Guest Chevelle_68 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I took my old escort out of the garage last week. It has been in there for almost 7 years. I have started it ones or twice every year. So now I thought I would try to get it working again. When I put it away for storage, I had some engine problems I never could figure out. The engine would start and run OK, but it seems like it don’t have the power it should have. When I get the RPMs up a, it seems like it loses the power. It is almost like somebody is hooking on a heavy trailer. The engine wants too but something is holding it back. A year before I put the car away, I overhauled the head with new cam and lifter. It was behaving the same before and after I did that. I don’t know if it is the original engine in the car. I thought it could be the distributor, but I have never found a new or second hand one that matches the one that’s there. The one the engine is small/short and the other I find are longer and have hookup for vacuum. There is a vacuum hose I don’t know where it is suppose too be hooked up to. Se pictures below. Is there suppose to be any vacuum hooked up to the engine control box? I would be really grateful for any suggestions for solving my problems. I really want to start using this car again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dicko601 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 that pipe usually goes to the rocker breather, on the left hand side of the rocker cover, and if it feels gutless the faster you try and go, take a look at the belt timing, make sure its not a tooth out,,, its only a guess,,, but if youve had the head off it could be that,,,,,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lee81 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 The MFI system uses vacuum advance. The vacuum pipe runs from the distributor to the intake manifold. To test the distributor side you simply need to check the diaphram isn't leaking. Sucking on the pipe will show you this. It shouldn't let air through. Without vaccum advance the timing is incorrect higher up the rev range (too retarded) this will result in poor power output probably losing 40bhp or more. Sounds like the symtoms you have been describing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chevelle_68 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I have checked the timing marks 2-3 times, so I don’t think they are of. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to check again. The thing is that there is no vacuum pipe on my distributor. I have distributor with vacuum lying here, but I can’t use it. The wiring is different and the connectors don’t interchange. The coil looks different as well. It doesn’t have a module one it. Se pictures below. The two first pictures are of the distributor and coil in the car and the two other pictures are from the spears I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lee81 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 The distributor you have fitted currently looks like a rs turbo item. This has electric advance and retard. Shouldn't be on your engine though as it needs the ignition ecu to work it. The coil and connector you have pictured fitted i have never seen before. Not on any Mk3/4. this may be from another car? The wiring for the coil and distributor you have is very simple. Check the haynes manual for wiring diagram You'll need a strobe to set the ignition timing. Knock 3 to 4 degrees off if your planning on using 95 RON unleaded though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chevelle_68 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Hmmm…..so what is up with my wiring harness then sins it only fits this coil, module and distributor…is it for an RS engine? The specifications for the car say it has an L4B engine if it makes any difference. If you Google “Ford Escort L4B engine” you can see pictures of similar engines with the same distributor (non RS). If I am going to rewire for the other coil and distributor, do I have to rewire everything for the engine? I have most of the wire harness from the donor car, but stupid me have cut it with cutters. Are there any other things on the engine that might affect the ignition if I remove and put the other distributor on? I found a similar module like the one under the coil online. It is an Ignition Module (Bosch). HD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mass1v Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Have you any idea if it has had a rs turbo lump fitted before? Looks like it has an rs turbo fuel distributor fitted too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chevelle_68 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Not as far as I know…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mass1v Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 has it got 2 brains bolted to the bulkhead behind the heater fan ? if it has it should have one black and one alloy looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chevelle_68 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 There are two boxes behind the heater, both of them are black. See pictures below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mass1v Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I looked the engine up on google and you are right about the set up on some of the cars . I have never seen it before. Seems that it is usually fitted to left hand drive cars, where is yours made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chevelle_68 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 The car was imported from Germany in 1998. I live in Norway bay the way I guess you could understand that from my bad English Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chevelle_68 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 It`s a good day to day. I think I solved most of the engine problems During this week I have changed these parts: -fuel filter -rotor and cap -spark plug wires -spark plugs -coil -ignition module (the small module that is mounted with the coil) -cleaned and changed some of the engine wiring -opened the air filter box and cleaned everything from the box to the intake Only thing left to change is the air intake filter. After I did all the stuff above, I could feel some deferens in the engine and car behavior. But it was still misfiring some and don`t have any power above 4000 RPMs. So the next step was to look at the timing belt again. I checked the timing and it seemed to be half a tooth off. So I loosened everything so I could start over refitting it. I tried 4 times, but it was always half a tooth off. The distributor was lined up on its mark. I loosened it to give the engine some adv timing. I twisted it about 4-5mm towards the drive seat. Suddenly the engine started running smoothly. I pushed the throttle, and it sounded like a different engine. I removed all my tools and took it for a test drive. I was a completely different car. I am sure I got twice the HP then I had yesterday. I could pull it up to 6500 RPMs without any problems. So timing is the word and the solution of the day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest asgeir Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Sorry about reviving a 5 year old post... But I think I actually have this car right now, don't think there were many 1988 Ford Escort XR3i Cabriolet with L4B engine imported to norway in 1998... Anyway, the car died on me last week, shortly after refilling with petrol. In the morning the fuse for the cooling fan had burned out. Replaced it, drove home, filled the tank on the way and 5 minutes later the engine died and has not started since then. I have so far replaced the following: Rotor and cap Spark plug wires Spark plugs Ignition coil Timing belt (and adjusted timing) I have checked the following: I get good sparkon all the plugs Ignition sequence 1-3-4-2 I have compression on all cylinders. Fuel is coming to the cold start injector All fuses are good Fuel pump relay was replaced last summer and the fuel pump primes and runs when cranking Pulse generator in distributor is working Coolant temperature sender is working ... The car cranks but does not start, and after cranking for a little time I get explosions in the exhaust (and almost like the engine wants to start) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian71 Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Might sound stuipid but was the fuel you put in the problem,was it diesel ? Or was the fuel contaminated ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest asgeir Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Right now I wish it were that simple! But just in case, I checked the receipt and the fuel in the tank, it's only petrol. I would also think that if it were diesel, the car should start with startgas, which it does not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest username Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 Sounds to me like the ignition timing could have slipped (or been thrown off by electronic problems?). If the static timing appears correct the next thing I would do is a "down & dirty" test with a strobe light hooked up and see where the timing marks are with the engine turning on the starter. I know some older electronic ignition setups don't like a weak battery, so worth checking your battery is up to the job too. Hope you get it sorted soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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