legerra bites dust

[Dave Adams]

On my way home.....danny driving got as far as cambridge and head gasket went loads of white smoke......
up to then danny said it was a pleasure to drive.....up to then.

[Dave Adams]

I have looked at the radiator and its small and typical of Dutton installations.....crap.

the radiator just floats in mid air, no ducting of any kind and even the radiator "grille" opening (a thin 1" slot between the bonnet and the bumper) was filled with a night rider light.....i ask you a night rider light. i am thinking of cutting two oval openings above the numberplate ala BMW to allow more air in, it will also get fully ducted. i have a radiator that will fit in the space available from a mk5 escort but it needs rotating 90 degrees so that the fins run vertical not horizontal. the pipe outlets are still good for the pinto engine and it has an enormous fan and it needs a pressurised expansion tank (VW golf again) it wont boil up again.....

[Dave Adams]

FIAT fix it again tomorrow......

LOTUS lots of trouble usually serious......

It seems that my "new Legerra " is not a Dutton.......its a Scorhill Motors car purchased in 1994 registered in 1997....

[Adrian Southgate]

When I had my Cortina it was Found On Road Dead...

[Paul Sheridan]

Engineering from a by gone age Martin, when reliability was just a word in the dictionary! That's why the word FORD was broken down in to Fix Or Repair Daily. I'm sure if I thought hard enough, I could come up with one for Dutton as well :-))))

 

[James Doulton]

I don't think that you'll get any takers on that one, Martin. Most are either trailered home or break down on the journey, or both. I was 'lucky' with my Legerra - it was the next day!

[Paul Sheridan]

Although not good practice, you can torque down, re-used stretch bolts, providing they don't bottom out, I have a chart somewhere from ARP. I seem to remember that they should only be torqued once if re fitted, so if you didn't put them in as new, and don't know anything about them, FIT NEW !!

[Adrian Southgate]

I must admit to wondering about the bolts bottoming out on the Sierra engine. They are torx bolts and I have no idea if they have been in and out before I did the head gasket. I used a proper torque wrench but just had the feeling they went from finger tight to 'torque tight' very quickly. While the engine is out this weekend I may change them for new ones if I can get a set delivered in time, just to be sure. Whats the score with grinding the very end off the bolt Vern? Acceptable practice or a nono?

[Big Vern]

Early Pinto head bolts were re-useable but the later torx ones wern't. You'll only bottom the head bolts out if you skim the head/block loads. I have 100thou off the head and 60thou off the block and the early head bolts still dont bottom out. Use a good torque wrench (you'd be surprised how many people dont use one) and a good head gasket and make sure the fire faces are clean.

[Big Vern]

"Why do Pinto head gaskets go with alarming regularity?"

Poor preparation and/or cheap nasty gaskets. Use Payen or Victor Reinz they were the only ones Ford used. IIRC Payen were the cost down as the VR gaskets were expensive for production. Also make sure you use the correct type of anti-freeze as some types can eat the gasket material, though not usually through the steel eyelet.

[Dave Adams]

Yes it uses the original escort switch and steering lock.