striker2
Official CEG Vendor
You may have to remove the timing belt cover to get the valve cover off if you haven't already.
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Code 1383
- Thread starter yamichi
- Start date
yamichi
New CEG'er
You may have to remove the timing belt cover to get the valve cover off if you haven't already.
gawdamnit... I'm either buying a chilton's manual for this thing or leaving it in a dumpster. Not my car anyway but... sigh.
striker2
Official CEG Vendor
IIRC the timing belt cover is just 2 8mm bolts and then the top cover lifts up and off.
yamichi
New CEG'er
IIRC the timing belt cover is just 2 8mm bolts and then the top cover lifts up and off.
There are 4x 8mm bolts but once they were taken off, I couldn't get the TB cover off- I may have been able to force it, but I'm just wary of forcing things...
andreslobo
Hard-core CEG'er
take it easy
take it easy
Have you ensured that the plug wires are on correctly? Do this first before you expend anymore effort. even less effort is to ensure that the vct wire is plugged in. Yup plug #1 goes on cyl number one and wire number one goes on coil terminal number one and so on.
If the above efforts don't fix this issue, then it might be the VCT or jumped timing. To pull off the timing cover requires much more work than removing the two 8mm hex head bolts. On the older cars without vct that cover would just pop off. but on the VCT models (yours) you need to support the engine and at least remove the two studs holding the passenger side motor mount out then the timing cover will just pop off. To check the cam timing you will need some timing tools from a auto shop ($20) but a quick look at the belt should tell you if it is loose enough to allow it to jump timing (unlikely unless idlers and tensioners are shot).
As for putting the trans in park while moving certainly didn't do the trans any good it probably didn't harm it much. It is simply a pawl that locks the trans. The ratcheting noise you heard was the trans trying to lock up. If park works now, don't sweat it.
Unless the car is free, don't waste your time if you have another car.
take it easy
Have you ensured that the plug wires are on correctly? Do this first before you expend anymore effort. even less effort is to ensure that the vct wire is plugged in. Yup plug #1 goes on cyl number one and wire number one goes on coil terminal number one and so on.
If the above efforts don't fix this issue, then it might be the VCT or jumped timing. To pull off the timing cover requires much more work than removing the two 8mm hex head bolts. On the older cars without vct that cover would just pop off. but on the VCT models (yours) you need to support the engine and at least remove the two studs holding the passenger side motor mount out then the timing cover will just pop off. To check the cam timing you will need some timing tools from a auto shop ($20) but a quick look at the belt should tell you if it is loose enough to allow it to jump timing (unlikely unless idlers and tensioners are shot).
As for putting the trans in park while moving certainly didn't do the trans any good it probably didn't harm it much. It is simply a pawl that locks the trans. The ratcheting noise you heard was the trans trying to lock up. If park works now, don't sweat it.
Unless the car is free, don't waste your time if you have another car.
yamichi
New CEG'er
Andres- you're the poo! Thanks
I saw the passenger motor mount blocking the cover on and was worried that was the case. I have another car but I'm trying to hunt down a beater to use as a DD.
I drove it again today and here's what I saw/felt-
It didn't want to accelerate. It was if the throttle didn't have a direct tie to the motor. I could press the gas pedal and sometimes the engine would rev up a little bit, most of the time it would lug down like a stick does if you put it in gear and release the clutch without bringing the engine up to speed. The brake issue was also happening but only when the car was moving slowly. I noticed a marked difference in performance with the headlights and defroster on vs off as well so that kinda worried me. I told him I'd give him $100 for the car but no more since it may need MAJOR work.
I saw the passenger motor mount blocking the cover on and was worried that was the case. I have another car but I'm trying to hunt down a beater to use as a DD.
I drove it again today and here's what I saw/felt-
It didn't want to accelerate. It was if the throttle didn't have a direct tie to the motor. I could press the gas pedal and sometimes the engine would rev up a little bit, most of the time it would lug down like a stick does if you put it in gear and release the clutch without bringing the engine up to speed. The brake issue was also happening but only when the car was moving slowly. I noticed a marked difference in performance with the headlights and defroster on vs off as well so that kinda worried me. I told him I'd give him $100 for the car but no more since it may need MAJOR work.
andreslobo
Hard-core CEG'er
vacuuim leak?
vacuuim leak?
Looking at your last post, a large vacuum leak would provide just the symptoms listed.
Poor running AND no brakes at low speed would get me looking at a vacuum leak. If you have a vacuum leak you will get too much air into the engine with really lousy performance and since the power booster on the brakes is vacuum powered it would give you very poor brakes.
I'd take a look at the power booster first to ensure that it is not the source of your vacuum leak, then if not ,start following the vacuum hose towards the engine until you find the problem.
Good luck
vacuuim leak?
Looking at your last post, a large vacuum leak would provide just the symptoms listed.
