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98 Zetec Z-vin head removal question

S

schmitey

Be Gentle I'm New Here
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
3
First and foremost this is my sister's car which she doesn't maintain and expects my poor dad to do everything for her. That said the timing belt broke and I'm trying to help him over spring break. I also am still out of town and have not touched this car yet...so troubleshooting to that regard will not help ATM.

It is a 98 Contour LX with the very rare Z engine code on the vin (2.0 Zetec).

Searching yielded very little. My dad's Chilton's appears worthless (Chilton/Haynes make good fire starters IMO). Both my dad and I are very skilled in car repair and have done too many head jobs. Now I know this engine is SUPPOSED to be a clearance head, but from what my dad has in writing and from what I've seen that isn't always the case. My dad says that two of the cylinders do not build up pressure when he blows compressed air into the spark plug holes. He also said something about the crankshaft not spinning freely. Everything points to bent valves and I honestly trust his judgment in that.

That said, he's moved on to trying to remove the cylinder head. Herein lies the problem...he's never touched variable timing before. He said some hydraulic oil pump for the variable timing (sorry I don't know the terminology here) is blocking the cam sprocket and he can't figure out how to get it off.

Here is my question: Does anyone know of a well written (and preferably illustrated) guide to removing the cylinder head on this engine or at the minimum the timing belt procedure? I am also hoping (and I've searched and read nothing prohibiting asking) that someone can send me a link to download the Helms dealer repair manual for this vehicle...everything else is junk.

Thanks in advance! I'm a newb on the forum but not to cars.
 
Moved the post out of NMC.

Schmitey,
have a look at the Zetec section. Also, the Haynes manual is fairly decent as I've changed a timing belt using that as a reference. Post your location too and you might just have some guys local to you that could help out.


http://contour.org/ceg-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=55

And I'm sure that the Zetec guys will post here soon.



Try this for the belt
http://contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=107


"originally posted by Cris'pus"


Thanks Brapple for the hard work, but I thought that being you dealt mainly with pre-98 stuff (tensioner spring not a 98 thing etc), it can confuse some as to what to do.

Let us know what YOU did different, that isn't harder, and is not very painful...

1 Disconnect Battery.
2 Unbolt power steering tube (metal tube parallel to belt, held at engine lift 'eye' and beside exhaust manifold)

timing%20belt%20howto%20002.jpg


3 Remove right-hand {timing belt side} mount. (Use of support for engine, optional).
4 Use an offset box-end 13MM to loosen-only 3 waterpump pulley bolts
5 Remove valve cover including...
-Complete airfilter assembly
-Accelerator cable, held by a U-shaped clip...pull up
-Remove crankcase breather hose (hose that goes from filter to v.cover)
-Cruise cable (I couldn't, I think you have to break the plastic to do it) Didn't get in the way anyways.
-Remove Spark Plugs and Wires
-In stages, ½ or full turn increments, loosen v.cover bolts. Remove V.Cover.
-Place rags in Plug Holes (if I didn't I'd have the other half of a mouse nest in my cylinder!)
6 Remove Serp Belt
-Support right-side of car
-Remove the wheel and plastic covers in inner fender. If old belt to be re-used, mark the direction it went, so as to put it back on the right way.
-With a 13MM socket, turn the tensioner AWAY or counter-clockwise. If it doens't move it's clockwise.

timing%20belt%20howto%20003.jpg


7 Rotate crank pulley until the 2nd pair of (very small) notches align with the edge of the oil pan mark, and you're at TDC when the "Ford Service Tool 21-162" or a hunk of metal 0.20 Inch thick by 8 inches long and over 1 inch wide slides in the grooves at the other end of the camshafts. If one cam is slighty out, you can use a 1" wrench on the cam (the areas not round) to get the metal strip to fit.
- If the slots in the cams are way out rotate the crank 360 Degrees, should fit.

