[Shotimes] Dead 93 MTX

[BJamesjr@aol.com]

> 1.  In the process of tearing down I found that the cause of the
> catastrophic failure was my timing belt broke.  I know some of you have
> probably been over the answer to this a thousand times but....When I go
> to put a new timing belt on, how do I know for sure that Cams and Crank
> are on the right revolution

We just went through a long thread on this, but if you set the crank and the 2 cam gears to match the marks on the front of the engine then you are in time.  Another check is to rotate the crank so the mark on the harmonic balancer lines up with the timing mark on the lower front timing belt cover.

After lining everything up, put on the belt so its 3 marks line up with the marks on the gears and the marks on the front of the engine.  At this point stop and study what you have with a good light.  Once you have assured yourself that all of the marks line up, then you can put it all back together and it will work.  There are 2 other critical things to watch for- you need to follow the procedure for setting the tensioner so it will tension the belt properly and be locked down properly, and you need to torque the bolt in the harmonic balancer to the proper torque.  With a torque wrench, an MTX, and a helper this is relatively easy.

> 5.  Any suggestions on the best place to buy the following parts
> from would be greatly appreciated too.

I have bought some of these parts at OReilly auto parts.  Check your local large auto parts stores first, then whatever you can't get there you can go to the dealer for.

With water pumps, you have a choice of new vs. rebuilt.  I have used both on my SHO and not had any problems with either.  You should check on the parts before removing your water pump as they come different ways- i.e. when I bought a new pump I got the entire pump including front and back housings and proper o-rings for installation of the pump.  When I bought a rebuilt one it came only with the front part of the housing and did not give the o-ring to install it to the engine.  I had already removed my pump so I had to reuse the oring which wasn't in the best condition.  I could not find the proper oring anywhere.

I have used generic thermostats and not had any problems with them.  In fact I have read of lots of thermostat problems here whereas in my experience working in a garage there isn't that much trouble with thermostats.  My feeling is that generic thermostats are maybe better than the special Ford part.  The jiggle valve helps air to get out of the system during filling.  I did the same thing by drilling a small hole in the top of the generic thermostat when I put it in my car.  It has worked fine now for longer than the original thermostat worked.  When you buy a thermostat you need to get the correct rubber o-ring gasket for it.

For plugs and wires, you can read the info. on shotimes.com but you need the proper plugs and wires because they work together to seal the plug wells from above to keep out water and dirt.  Other plugs and wires are of different lengths and usually don't work properly.  Don't buy the wires at the dealer- they will be way to expensive.

> Water Pump
> Timing/ACC belts
> CPS (Crank Sensor)
> Crank Seal
> Thermostat/Sending Unit (BTW, what is the jiggle valve?)  I can't see
> anything non-symmetrical on my old one except for maybe one small dimple
> missing from an inner ring on the thing.
> Plugs/Wires