i have fun and games over the last few weeks, all starting with my escort van,
i was driving to town when the engine locked up @65mph, managed to get a tow home. i was thinking that the timing belt had gone so i started there. no luck. all the belt and pulley's were mint. so i took the belts off and had a look if i could turn it over by hand, would turn over 3/4 of a turn and the stop, i then turned it backwards and the same thing 3/4 of the way round then i locked up again.
after all his i started by taking the rocker cover off, followed by the cam shaft, no sign of any damaged in there, don't seem to have bent a valve? i then got thinking what could have happened, maybe bottom end, clutch gearbox? no one could help, spoke to loads of mechanics and none of them had a clue. so out came the gear-box followed by the clutch( witch was damage), tried the engine again same thing 3/4 and no more, next the fly wheel, then the sump, still nothing. getting well pissed by now, i took the head off.
this i where the problem was, the injector housing that should have been pressed in the head and half head by the block had some how fell out and the piston cam up and smashed the hell out of everything, knackered piston, barrel, head, valves.
i am happy i found the problem, but now no van, no car and about 15 miles form town and the other halfs work, only a crap bus service, she has to get the 7.13 am bus to get to work, or she would be late, she doesn't start till 8.30 am, the last bus back is 7.45pm, the joy of living out in the stick's.
anyway i have now got another van, after a lot of looking i have found a m reg swb std height transit, was up for £750, but it had a m.o.t in january, it also have a broken window screen, i managed to pick it up for £550. in the end,
time to sort out the inside,
i need it to work in 3 different was, i need room to move a motorbike if i needed, i also want to make it a camper van with 2-3 beds, and also use it as an every day van, should be fun.
started to mess about with the van, have now fitted two 12" subs, two amps, head unit, door speakers and wired it all up, sound very load. i have also started to make a half height bulk head so the dogs wont try and help me with the driving, lol,,
i am quite lucky with the van it has twin battery as standard, so i wired the audio to the left had one ( the right hand one is the main van battery, i.e. the starter motor ands main power for the van,)
new side indicators genuine ford, got them on sunday for £13.00 of ebay
tidy looking van and sounds like a good project 
