. Apparently nobody cared to remove these old pages.

 

Fortunately Esslinger is only 10 minutes away from where I work. I went over there and asked and they still had a set rotting away in their warehouse. They were happy to get rid of them and sold me the set for $120 (used to be $320 list). So I am not going to complain. I still did not try them on but I am 95% sure it will fit.

 

Ford Racing own's the rights to Esslinger's zetec cam gears. After esslinger had a fire many years ago they discontinued production of many zetec parts. Most of them they sold off the right's.

Edited March 2, 2014 by inis

[xcarguy]

Since we're going to start off with insults-

 

inis,

 

I don't think that was an intentional slam by slomove. Just a bit if friendly, lighthearted humor; lot's of that on this forum. Darnedest thing about forum posts; you can't read tone of voice. :rofl: