Panko's Mk1 Escort (Round 2)

[Panko 2,480]

Yeah its funny dex, i remember as a kid starting to get interested in Escorts i was into Mk2s. But now i dont think i could own a Mk2.

 

I might get rid of that brake light yet. The rear speaker doesnt work, so when i get around to sorting that ill look into removing that light.

[deankxf 20,266]

my Gemini has the brake light same as yours, i plan to remove it when i do a parcel shelf(but add a small LED version just to help the tailgating idiots)

if you want a race that might be close.. i'll line you up in the diesel gemini.. its not slow(compared to my van) ... and if you want a top speed challenge i have been told mine can/could do 140kmh lol...

 

My Gemini has 175/65/14 tyres and handles really well, i'll swap you a test drive if you like.(i'd like to go to 13" sle wheels but not sure the 165/75/13s would be as confident, although it seemed ok with stockies in a straight line of same size)
 

edited(175/65/14 tyres on it)

[Panko 2,480]

Haha that could be interesting to line up against. Not sure what top speed mine would do.

 

The tyres on the 13s are 175/70R13, which are 22.4mm oversized. 175/65R13 is closer to the right size, and 10mm less side wall.

[Panko 2,480]

 

Today i took the Escort on its first cruise, with Vic Mini club.

 

It finished in Sunbury, so decided to go past Michael's to fit the 15s and swap them for my 13s.

 

We had to remove the driver's rear mudflap, because the diff is not sitting straight in the car (driver's wheel too far back) and it grabbed one of the screw heads holding the mudflap on.

 

Drove it back to Cal's, without it touching too bad. The only spot it light brushed the tyre a few times was the driver's back wheel, on some big dips in the road. So thats again because the diff aint straight.

 

I also need to sort out a bad wobble in the front. The steering wheel has a bad wobble to it, like having a buckled wheel, but having swapped the wheels i know thats not it.

 

 

 

 

[Defective 1,692]

Those wheels would look awesome in a factory style silver.

[Mr Polson 10,214]

How is the diff not straight?

 

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[Panko 2,480]

Those wheels would look awesome in a factory style silver.

Yes and no. There is alot of black on chrome, or vise versa on the car. Hence i went black, but purposely ran chrome wheel nuts.

 

FYI. It looks much better in the flesh than the photos.

 

How is the diff not straight?Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Not sure lol but of you compare the 2 side on pics, you will see the rear wheels are in a different location. Passenger side being further forward.

 

When i had the front end alignment done, they suggested swapping the leaf springs left to right to try correct it. Im going to undo the U bolts and try corrct the diff first.

[winton 399]

I had a corty that had a similar diff issue but much worse. The axle tubes twisted in the cast housing causing the misalignment. From memory the MK1's have the same stile of diff with the steel tubing into the cast housing.

[Panko 2,480]

I had a corty that had a similar diff issue but much worse. The axle tubes twisted in the cast housing causing the misalignment. From memory the MK1's have the same stile of diff with the steel tubing into the cast housing.

How did you actually pick up on the fact the diff was twisted?

 

Yeah this is a rear loading diff, essentially the same as a falcon wagon/ute/van diff. Leaf sprung borg warner.

[winton 399]

How did you actually pick up on the fact the diff was twisted?

 

Yeah this is a rear loading diff, essentially the same as a falcon wagon/ute/van diff. Leaf sprung borg warner.

it was so bad it was obvious. It was in a te, coil sprung rear end so it was able to twist a lot. On one side the tire was touching the wheel arch behind the rear seat. The other side was towards the boot and almost touching the wheel arch

[Panko 2,480]

wowsas lol. this isn't quite that bad, but yeah something just isn't right. it hopefully will be just the diff is not sitting right. 

[Mr Polson 10,214]

Not sure lol but of you compare the 2 side on pics, you will see the rear wheels are in a different location. Passenger side being further forward.

 

 

When i had the front end alignment done, they suggested swapping the leaf springs left to right to try correct it. Im going to undo the U bolts and try corrct the diff first.

 

Yeah I can see the difference was just wondering how it manages to happen, isn't that what the locating pin on the leaf is for?