timing%20marks%20002.jpg


8 Remove Waterpump (WP) pulley and drivebelt Idler Pulley

timing%20belt%20howto%20014.1.jpg


9 Remove the Crankshaft Pulley. And don't think the metal holding the cams will suffice...
As you can see, the dealer or previous owner didn't, and broke my cam, and didn't replace it

timing%20belt%20howto%20005.jpg


Here's how I got it off.
-You need a metal tube to put over the socket (as a breaker bar)
- A Large Flat Screwdriver
- Maybe another person
Haynes said to get an assistant to put it in 5th and lay on the Brakes....didn't do anything for my car. So I did this

timing%20belt%20howto%20031.jpg


I've removed the flywheel dust cover. This is exactly where is rests against and hence allows you to do this job by yourself as I did. On Automatics, the only way that I know is remove the starter and wedge a screwdriver in the flywheel as I did.
-While you're at it, buy an aftermarket Pulley (aka Underdriven, you can use the same ones foci and cougars use, just make sure they have the key-slot in the centre)
10 Remove the other Timing Belt metal covers.
11 Loosen the Timing Belt Tensioner with a 10MM socket. Then rotate it with an Allen Key inserted in it, clockwise, to the slackest point possible.
12 Replace any worn or damages parts. Belt, Pulleys, Bolts, WP.
13 Place Crank pulley back on and see if your cams are aligned with your marks on the crank pulley. Then remove.
14 "Ford Service tool 15-030A" or a forked tool= steel strip 23.5 long and another 8 in with 3 bolts/nuts/washers with one bolt as the pivot point and the other 2 to rest inside the sprocket, if you need to loosen and retighten the camshaft pulleys (If the cams align but the sprocket doesn't and you need to move just the sprocket by unscrewing the nut holding the sprocket)

sprocket%20hold%20tool.jpg


15 Install Belt. Start at Crank, then goto tensioner (which is loose). Belt Should slip on, but it WILL be almost a 2 man job. Just put the belt on squarely, not too much on either side, otherwise it won't "slip" on.
16 Tighten Tensioner Pulley with Allan Key and tighten the 10MM bolt.
17 Remove Cam Hold Tool and place Crank pulley on and rotate 2 full turns (720 Degrees) and returning to TDC using the pulley marks. The Cam Hold Tool should slip into place
-If only marginally off, use forked tool and adjust the position, with the tensioner taking up slack. Rotate the crank another 720 Deg. And check again.
-If off a lot, use forked tool and loosen the cam bolt, making sure you don't lose the position of the belt and sprocket. Using that 1" open wrench, gently turn the cam till it Does fit the Cam Hold Tool. Tighten the Camshaft bolt, making sure you don't lose the position of the belt and sprocket. Remove Cam Hold Tool and rotate 720 Degrees. It better work now.
18 Now all is well...
-place cam hold tool back in and tighten the timing belt tensioner bolt to 18 Ft-Lbs
-using forked tool to hold the position, checking the camshaft bolts torque Intake-50 Exhaust-88 Ft/Lbs(if necessary)
-Remove Cam hold tool and rotate another 720 Degrees and install cam lock one more time!
Now reassembly is in reverse.

All TQ Specs Taken from the Haynes Manual (in Ft/Lbs unless stated)
V.Cover Bolts- 62 In-Lbs
Timing Belt Idler Pulley Bolts- 38
Timing Belt Centre Metal Cover Bolts- 36
Timing Belt Tensioner Bolt- 18
Timing Belt Sprocket to Camshaft Bolts (step 17)
1998- Intake 50 Exhaust 88
1999/00- Intake 50 Exhaust 44 then 89
Waterpump bolts- 89-124 In/Lbs (can't get a TQ wrench in there anyways)
Serp Belt Idler Pulley
1998- 35
1999/00- 30
Crankshaft Pulley Bolt- 81-89
Right-Hand Mount
-Bracket-to-engine and mount nuts- 61-66
-Mount-to-body bolts- 82
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the quick replies everyone!

I'm headed out there in just a few minutes, but it sounds like my dad managed to get the cams off and the head removed. However...there seems to be no damage to the valves. I'm not sure if the cams weren't in neutral or what... If it were my I would have blown the compressed air in there with the cams removed all together, but my dad is impatient and thought the valves were closed. I might post the pictures he sent me later, but nothing looks bent/nicked.

What kind of advice do you have for putting it all back together? From the skimming I've done it sounds like some of the timing marks and alignment can be tricky...

Again this is not the normal 2.0L Zetec motor. The vehicle has the "Z" engine code in the VIN indicating its bi-fuel. I read somewhere it was only in 1% of all contours. Neither I or my dad have any idea what the difference actually is with the more common 2.0L, all of the manuals neglect any mention of this motor or any discrepancies.
 
