Ford Fiesta (1989-1995). Instruction - part 21

6 Extract each tappet in turn. Keep them in
order of fitting by inserting them in a card with
eight holes in it, numbered 1 to 8 (from the
timing chain end of the engine). A valve
grinding suction tool will be found to be useful
for the removal of tappets (see illustration).

Inspection

7 Examine the camshaft bearing journals and
lobes for damage or excessive wear. If
evident, the camshaft must be renewed.
8 Examine the camshaft bearing internal
surfaces for signs of damage or excessive
wear. If evident, the bearings must be
renewed by a Ford dealer.
9 If not carried out on removal, check the
camshaft endfloat as described in para-
graph 3. If the endfloat is exceeds the
specified tolerance, renew the thrust plate.
10 It is seldom that the tappets wear
excessively in their bores, but it is likely that
after a high mileage, the cam lobe contact
surfaces will show signs of depression or
grooving.
11 Where this condition is evident, renew the
tappets. Grinding out the grooves and wear
marks will reduce the thickness of the surface
hardening, and will accelerate further wear.

Refitting

12 To refit the tappets and the camshaft, it is
essential that the crankcase is inverted.
13 Lubricate their bores and the tappets.
Insert each tappet fully into its original bore in
the cylinder block.
14 Lubricate the camshaft bearings,
camshaft and thrust plate, then insert the
camshaft into the crankcase from the timing
case end.
15 Fit the thrust plate and tighten the
retaining bolts to the specified torque setting
(see illustration). Check that the camshaft is
able to rotate freely, and that the endfloat is as
specified.

11 Piston/connecting rod

assemblies - removal and
inspection

4

Removal

HCS engines

1 Refer to Part A of this Chapter and remove
the cylinder head and sump, then remove the
oil pick-up pipe and strainer.
2 Temporarily refit the crankshaft pulley, so
that the crankshaft can be rotated. Check that
the connecting rod big-end caps have
adjacent matching numbers facing towards
the camshaft side of the engine. If no marks
can be seen, make your own before disturbing
any of the components, so that you can be
certain of refitting each piston/connecting rod
assembly the right way round, to its correct
(original) bore, with the cap also the right way
round.

CVH and PTE engines

3 Refer to Part B of this Chapter and remove
the cylinder head and sump, then remove the
oil pick-up pipe and strainer.
4 Temporarily refit the crankshaft pulley, so
that the crankshaft can be rotated. Check that
the connecting rods have identification
numbers - these should be found on the
exhaust side of the big-ends. No 1 assembly
is at the timing belt end of the engine. If no
marks can be seen, make your own before
disturbing any of the components, so that you
can be certain of refitting each piston/
connecting rod assembly the right way round,
to its correct (original) bore, with the cap also
the right way round.

Zetec engines

5 Refer to Part C of this Chapter and remove
the cylinder head and sump.
6 Undo the screws securing the oil pump
pick-up/strainer pipe to the pump, then
unscrew the four nuts, and withdraw the oil
pump pick-up/strainer pipe and oil baffle (see
illustration).
7 Temporarily refit the crankshaft pulley, so
that the crankshaft can be rotated. Note that
each piston/connecting rod assembly can be
identified by its cylinder number (counting
from the timing belt end of the engine) etched
into the flat-machined surface of both the
connecting rod and its cap. The numbers are
visible from the front (exhaust side) of the
engine (see illustration). Furthermore, each

piston has an arrow stamped into its crown,
pointing towards the timing belt end of the
engine. If no marks can be seen, make your
own before disturbing any of the components,
so that you can be certain of refitting each
piston/connecting rod assembly the right way
round, to its correct (original) bore, with the
cap also the right way round.

All engines

8 Use your fingernail to feel if a ridge has
formed at the upper limit of ring travel (about a
quarter-inch down from the top of each
cylinder). If carbon deposits or cylinder wear
have produced ridges, they must be
completely removed with a special tool.
Follow the tool manufacturer’s instructions
provided. Failure to remove the ridges before
attempting to remove the piston/connecting
rod assemblies may result in piston ring
breakage.
9 Slacken each of the big-end bearing cap
bolts half a turn at a time, until they can be
removed by hand. Remove the No 1 cap and
bearing shell. Don’t drop the shell out of the
cap.
10 Remove the upper bearing shell, and push
the connecting rod/piston assembly out
through the top of the engine. Use a wooden
hammer handle to push on the connecting
rod’s bearing recess. If resistance is felt,
double-check that all of the ridge was
removed from the cylinder.
11 Repeat the procedure for the remaining
cylinders.

