CAPRI RS 2.0i PROJECT

[c.a.p.r.i]

Back in 2001 I saved a D-reg 2.0 laser from a scrapyard that was due to close as the commonwealth games was to be held in Manchester the following year. I paid £120 for it including delivery which was a bargain as the vehicle was solid and running! My intention was to create a model ford should have made as the 2.0S was dropped in 1984, the 2.0EFI came out in 1985 and was designed for the new mk3 Granada and also fitted to the sierra. My donor engine was saved from a sierra sapphire (which was also a runner that had gone right round on the milometer, impossible for any new car to accomplish) for £160 including the transmission, the gearbox was then sold on ebay for £105. The engine was then stripped down and fully reconditioned and then I decided to chrome all the brackets and covers etc. I have since found out the scrapyard moved to the other side of Manchester unfortunately, the original owner died (38) of cancer which is somewhat of a disappointment as, I had plans to take the capri back and use the scrapyard as a backdrop...SAVED FROM SCRAP! It can be very frustrating when visiting a scrapyard as I have come across many low mileage ford's that should never have ended up there. This usually happens when the original owners either move out of the country/die, you have to get in there first like I did when I saved mine... 

THE DELIVERED ENGINE:

[c.a.p.r.i]

The engine rebuild, new pistons + rings 0.5 oversize, big end & main bearings, block rebored 0.5 oversize, crankshaft journals checked and polished, new oil pump & pump drive, new water pump. Top end: Head skimmed, polish and ported to stage 1, new cam bearings, new inlet & exhaust valves, new camshaft & cam followers, new thermostat.
All fully reconditioned by myself a fully qualified mechanical engineer & auto-electrician.

[c.a.p.r.i]

The engine was then fitted in the engine bay, the chrome came later and always attracts much attention from Neighbours especially when the sun shines...

[c.a.p.r.i]

It was then decided of me to ad power steering, certainly not on the ford option list for a four cylinder capri but well worth it. I also reconditioned both the starter motor and 90 amp alternator that I got with the engine, the battery was also upgraded to cope.

[c.a.p.r.i]

The highest grades possible on all components, to bad an employer never took my skills seriously after I finished my apprenticeship. I found out the thick twat died six years ago as a result of being crushed under a vehicle, I hope his life was agony for the last few years of his life until the bastard popped-his-clogs! That's a dodgy government Y.T.S apprenticeship for you!
If I was passing his garage and heard the screams I'd have jumped up and down on the vehicle he was under!
Time served? Rather, plenty of time and no opportunity to serve it.

[capri v8 driver]

If its at any comfort for you. I had several of those bosses. After 10 years of working in garages (its all the same shit), I decided to do something different.

Having this said I must say that I hope you stay with the topic and don't turn this in a pissing contest against bosses. It would also be a good idea to cover you name and the numbers on those titles/diplomas with photoshop or paint to protect your self against identity fraud.

Back to the topic. The engine looks nice and keeping the efi is a very good move.

[c.a.p.r.i]

Thanks for the compliment...You don't make money working for someone especially when you happen to have X3 trades under your belt!
I'm already rebuilding another 24V BOA for the next project, the bottom end is the stronger BOB and the top end is all BOA with BOB cams. The MT75 gearbox has since been stripped, rebuilt and now ready for the job.

[Heath Robinson]

Great work, that 2.0i looks brilliant. I'm looking forward to seeing how the 24v build goes.
How hard is it to match the BOB block up to the BOA heads and timing cover? Are you using the BOB crank and Pistons etc, or a combination of parts?

[c.a.p.r.i]

Thanks for your interest in my projects, after studying both the BOB and BOA block I found that the BOB is much stronger than the BOA with stronger webbing around the crankshaft centre main bearing. Having reconditioned many cologne V6 engines I can confirm both cylinder heads from a BOA will indeed fit the BOB block. Whenever I build a 24V engine I always start with a BOB bottom end, the crank and con-rods are also stronger. In my opinion, the BOA is a much better looking engine when installed in the bay of a capri as the BOB has that tacky looking plastic engine cover.

[c.a.p.r.i]

If your planning to build a 24V based on a BOB bottom end you will soon notice that the timing cover from the BOA doesn't bolt up properly... Well, if you remove the offending allen-key grub screw from the bolt hole in the BOB block it will bolt on straight away (it's issues like this that deter many people to give up to easily with their project) trust me I'm both a mechanical engineer/welder & Auto electrician armed with a lathe and milling machine who can build anything, check out my recaro internet surfing chair...