Poor running AND no brakes at low speed would get me looking at a vacuum leak. If you have a vacuum leak you will get too much air into the engine with really lousy performance and since the power booster on the brakes is vacuum powered it would give you very poor brakes.
I'd take a look at the power booster first to ensure that it is not the source of your vacuum leak, then if not ,start following the vacuum hose towards the engine until you find the problem.
Good luck
'It is simply a pawl that locks the trans.'
That's a pretty good one, and one hell of an understatement. Try throwing a 9'16" wrench into a running trans and see how long it lasts. You obviously have not seen the cracked trans cases I have from someone doing that................you are locking up a trans running with 2500 pound car worth of inertia behind it there, can break trans at even 10 mph if you get pawl all the way into notch.
That's a pretty good one, and one hell of an understatement. Try throwing a 9'16" wrench into a running trans and see how long it lasts. You obviously have not seen the cracked trans cases I have from someone doing that................you are locking up a trans running with 2500 pound car worth of inertia behind it there, can break trans at even 10 mph if you get pawl all the way into notch.
andreslobo
Hard-core CEG'er
but it likely didn't
but it likely didn't
If the pawl had managed to engage at speed, then yes the trans would have problems. But the pawl is spring loaded and likely couldn't get into the slot and just made alot of noise.
So yes it is just a pawl and as stated earlier and restated now for the reading comprehension challenged. " if after throwing it into park and hearing the noise but the trans still works, don't sweat it.
Do you suggest that he rebuild the trans simply because he threw it into park?
What is your point?
but it likely didn't
If the pawl had managed to engage at speed, then yes the trans would have problems. But the pawl is spring loaded and likely couldn't get into the slot and just made alot of noise.
So yes it is just a pawl and as stated earlier and restated now for the reading comprehension challenged. " if after throwing it into park and hearing the noise but the trans still works, don't sweat it.
Do you suggest that he rebuild the trans simply because he threw it into park?
What is your point?
I am suggesting naivete on the part of someone who thinks no damage just because trans works at this time. Maybe yes or no, but to assume none done no more correct than the insinuation towards me. Like I say again, I have seen it. Pawl spring loaded, so freakin' what, the human hand can override that. The first suggestion was not to let whoever did it drive the car again. Initial poster seemed to chime in agreement with that answer.
Rebuild the trans? You gotta be kidding, can't even get valve cover off, or change plug wires without car DNF. Will take a month to figure out small crack caused by park thing if it happened, and then only when/if trans locks up. Especially now that told not to worry about it. Extrapolation of course.
Reading comprehension challenged? Yeah. Oh yeah. I can read as well as anyone on the planet. I can also weed through most of the BS better than most people you know. I am exceedingly pessimistic, but that trait extremely valuable as a troubleshooter. I have made megabucks from it.
Rebuild the trans? You gotta be kidding, can't even get valve cover off, or change plug wires without car DNF. Will take a month to figure out small crack caused by park thing if it happened, and then only when/if trans locks up. Especially now that told not to worry about it. Extrapolation of course.
Reading comprehension challenged? Yeah. Oh yeah. I can read as well as anyone on the planet. I can also weed through most of the BS better than most people you know. I am exceedingly pessimistic, but that trait extremely valuable as a troubleshooter. I have made megabucks from it.
Here is the point you so apparently crave. Maybe I over-emphasized, but it is a matter of perception by others. There are many who visit here who have not a clue, no insult meant to anyone reading this of course, but life experiences vary widely. When someone throws it in park while moving, the reaction should not be 'you're OK, so what, maybe next time'. It should be more like DON'T DO THAT. The next time could be dangerous to both person and property if the difference in degree is not spelled out.
No insult meant to anyone, if it seems so, I apologize. Same to original poster, whose post I jacked.
No insult meant to anyone, if it seems so, I apologize. Same to original poster, whose post I jacked.
Fix the known problem first. You know, the out of order spark plug wires. Also, Ford wastespark systems are sensitive to the type of spark plug you use. Any gimmik plug (like Bosch +2 or +4, Splitfires, etc.) will cause it to misfire and otherwise run like . Use either Motorcraft plugs or Autolite plugs. When you go to put the spark plug wires on, cylinder 1 is closest to the passenger side of the car. With a 1383 code, it is likely your timing belt has jumped. Also, the lack of vacuum can easily be caused by improper cam timing. Your friend must have chicken legs if he can't stop a car without vacuum assited brakes. If you want to properly do the timing on the Zetec, follow the how-to I wrote. I also sell a video on Ebay that shows you exactly how to set the timing on a VCT Zetec engine.
http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=51692
http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=51692
One other thing to note on waste spark systems is that when one plug does not fire correctly the opposite one in that pair often does not either. A function of the fact that one fires forward and other reverse, they both are needed to complete the spark circuit. Lose one and you lose both. Funky stuff.