Terry Haines

...check the vac line to the fuel press reg..if it has gas in it the reg is leaking into the intake manifold..A bad vac leak would show up at idle as this is the time of very high intake vac..

...back today..will be looking over site/posts etc Tues..TH

...will be off the site for a week or so...combined family and business trip. Will pop on as and when I can..see you all soon..TH

...restricting the ISC feed air is not a good idea.

...heads Re oil starvation is a myth...so is the oil pan!!!

...may also want to look at the timing cover on the Cougar Vs Contour..some late Cougar engines it was revised a bit so you 'may' have to use the cover from the Contour motor..

..before blockchek and other chem additive that sense combustion gases in coolant it was 1)Any bubbles in rad or coolant res at start up/running with cap off 2)Pressure gage check device on rad/res to see if pressure goes nuts when running..old school!!...

..pressure wash is not a solvent,you need products like carb cleaners etc to dissolve the brown gasoline/oil gum and the carbon.

Standard upper and lower intakes are ally so once off the engine you can clean them well.Pay attention to the secondary butterflies ,they gunk up very bad.

....the moose is ,in part ,caused by ISC valve..If you get it at idle open the hood and pinch the air tube that feeds it..If you find out that this is the noise let us know and we will go from there...

...don't operate the IMRC with the cover off..the gears can jump out of mesh. IMRC operation can be seen where the cable connects to leaver on the lower intake manifold. The noise you talk about sounds more like the ISC valve / 'the moose' . Best chance with a replacement IMRC is a junk yard..

.....if the head gasket is blow it will overpressure the cooling system in a short time of running...and in most cases ,not even long enough for the system to warm up. Another older type test is a pressure gauge on the coolant res..a blown gasket will pressurize the system very quickly ...Again, circulation means little if combustion gas is blown into the coolant from the moment the engine starts..

..OK, yes Mondeo sales started in 93 with cars built in 92. Took a look at the early Mondeo wiring info I have and it makes no reference to that test. FWIW I doubt that the USA Contour has the same test as wiring etc between the two countries was not the same and the later Contour launch had many changes over the UK models etc.. I guess you could try the procedure...It 'may work' on say a 95 Contour ...

...air or no air a chem check on the coolant for combustion gases will tell if the head gasket is blowing...

..to be 100% sure I'd suggest you use something like this.. www.blockchek.com Most parts stores have testers like this...I'd do it before you decide on repair...

...sounds like you have air in the system. Try this..from COLD..remove coolant res cap..start engine and let it idle...first off as the engine warms check if you have any bubbles in the coolant res as this could be a sign of a blown head gasket..if all is OK..do NOT let the res boil over...before it reaches its operating temp..switch off..put the res cap straight back and let engine fully cool down..you should,if you have air in the system,notice the coolant level drop a bit ..this will tell you that air has been purged and the coolant is now filling the void...

...good plan would be new engine..all new 02 sensors...then it takes those components out of the 'possible problem' list. The EEC will have stored codes...these are codes that have been entered into the eec but have not yet reached 'warning' stage to trigger a check engine light. Every sensor has a 'trigger value'...it may take 3 stored codes/ 'drive cycles' on one sensor to trigger a check engine light when the 4th stored code is entered..varies sensor to sensor

...I would also look at the throttle plates on the lower intake manifold and do upper & lower at the same time. For the t/body I have found that Mac's carb, choke a throttle cleaner the best ,from napa I think or a throttle cleaner by crc.. For the manifolds start of with acetone and a wooden handle wire brush..do this outside and in a large metal tray..acetone eats paint/plastic etc so take care with your hands and eyes..once you have the worst off a final finish clean with the mac's cleaner and it should be fine. This will take some time ok...

..93 ??? Are you sure about that model year for a Mondeo.... I will check some old docs I have that are pre production etc..

...are the fans(low speed) kicking in as the car warms up from cold?...There are two temp senders..one for the ECM (lower) and one for the gauge (upper).......Does the coolant blow out of resevoir (over flow tank) when it gets too hot?

...sounds like a spun rod bearing...very common with higher mile V6's...

From the start of 3.0 conversions into Contours this issues comes up again and again..simple answer..Any 2.5 calibration does not work very well in an 'as is ' state in a 3.0. I re calibration on a dyno is what is needed ..Yes your engine appears rich but at the wrong times...both fuel and spark sound like they need recalibration ...

..hard to tell from your picture but that area looks like it is looking down on the engine near the back..that connector could be for the camshaft sensor...

..and drain out the existing PAS fluid and refill with Mobil 1 ATF..

All Contours with the Zetec run with the temp needle around 1>2 o/clock..The thing to keep a regular ear out for is that the low speed fan does kick on at idle when it reaches temp and the high speed comes in with a/c switched on. Just keep an eye on coolant levels and the fan and you will be Ok.