[Heath Robinson]

That's cleared that up perfectly, thanks! I'd considered doing this before, but hadn't found a definitive answer as to whether it was simple (in as much as engine-building can be simple...).
Are the shells for the bottom end of the BOA and the BOB the same? I've got all the bits to rebuild my BOA sitting here ready, but if it's just a case of finding a decent BOB to pinch the bottom end and cams from, that's a real possibility.
Thanks

[c.a.p.r.i]

Both big-end & main bearings are the same on Cologne 2.3/2.4/2.8i/2.9i & 2.9i BOA & BOB engines.
It's important to note when building an engine not to swap internal parts i.e.  Keep the original pistons and con-rods with the same crank otherwise, this will throw the engine out of balance which is no good. Start with your BOB bottom end, strip it, then clean all the parts in an industrial parts washer or with gunk/jizer in a bucket.

*You may wish to apply for a Halfords trade card as you get a huge discount on parts/tools*

Here is the interior that I saved from the scrapyard not long after I bought my red capri, the original laser trim is not to my taste and was sold for £95 (so far my capri cost me £25!!!) Notice the unique door storage compartment? You can get these from a mk3 Granada, they are dead easy to fit and certainly don't look out of place.
The 2.0S trim was worn on the drivers bolster and was re-trimmed by myself, the material was taken from the inner passenger side of a 2.0S I taken from the scrapyard many years before. I'd really like to get my hands on this material as I have a pair of recaro's from an old sapphire cosworth itching to be re-trimmed in it. I find the touring recaro's to be the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in, this is why my office/business chair is recaro. 

[Heath Robinson]

Brilliant, thanks. I have to agree about the seats. There's few things more comfortable than my Capri, I'd like to find a set of recaros to go in my sierra too.

[c.a.p.r.i]

Disenchanted with ford's original offering it was decided of me to incorporate more practical modifications... Electric sunroof complete with overhead console, electric door mirrors, electric windows and Granada mk3 centre console. The best upgrade by far has of course got to be power steering, it was only available on the 2.0 Cortina & sierra & Granada. I have only seen a few capri's with this modification which I intend to offer as a kit on ebay as soon as I get hold of another 2.8i crossmember. My other capri has electric recaros which I designed myself. Another quick and easy modification one may wish to consider is the rear view mirror from a late mondeo, these have an electronic auto-tinting facility which comes in handy when driving at night, they are slightly bigger and are affixed to the windscreen via glue & metal button, three wires and it's done.
The dash clocks are notoriously dim and I advise upgrading to led's, not only do they look splendid but they last considerably much longer than conventional bulbs.
This is why owning a classic ford is far more interesting than a new one, the new ford KA (hairdressers car) has a 1.2 Fiat punto engine in it.

"If you can't afford the best, with ingenuity one can indeed design far better"

[whiteestate]

Lovely build credit to you lots of work gone into it well done 

[Heath Robinson]

I completely agree,, with a modern car you try to choose the one that most suits you, which is always a compromise. With a car like this, you can make it into the car that you actually want, that completely suits you.
You've got that looking spot on, the front looks great with that chin on it.

[c.a.p.r.i]

Thanks, the red capri turbo was a model ford made for the German market, it's an extremely rare model and unfortunately not mine but an idea of what I intend to achieve. This particular model was only made for 12 months to celebrate Zakspeed's winning success, you will find everything about the MK3 in 'CAPRI biography of the mk3' it's an interesting book. I intend to use decals on the boot that display RS 2.0i in the same shape and dimension to the original. As soon as I sell another engine my car will be getting re-sprayed back to rosso red ready for my trip to Italy, as soon as I get there the engine will be run-in and ready for a test run on the autobahn for the return journey. The combination of red and black suites the capri and what the ladies like, the electric door mirrors come from an old black cab (FX4) and are genuine ford that fit perfect on a capri. Another benefit of owning a classic ford is that everyone looks, this is because the car was designed to be itself and not derived from existing sedans. Although a keen capri and Granada enthusiast, I'd have to admit the sierra was a much better car than what replaced it, the mondeo, puma & cougar were all extremely bland. Just one other point, If you happen to have this book called 'on ford capri restoration' you will find me in it, I attended a welding course at Leeds technical college where I was chosen to participate in the restoration of a MK1 capri in 1995

*More pictures of the restoration will follow shortly as the weather is not that great at present*

[capri v8 driver]

Although a keen capri and Granada enthusiast, I'd have to admit the sierra was a much better car than what replaced it,

Hmm not really.

the mondeo, puma & cougar were all extremely bland

Its difficult to compare a 40 year old car with these modern fwd cars. Owning a fiesta mk4 with a puma engine and drive train as a daily driver now I must say its completely different than a capri's mk1 and mk3 that I drove for 30 years as a daily driver. They are beter cars for normal driving in many ways. Is it more fun top drive than the capri? No, not really. Those modern fwd cars will never be a real drivers car.

