WS Fiesta timing belt

greenfoam · 26-01-2013, 09:30 PM

Hey guys I'm making this thread for information about the timing belt change. I've decided not to do this myself and am having one of the nearby Ford dealers do it. However I've already purchased the belt(s) and will be putting some information, part numbers, prices and pictures about them in here. The job itself and pictures of the condition of the old belts once I have them (the belts have done 173,000km. So it will be interesting to see how they held up.

Fiesta God · 27-01-2013, 01:59 PM

173kms is a solid amount over the recommended change - although it's less than 4 years and they are rated to 10 years, so I reckon you would still have some life left in it (probably not a risk worth taking!)

Will be interesting to see the condition of the belt and how much Ford charge to do it ...

greenfoam · 27-01-2013, 05:59 PM

Well I can tell you that so far the belts have cost ~$110 for the timing belt kit including tensioner, oddly given the quality of the parts this was a bargain.. And the drive belt was ~$210 which includes a $10 fan belt and a $5 metal tool to fit it (seriously?? this was NOT a bargain lol). It says in the instructions to throw the tool in the bin once you are done. YEAH RIGHT : ). Next time I'm just buying the $10 belt lol from non Ford. The dealer has quoted me $240 to fit them which is how much they charged the last guy they did one for (another dealer quoted $350 which was Fords standard recommended price of the service computer) So you are looking at between say $550 and $650 to have it done... Almost not worth doing and just getting a low km engine from ebay lol. Interesting reading the service manual for these cars and seeing that they don't have conrod bolts and the engine is basically a throw away setup, non rebuildable. Anyway I'll get some close up macro pictures of the new and then old belts so we can compare.

kevino · 27-01-2013, 06:37 PM

How much for a new 1.6 sigma engine?

jpblue1000 · 27-01-2013, 07:07 PM

I think you will find the Sigma/Zetec/Duratec are far from throwaway engines. The Duratec is one of the worlds better small capacity in line 4 cylinder engines, very well designed heads, ports and the bottom end utilising a girdle rather than main caps provides a very stiff and light block arrangement.
They will have Conrod bolts otherwise they fall apart. and are very rebuildable. In the Uk Tuners are seeing 300 Normally aspirated HP out of the Duratec in performance applications.
When the Cosworth needs replacing in My escort it will have a 2L Duratec
JP

kevino · 27-01-2013, 08:55 PM

Isnt the duratech engine a Mazda engine?

greenfoam · 27-01-2013, 10:18 PM

jpblue, apparently the rods are not removable unless you are Ford :P. There's some kind of magic stud/rivet holding things together. I don't think the 2 litre is the same.

vhcbm · 28-01-2013, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevino

Isnt the duratech engine a Mazda engine?

the 2.0, 2.3 and 2.5 are.

1.6 Sigma is a Ford engine. I think Yamaha had something to do with the design though.

greenfoam · 29-01-2013, 09:14 PM

Oh man what a terrible day. I feel so stressed and sick in the guts. I had the belt changed payed up and left Ford. I noted a little part throttle surging straight away which the car didn't have before but though maybe the ecu was reset so continued on. Then about 10km out of town CLUNK. Sounded just like a socket or spanner hitting the firewall and the car developed a bad miss so I just parked it on the side of the road. Sometime later they towed me back to the dealer which was very stressing in its own right. So I've ended up with minus 600 bucks a broken motor and a fuel burning SUV until they can fix our Fiesta. Fun times this timing belt buisness.

greenfoam · 30-01-2013, 02:20 PM

Oops turned out it was a spanner! Or at least that's what they told me. Fell off something and was rubbing on one of the pulleys. I'm going to pick it up, hopefully the part throttle surge has resolved.

Pursya · 30-01-2013, 02:48 PM

Male sure you redeem your free service.
It's the least they can do after leaving a spanner in your engine bay.

greenfoam · 02-02-2013, 09:23 PM

Man that was a day I want to just forget... I'll redeem my free service by going to another dealer to buy the next car.

Now that the spanner is removed and I have the rather abused car back (thankfully). I better tell you guys about the belt!. The old belt came off without any cracks but it had become polished looking and had become hardened, it kind of feels plastic where the new one feels like rubber but I think the old one was still very flexible despite having this hard plastic polished feel and I'm sure it would have done 200,000km without any real risk. The drive belt hadn't become as hard but was starting to get some insignificant fine cracks in it's rubber but I later on when the next belts are due and the engine is old, if we still have it. I will push the timing belt to 200,000km. That'll bring me to 370,000 on the engine next time the belts are due :P. And you can be sure I'll do it myself and wont leave a spanner in it. I have pictures of the new stuff, when I take pictures of the old belts tomorrow I'll upload them all so you can see.