Hi, I am actually doing the same job on the exact same car, mine is 2000 bi fuel, and I am trying to set up the timing, but I am not sure if I did it right, the exhaust timing gear keeps moving, I get everything to TDC then set it all up and rotate the motor by hand and then the exhaust cam is out of alignment, that stupid autozone repair info doesnt help, they are showing an engine without VCT, and don't even go to 2000, it stops at 99. Anyway, I am searching the web for info on how to set up timing, just to make sure I have it right, but if anyone has any advice I would appreciate it!!---Thanks, Jack
 
If you will send me a PM with you email I will send you some good instructions for the timing. The Haynes book is worthless for the Zetec with the VCT soleniod. Make sure you get the timing kit to align your cams and crank pin to make sure you are at TDC. I also have the factory service manuals that they use in the dealership that I am getting rid of.
 
You need a metal bar (I think is .020" thick) to properly align and hold the cams, it fits in the slot on the end of the cams. You'll never get the timing 100% totally perfect, but you should be able to get it close enough after a couple tries.

The "Z code" for bi-fuel means it can run off of CNG (compressed natural gas). There isn't many places that offer a filling station for this, and natural gas can't be a whole lot cheaper than regular gasoline right now.
 
Why do you want to do it a couple of times. Get the right tools, Align the cams and put the crank pin in and you know you are exactly at TDC. With the VCT solenoid, If the timing is not right, you will get a code
 
Dec1000 said:
Why do you want to do it a couple of times. Get the right tools, Align the cams and put the crank pin in and you know you are exactly at TDC. With the VCT solenoid, If the timing is not right, you will get a code
Click to expand...

When you tighten the cams back down, it's hard to keep it perfect. Something like that, I don't remember what it was exactly, because it was a few years ago I did mine.
 
Matt R said:
The "Z code" for bi-fuel means it can run off of CNG (compressed natural gas). There isn't many places that offer a filling station for this, and natural gas can't be a whole lot cheaper than regular gasoline right now.
Click to expand...

I have two stations near me and CNG is .84 a gallon in Utah. :laugh:

I'm a noob on CEG and just getting a bi-fuel contour going.
 
The VCT cylinder can confuse the issue of where your exhaust cam is at timing wise. The engine times EXACTLY like a non-VCT motor as long as you check all your final marks with the exhaust cam firmly rotated FORWARD toward front of car, or CLOCKWISE as viewing the passenger or sprocket end of the cam. Rotate the cam until it hits the internal stop inside the VCT/sprocket assy. It must be in this forward position against the stop while at the same time it's in proper place so that cam tool can go in place in back of both cams. Everything else the same as standard non-VCT zetec.
 
The head bolts are "torque to yield" bolts, which means they are supposed to be used only once, but I've heard they can be used a second time. They torque up a certain amount with torque wrench, then you use an angle torque gauge for like two more 90 degree tightens, or something similar. Cheap angle torque indicator at Autozone, or you can guess 90 degrees if you're careful. I'd be leery of the intake manifold seals, if you reuse they may leak, but they are expensive. Gotta have 4 of them. Make SURE when you bolt the cam caps back down over cams to tighten EVENLY and WATCH cams to make sure they are going back down into journals right. VERY easy to hang cam on side of journal instead of it going in, even easy to break cam doing it. If cam goes in not level with head surfaces end for end, the side thrust journal can be gouged by harder cam. I assume you know the cam caps are marked as to where they go, MAKE SURE they go back in right locations.
 
Yup too bad

Yup too bad

The reason your father couldn't get pressure in 2 cylinders was that the cams were holding those valves open. An expensive lesson as you will now need a gasket set and a set of head bolts. A torque angle gage is not neccessary as the eyeball method will be close enough. The torque to yield sets the clamping pressure more accurately than other cars that have you set to a torque. Once the bolt start yielding the clamping pressure is set.

For retiming the cams, follow the procedure on the list and by all means use the proscribed method and tools. It'll make the job easier and correct. From experience the belt tension is as critical as the timing. Too tight and it will attempt to walk off of the upper gears and shred itself in short order.

Don't be afraid to use a 1/2" impact to loosen and tighten the crankshaft pulley and cam gear bolts. Makes the job much easier.

Good luck.
 
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