Engine removal and overhaul procedures  2D•17

10.15  Refitting the camshaft thrust plate

10.6  Tappet withdrawal using a valve

grinding tool suction cup

11.7  Each connecting rod and big-end

bearing cap will have a flat-machined

surface with the cylinder number etched in it

11.6  Removing the oil baffle to provide

access to crankshaft and bearings

2D

1595Ford Fiesta Remake

12 After removal, reassemble the big-end
bearing caps and shells on their respective
connecting rods, and refit the bolts finger-
tight. Leaving the old shells in place until
reassembly will help prevent the bearing
recesses from being accidentally nicked or
gouged. New shells should be used on
reassembly.

Inspection

13 Before the inspection process can begin,
the piston/connecting rod assemblies must
be cleaned, and the original piston rings
removed from the pistons.
14 Carefully expand the old rings over the top
of the pistons. The use of two or three old feeler
blades will be helpful in preventing the rings
dropping into empty grooves (see illustration).
Be careful not to scratch the piston with the
ends of the ring. The rings are brittle, and will
snap if they are spread too far. They are also
very sharp - protect your hands and fingers.
Note that the third ring may incorporate an
expander. Always remove the rings from the top
of the piston. Keep each set of rings with its
piston if the old rings are to be re-used.
15 Scrape away all traces of carbon from the
top of the piston. A hand-held wire brush (or a
piece of fine emery cloth) can be used, once
the majority of the deposits have been
scraped away.
16 Remove the carbon from the ring grooves
in the piston using an old ring. Break the ring
in half to do this (be careful not to cut your
fingers - piston rings are sharp). Be careful to
remove only the carbon deposits - do not
remove any metal, and do not nick or scratch
the sides of the ring grooves.
17 Once the deposits have been removed,
clean the piston/connecting rod assembly
with paraffin or a suitable solvent, and dry
thoroughly. Make sure that the oil return holes
in the ring grooves are clear.
18 If the pistons and cylinder liners/bores are
not damaged or worn excessively, the original
pistons can be refitted. Normal piston wear
shows up as even vertical wear on the piston
thrust surfaces, and slight looseness of the
top ring in its groove. New piston rings should
always be used when the engine is
reassembled.

19 Carefully inspect each piston for cracks
around the skirt, around the gudgeon pin
holes, and at the piston ring “lands” (between
the ring grooves).
20 Look for scoring and scuffing on the
piston skirt, holes in the piston crown, and
burned areas at the edge of the crown. If the
skirt is scored or scuffed, the engine may
have been suffering from overheating, and/or
abnormal combustion which caused
excessively high operating temperatures. The
cooling and lubrication systems should be
checked thoroughly. Scorch marks on the
sides of the pistons show that blow-by has
occurred. A hole in the piston crown, or
burned areas at the edge of the piston crown,
indicates that abnormal combustion (pre-
ignition, knocking, or detonation) has been
occurring. If any of the above problems exist,
the causes must be investigated and
corrected, or the damage will occur again.
The causes may include incorrect ignition
timing, or a carburettor or fuel injection
system fault.
21 Corrosion of the piston, in the form of
pitting, indicates that coolant has been
leaking into the combustion chamber and/or
the crankcase. Again, the cause must be
corrected, or the problem may persist in the
rebuilt engine.
22 Check the piston-to-rod clearance by
twisting the piston and rod in opposite
directions. Any noticeable play indicates
excessive wear, which must be corrected. The
piston/connecting rod assemblies should be
taken to a Ford dealer or engine
reconditioning specialist to have the pistons,
gudgeon pins and rods checked, and new
components fitted as required.
23 Don’t attempt to separate the pistons
from the connecting rods (even if non-genuine
replacements are found elsewhere). This is a
task for a Ford dealer or similar engine
reconditioning specialist, due to the special
heating equipment, press, mandrels and
supports required to do the job. If the
piston/connecting rod assemblies do require
this sort of work, have the connecting rods
checked for bend and twist, since only such
engine repair specialists will have the facilities
for this purpose.

