Tech Tips

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Powertrain, Lubrication, Maintenance

Loosening the crankshaft bolt to remove the front pulley and vibration damper can be a real challenge. There is almost no way to keep the engine from turning as you try to loosen the center bolt. You can "get a handle" on this problem by placing a long V-belt through a length of steel pipe or thick wall PVC tubing. Place one end of the belt around the pulley. At the other end of the tubing, use a tire tool or other straight bar to twist the belt. This will cinch it tight around the pulley and your assistant will be able to keep the engine from turning while you loosen the bolt.

Use newspaper bags to prevent nuts, bolts, tools, and small pets from getting into turbo, vane air meter, or throttle body when hoses, etc. are removed. The bigger bags from the Sunday paper will fit over the upper manifold when the throttle body is removed. You can secure the bags with rubber bands. If you consider using these bags to hole solvent in the intercooler for cleaning, be sure and test a sample bag with your solvent overnight. Many bags dissolve in most solvents, but some combinations can work.

If you have a fuel leak after reinstalling a hairpin clip style fuel line, it may be that the O-ring has deteriorated. This small O-ring is fitted into a groove about 1/4-inch inside the plastic fitting. Try using a nutcracker pick to extract it from the fitting. A repair kit for air conditioners contains an O-ring that appears to be the proper size, but wherever you find one, be sure to watch the replacement carefully for any continuing fuel leaks.

When changing coolant, particularly when using a chemical flush before refilling, drain the block to get as much of the old stuff out as possible. Of course, the instructions tell you to remove the block drain plug; but ever try to find one on your turbocharged engine? (Ford used that location for the coolant supply to the turbo). Okay, so your car is up on ramps and stands so that you can get to it, under the turbo, over the starter. Yep, that's an easy reach (hah!). And if you're expecting to wear the coolant as you undo the rubber hose from the metal hose be delighted--as you loosen the rubber from the metal, it breaks a "vacuum seal" and allows the coolant to flow out of the lower radiator hose! If you remove the rubber hose anyway, you will only to find a trickle of coolant there--so little fluid that the additional effort is not worth it but do remove the lower hose from the radiator and drop it down out of the cross support to get that extra little bit of old stuff out of there. When reinstalling the radiator, the bundle of wires across the top radiator brace do not want to stay in place. Use black zip ties to clamp the bundle to two white plastic tabs that are attached to the radiator/top frame brace. This keeps wires up where they won't get pinched, looks fine, and is the easiest way to keep the bundle out of the way while securing the top clamps.

Body

When your doors or hatch seem hard to close, check the latch striker bolt. It should have a plastic sleeve around the bolt. If it is missing, one option is to pay a visit to your local Ford dealer to obtain a new bolt--with sleeve included. However, you will need to carefully mark the old location to reduce the amount of realignment when installing the new one. Another option is to locate and use a scrap of 1/2 i.d. PVC pipe. Cut it to length then cut a slot at least 1/8" wide from end to end with a hacksaw. The slot allows you to expand/force the PVC over the bolt. Add a little white grease over the PVC and enjoy how solid the doors sound and feel when closing. And now--instead of slamming the hatch and cringing when the upper spoiler shakes, bring the hatch down to the latch and push lightly!

GS27 Scratch Remover as seen on TV--can't really work, right? Fine print says "...remove surface scratches on Enamel..." Trusting Target's money-back satisfaction guarantee, it seems like the edges of through-the-paint scratches blend in a little better. But you may decide to keep the $15 tube for where door dings, etc. have left other paint traded onto your car. GS27 seems to act like an extremely fine rubbing compound to spot-remove other's paint. Use very cautiously over bigger areas as some very tiny blemishing of clear coat can occur next to the treated scratch area.