Firstly a Happy New year to one and all. It may be New, but I'm keeping the receipt just in case.
Secondly, I've a few queries which I've been meaning to raise for a long while and just never got around to, in spite of them being pretty fundamental to driving pleasure. I'm hoping one of the H4 gurus may be able to shed light or offer divine guidance. My H4 was built with a "regular" 1.6CVH engine from, I believe, and "L"-reg Fiesta. It was then re-engined with a 1.6 Zetec in order to provide the owner with power steering. However, there was evidently some difficulty in siting the engine as I realise it's been fitted slightly at an angle, so close to the off-side chassis member that the belt cover has had to be left off. In addition, the off-side front mounting which is present in the donor is absent in mine, and this permits excessive slewing of the engine on sharp left-hand turns and a truly unpleasant noise as one or other pulley attempts to chew its way to freedom through the chassis. (This led to a misalignment of the auxilliary drive belt, corrected at some cost.) It can't be any good for the drive shafts, either and may explain why the gear lever feels so damned far away (and I have long arms). On the positive side, it has made me a very considerate driver on left-hand bends. I've also noticed that the off-side rear mounting, near the suspension location, has two holes drilled in it, and I recall noticing the same thing in photographs posted here of rust on a Quantum H4 chassis: is this a standard arrangement? My engine uses the hole further back and towards the edge of the vehicle. Looking at it all, it seems that the radiator fan (from the original engine) would obstruct the engine were it fitted "straight", so Q1 is: does the Zetec have a slimmer radiator? I've seen after-market electrical fans with depths of under 3", so is one of these usually required? Q2. relates to the missing front engine mounting. A scrapyard search turned up no 1.6 Zetec Fiestas but one or two Escorts. However, they seem to have a different mounting system. Are the two interchangeable or were there specific Fiesta and Escort variants of the 1.6 Zetec? Is there any reliable after-market substitute for this mounting, as the Ford original is silly money! Q3. relates to fuel tank pressurisation. I've noticed an occasional hissing from the fuel filler cap, usually when the tank is less than half full. Is this likely simply to be worn seals on the filler cap or the neck on which it bears? The pipe from the top of the tank to the valve strapped to the filler neck seems to be open as blowing down it leads to pressure in the tank (cap hisses). Or is it that the Zetec fuel pressures are different to those of the 1.6CVH and some modification should have been made? Q4. relates to getting rid of the power steering, which just seems like a waste of horsepower to me. Is there a "standard" fix to replace the power steering pulley with a guide pulley to maintain auxilliary drive belt geometry and allow correct functioning of the automatic belt tensioner (what a great idea! So much easier then the system on a previous Fiesta I had which required torque wrenches, crow's foot adaptors and three hands to get the tension correct) ? I really should have trickle-fed all of these in over the course of the year but, there you go! Maybe I should book myself in for a Quantum H4 Masterclass - will provide assistance in return for enlightenment ! Kind regards, and thanks in advance, Steve and The Blue Pig. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Quantum Owners Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/quantumowners?hl=en IMPORTANT NOTE: All information presented herewith is provided on an "As Is" basis, without warranty or the implication thereof. Neither the Quantum Owners Club nor the individuals associated with the Quantum Owners Club or in the preparation of the above information shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained within this or related message(s).
