My Fiesta is sounding a bit more healthy now, the head gasket problem has turned out to be cold weather producing steam and short runs producing mayo, after 50 miles there engine has used little water and produces little steam so I think its safe to say that problem is cured.
The camshaft rattle has also reduced a little (probably as the new oil gets to work).
The car is still a tad smokey though nothing bad but a little bit more than what is considered normal on a Festa. I am going to spend Saturday on taking the rocker cover off to have a look inside. It as the usual Fiesta diesel sound which suggests to me the pushrods need adjusting.
Once I get the rocker cover off how to adjust these pushrods? I assume its a bit more tricky than simply tightening them. While I am at it is there any easy ways of adjusting valve clearances?
Its a simple chain driven push rod engine so I assume this would be a job for a novice.
If the smoke is being caused by the camshaft damage (very slight I have been told) then I guess I will need a new engine as its an engine out job anyway on a Fiesta (no overhead cams here).
Thanks for any advice.
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A simle way is the "rule of 9" turn over engine till no1 is going down when it as reached the bottom no8 is the one to adjust, then same with no2 down adjust no7 do you understand?? how old is your car i will have the valve clearances in my book? or get a copy of the haynes manual.. good luck.
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Its a 95 1.1 :)
How do I turn over the engine? I assume I don't do this with the key, but do it by turning the crankshaft or somthing? I understand the sequence you said though :)
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Put it in 5th and gently push it backward and forward-obviously handbrake and ignition off.
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Yes, or jack up one of the front wheels leaving it in 5th and turn the engine over that way. Take the plugs out first because that will make the whole thing turn over more freely.
I would recommend getting a Haynes manual which will give the clearances for the engine you have, and will tell you whether they should be adjusted with the engine warm or cold. By the way, from yr OP you seem to think there's a difference between adjusting the pushrods and adjusting the valve clearances. Actually what you adjust is the free space in the valve train, everything from cam to valve via pushrod and rocker. You normally adjust the clearance between the pushrod and the top of the valve stem. When properly adjusted there should just be a very slight resistance to the feeler gauge blade which should pull out fairly easily.
Leave the feeler gauge in until you have tightened the locknut, as doing this often makes a difference. Take your time and get it right. If the clearances are too big the engine will sound 'tappety'. If they are too small the engine may stop once it warms up.
I must say I'm a bit surprised that a mid-90s Ford doesn't have hydraulic lifters.
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inlet is 0.20mm exh is 0.30mm these are settings from cold and you turn the engine over by using a spanner or a socket fitted to the crank shaft nut were the pulley is.
it is much easier to turn the engine over with the spark plugs out but put a rag over the holes as not to drop owt in!!
it goes from no 1= exh,in,ex,in,in,ex,in,ex 8
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How's the temperature gauge? Is it sticking in NORM after 2 mile or so?
I crank mine with a rachet on the crankshaft pulley - 19mm I think, try 17mm if too big.
There should be a sticker at the front under the bonnet which confirms the valve clearances and spark plug gap.
Don't be too disappointed by the rattle you still get afterwards, this is normal. The most important thing is that you don't adjust them too tight - this will cause the valve to not shut fully and will burn the exhaust valves.
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Mike Farrow
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Rattle
You really do need a Haynes manual; tried borrowing one from your local library?
This is one of the few engines that isn't "rule of nine." You set both valve clearances on the opposite [mirror image; 1+4 etc.] cylinder to the one that's "on the rock" - that's the one with both rockers moving in different directions at the same time.
Camshft damage is rarely the cause of smoking..... hire/borrow a compression tester.
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>>This is one of the few engines that isn't "rule of nine."
Indeed, this catches many people out. You set the cylinder that's near TDC compression - as Screwloose says, the mirror to the cylinder that's rocking.