24 Check the connecting rods for cracks and
other damage. Also on CVH engines, check
that the oilway in the base of the connecting
rod is clear by probing with a piece of wire
(see illustration). Temporarily remove the
big-end bearing caps and the old bearing
shells, wipe clean the rod and cap bearing
recesses, and inspect them for nicks, gouges
and scratches. After checking the rods,
replace the old shells, slip the caps into place,
and tighten the bolts finger-tight.

12 Crankshaft - 

removal and inspection

4

Removal

Note: The crankshaft can be removed only
after the engine has been removed from the
vehicle. It is assumed that the transmission,
flywheel/driveplate, timing belt/chain, cylinder
head, sump, oil pump pick-up/strainer, oil
baffle, oil pump, and piston/connecting rod
assemblies, have already been removed. The
crankshaft left-hand oil seal carrier/housing
must be unbolted from the cylinder
block/crankcase before proceeding with
crankshaft removal.
1 Before the crankshaft is removed, check
the endfloat. Mount a DTI (Dial Test Indicator,
or dial gauge) with the stem in line with the
crankshaft and just touching the crankshaft
(see illustration).
2 Push the crankshaft fully away from the
gauge, and zero it. Next, lever the crankshaft
towards the gauge as far as possible, and
check the reading obtained. The distance that
the crankshaft moved is its endfloat; if it is
greater than specified, check the crankshaft
thrust surfaces for wear. If no wear is evident,
new thrustwashers should correct the
endfloat.
3 If no dial gauge is available, feeler gauges
can be used. Gently lever or push the
crankshaft all the way towards the right-hand
end of the engine. Slip feeler gauges between
the crankshaft and the main bearing
incorporating the thrustwashers to determine
the clearance.

2D•18 Engine removal and overhaul procedures

12.1  Checking crankshaft endfloat with a

dial gauge

11.24  Check that the connecting rod

oilway on CVH engines is clear

11.14  Using feeler gauge blades to remove

piston rings

1595Ford Fiesta Remake

HCS engines

4 Check that the main bearing caps have
marks to indicate their respective fitted
positions in the block. They also have arrow
marks pointing towards the timing chain cover
end of the engine to indicate correct
orientation 

(see illustration).

5 Unscrew the retaining bolts, and remove
the main bearing caps. If the caps are
reluctant to separate from the block face,
lightly tap them free using a plastic- or
copper-faced hammer. If the bearing shells
are likely to be used again, keep them with
their bearing caps for safekeeping. However,
unless the engine is known to be of low
mileage, it is recommended that they be
renewed.
6 Lift the crankshaft out from the crankcase,
then extract the upper bearing shells and side
thrustwashers. Keep them with their
respective caps for correct repositioning if
they are to be used again.
7 Remove the crankshaft oil seals from the
timing cover and the rear oil seal housing.

CVH and PTE engines

8 Check that each main bearing cap is
numerically marked for position. Each cap
should also have an arrow marking to indicate
its direction of fitting (arrow points to the
timing belt end).
9 Unscrew the retaining bolts, and remove
the main bearing caps. As they are removed,
keep each bearing shell with its cap (in case
they are to used again). Note that the bearing
shells in the main bearing caps are plain (no
groove). It is recommended that the shells be
renewed, unless the engine is known to be of
low mileage.
10 Lift out the crankshaft from the crankcase.
11 Remove each bearing shell in turn from
the crankcase, and keep them in order of
fitting. Note that the upper shell halves are
grooved. Also remove the semi-circular
thrustwasher from each side of the central
main bearing web, and keep them in their
order of fitting.

