Engine beam.

[Boghopper]

Hello,

Does any one here think that using an engine beam to support the engine on the water pump side could cause the head gasket to go? It seems that the hoisting eye on the cambelt side is only attached to the head and not the actual block. So, from what I can see the weight of the engine will be taken by the head. I had taken the engine mount off and then took the engine mount bracket off and as soon as I did, water started running down the back edge of the water pump, I thought it was coming out of the engine mount, bracket holes at first. There was also a little trickle of water at the front of the engine from behind the fuel pump, also. It would be unbelievable to think the head gasket has gone because I supported the engine on one side using the hoisting eye.

[karl]

I use a jack with a block of wood under the engine to carry weight ,when I do the cam belt change

[Piglet]

I use a jack with a block of wood under the engine to carry weight ,when I do the cam belt change

I read somewhere that it's easy to dent the sump pan and reduce the opening to the oil pick up. Might be BS but I was careful to use a decent size bit of thick plywood.
I also made up a top beam and had no head gasket leaks. Doesn't seem possible given the head bolt torque.

Could it be coming from the pump gasket?

[Boghopper]

Right, I have just put the water pump back on and refilled it with the thermostat removed and it is definitely weeping a quite large amount of water from the two, left hand, engine mount, bracket bolts. The bracket bolts tappings must go right through and break into the water jacket around he block. This means the ends of these two bolts must be plugging the tapped hole and sat in water within the engine, bloody ridiculous, no wonder the things seize and shear off.

I did have the engine supported underneath with a jack and piece of timber, but only as a precautionary measure, the engine beam was taking most the weight.

I hope this is normal and something isn't cracked. But I can see no water coming from anywhere else except those two left-hand bracket holes and I can see no exterior cracks or old coolant stains.

I am not impressed that the hoisting eyes do not also attach to the bottom half of the engine. The head is being lifted, with the bottom half literally dangling from the head bolts. I wasn't expecting that.

[Boghopper]

It seems there is an inner timing case cover as well as the oil pump cover. I always thought the engine mount bracket bolted directly to the lower engine cases, it seems not. Those bolts that hold the mount bracket on also act as the inner case bolts as well. By taking the bracket off the inner case becomes undone as well, hence the water now leaking at the inner case joint. Who designed this motor, Laurel and Hardy?

Is putting all the bolts back in and torquing them up going to re-seal it, what a lash-up.

[Piglet]

Are you saying that the gasket behind the timing chain case (not cover) leaks coolant when you remove the mount bracket?
I had to renew that gasket due to oil leaks. Took me weeks of evenings.
Not a very good picture but this piece:
http://workshop-manuals.com/ford/Mondeo ... Ci%20(Lynx)%20Diesel/Description%20and%20Operation/Diagnosis%20and%20Testing/General%20Procedures/Removal%20and%20Installation/Removal/Disassembly//img/E75364.jpg

[Piglet]

Here it is:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361918671331

[Boghopper]

Are you saying that the gasket behind the timing chain case (not cover) leaks coolant when you remove the mount bracket?

Yep, that's exactly it. That engine mount bracket that wraps around the waterpump also acts as the inner case bolts, when you take that bracket off the pressure on the inner case gasket is released, that's why the water is dripping out, bloody ridiculous setup. I have just removed that hideous wet-belt setup riddled with cracks and worn teeth, only done 50,000 miles. What to do now, start putting it all back together and hope the mount, bracket bolts pull it all back together. or start stripping it even more? If that back casing is held together by the engine mount bracket how can it not leak when the bracket is taken off?

As I am in this position anyway, how much more stripping is need to replace this gasket at the rear? I did my connect van last week, but I drained the water first, I wonder if that would have leaked the same if I had left the water in?

[Boghopper]

So does anyone know whether the sump needs to be removed to get the timing chain case off? There are two oil pump pipes coming out of the bottom of the case, then going into the sump. Cheers.

[Piglet]

I have done this, not by choice but I was too far in to chuck it back together and take it somewhere.
However its still good so a successful outcome in the end. But it took me fekin ages & ages.

It's sump off, remove pick-up then there are 2 screws to release those tubes, they are almost impossible to get at and require more patience than I am gifted with.
Having released the 2 tubes the casing can be wiggled out. Then its clean up, gasket adhesive and new gasket, wiggling it back in and locating the tubes while trying not to get adhesive in the wrong places.
Basically the engine is designed to have the timing case fitted before the lower crankcase, not the other way round.
The Haynes was useless and no-one on any forums came to my help, I just fumbled on with drawings & photos off t'internet.

I might be tempted to reassemble to the point where you can fill with coolant and run it.
You might be lucky.

[Boghopper]

Basically the engine is designed to have the timing case fitted before the lower crankcase, not the other way round.
The Haynes was useless and no-one on any forums came to my help, I just fumbled on with drawings & photos off t'internet.

Cheers for that. I have been doing the same, but you are the only person I have come across that has undertaken this. I have also been analysing pictures and diagrams. As you mentioned, Haynes is totally useless and tells you nothing on the matter.

Gamble time now. Will putting the mount bracket back on re-seal it? Anyone who removes that bracket is running the risk of this happening and Ford mention nothing about it in their online manuals. I thought changing the elstic band for a chain was going to be bad enough, but now I have opened a can of worms.

[Piglet]

My local 'tame' MOT station had to do one. Sadly I didn't find out until after.
He reckoned it was a dreadful job and regretted getting involved, and that's from a paid motor technician, not just a Muppet in his garage like me.

Good luck, feel your pain!

[Boghopper]

No thought seems to have gone into working and maintaining these engines. It's almost like they aren't really designed to be worked on just driven until the warranty runs out then traded in for another.

Can you remember what heads these two screws had, what are they, like jubilee clips? Also, why were they so awkward to reach, was there something obstructing access, or were they somewhere blind or out of reach? What tool did you eventually remove the clips?

I need to pick your brains as that will help me decide what route to take.

Cheers.

[Piglet]

It was 18 months ago and I have a sieve for a brain, but here goes:
Both pipes have moulded ears with 1 screw through each to clamp in place.
One was a 8mm hex head, the other a Torx, 30ish
The obstruction is the lower crankcase which has some small windows through which you can fiddle a Torx bit in a ring spanner. No room for ratchets.
I think I got the hex by carefully tipping the casing forward and reaching behind with a long offset ring, it just went through a small aperture in the front of the lower crankcase.
My real concern was damaging the rubber gasket for the lower crankcase which the timing case sits on. That would be an engine out job I reckon.

[Boghopper]

These are the two culprits then:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DHgAAOSw ... -l1600.jpg

I have been searching as to how the bottom of this case seals and meshes with the main engine casing, seems a bit of a hodge-podge if you ask me.

Did you bother replacing all the o-ring/ gaskets in there?

Do you think a flexi/ratchet head spanner would have helped?

Cheers again.