ZETEC timing gear fixing.

[Davey]

Hi all, just a brief note really to anyone intending on using a second hand Zetec motor regarding securely fixing the timing pulleys. As anyone who has worked on these engines will know the pulleys are all clamped in place by the centre bolts (both camshafts and the crank pulley) with no positive location like a keyway.

I know from personal experience that the bottom pulley bolt can come loose, especially if not loctited and torqued up to "FT" after a belt change) and if it does then your engine is likely to end up as scrap (unless you need a new anchor for a boat).

What I now do with these engines is to drill and tap to 4mm thread and fit a grub screw to provide positive location. The camshafts can be done axially (off centre obviously) through the centre boss face of the pulleys, the crank is a bit more tricky. For the crank pulley I drill in radially using an angle headed drill in the bottom of one of the teeth grooves and drill far enough to dimple the crankshaft itself. Make sure to throughly deburr the holes and remove all swarf.

I think this is only possible with the engine on the bench but my method is simple. This applies to engines out of a Focus, not sure about lumps from other models.

Remove the top engine mounting bracket and belt cover. Cut a piece of 50X50X3mm angle 26mm long and drill a 10mm hole through one face to line up with the engine mounting bolt hole the is below and central to the cam pulleys. you will probably need to grind a small notch into the holed flange on either side to clear the cam pulley teeth. This bracket can then be slotted between the teeth of the two pulleys and bolted to the head to lcok the cams in position.

At the flywheel end make a bracket out of angle iron or channel section to lock the flywheel (and therefore crankshaft) firmly in position.

Remove the bottom auxilliary belt pulley but leave the old belt on.

Now drill the bottom pulley as described above. Drill and tap the pulley centre bosses of the camshafts and fit 4mm grub screws adding a drop of loctite.

Now you can remove the belt and bottom timing pulley. Carefully tap the hole in the bottom pulley, then clean and deburr it.

Refit the bottom timing pulley lining the new tapped hole up with the dimple in the crankshaft and fit the grub screw with a drop of loctite.

Fit your new belt and tensioner and then you can remove your locking brackets.

open to comments, D.

[Davey]

Well I'm a little surprised at this thread, 40 odd viewings but no comments. Not that it matters really but I did expect a comment or two. Never mind, I just hope it helps someone.

D.

[AshG]

depends how many people are actually fitting zetec engines. i read it just in case i ever fit a zetec

[flyerncle]

What you say makes sense,and I am in no way knocking the reasoning behind it but in all my years (and they are many !) of repairing and replacing cam belts on Zetec's I have never had one fail due to the pulleys coming loose.
If it say's use new bolts/loctite/torque wrench that's what should be done.
Others may have had the carnage left by belt failure/cam wheels loose but the only times I have repaired them is for belt failure due to misuse or lack of maintainence.

And one little thought and most will be suprised or not as the case may be it is possible to remove a Zetec without dropping the complete subframe and leave the box in place.

[Davey]

Hi guys, cheers for your comments, it just felt like I was talkin' to myself (not that unusual some would say ). The Zetec, in all its various forms, is a cracking engine although the SE models that were built as a collaboration between Ford and Yamaha (I think) are a pig to do bottom end work on, apparently a special jig is required to locate the main bearing ladder frame accurately. Having said that I do find the lack of keys on timing pulleys to be a strange design "feature". Its certainly possible to pull the Zetec from a Focus and leave the box, driveshafts and subframe in place, don't know about Mundaneos though.

Good Zetec SE lumps are expensive though .

D.

[flyerncle]

Mundaoes,Yes very apt. POS I call them. I have extracted one or two that way and also engine and box out of the top after being told by one and all "you must drop the frame" not so boys and girls ! The duratec V6 does the same too.

[snapper]

Certainly it is the low cost DIY approach i love about kit car builders.
A possible reason for little comment is that it is not contensious i.e a solution in a post.
For that thanks.
Some would leave it as Mr Ford intended and some would use the expensive option of getting woodruff keys cut in by someone like Scholar in Suffolk or Gosnays in Romford, so your solution fits neatly between.