[c.a.p.r.i]

In many ways you are correct, mk1/mk2 fiesta's go well with a 1.6/2.0 zetec upgrade as the old Valencia engine was an extremely noisy unit (you knew when a fiesta was behind you) On the other hand, the mondeo never had cosworth engineering applied to it and is unfortunately FWD which is no good on a large car, even the transit struggles with a transverse configuration (with the pulling force on the front wheels and load on the rear, the transit in both SWB & LWB in FWD fails)
The mondeo has been in production since 1993 and is a Euro-box, extremely bland in comparison to a classic ford, easy to work on but extremely ugly to look at. The problem is made worse with all this European legislation that we incorporate into our infrastructure, it wont be long until ownership of classic cars is restricted to the garage and scrapyards are a thing of the past. All modern mass manufacturing comes with built-in obsolescence in mind...Four years and it's fuck't and five if you are lucky...The days when things were manufactured to last and serve their purpose have long gone, this is why I bought a lathe and milling machine. How many times do you hear on the news about new cars being recalled due to issues with the brakes and engines?
Both the new mustang and GT40 are proper ford's, a new cosworth capri is long overdue...

[Bigj]

Great thread.

I'm planning on carrying out an Efi conversion to my lads 2.0s and also have a BOA in my other Capri which has recently been fitted with an Emerald K6. Both bare shell rebuilds.

Will give you a shout re the pinto as there are some bits I still need to complete the kit I will need but have most of it. Need ECU, loom etc

My pinto crossmember is with Tickover at the moment being modified for power steering.

Have everything for that except the high pressure hose.

[c.a.p.r.i]

That's interesting, converting to PAS is a good move as you will greatly appreciate it on such a big car, I converted my capri not that long ago and it's a nice modification. The best way to do it is to get a 2.8i crossmember and take the engine mounting brackets off then weld a pair of pinto ones in place, the drivers side mount will require a small amount metal removing from it to accommodate the steering assembly (be sure to reinforce the bracket with new steel so as to maintain its strength once you have aligned everything)
The hydraulic flow and return lines can be made by a hydraulic specialist quite easily also, a small section at the back of the crossmember needs to be cut out so you have access to tighten the union on the flow line.
My next modification is to upgrade to the smoother MT75 gearbox, all I need is a flywheel as the starter motor does not reach the original pinto flywheel, the 2.0 DOHC doesn't fit either so I'm told. 
I got a pair of clear side repeater indicators this morning that I ordered on ebay, they are slightly bigger than the original ford items and look much better than standard orange ones (much safer to have them due to the all the clowns on the roads) I fitted orange led's to them so they should last a lot longer than conventional bulbs. However, I may have a spare wiring loom complete with injection and pump relay, it's easy to wire up if using the original loom so if you need EFI spares let me know.
Thanks.

[Bigj]

Hi I've been trying to PM you but keep getting an error message. Could you PM me if you get a chance please?

Wanted to have a chat about some EFi parts.

Joe

[c.a.p.r.i]

VOLTAGE DROP...Being both an Auto-Electrician and Mechanic i'm curious to know why there is a drop in voltage to the electronic ignition coil as the engine turns over fine, it's as if more power goes to the starter and less to the coil. The ballast resistor was removed some time ago when i installed the EFI wiring loom and can confirm the output to the coil is a constant 12 volt however, all parts are brand new...electronic coil/distributor cap/spark plugs/HT Leads/rotor arm. As the 90 amp alternator came with the engine it was decided of me to fully recondition as it puts out a healthy current to the battery which is now two years old and holds a charge. The wiring from the ignition switch to both the coil and starter was recently upgraded and replaced so i assume the fault lies with the battery which is more stronger than what is used on the original 2.0 EFI pinto set up. 

[capri v8 driver]

You always get a voltage drop as you start. A healthy start motor uses a kilowatt to get turning. A bad starter uses even more. So you can see a voltage drop of 2 or 3 volts during starting.

