Hello everyone, I have a 2009 1.8 tdci Galaxy Edge mk3, just turned 100,000 miles a couple of months ago. We were due to drive from Belfast to France, about 50 miles north-east of Paris at the end of June. We had driven 750 miles with no problems. After our first day of resting from our travels we went to Euro Disney, around 40 miles away. It was the week of the heat wave. It was around 33'C when we were on our way back from Disney and the first we knew something was wrong was when we got to a motorway toll. Put the window down and the engine sounded like a bag of spanners:-( I've heard the noise before, sounded like the big end bearings! Decided to keep driving to try to get our young children back to the euro camp rather than being stranded 20 miles away on a motor way in 30'C heat. We made it within 4 miles of the camp before she seized and got the dead knock from the con rod going out through the block. Got it recovered the next day, needless to say it couldn't be fixed in France so the insurance company transported it home, nearly four weeks later, it's just arrived back and i have it in my garage at my house. I'm going to attempt to remove the engine myself and source a replacement to put back in. Problem is, I have never removed an engine, although I usually attempt most of my own mechanical work, I have an inspection pit in my garage which will help. As there are no haynes manuals for the mk3 I have nothing to go by, although you can get one for the 2003-2010 c max which is similar so I'm going to get that for reference. Hopefully it's close enough, my friend is a ford salesman so I had him ask his mechanics and they said it would probably do as they are similar! Has anyone else had their engine seize like this? Does anyone else know of a manual I could go by to remove the engine or any tips? Much appreciated and thank you all in advance.
Stuart
Hello and welcome to the forum.
The manual you can download to be honest is really hard going and not as informative as a Haynes, if your only dropping the engine and gearbox it won't be much help.
What I would advise when you get your replacement is change both cam belt and the cassette belt/chain, the 1.8 lynx engine has either a belt or chain cassette running in oil.
That's unfortunate, was the engine oil level ok prior to the failure? The oil pressure lamp didn't illuminate at any point? Any previous engine problems? It's academic now anyway I suppose.
If you're going to attempt it yourself you need an engine crane really, in most cases you'll need to drop the engine & gearbox combined after draining the coolant and disconnecting the driveshafts, engine wiring looms, coolant pipes, fuel lines, power steering pump etc, the air con compressor will need unbolting from the engine and then tying up out of the way (unless you prefer to degas the system), in some cases the front subframe will also need to be removed so that the engine can be lowered without fouling anything.
Hi, update. ...... Yes everything was fine before it all went wrong. It had a major service just 6 weeks or so before our trip.
Anyway, 3 Sundays ( about 20 hrs) and I managed to drop the engine and gearbox last night (30/08/15).
Bought a chain block and built a frame with wood from b and q :)
Will try to post some photos. Need to get a replacement engine now and start rebuilding again.
Frame
Lowering
Down in the pit :)
Engine out
Good shots! I soo want your garage, that's awesome!