Ford 150bhp Sigma cam belt

[AdrianO]

I see Caterham state this engine needs a new cambelt at 6 years.

My Roadsport 150 Sigma is now 6 years old. I get some work by a good local small garage mechanic but when he gave my Reg No to his parts suppliers their system didn't recognise my car (as usual!!). I rang a local Ford dealer but same issue and they couldn't look it up from the engine No.

To get the right cam belt, cam belt kit with water pump etc I am told I need a Ford engine code, eg HWDA

My car was registered Nov 2008 and the engine No starts S4-236--.

Any advice on the engine code and best place to get parts?

Thanks 

 

[Jonathan Kay]

I don't understand the names of the recent Ford engines used by Caterham.

Caterham Parts say this is the cam belt for the Sigma. If you take that part number (1004299) to FordPartsUK you get this, which is cheaper than from Caterham but calls it a "Zetec-S" or "1.6 Duratec" belt. That number should also work on other part suppliers' sites.

If that engine is the same as a Zetec there's lots of related advice in the archives.

When you have worked out what it is you could buy the appropriate Haynes manual... probably the one for the Ford Focus.

Jonathan

 

[DJ.]

It is defintely a good idea to change the water pump at the same time as they can fail (in fact mine did before the belt change was due).

I bought a Gates kit which included a new crank pulley bolt which must be replaced and a new tensioner. It was part number K045433XS.

The water pump I bought from here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Ford-Focus-MK2-1-4-Zetec-1-6-Zetec-Water-Pump-2005-2010-/281198247518?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3AFord|Model%3AFocus|Cars+Type%3A1.6&hash=item4178b8be5e

When I phoned my dealer, he was talking about £200 for the parts.

To get a cam cover seal, I found pretending the car was a 2008 100bhp 1.6 Focus seemed to bring up the right parts

Duncan

[DJ.]

By the way, it's worth double checking your mechanic realises the cam and crank pulleys aren't keyed on and that he has the necessary special tools as there was a thread on Blatchat where a garage used the usual technique and messed up the timing.

[ChrisC]

Yep the standard ford cam locking tool wont work with the 150 / 125 or 140 Caterham Sigma.  You need to  get the cam timing spot on or you will lose power, and the actual setting seem a closely guarded secret.   

[Dr Slotter]

What Caterham call a 'Sigma' is a Ford 'Sigma'. Where the confusion comes from is that:

a) Ford call all the NA petrol engines 'Duratec' regardless of what engine family there are from. What Caterham call a 'Duratec' should really be a 'Mazda L Engine' to keep the naming consistent with 'Sigma'. 

b) Zetec is a trim level as a well as an engine type.

c) When the Zetec engine was coming to an end and being replaced by the various Sigma engines, those engines were branded Zetec-SE for a while before the use of Duratec for all NA petrol engies came in.

That all means that the 1.6l Sigma engine that we have in Caterhams is the same as Ford use in a Fiesta Zetec-S which has a 1.6l Sigma engine branded 'Duratec'.

Still with me?

 

[DJ.]

Yep the standard ford cam locking tool wont work with the 150 / 125 or 140 Caterham Sigma.  You need to  get the cam timing spot on or you will lose power, and the actual setting seem a closely guarded secret.   

 

The inlet cam timing is retarded compared with the Ford, so the timing bar won't fit through the cams.

I found that with a bit of care, it was possible to use the bar as a reference as it almost did slide through, and I must have got it very nearly the same as I found I had very similar maximum speed at Goodwood this year as I did the previous year before the water pump failure.

[Jonathan Kay]

Still with me?

Not quite, but I'm "much better informed".

Thanks

Jonathan

[TobyCoulson]

I've got the same car and it's the same age. No intention yet of changing it yet as it's only done 6k miles and Ford say it's good for 100k!

[Jonathan Kay]

There's probably a pragmatic age limit as well as a distance limit.

Jonathan

[ChrisC]

Not sure I would be impressed with a car that has missed that on ite service schedule (or recipes from service work), if I was looking to buy second hand.

do you do many track days with you car?   

is there any history of belt problems with the sigma engine?

[Martin J]

Mine has been recently replaced by Mick Attree as I didn't feel confident doing it. (Water pump also done as a precaution) Thanks Mic.   

There is a difference with the belt tensioner on the 150 engine. The 125 is a standard Ford item but on the 150, as it revs higher, the standard tensioner was removed & it is manualy tensioned.

[Domus]

 

If that is the case, does the manual tensioner need changing?  I have bought a kit from my local factor ready for the job and it of course contains an auto tensioner.

[Martin J]

Mic would know the answer Domus but not sure how often he looks at this forum now.  

[mic]

The new tensioner is dismantled and the modified parts retained from the fixed tensioner are used to fit the new tensioner.

[Domus]

 

Many thanks.

Hope to do this next week.  Paul and I will document the cambelt change and upload it as a LADS blog.

Stand by for blurred photos of bloodied fingers pointing in the general direction of important bits. 

[Martin J]

That's a good idea Domus.  

[DJ.]

Have fun

I found the worst part as removing and replacing the starter to lock the flywheel, but access might be better on a 150 as the manifold is smaller.

[Domus]

Belt, water pump and tensioner all changed today.  It was a bit of a faff but nothing too dificult.  As has been mentioned some special tools are required.  The pin to locate the crank, a flywheel locking tool, a camshaft locking tool and very importantly a long bar with pins to hold the crank pulley and camshaft pulleys steady whilst loosening and re fitting all three pulleys.  My workshop manual stated the crank pulley was on a taper but mine was parallel and needs 40 Nm + 90 degrees to clamp it up.   Also with the crank pin in place at TDC the camshaft locking plate fitted snugly.

A second pair of hands is needed to hold the thing steady as well as for dimantling the tensioners to make the new one manual.  We have taken some photos and will either post them with some words on the LADS page or send them to Lowflying, or both.