What I found was that the older fords ignition switch always wasn't up to the task to provide a decent voltage to the starter relays resulting in a very slow turning starter and a big voltage drop.

I solved it by using a small relay between the starter relay and the battery and used the starter relay cable (coming from the ignition switch ) to trigger the small relay. 

This is easy to test by bypassing the ignition switch with a cable connected on the starter relay and hold it to the battery + and see if it starts beter.

And use decent earth cable between the battery, engine and chassis.

 

[c.a.p.r.i]

Thank's, both earth and positive cables are brand new...Whilst working for a company that builds fork lift trucks i noticed they use decent power cables and made up new ones as they had a crimping machine to attach new terminals. It's usually the case that the problem i have is fairly simple to resolve but quite frustrating at the time, especially when everything is reconditioned by a professional ...shit has a habit of getting in the way!

[capri v8 driver]

Chasing gremlins can be very frustrating, specially with 30 + year old wiring, connectors and switches.

For that reason alone I always build the efi system as a stand alone system and is directly connected to the battery. There will only 1 switched feed, coming from the ignition switch to trigger the system.

A 30 year old ignition switch may still work, but due to wear inside it could be that it doesn't flow enough power to the starter relay to energize it properly. That's why I use a small relay to by pass it. It only takes a small a mouth to trigger a relay. The relay takes the big current to energize the starter relay. I also use relays to power the efi system.

You also need to take in account that with the addition of a efi system that uses between 10 to 25 amps you need more power from the battery and the dynamo/alternator. With a 45 amp to a 70 amp dynamo/alternator and a small battery a efi conversion isn't gone be a big success.

I use at least a 55ah battery and a 120 amp ford transit alternator + bigger feed and earth cables for a pretty less stock capri/granda ect efi conversion.

With extra power consuming devices like big radio and amps I would go even bigger.



   

[c.a.p.r.i]

Like i said previously, both power cables from the battery were made myself when i worked at a fork lift truck company and are heavy duty. The original ignition switch did indeed give problems and was replaced last week,
If i disconnect the coil and insert a volt meter i can see the power drop from a healthy 12.5 volts (whilst cranking the engine over) to around 8-9 volts, there is also no difference if i take a reading from the ignition switch.
The alternator was fully reconditioned by myself and returns a healthy 90 amps, i have no intention in fitting stereos and amps and am aware they place extra load on the battery although, i do have the luxury of electric windows,remote central locking,electric sunroof and electric door mirrors. I do have a Midland 7001 C.B radio that i serviced and will be used for DX-ing. 

Thanks anyway.

[c.a.p.r.i]

I now require a throttle/accelerator cable as the old one has had it, i have tried Andrew Page/Quickco/General Traffic and various old car shops in the hope to find one. The only ones i see on Ebay are for either 2.0 D.O.H.C or 2.0 Cosworth which are of no use, apparently Ford no longer manufacture them and i require a new one. If i remember rightly their is a company called 'speedy cables' that can custom make one to fit so it fits the accelerator pedal of the capri.

[capri v8 driver]

You mean this:

http://www.tickover.co.uk/shop/contents/en-uk/p821.html

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-CAPRI-MK2-1-6-2-0-OHC-RHD-ALL-MODELS-85cm-long-NEW-THROTTLE-CABLE-1975-79-/261135699926

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ford-capri-mk2-1-6-2-0-feb-75-nov-79-and-1-3-1-6-nov-79-onwards-throttle-cable-/281150955004?hash=item4175e71dfc

[c.a.p.r.i]

Non of those cables fit, one is for a clutch and the other two are throttle cables for 1.6/2.0 carburetor engines. The problem with the voltage drop still exists and have since upgraded to a more powerful 096 battery and starter during the summer months. I now have to use my Fathers Alfa Romeo Spider (Euro-Box) to jump start it which still takes many attempts before it reluctantly fires up. My last option is to temporarily run a live from the battery to the ECU and turn the ignition key, if this resolves the problem it's obviously an internal fault with the ignition switch which can't take the load (the feed to the ignition switch was upgraded and balast resistor removed before i added the EFI loom) Upgrading to a 2.0 pinto EFI is a popular modification and straightforwards as i have done this upgrade to both escort/cortina & capri many times before.

Battery 096   = 680 CCA 72 Ah

Starter Motor = 1.4 k.w

***Both the ignition switch and ignition module were replaced and the problem refuses to fuck off with it's annoying idiosyncrasies!***