Focus ST 170 for sale--whole car

[paintman]

Hi, was chatting in my son's Paintshop and his panel-beater tells me he is scrapping his Focus ST 170!!!

Great I thought.....it's on a 54plate, 12000mls and just failed Mot on leaking head gasket!

Only just gone with no water in the oil yet but shows in the exhaust.

Who's interested??

[sanzomat]

I expect Benchmark Dave will be...

[benchmark51]

Could be, if we could do a deal with my little pug 206. All running, mot december 2003. I'll in danger of having a fleet of vehicles otherwise. Lol

[paintman]

I recon you could well do a deal with him.....

Dean does a bit of car dealing all the time so he could well be interested.

Pm or email me and i'll take it from there!

   Tony

[paintman]

Car is now SOLD......Dave bought it!!!!

[Iancider]

Car is now SOLD......Dave bought it!!!!

Thought he might - Ratbag GT to arrive very soon no doubt.

Ian

[Facial Hair Optional]

Car is now SOLD......Dave bought it!!!!

Thought he might - Ratbag GT to arrive very soon no doubt.

Ian

Or maybe Ratbag ST??? 

[benchmark51]

Been having a play with the ST and have done a compression test on it. I got 130 psi on all cylinders at running temp'. Not great but not bad, but I don't know what figures are normal for it.

Have lights up on the dash. ABS and traction both on all the time. Scanned the fault codes and got 3,
P0135, P0172 and P01518. O2 sensor heater malfunction, MAF system too rich and Inlet manifold runner control stuck open.

Car starts ok and runs well enough, has a bit of vapour from the exhaust. Think I'll take the IMRC off and see if I can see whats wrong, clean the MAF and O2 sensors and try again.

May end up ditching the standard fuelling and use carbs.

[CC Cyclone]

A set of bike carbs on it Dave would give you a decent output for a small outlay and simple
Install. Really worth considering.

[benchmark51]

Yeah that has crossed my mind, dunno which ones though.

[Iancider]

Benchmark - the standard ford set-up is really good and to be admired for all round performance and reliability.  It just sounds like new sensors or a clean are called for.

This might all be very familiar to you: Compression - it does seem low.  I think you should be seeing around 155 psi but this can vary according to how you are testing.  I suggest - all plugs out for a fast engine rotation and test pressure.  If it is a little low then try a single squirt of oil into the plug-hole and try again.  If it rises then you have lazy or coked piston rings and if it doesn't rise the piston rings would be be well gone or they might be coked-up completely.  Unless it has done mega mileage I would be surprised if they have failed.  A chemical de-coke would be wise before stripping down and running on Redex might just clean it all up.  Also the bores might be polished it it has been run on old oil - usually resolved by a bottom end strip and a DIY hone with some wet and dry 220 grit

Here is the full engine spec:
http://www.fordst170.co.uk/specs.php

Good luck
Ian

[paintman]

You'll still be changing the head gasket won't you Dave.....that might improve compression surely??

[benchmark51]

I had the imrc apart today and cleaned it up gave the gears a light smear of moly, checked the spring was ok and cleaned the electrical contacts. The motor worked ok. Gave the MAF sensors a good clean also the thottle body, both were very mucky.

I always do compression test with all plugs out and open throttle. I borrowed Brians tester, but it was too short to reach the plug threads. Used an adapter, but this means relying on 2 rubber 'o' rings and may have leaked a little. So pressures may be a tad higher.

Got it back together and started up, had cloud of smoke out the back which soon cleared. Burning off residual cleaner I think. Settled into fast idle and quite quickly came down to normal speed. Revved nicely and at somewhere near 4k it seemed to take off and revs built really fast. I may leave the gasket change for now and do it later. Could just be seepage between gasket layers?

[Iancider]

That sounds really positive Benchmark.  The fact that it revs so well is the combination of VVT and the variable mass flywheel.  I know people knock VMT's but I really like what they do for acceleration.

[paintman]

Dean told me it would run ok but would develop a misfire which he assumed was water in the combustion area.

[benchmark51]

That sounds really positive Benchmark.  The fact that it revs so well is the combination of VVT and the variable mass flywheel.  I know people knock VMT's but I really like what they do for acceleration.

Need to source a solid flywheel ect, short sump too. The st170 's MoT failure sheet isn't that bad and is an easy fix. Front discs and pads, ABS light on, couple of rear bushes and a tatty rear no plate. Passed emissions ok. Almost tempted to fix it

[benchmark51]

Dean told me it would run ok but would develop a misfire which he assumed was water in the combustion area.

May well be yet. I'm tiddling around with it trying to find faults before I get serious with it. Noticed the heater not warming very well until I added more water, so head gasket is very likely. Won't do it now, not untill I'm ready to pull the engine out. Need sump, flywheel ect yet. Easier to work on in the locost too.

[benchmark51]

Have cleared the engine codes now and only have 1 returned. O2 sensor, trouble is I can't undo it with my sensor wrench without taking the front of the exhaust down. So sod it, it can keep that one

The header tank has quite a lot of what looks like 'copperslip' inside and outside of it. An attempt to cure a leak or cure a squeeky waterpump perhaps?

When I turn the engine off, I can hear a very quiet warning tone as I remove the key. Anyone heard that in a Focus before? It might be my hearing aids doing something or the car don't know which!