Preventative Maintenance 1.7?

[RoadWarrior]

Hi all, wondering what's good preventative maintenance on the 1.7 engine.

I have the engine out the car, current plans are new clutch, and flywheel lapped out by an engineer. Cambelt, both crank seals gearbox & cambelt side. Also new rocker cover gasket, new oil sump gasket (both parts) and full basic service, spark plugs, air filter etc.

Have I overlooked anything here that may be worth while doing whilst the engine is out :?:

 

[Wild E. Coyote]

I would strongly suggest to replace the HCV (Heat control valve) even if it is working. The plastic is by now very brittle and the hoses can snap themselves away.
The second thing to check and replace is the thermostat housing for the very same reason: it is plastic and might develop coolant leak.
Both of these things are not expensive and are vey easy to be dealt with while the engine is out.

I would clean the inlet manifold as it most probably is full of oil and dirt (if it still is attached to the engine) and the gasket is most probably leaking oil into inlet big time

 

[DOH]

Both camshaft seals whilst your changing the cambelt

 

[RoadWarrior]

Best to get the seals and gaskets etc from a Ford dealer, correct?

HCV and thermostat is any car part merchant, Parkers / EuroCarParts etc.

Also which 1.8 Focus is the clutch plate & pressure plate off for the clutch? A MK1 1.8 Petrol?

 

[tuonokid]

Hi
HCV best to buy genuine Ford. STEAVIE on here sells the latest modded part at a good price. Also replace thermostat housing as that eventually cracks like the HCV as it's plastic and the engine heat cycles will eventually knacker it. Be careful with the clutch as the Focus one is bigger so your flywheel may need skimming to take off a wear lip.
The cambelt is not a straight forward job, even with the engine out, read Ford Tis on the subject along with Gates Technical bulletin #036. If you don't read and fully understand the cambelt change could go badly.
Best of luck.
Barry

 

[trublustu]

Hi Roadwarrior
All of the above plus..

A new from Ford replacement coolant manifold/coil mount is made from plastic, similar to the thermostat housing.
It`s an ounce or so lighter, but, more importantly...
It will never turn into a ball of corrosion, like the originals all do.

 

[RoadWarrior]

I'm having the flywheel lapped out by an engineer, everything will be done properly. I was going to get a lightened one from ShawSpeed, but not really needed so £150 on something not really useful.

Cambelt job shouldn't be too complicated, done one on a 1.4TDCI and a 1.25 Fiesta. I've got a PDF guide from this forum on my computer. The part numbers for tools on the PDF guide for Ford? So if I go to Ford with the numbers they'll be able to get me the tools?

 

[tuonokid]

Hi
Just noticed your car is a 1.4 so the cambelt change is a little different to the 1.7. Yeah the PDF has the part numbers for the special tools (and I have them) but they are like hens teeth to find and I would imagine expensive from Ford (if they still supply them) If you can get a flywheel locking tool and are taking the engine out you should be able to change the belt without any of the special tools.
Barry

 

[RoadWarrior]

The spec on my profile is incorrect, it's a 1.7. :grin:

 

[tuonokid]

Ditto regarding my remarks. Without the special tools but with a flywheel locking plate and the engine out the hardest jobs will be undoing and re-tightening the (new) crankshaft pulley bolt as it's so huuuugely!!!! tight. To press on and off the pulley a thick steel bar with one large (for the crank bolt) and two small (to bolt to the pulley) holes and use the old pulley bolt to push off and pull back on the crank pulley. READ and UNDERSTAND gates technical bulletin ~036 as removing the pin from the tensioner is a two stage process and if it's not done as the two stage process will result in the belt jumping and damage to the engine.
Barry

 

[RoadWarrior]

Thanks, the Gates website doesn't have anything for its crankshaft pulley tool. Probably be a back order job from Ford.