Mrzig
Sorry to read this next disaster, but having been there when mine decided it wanted to be less than the number cylinders intended, the first thing to do is nothing! Sit back swear a bit, and over the next few days or weeks decide what's best for you, rebuild, second hand, new, give up all went through my mind, and yes life went on hold for months but when you decide what's best, I hope it's good because you have taken that car along way forward already, so it may be one step back today but I am sure you will leap forward again, and bring smiles to you and us.

Mark

Look at it this way, untill they looked at it today you were happy using it.

Well keep on using it till you can afford to have it or another engine rebuilt and the supercharger fitted!

This way you can still go to BNG and other shows and enjoy your motoring.

If it goes bang then you have to stop using it till you can afford it!

Simple!

Andy

Engines are funny things mrzig. i had an audi a few years back. Ran beautifully. perfect and quuck of the mark, until one sunny afternoon a big end tried to burst thro the sump and clunked and moaned all the way home. the engine was perfect till then. opened it up and everything was fine except that one cylinder it just had enough. I was lucky enough to be in a position to fix it myself and after a month or so and a rebore and head skim it ran sweet as.
Until, that is it blew up 500 miles later as the stupid twit (me) effed up the fuel lines.
Engines do the weirdest things.

Like this one???

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-FORD-SCORPIO-ULTIMA...

Hi Mark,

Don't panic.

Those pics you posted earlier of your engine with the head off show pitting and chunks missing at that point; an endoscope will have magnified that and made it look awful. Your power output was down at BBWF so it's no surprise your compressions are low/variable; I'd say it's likely that your engine's been like that for ages and it won't get any worse suddenly. Engines are generally pretty tolerant of this kind of thing; you say it's running fine, pulling well and not smoking - by most measures the engine's OK!

There's little reason for cyl head/piston/bore wear to make an engine throw a rod; and in any case what's the worst that could happen - high speed on a motorway you'd dip the clutch and coast/brake to a stop. and another way of looking at it is that if the compressions are low then the forces on the conrod are also low; so it's less likely to throw a rod than a standard or tuned engine!

Just keep driving it and source a new engine for a rebuild/supercharger as time allows. When it makes awful noises, won't start, uses loads of fuel or smokes (and it's likely to be a combination of these not just one of them), that is the time for panic measures. Don't rush into it, that's where mistakes would be made and costs spiral...

just drive it and enjoy it!

Someone out there will have the definitive answer but i think you may have trouble getting a V8 into your chassis Zig. I believe the early 2l & 2.8 wedges with trailing arm rear suspension have narrower chassis rails than the later V8 & A frame cars. As the 2.8 V6 is only a 60 degree angle between the Vee rather than the ford small block 90 degree, this makes the small block quite a bit wider than the V6. Some careful measurement required before parting with any cash methinks!

You should have smashed his tosspot face in Mark. I'm sure everything will be sorted in a few months mucka. Delilah ain't dead yet.

Dix

Hi peeps..Just had a lengthy chat with John toovey..(Thanks dave)..And there is light at the end of the tunnel...Its turns out that he has a 2.8 that he has built sitting there and all it needs is a set of forged pistons which he can get from the states..Someone asked him to build it and then went and bought a 2.9..best thing they ever done!..Cheers....He advised me to take off the heads and have a look as like he said the trouble with borescopes is that you can use them on a brand new rebuilt engine and still see what looks like damage, He also said that the leakage could be due to the valves...Im going to get the heads taken off next week and have a good look..Hopefully its either an adjustment of a set of valves which is a darn sight cheaper than an engine rebuild...I have asked Mr Toovey to reserve the engine for me and i will buy the pistons once i have some more cash..After all i will need to have a strong engine to fit the supercharger to...Cheers...Ziga

Cheers chaps..

Martin.. I think you could be right..Im going to pop along to the ford garage so he can do a compression test and listen to the engine, He is not convinced that its damaged..

Leigh...Cheers for the offer..Since i have fitted the new WUR the car is driving a lot better and it even feels like i have more power than i had at this years fest..When the guy at KMI tested my old one he said that it was running .1 over the factory setting when it should be .1 under...He said it doesnt sound a lot but it would of made the car run lean and loose power..The car actually feels better than its ever done and thats whats doing my head in..

Well you have all convinced me to continue using her..cheers...Ziga