The main suggestion I have is to make sure that the tappets aren't set too tight. Its many times better to have a bit of a rattle than to have a valve not seating properly - it will burn out in no time. Many DIYers and inexperienced mechanics always set the tappets too tight, and on a few occaisons, I have found myself slackening them off again to make an engine run properly.
Number_Cruncher
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The good old Ford OHV 1 - 2 - 4 - 3 firing order catches many people out.
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LeePower
Worse still; the Kent OHV in the Mk II Escort was "rule of nine;" but the Valencia in a Fiesta or MkIII Escort isn't...
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Don't be too disappointed if you find adjusting the clearances doesn't make the slightest difference to the rattle. Unless one clearance has become wildly out (screw coming loose?) then the clearance is not critical in my experience to the amount of valve noise. Obviously the engine will run best with the correct clearances, but valve noise is more usually the result of accumulatred wear in the camshaft lobes, tappet s or cam followers, or the rocker arm bushes or shaft.
The good news is it doesn't matter very much, unless so noisy as to sound terminal. If the engine has done a high mileage moving to a thicker oil may help.
Check the contact faces on the ends of the rocker arms. If these have depessions worn from the valve stems then the feeler gauge will give the wrong reading and you will set the gaps too wide. Either grind the face flat by removing the unworn metal around the contact point (don't touch the case hardening at the point of contact) or use one of those adjuster things that counts screw turns and so measures the true clearance.
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On the fiasco the valve clearances are adjusted by special interference fit 'bolts' 11mm a/f. Trick is to trim the relevant feeler guages to about 1/8" wide and slip this narrowed feeler into the worn area of the rocker then adjust the lash out. This will make the clearance correct. If the engine has many miles on it no amount of adjustment will make these engines quiet as they suffer with wear on the cam followers and rocker shaft plus wear in the chain aggravated by an inadequate tensioner contrivance but setting the valve clearances will improve the running sometimes.
Andrew
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Simplicate and add lightness!!
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On the fiasco the valve clearances are adjusted by special interference fit 'bolts' 11mm a/f. Trick is to trim the relevant feeler guages to about 1/8" wide and slip this narrowed feeler into the worn area of the rocker then adjust the lash out. This will make the clearance correct. If the engine has many miles on it no amount of adjustment will make these engines quiet as they suffer with wear on the cam followers and rocker shaft plus wear in the chain aggravated by an inadequate tensioner contrivance but setting the valve clearances will improve the running sometimes. Andrew -- Simplicate and add lightness!!
that sounds a really useful tip but can you explain what lash out is , cheers
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Its probably a bit late now but I thought I would add some of my experience on working on these ford pushrod engines. The adjusting nuts on the rocker gear are quite delicate and I managed to break one once whilst trying to adjust a nut that didn't really want to budge with a ring spanner.
In the end I found it best to adjust them with a six sided socket which turns the nuts on the flats rather than a twelve pointed one which acts on the corners. It spreads the forces on the nut very evenly. Also use the longest lever that you can with the socket so you can use strong steady pressure to get the nuts to turn in a slow steady movement. I found a lever of about 18 inches to two foot worked very well and made adjustments very easy as I didnt have to push or pull so hard. I found that I could concentrate on getting the clearance right rather than just trying to get the nut to budge at all.
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The old Gunson's 'click adjust' device(stil available I think) claimed to get round the wear/maladjustment problem,I've never used one so I cannot verify the claim.I always use the 'adjust opposite cylinder to valves on the rock' method,much quicker and easier than faffing around with the rule of nine system.As has been said,these old x-flows always sound prettty rattly anyway.
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sierraman
The Gunson's tool worked very well; as it first took up all the slack and then added-back a preset quadrant, based on the known thread pitch, to give the exact clearance.
They weren't applicable to Ford's tightnut adjusters though, as they only adjust one way.
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One thing I forgot to mention - as a novice, don't screw down the rocker bolts too tight, as you'll distort the cover and end up with an oil leak.
Oh, and grease the new gasket on the head mating face to ease removal later.
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Mike Farrow
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