Need help finding an engineer

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

I think we need to find the person or persons who designed were the bolts for the alternator are located. We should find him bury him up to his head and then all take turns kicking him.

Then get him all cleaned up, let him have a good night sleep, and do it again the next day. I think we could make a whole weekend out of this!

And what the hell is the deal with that last bracket mounted to the back of the alt. I've been working on cars for years and have never seen this. I think they put it there just because you can't see it. So that after you FINALLY get the bolts out you get pushed over that finall edge when the alt doesn't just drop out.

I did'nt realize that Ford had 10 year old girls working for them. There the only ones who could get their hands behind the alternator.

Dude, there are far more stupid package decisions on the contour than the alternator bolts.

Oil Filter location relative to the exhaust manifold strikes me as one of the worst.

Stupid torque bits on the calipers......

Originally posted by elraido:
Stupid torque bits on the calipers......

I find them to be extremely easy to remove

Originally posted by pre98zetec:

Originally posted by elraido:
Stupid torque bits on the calipers......

I find them to be extremely easy to remove

thats probably because you have a zetec.

I agree that the alternator bolts on the duratec are kinda a pain, but i dont think they are that bad. The hard part is just finding what tools you need. After that, its cake.

The biggest pita with torques is that generally most people do not have them! lol I had no problem spending 3 dollars to buy the torque bit to do my brakes.

And yeah the oil filter and the alternator are other marvels of the contour...

I like that turbo kit in the group buy forum right now. I want to get the bracket just to relocate the alternator. lol

It's Torx, not torque.

Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:
It's Torx, not torque.

THANK YOU! That was driving me nuts, but I didn't want to seem nit-picky.

Originally posted by IRingTwyce:

Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:
It's Torx, not torque.

THANK YOU! That was driving me nuts, but I didn't want to seem nit-picky.

Nit-pickers unite! We should all get together and have our own festival at Carlisle.

Having the right tools makes all the difference, but I often wonder why some decisions are made. Why is it Torx on the rear, but Allen on the front, for instance? Still, overall the brakes are easy to service on this car. I bought a Torx socket set because of the brakes, and now I use it all the time.

Hate the oil filter location.

how about the SOBS that bent my EGR valve back so it wouldnt go back into position after i removed my UIM

My knuckles hurt from the alternator replacement, and I'm tired of the oil squirting all over my y pipe and dripping down onto my pretty coated headers.

yeah....$30 later for the craftsman torx bits helped...still not fun though. I don't want to try the alternator now.

i decided not to tackle replacing the alternator myself. I do not know how the mechanic actually got it off.

the oil filter location isn't that bad...i'm sure everyone knows to cover the y-pipe for easy clean up. My cousin's GTP is in a stupid spot as well. Taking it off spills oil all over the driveshaft, as well as onto the frame - which has a low spot in it so it pools up.

That's what happens when you have teams of engineers working independently on different parts of the drivetrain. They don't talk! Blame it on Terry Haines. He takes credit for inventing the damn Contour!