Zetec engines

12 Check the main bearing caps, to see if

they are marked to indicate their locations
(see illustration). They should be numbered
consecutively from the timing belt end of the
engine - if not, mark them with number-
stamping dies or a centre-punch. The caps
will also have an embossed arrow pointing to
the timing belt end of the engine. Noting the
different fasteners (for the oil baffle nuts) used
on caps 2 and 4, slacken the cap bolts a
quarter-turn at a time each, starting with the
left- and right-hand end caps and working
toward the centre, until they can be removed
by hand.
13 Gently tap the caps with a soft-faced
hammer, then separate them from the cylinder
block/crankcase. If necessary, use the bolts
as levers to remove the caps. Try not to drop
the bearing shells if they come out with the
caps.
14 Carefully lift the crankshaft out of the
engine.
15 Remove each bearing shell in turn from
the cylinder block/crankcase, and keep them
in order of fitting.

Inspection

16 Clean the crankshaft, and dry it with
compressed air if available. 

Warning: Wear eye protection
when using compressed air! Be
sure to clean the oil holes with a
pipe cleaner or similar probe.

17 Check the main and crankpin (big-end)
bearing journals for uneven wear, scoring,
pitting and cracking.
18 Big-end bearing wear is accompanied by
distinct metallic knocking when the engine is
running (particularly noticeable when the
engine is pulling from low speed) and some
loss of oil pressure.
19 Main bearing wear is accompanied by
severe engine vibration and rumble - getting
progressively worse as engine speed
increases - and again by loss of oil pressure.
20 Check the bearing journal for roughness
by running a finger lightly over the bearing
surface. Any roughness (which will be
accompanied by obvious bearing wear)
indicates that the crankshaft requires
regrinding (where possible) or renewal.

21 Remove all burrs from the crankshaft oil
holes with a stone, file or scraper.
22 Using a micrometer, measure the
diameter of the main bearing and crankpin
(big-end) journals, and compare the results
with the Specifications at the beginning of this
Chapter (see illustration).
23 By measuring the diameter at a number of
points around each journal’s circumference,
you will be able to determine whether or not
the journal is out-of-round. Take the
measurement at each end of the journal, near
the webs, to determine if the journal is
tapered.
24 If the crankshaft journals are damaged,
tapered, out-of-round, or worn beyond the
limits specified in this Chapter, the crankshaft
must be taken to an engine overhaul
specialist, who will regrind it, and who can
supply the necessary undersize bearing
shells.
25 Check the oil seal journals at each end of
the crankshaft for wear and damage. If either
seal has worn an excessive groove in its
journal, consult an engine overhaul specialist,
who will be able to advise whether a repair is
possible, or whether a new crankshaft is
necessary.

13 Cylinder block/crankcase -

cleaning and inspection

2

Cleaning

1 Prior to cleaning, remove all external
components and senders. On HCS engines,
make sure that the camshaft and tappets are
removed before carrying out thorough
cleaning of the block. On the CVH and PTE
engines, remove the engine ventilation cap
from the recess in the rear corner of the
cylinder block and if still fitted, undo the
retaining screw and withdraw the engine
speed sensor from the bellhousing face. On
Zetec engines, unbolt the piston-cooling oil
jets or blanking plugs (as applicable); note
that Ford state that the piston-cooling oil jets
(where fitted) must be renewed whenever the

Engine removal and overhaul procedures  2D•19

12.22  Measure the diameter of each

crankshaft journal at several points, to

detect taper and out-of-round conditions

12.12  Crankshaft main bearing cap arrows

point to timing belt end of engine (A), and

bearing numbers (B) are consecutive from

timing belt end

12.4  Connecting rod big-end bearing cap

and main bearing cap markings

2D

1595Ford Fiesta Remake

engine is dismantled for full overhaul (see
illustrations).
2 Remove all oil gallery plugs (where fitted).
The plugs are usually very tight - they may
have to be drilled out, and the holes re-
tapped. Use new plugs when the engine is
reassembled. Drill a small hole in the centre of
each core plug, and pull them out with a car
bodywork dent puller. 
Caution: The core plugs (also known as
freeze or soft plugs) may be difficult or
impossible to retrieve if they are driven
into the block coolant passages.
3 If any of the castings are extremely dirty, all
should be steam-cleaned.
4 After the castings are returned from steam-
cleaning, clean all oil holes and oil galleries
one more time. Flush all internal passages
with warm water until the water runs clear,
then dry thoroughly, and apply a light film of
oil to all machined surfaces, to prevent
rusting. If you have access to compressed air,
use it to speed the drying process, and to
blow out all the oil holes and galleries. 

