Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Tune up.

This summer I'm thinking about a full tune up on my Zetec, and I want to replace, plugs, wires (maybe Ford Racing wires), do a tranny fluid flush, (air filter already been done, might change it for a K&N cone filter). It has 70K miles on it, is this too soon, and is there anything I'm forgetting?

grease brake pins
pass comp air filter
brake fluid
anti-freeze
fuel filter
thermostsat
If your Cheap - its toooo soon.......
Otherwise - 'Its never to early to do P.M.'

Hm...well I'm kinda cheap, so I might just do some fluid flushes (the coolant was done this past fall when the Timing Belt/Water Pump was replaced) and spark plugs and wires.

PM keeps the car from doing what my Mystique is doing. Sitting on jackstands getting its engine torn apart because the previous owner didnt keep up on maintence.

If your aiming that far away, just start collecting parts now then it wont feel like such a hit to your wallet all at once. Then you know it will be done the right way.

EDIT: Servicing and adding a trans cooler to the ATX should be the very first thing on your list.

Where can I get these coolers and how much? and where and how to install them? is there a how to article on them?

I picked mine up at a parts store in town. ~$40 or so. Summit Racing and Jegs sell them as well.

Under the car, directly in front of the subframe (might be behind), you will see two roughly 3/8" steel lines. Follow the one that exits the bottom passenger side of the radiator and mark it so you wont have to look later. That will be the one you will splice into. I bought the biggest cooler that would fit, it was once size smaller then the largest they had on the shelf (too big you will hit the crash bar/structural braces). Loosen the A/C condenser enough so you will be able to get your hand up in there enough to push the little plastic clips on. Feed the clips through the cooler/foam insulators/condensor, snap the other side into place and cut off the excess. Tighten the condenser back up, cut the line with an actual pipe cutter, not a hacksaw. Flare those two cuts (I had to bend the tubing somewhat) and install the rubber hose to the cooler.

It sounds time consuming but its actually not too bad. Some people will say that you should splice the cooler in *before* the radiator, that it will cool better. At any speed above 50 mph, the setup I had would have me at 170-190 degrees, which was enough to make me happy.

If you head into the transaxle forum, you will be able to find a slightly better how-to. To help save you some time, the cooler I had on the Contour when it was still an ATX was 7" tall x 11" wide x 3/4" thick.

My setup also included a remote transmission filter as well. That was mounted behind the bumper cover, in front of the driver's front tire.

i just put a b&m super cooler in my car ...where did you get your filter from, hows the setup on that?

I actually used the line exiting the trans for this so it would be hot. Instead of letting the line turn towards to the passenger side, I loosened the fitting at the trans, spun it 180 degrees and tightened it. Some new pipe and it was in place.

Just pick up an oil filter adapter (make sure its fittings enter from the side) and a spin on filter rated for hydraulic or transmission service. I used a Baldwin B2HPG which was stocked by the local Baldwin dealer.