Many of you old-time BITOGers might remember me as the guy who has been running Red Line in his 1997 Ford Escort wagon. After 313,000+ miles, the engine finally bit the dust in a big way and I have decided not to get it repaired, but to get another vehicle instead. I've had a lot of problems with the head over the last couple of years, and that's what finally did it in. A number of people have told me that this car was the highest-mileage Escort with the original block and innards they had ever seen, so it has probably been on borrowed time. Perhaps using Red Line helped get me as far as I did.
Earlier this year the original head lost a valve seat insert and did minor damage to piston No. 4. This is evidently an Escort CVT engine weak spot. The cylinder was not damaged and even still showed the original factory hone marks, so my mechanic put on a rebuilt head. Earlier this week, the "Service Engine Soon" light began flashing furiously as the engine made a horrible ratcheting noise. I was in the middle of nowhere and managed to nurse the car home and then to the mechanic the next day. Upon removing the head, it turned out that several valve seat inserts had broken and all four pistons and cylinders were beaten to heck. I saw the damage and loss of inserts, and it wasn't pretty.
The source of the rebuilt head had a 90-day warranty (and it has been six months), and was saying on top of that that the engine was "probably" running lean, leading to overheating the head and causing the insert failures. In other words, the rebuilder has found two ways of weaseling out of doing anything. But the car never showed signs of overheating, and the fuel injectors and several other components were new or nearly so. To judge from the fuel economy, the car was actually probably running slightly rich, not lean. I am not blaming my mechanic, but his source for the rebuilt head. Instead of trying to fight what would probably be a no-win urinating contest with the rebuilder, though, I'm calling it quits with this car. The estimate for a rebuilt engine is $2,800 + labor, total well over $3,000, and for that money I can get something else with a lot fewer miles. Too much money has already gone into this car over the last couple of years.
The irony is that according to Ford's records this wagon was built on 10 October 1996. (The 1997s appeared earlier that year.) The car last ran on the road under its own power exactly 10 years later, on 10 October 2006. It will not run again. I will tow it home, empty the personal belongings, and call the local knackers to come haul it away. This was a good car, but it's time for it to rest in peace.
Earlier this year the original head lost a valve seat insert and did minor damage to piston No. 4. This is evidently an Escort CVT engine weak spot. The cylinder was not damaged and even still showed the original factory hone marks, so my mechanic put on a rebuilt head. Earlier this week, the "Service Engine Soon" light began flashing furiously as the engine made a horrible ratcheting noise. I was in the middle of nowhere and managed to nurse the car home and then to the mechanic the next day. Upon removing the head, it turned out that several valve seat inserts had broken and all four pistons and cylinders were beaten to heck. I saw the damage and loss of inserts, and it wasn't pretty.
The source of the rebuilt head had a 90-day warranty (and it has been six months), and was saying on top of that that the engine was "probably" running lean, leading to overheating the head and causing the insert failures. In other words, the rebuilder has found two ways of weaseling out of doing anything. But the car never showed signs of overheating, and the fuel injectors and several other components were new or nearly so. To judge from the fuel economy, the car was actually probably running slightly rich, not lean. I am not blaming my mechanic, but his source for the rebuilt head. Instead of trying to fight what would probably be a no-win urinating contest with the rebuilder, though, I'm calling it quits with this car. The estimate for a rebuilt engine is $2,800 + labor, total well over $3,000, and for that money I can get something else with a lot fewer miles. Too much money has already gone into this car over the last couple of years.
The irony is that according to Ford's records this wagon was built on 10 October 1996. (The 1997s appeared earlier that year.) The car last ran on the road under its own power exactly 10 years later, on 10 October 2006. It will not run again. I will tow it home, empty the personal belongings, and call the local knackers to come haul it away. This was a good car, but it's time for it to rest in peace.
