Hi all , i am new here.

I have just been disassembled my focus mk3 1.0 -14 ecoboost engine.

I bought car when it was already broken down and i disassembled it due to knocking sound.

Found out that oil pump suction strainer was almost completely blocked.

And piston #2 was missing almost whole skirt on another side.

Also small scratches in cylinders , and cylinders are some 0,05 oval.

I have been thinking some modifications for this engine.

Is it possible to convert wet belt to chain like newer post -18 1.0 ecoboost engine?

And is it reasonable to try modify oil pump so that it is in full pressure/flow all the time even if that oil pressure control solenoid is commanding lower pressure?

I am going to weld some kind of large fitting in bottom of my oil pan , so i am able to open it and clean up oil pump strainer every time when changing oil and filter.

Also intake valves were coated by terrible black tar, i was thinking that if i mount some kind of crankcase ventilation catch can , would valves stay cleaner then?

 

Comments and ideas are welcome.

That sounds like a lot of trouble to go to...would it not be easier to just buy another engine from a scrap yard or Ebay and then just make sure you do regular oil changes on it ??

Hello  J @M0ndeo give it up now you are wasting your time and money, the engine is scrap !!!!

Read the full story of a man who really tried to save a 1.0 ecoboost from the scrapyard.

 

On 11/27/2021 at 11:12 AM, RayC333 said:

Hello all, my daughter has a troublesome Ford Focus 2012 1.0 Ecoboost. History: A few months back the car suffered from a known issue (blocked oil pump strainer). Fixed at an established garage with a new oil pump, oil pressure solenoid, oil and filter change. Since then it ran ok for a couple of months before another known problem occurred (low power/poor acceleration). Fixed for a few weeks with a replacement diaphragm in the vacuum pump turbo valve. The car lost power again recently and I have confirmed it has a wrecked turbocharger.

The Turbo has failed because it is not getting any oil feed (and I mean none!). I've removed the turbo oil feed pipe to confirm it's not blocked and started the engine with the pipe removed. No oil is coming out the engine block. The oil pressure light in the car goes out immediately indicating to me the pump is still working ok.

Could anyone help me with knowledge of how oil is routed from the output side of the oil filter to the turbo oil feed location? Noting that the oil filter is mounted at the rear of the engine and the oil feed location is at the front I'm assuming there must be some sort of internal piping or complex oilway?

If the blockage could be cleared without removing the sump, or heavens forbid the engine block, it would be a bonus. Car is still on finance but not in warranty.

Thanks, Ray

 

Yes i know my engine is toasted.

I am going to either rebore and change bearings and pistons , or buy new half motor.

But i am going to change things to prevent this happening again.

22 hours ago, M0ndeo said:

Is it possible to convert wet belt to chain like newer post -18 1.0 ecoboost engine?

That is not possible with original parts. Despite being a further development the new 1.0 ECOboost shares very little parts with the old 1.0 ECOboost. The new 1.0 ECOboost even has the cylinder head reversed (intake at the front and exhaust at the rear). Apart from this the fitment of the camshaft and crankshaft pulleys is also different.

Converting the wetbelt setup to a chain setup requires a lot of engineering and production of custom parts.

Personally I do not sea any reason to convert the wetbelt into a chain. When a new wetbelt is correctly installed, all services are performed conform the service schedule and the correct engine oil is used the wetbelts should easily last 150.000 Miles / 240.000 KM or 10 Years. Not respecting the service intervals or usage of incorrect engine oil are the main reasons for the wetbelt to fail prematurely. 

 

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And is it reasonable to try modify oil pump so that it is in full pressure/flow all the time even if that oil pressure control solenoid is commanding lower pressure?

Why would you want to do this? This will result in excessive oil pressure and requires a pressure relief valve to prevent overpressure of the system. Excessive oil pressure can damage the oil pump, oil filter and in the end will result in excessive wear of the engine.

 

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I am going to weld some kind of large fitting in bottom of my oil pan , so i am able to open it and clean up oil pump strainer every time when changing oil and filter.

Why would you bother? There are basically 2 reasons why the oil pump strainer of the 1.0 ECOboost becomes clogged:

1: Strainer clogged with sludge caused by deterioration of the engine oil. This however is only applicable on vehicles that are not regularly used. After 10 to 12 weeks of not being used condensation inside the engine oil causes the engine oil to deteriorate and form a sludge.  

2: Strainer clogged with large rubber particles of the wetbelt(s). This is a result of not respecting the service intervals or usage of incorrect engine oil. Early deterioration of the wetbelt(s) can easily be detected well before the strainer becomes clogged by inspecting the old engine oil after an oil change. Collect the old engine oil and pour a bit of oil onto clean (preferably white) coffee filter) wait until the oil passes the filter and check for rubber particles. If a considerable amount of rubber particles is detected the wetbelts need to be replaced and the sump needs to be removed anyway.

When the car is regularly used, all services are performed conform schedule and the correct engine oil is used there is no reason to clean the strainer every service.

 

Since a brand new bottom end (short block) can be bought for just above €1000,- from several suppliers it is not really worth the effort to rebuild the old bottom end. Machining the engine block (boring and honing) to oversize pistons, polishing/grinding the crankshaft, checking al dimensions and tolerances and rebuilding the engine using new pistons, piston rings and bearings will only be marginally less expensive than a new bottom end.

What i meant with that oil pump mod , was that it would operate like any "older" cars oil pumps (delivery only varies because revs changing).

I believe that in ecoboost , oil pump is variable , because they are hunting lower internal frictions while designing these engines.

All i care about is that there is enough lubrication in different revs and engine loads.

And i am going to fit that maintenance fitting in my oil pan , because there is always some stuff separating from that timing and oil pump belt while it is rotating , even it is in oil bath.

Can anyone confirm , does this kit really fit in to 1st gen ecoboost?

https://www.lymmengineparts.co.uk/ford-ecoboost-timing-chain-kits-gears

 

There is my engine code M1DA listed.

So can i convert my focus mk3 from wet belt to chain with this kit?

I doubt it. According to their web site the kit is suitable for both vehicles which we know have wet belts, as well as those that have chains, which we know have major differences. (See @JW1982's detailed post earlier in this thread.)

Why not ask them the question and see what they say?

On 2/3/2025 at 6:41 PM, M0ndeo said:

Can anyone confirm , does this kit really fit in to 1st gen ecoboost?

https://www.lymmengineparts.co.uk/ford-ecoboost-timing-chain-kits-gears

 

There is my engine code M1DA listed.

So can i convert my focus mk3 from wet belt to chain with this kit?

I just sent them email message. It is really interesting.

Could it really fit the engine? Could any common garage - workshop make this modification?

Is it really reliable? Anyone did this modification?

And what about the other wetbelt?

The reply says that it is not for mk3-3,5 engine.

On 2/5/2025 at 9:05 AM, Bol said:

The reply says that it is not for mk3-3,5 engine.

So their website is misleading, as we thought.