MK2 XR2 Zetec Track Car Project Diary

New steering column

The steering feels a million times better now! Here's an awesome pic a mate took at the weekend at a meet:

The handbrake cable arrived yesterday so changed that today, quite a fiddly job got there in the end, problem though as per usual, it feels almost exactly the same apart from obviously the slack in the lever as ive taken all the slack up, I reckon the drums could do with new springs, if it still fails MOT I'll have to find some of those sharpish, I will get the Lockable Aerocatches fitted this weekend hopefully. The MOT re-test is booked back in for Monday.

Meet pictures

A couple more pics from that big meet/show:

The MOT re-test is tomorrow, I hope he lets me off with the column and handbrake!

MOT Retest failed

Well the car failed it's MOT again yesterday on the handbrake, so when I got home, I took the wheel bearings and drums off, caked all the handbrake mechanism/bracket in wd40, and made sure it was all compressing spot on, before I re-fitted the bearings and drums, its now all back together, had the re-test earlier and now its passed! I got an advisory on the braking system, he recommeneded to take the pads out, regrease everything and check the drums, considering all the drums/shoes/rear brakes are sweet, I will sort the pads and re-grease the sliders and re-bleed the whole system then all should be well.

Just fitted the Lockable Aerocatches, first one was abit of a pain, 2nd one only took half the time.

Fuel filter

I greased up the sliders on the brakes, and put copper grease behind the pads where they sit in the calipers, also re-bled the system too, got a load of air out so hopefully they'll feel better. Something I hadnt mentioned, on track at Oulton Park with 1/2 tank a fuel in, it was suffering from fuel starvation on the exit of the 2nd corner/cascades which is abit confusing as ive got the mk2i tank with the built in swirl pot and someone else running injection in a mk2 with a standard tank had no trouble with fuel starvation with a 1/4 tank of fuel and with running slicks. Someone sugeested it could maybe be to do with my fuel filter as its only a tiny peugeot filter, so ive just bought a mk3/4/5 fiesta fuel filter:

This filter is nearly twice as wide as the peugeot item so hopefully on my next trackday all will be fine, if not there must be a problem with my fuel pump, I will swap this in the next few days

An Audi for company

A few pics from the other night with my mate and his Audi A4, which is now back on its standard wheels since these pics as someone nicked them!

I fitted the RS1800 cams into my spare 1800 engine last week and also Nitro-Morsed, etch primered, painted, sanded the lettering, and laquered the rocker cover too:

I had to order a new rocker cover gasket as the old one was split, when that arrives I'll get the rocker cover fitted. I'm still yet to change/swap the fuel filter over.

Fuel filter fitted

Swapped the fuel filter finally:

Hopefully no more fuel starvation issues!

Also fitted new rocker cover gasket, rocker cover, HT leads and cam belt covers, new dipstick fitted to the spare 1800 engine:

Complete HO Inlet manifold with 2.0 TB and injectors, 2.0 MAF, inlet/induction hose set up with ERST crossover pipe and Pipercross filter:

I also got a escort xr3i 130ps ecu, as ive said all along I'll either fit all this into the car when i come to sell it or might sell the lot on for more than what ive paid for as ive got everything rather cheap so far.

Fresh pics!

An Updated spec

It's a year this week since i purchased my mk2 xr2, time has flown! This is the spec of it now:

Engine:

1. 2.0 Zetec E s2 silvertop on 80k
;
2. Focus ST170 Headgasket (28thou thinner than standard silvertop item)
3. Head skimmed by 6 thou
4. Genuine Ford Head bolts
5. ARP Rod bolts
6. Baffled 1800 Sump
7. Omex 600 Management
8. Jenvey 45mm throttle bodies with 45x45mm trumpets
9. Jenvey inlet manifold
10. Bosch 330cc injectors
11. ERST fuel pump
12. FSE fuel pressure regulator
13. Mk2i fuel tank
14. Ashley Heatwrapped Modified 4-2-1 manifold
15. Ashley 2" single box system with added in flexi joint and custom 2.25" tip
16. Lightened & Balanced 1800 flywheel
17. Helix organic FRST clutch
18. FRST ratio'd Mk3.5 Si gearbox
19. 1800 waterpump
20. CVH alternator
21. Saxo VTS Radiator
22. 10" cooling fan
23. Fiat 127 low temp (92degree) fan switch
24. Mocal 13-row Oil cooler with thermostatic sandwich plate
25. Cams Timed up and Mapped by Mike @ Mikeanics at 177bhp @ 6800rpm, 146lbs ft with rev limit set at 7500rpm

Chassis:

1. Gaz Gold coilovers fully height and damper adjustable
2. Fully Polybushed throughtout
3. 13" pepperpots
4. Toyo CF1 tyres
5. Brembo HC discs, Ferrodo DS2500 pads
6. Brace bar for the Brake servo
7. Brand new steering rack, ball joints and track rod ends
8. Eibach camber bolts (been fully aligned with -2.3 camber)
9. Spare set of Pepperpots fitted with R888s for trackdays

Exterior:

1. Single skin Fibreglass Carbon wrapped bonnet fitted with 2 Lockable aerocatches and 3 bonnet pins
2. De-wipered bootlid
3. Drilled out front bumper for extra cooling.

Interior:

1. Fully stripped apart from the dash and heater
2. Safety devices 6 point roll cage
3. Sparco Circuit Bucket Seats
4. TRS 4 point 3" all round harnesses
5. OMP corsica steering wheel
6. Oil temperature and pressure gauges
7. 8 ball gear knob.

The whole car weighs around 750kgs with little fuel in, making it 239bhp/tonne. How it's currently looking:

Bring on more Trackdays and use and abuse

Another Oulton trip planned

24th August we're doing Oulton! Attended a huge meet at the weekend, heres my favourite pic:

My FITP ticket has just arrived too