This also applies to the 2.0 engine with minor differences. Before proceeding you should have block hot tanked and checked out by your local friendly machine shop for straightness, cracks, main wear and so forth. If the block is to be bored, line bored, or decked, you must know this before doing anything else, so you can order the correct parts. At this point we will assume the block has been bored and honed. or just honed with a RIDGED HONE if no boring is to be done. DO NOT USE A BALL HONE.

Parts list

• Head gasket set; inc: head gasket, head bolts, cam seal, valve stem seals, valve cover gasket, intake and exhaust gaskets.
• Main bearings.
• Rod bearings.
• Piston rings.
• Pistons if boring is required.
• Timing belt.
• Water pump and gasket.
• Oil pump and gasket.
• Rear main seal.
• Oil pan gasket.
• Assembly lubricant.
• Spray on copper gasket (optional, makes life easier).
• 10w-40 or higher.
• Anti-sieze.

Tools

• Valve tool
• Ring compressor
• Socket set
• End wrench set
• Torque wrench
• Hammer with wood handle.
• Various other things

Bottom end

1. Place block deck side down on card board or wood.
2. Lube main journals with asembly lube.. thin layer.
3. Place one side of main bearings in journals, tap into place. it should go eazily, if not somethings wrong.
4. Three sided thrust bearing goes in the middle.

   

5. Lube face of main bearings with assembly lube
6. Place crankshaft into journals. check for proper fit.

   

7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the crank end caps.
8. Place middle cap on first, snug bolts, check for proper spin, torque bolts to spec.
9. Working your way outward, do one main cap at a time alternating back and forth sides. check for proper spin after each torque sequence. if crank doesnt spin with minimal effort, somethings wrong. check thrust play inbetween thrust bearing and crank.. match to specs.

   

10. Your pistons need to be tweekishly clean. free of any sort of anything thats not aluminum.
11. Place one end of the top ring in the groove. make sure the "mark" is facing up.

    

12. Spiral the ring arround until it flops into the groove. its not hard, dont make it harder than it has to be.

    

13. Repeat for middle ring.
14. Place the weidr looking deal onto the oil ring land.

    

15. Install the two scrapers ONTO the weird looking deal. they sit barely off the side of the weird deal. after this, repeat steps 4 thru 6 for the piston rod bearings. Don't forget to put the rod bearings in.

    

    

    

    

16. Set the top of the piston in some sort of containment unit of motor oil. not assembly lube. let drip off access.

    

17. Use a white towel and some oil and wipe out each cyl until the rag comes out clean. make sure there is a decent film of oil on the walls.
18. Do the same process with your ring compressor. after words place the piston in the ring compressor until the ompressor is just barely under the oil rings..and tighten till tight.. yes tight. no slack. make sure the compressor isnt crookid or sideways.

    

19. Rotate crank until your choice cylinder is at tdc.
20. Make sure the intake valve reliefe faces the rear of the block.
21. Place piston into cylinder.

    

22. Use the hammer or something not metal thats relativly heavy and knock the piston into the cylinder. You wont hurt it. its going to fight you so your going to have to give it some hell.. it should go right in. if not, your compressor isnt tight enough.

    

    

23. Watch the rod to make sure it doesn't bind or hit the crank.

    

24. Put the rod cap bolts on and tighten in alternating pattern till both are snug. then torque to spec.

    

25. The rotating assembly will now be difficult to turn by hand. if nesasary, grab the counter weights and use them to turn #1 to TDC.
26. Spray the oil pump and water pump gaskets with a thin but decent amount of spray-on-copper.
27. Install water pump.

    

    

28. Remove oil pump "front main seal".
29. Install oil pump.

    

30. Install front main seal.

    

31. At this time you can put the shield looking dealy thats on the spi. it bolts to the bottom of the main caps.
32. Tweekishly clean oil pan and install seal with no silicon or sealer. Use plain gasket. Note in this pic the location and instalation of the turbo oil drain

    

33. Apply a thin layer of anti-sieze compound to the end of the crank shaft where the balancer goes. yes, all the way arround.. this will make removing it in the future eazyer. coat the balancer bold threads in a moderate amount of anti-sieze. also, aply to the inside dia of the balancer where it contacts the shaft.
34. Install woodruff key
35. Install big washer looking deal with the taper facing out.
36. Install timing belt pulley with the guard facing outward
37. At this point you can install the balancer or leave it off till you get the head on.

    

    

38. Install rear main seal. you may have to loosen the oil pan to get it on without messing with the pan gasket. you can also spray a sligh tbit of liquid copper on the gasket.

    

39. Install the PCV assembly.

    

Top end

1. As previously stated, it is recommended that the head get hot tanked prior to performing this.

   

   

2. Turn head virticle and drop cam in. be verry careful not to force it if it binds. it should drop in eazily.

   

   

   

3. Place new cam oil seal arround edge and beat it into place.

   

4. Install cam retainer/thrust plate/holdy deal and tighten bolts.

   

   

5. This can be done anytime, but i do it at the begining.. install pulley and make sure cam is at "TDC".

   

   

6. Install the 8 valve stem seals, pres into place.

   

7. Install the intake valves.

   

   

8. Put on spring and retaining clip holder.

   

9. Place valve tool on valve and compress spring. insert tapered retainers fat side outward... release valve tool slowly.

   

   

   

   

10. Repeat the last step for all exhaust and intake valves.

    

    

11. Lay head flat on a tray.

    

12. Lube generously the bores of each lifter and coat outside of lifter. install all 8 into head.

    

    

    

13. Iinstall all 4 retainers. make sure you get the notched side toward the un-notch on the head.

    

14. Install all 4 retainer retainers. make sure you get the notched side toward the un-notched side.

    

15. Install all 8 rockers, make them snug but dont tighten them all till you get them all in.

    

16. Install intake manifold studs.

    

17. Pour oil onto each lifter and into the rocker pivit points. You sucesfully put together your head.

Final assembly

1. Place head gasket on head. make sure surfaces are tweekishly clean. the gasket says "top" on one end.
2. Place dowel pins in block deck.
3. Place head on block deck.

   

4. Place the 10 TTY head bolts in holes. slightly tighten them.
5. Install thermostat in housing, make sure the spring side is facing inside the head. place gasket on and screw housing on head.

   

6. Install gasket and IAC valve.

   

7. Install intake gasket with 2 ports, IMRC, gasket with one port, intake manifold.
8. Loosen tentioner, put on timing belt, tighten tentioner and install balancer.

   

   

Directions & pictures created by Marclar.

Also see

• Ford Escort & ZX2 section for the entire index of all Ford Escort and ZX2 related articles.