crappy fuel mileage

[sleepyboy]

I don't see anything different than what we already know in that procedure you linked to, except for the fact it never says to tighten the cam shaft bolts back up lol

[gonefhsn]

Originally Posted by Magus2727

the gears can only be locked when the motor is in Top Dead Center.

This is not correct, the engine can be at bottom dead center and the cams can be locked. That is why it is always best to use the timing set when doing the timing belt this way you will be sure that you are at TDC because the crank pin only fits when at TDC.

[sleepyboy]

I always stick a screw driver or a long extension in the 1# cylinder to ensure that I'm at TDC along with using the crank pin and the bar.

[Magus2727]

Originally Posted by gonefhsn

This is not correct, the engine can be at bottom dead center and the cams can be locked. That is why it is always best to use the timing set when doing the timing belt this way you will be sure that you are at TDC because the crank pin only fits when at TDC.

I am sorry yes the cams can be locked in both conditions. However you could change the timing belt when locked in TDC or bottom dead center can it not?

[curtisparker82]

does my 2002 ztec have 1 or 2 idlers on the tbelt?

[Magus2727]

One idler and one tension pulley.

[curtisparker82]

Originally Posted by Magus2727

One idler and one tension pulley.

most kits you see have 2...just making sure i buy the right kit

[Magus2727]

One is just a pulley on a bolt. And the other goes on a more complex bracket. I am not sure on the consensus on replacing just the pulley or the whole assembly.

[curtisparker82]

put new drums on today gonna start re-figuring gas mileage on Wednesday....found one bad wheel bearing and the metal part of the shoe was riding up against the drum so hopefully it will help...and my PCV hose is collapsed at the elbow so I'm gonna fix that on payday...what about remaking the hose out of metal with rubber couplers

[tmittelstaedt]

The Zetec cams cannot be locked a BDC because the slots in the cams are offset from the center of the cams, the cams can only be 1 direction when you put the locking bar in or the slots are below deck.

Many mechanics don't actually pull the valve cover when they do timing belts though - what they do is they pull the plug from #1 cylinder and use a dial guage to find TDC (or what they think is TDC) then they put a paint dab on the cams - then change the belt - and make sure the paint mark lines up.

Supposedly you can put one of these engines together with the cams 180 degress off and it will run - but on the more modern ones have a cam sensor on one of the cams - I don't know if the engine computer would be too happy about that.