[Panko 2,480]

yeah but i assume they have a bit of movement in them

 

 

not sure...ill find out later in the week when i have it up in the air

[Defective 1,692]

You can see the difference in the two pics, but I would have thought that much difference would do pretty horrible things to the way it drives?

[SPArKy_Dave 8,863]

Maybe that's the cause of the driveline vibration?

[Panko 2,480]

Well its funny, you'd think it would crap like a mofo like that, but apparently following, it drives straight.

There are 2 vibrations going on. A light shudder taking off which isnt bothering me too much, because it will most likely be the 2 peice tailshaft, so ill swap that for a single.

 

The other one which is annoying is vibration at speed like a bent wheel. So im thinking front wheel bearing has a tight spot.

[Defective 1,692]

Get the tape measure out and measure the distance between the wheel centres on each side, it looks like a significant amount.

 

Maybe the body is out of whack? Although I'm sure rod would have picked up on that.

[Panko 2,480]

Yeah its definitely the diff.

 

We got a long straight piece of timber and compared side to side, holding it against the rear wheels and front wheels. The diff is definitely crooked

[Panko 2,480]

Today i had a good look at the Escort to try work out why the diff wasnt straight. After measuring off a number of relevant spots on the car side to side, it turns out the driver's side front leaf spring eye was 10mm further back on the car. Which is welded to the chassis.

I asked around on fb for advice, and pretty much every response i got was basically, never use a tape measure on and Escort, because they were all put together badly haha.

 

Anyway, Cal and I decided to unbolt the diff, and try moving it anyway, no good. So we come up with another idea, when we installed the 1" blocks, which has appeared to work. It has corrected the rear wheels, and brought the back ride height down perfect.

 

It just scrubs the rear left arch on big bumps, and turning left turns too fast, from the body rolling sideways onto the tyre.

 

[Outback Jack 6,352]

Hehe... been here...

Just get a set of tin snips cut your inside lip every 10cm with a v cut but not all the way to the edge so it doesnt show outside.

Use a hammer and carefully work the tabs back being careful not to go too hard.

After finished... clean and glass over top.... if needed.

Also valliant rear air shocks out of a ranger etc will fit in rear of escort...with a massage of the top mounts.

Mount filler in boot.

You will need these so you csn pump them up if you want to drive with passangers in the back.

 

If that doesnt clear your tyres its time for some ol stocky 12" and tyre on and roll a round pipe between that and guard to flare it.

Hope that helps, is what I did years ago with mine before 1600 front springs and a 2L and box snuck in there.... lol.

 

Jack.

 

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[Panko 2,480]

Haha im too affraid to hack the body. Its too tidy.

 

The solution we found is probably frowned upon, but its not a daily, and it seems to be fine.

[deankxf 20,266]

if it didn't crab before, does that mean it does now...(it wont be as bad as the hummer limo that gets around here, i reckon its nearly 30cm out)

[Panko 2,480]

No i dont think so. It just means the steering wheel is off centre because the front end alignment was done with the rear end out of whack

[Panko 2,480]

Ok so the next job in the list of things to do...front wheel bearings Any takers? Haha

 

I shouldve bloody well done them when i has the front end apart the first time. But nope. So now its time to do them.

 

Then the tailshaft needs to be swapped for a single peice. The sorce of the vibration under load is the centre bearing on the factory 2 peice tailshaft. Its flogged out big time. Unfortunately nobody makes replacement bearings etc for them, so ill just drop a single peice mk1 tailshaft in and that should sort the issue out.

[Panko 2,480]

Oh, and I have until March sometime to fit the down draupht twin barrel weber and extractors and get it tuned. The VicMini club hold their Alpine tour about then each year. It runs over 2 days, starting in one spot and finishing somewhere else. Cal, Chris and I went last year with both Cal's classic minis. About 500-600kms over 2 days with a lot of spritied driving. Last year we stayed at the summit of Mt Buller. So hence the name, the tour is all alpine region.

So im hoping to take the Escort this year to round up some of the minis, but will definitely need the carby and extractors just to give it the best chance of keeping up haha.

 

Edit: ill also need to replace the 2 rear tyres with the smaller tyres that match the front. That way they are correct size, but also should stop scrubbing the 15s on the back without modding the arches.