Warning: Wear eye protection
when using compressed air!

5 If the castings are not very dirty, you can do
an adequate cleaning job with hot soapy
water (as hot as you can stand!) and a stiff
brush. Take plenty of time, and do a thorough
job. Regardless of the cleaning method used,
be sure to clean all oil holes and galleries very

thoroughly, and to dry all components
completely; protect the machined surfaces as
described above, to prevent rusting.
6 All threaded holes must be clean and dry,
to ensure accurate torque readings during
reassembly; now is also a good time to clean
and check the threads of all principal bolts -
however, note that some, such as the cylinder
head and flywheel/driveplate bolts, are to be
renewed as a matter of course whenever they
are disturbed. Run the proper-size tap into
each of the holes, to remove rust, corrosion,
thread sealant or sludge, and to restore
damaged threads (see illustration). If
possible, use compressed air to clear the
holes of debris produced by this operation; a
good alternative is to inject aerosol-applied
water-dispersant lubricant into each hole,
using the long spout usually supplied. 

Warning: Wear eye protection
when cleaning out these holes
in this way, and be sure to dry
out any excess liquid left in the
holes.

7 When all inspection and repair procedures
are complete (see below) and the block is
ready for reassembly, apply suitable sealant
to the new oil gallery plugs, and insert them
into the holes in the block. Tighten them
securely. After coating the sealing surfaces of
the new core plugs with suitable sealant,
install them in the cylinder block/crankcase.
Make sure they are driven in straight and

seated properly, or leakage could result.
Special tools are available for this purpose,
but a large socket with an outside diameter
that will just slip into the core plug, used with
an extension and hammer, will work just as
well.
8 On Zetec engines, refit the blanking plugs
or (new) piston-cooling oil jets (as applicable),
tightening their Torx screws to the torque
wrench setting specified. On all engines, refit
all other external components removed,
referring to the relevant Chapter of this
instruction for further details where required.
Refit the main bearing caps, and tighten the
bolts finger-tight.
9 If the engine is not going to be reassembled
right away, cover it with a large plastic bag to
keep it clean; protect the machined surfaces
as described above, to prevent rusting.

Inspection

10 Visually check the castings for cracks and
corrosion. Look for stripped threads in the
threaded holes. If there has been any history
of internal coolant leakage, it may be
worthwhile having an engine overhaul
specialist check the cylinder block/crankcase
for cracks with special equipment. If defects
are found, have them repaired, if possible, or
renew the assembly.
11 Check each cylinder bore for scuffing and
scoring.
12 The cylinder bores must be measured
with all the crankshaft main bearing caps
bolted in place (without the crankshaft and
bearing shells), and tightened to the specified
torque wrench settings. Measure the diameter
of each cylinder at the top (just under the
ridge area), centre and bottom of the cylinder
bore, parallel to the crankshaft axis. Next,
measure each cylinder’s diameter at the same
three locations across the crankshaft axis
(see illustration). Note the measurements
obtained.
13 Measure the piston diameter at right-
angles to the gudgeon pin axis, just above the
bottom of the skirt; again, note the results
(see illustration).
14 If it is wished to obtain the piston-to-bore
clearance, measure the bore and piston skirt
as described above, and subtract the skirt

2D•20 Engine removal and overhaul procedures

13.13  Measure the piston skirt diameter at

right-angles to the gudgeon pin axis, just

above the base of the skirt

13.12  Measure the diameter of each

cylinder just under the wear ridge (A), at

the centre (B) and at the bottom (C)

13.6  All bolt holes in the block should be

cleaned and restored with a tap

13.1b  . . . but note that piston-cooling oil

jets (where fitted) must be renewed

whenever engine is overhauled - Zetec

engines

13.1a  Unbolt blanking plugs (where fitted)

to clean out oilways . . .

1595Ford Fiesta Remake