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PeppermintPatty

Is a bad kind of man, like that Jodie Foster
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
3,782
Location
NE OH
I feel like I've just given birth...in a joyous way, not a painful way. And with less than $300 invested including the car...not in a butt-hurt way either.


The timing belt deal was pretty simple...air tools help too. I have no idea how the heck this thing ran before the belt was shredded. The center electrode & the top electrode on all plugs were completely wore down to nothing, insulators black. Water pump was shot & leaking. Serp tensioner shot, idler frozen. I believe this was a fine specimen of a completely original 100k+ '98 GL...save for the Napa serp belt. Not mentioning the rusty muck lying at the bottom of the coolant tank...I got the rest flushed out of the engine & radiator. Still debating whether to splurge & buy a new tank at nearly the cost of the car...:crazy:

Another zetec brought back from the dead! viva la zetec!
 
New coolant tank?

New coolant tank?

If its just the dirty coolant tank, wash it out. don't mess up your luck by fixing too much on your conturd. Just enjoy it for what it is a cheap car that gets decent gas mileage.

You did much better than I, bought a 98 with a broken band in the trans. With all that I have done to it I have way too much money in it. $900 to date.
 
I've rinsed the tank several times until the water ran clear...but the rest of the crap is beginning to loosen up. I haven't put any coolant in it, only water, until I'm sure the rest of it is out. I have a mystique parts car I may see if the one in it is cleaner & compatable...they had a few different designs over the years. I have a few things I need to get off of it.

I have alot of items left from my last contour that I am using on this one...so the only thing that has really cost me was the timing belt kit & water pump, among a couple other maintenance things.
 
Good to hear another 'tour has been resurrected! I'm still trying to figure out what to do with mine. I haven't been down to look at it since the motor went south on my wife. Repair shop said it has good fuel pressure, passed the block test (how this was done when the engine won't start) but that it failed the compression test. Don't know the values. The tech said they found gas in the crankcase and didn't know if it was from running the block test or not. They also said the car wasn't worth a new motor. I've been keeping my eyes out for a used motor, but may just wait til I can get it up here and start tearing this one down. The list of possible causes seems to be growing each time I give it any thought. :cry:
 
Pull it & replace it. Check out www.car-part.com & hit up your local yards. Cash in hand always does a good job of talking. It's usually cheaper & less of a hassle to pull & replace the whole thing than rebuilding here & there these days.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Pull it & replace it. Check out www.car-part.com & hit up your local yards. Cash in hand always does a good job of talking. It's usually cheaper & less of a hassle to pull & replace the whole thing than rebuilding here & there these days.
Click to expand...

Great resource! I had no idea there were so many engines available between Hutch and OKC. Thanks, PeppermintPatty. God, I love this forum!!
 
I found that website in '02 before I registered here...I bought a totalled contour to rebuild back then & it came in very handy.
 
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