Few questions about Mk3 Fiesta

[adam_d]

Firstly, Hello everyone. :)

I'm posting this for a friend who has a Mk3 (I think, its an early nineties model, I think 1992) Fiesta which he uses as a farm car. It's pretty well beaten up, Im not sure which model it is as the badges are long gone. It has a 1.4 petrol engine, and the electrics are pretty much useless, nothing works, but it runs so this is why he uses it.

Anyway, history finished. Recently, it developed a strange problem where it started randomly locking up and stalling in 2nd gear. He kept using it, and then it started grinding and got to the point where it wouldn't stay in any gear. He was getting a new car anyway, so we just put it in 1st, and held it in place. It worked, except it grinded badly. As he got around the field, it started pulling to the right very badly, even when turning left. Then there was a bang, and it stopped, but the engine was still running. At first I thought it was the clutch, as there was a lot of smoke, but when we opened the bonnet, there was oil everywhere, and it was on the exhaust making the smoke. Behind the car were some pieces of rubber, and when we looked further, the right side driveshaft had come out and was hanging off, and we could see something spinning, which I think is differential? It leaked a lot of oil, but engine still ran ok, (we only tried it quickly) so is this not engine oil? When we towed it back, it was making a bad crunching noise, even though it was out of gear. This is more asking what might have happened, and if its an easy fix.

Next question is that he is getting another fiesta as a replacement, another mk3 except with the 1.8 diesel engine. He is getting it from someone he knows, because they have no use for it, although it has a problem. The battery was flat, and they had one of those powerpack jumpstarters, and when they connected it, smoke started coming from the engine bay. Would this be the alternator? Is anything else likely to have been damaged? They disconnected it straight away. If it would be hard to fix then he wouldn't get the car. Also, could any parts from the petrol be used? Or am i right in thinking that it would need to be a stronger alternator for the diesel?

Sorry for such a long post, any help is appreciated. :)

[William Crossey]

there is basicly no mechanical parts from the petrol fit the diesel, as for the petrol its a clear case of the gear has most likely came off the shaft and locked with another gear smashing the inside of the box distroying it. a newer box will not fit as there is points on the bottom for mounts that go onto a frame underneth the box where all newer boxes mount from the top. diesel box will not do either as its geared differnt and the car will hardly drive. as fot the diesel its most likely a rusted up alternator and when started the serpentine belt will have been turning the the alternator pully not basicly melting the belt and burning the rubber making the smoke, though it is a guess as i cannot see or test the car.lol..

[orcomma]

whooosh blast from the past!

given the original post is nearly 4 years old i suspect he has either fixed the situation or (more likely) scrapped the car!