Ecoboost timing chain/wet belt

[SB31]

Hi folks, 

I have a 2013 fiesta that I am looking at changing. It didn't have an ecoboost and I have seen some pretty bad stories about it (wet belt) ahead of trying to get a newer fiesta.

I have noticed on other threads a suggestion that the engine changed around 2020 and uses chain now.

I've seen the pictures of the two engines to try and tell which one has chain or belt. 

There is a couple I am looking at and the pictures of the engine (one below from 70 plate) would suggest they are chain, not wet belt. However, when I put there reg into europarts and other online parts places it suggests there is a timing belt for those models.

Any advice would be great. Thanks.

[TomsFocus]

That picture is definitely a chain driven engine.

However, don't always take dealer pictures at face value.  Sometimes they use the same picture for things like engine bays or interiors across many cars.  I was caught out like that once, ordering a car for long distance delivery, that arrived with a completely different interior to the one it was pictured with!

[iantt]

April 2023. Don't rely on the age. 100hp is still older engine

[SB31]

21 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

That picture is definitely a chain driven engine.

However, don't always take dealer pictures at face value.  Sometimes they use the same picture for things like engine bays or interiors across many cars.  I was caught out like that once, ordering a car for long distance delivery, that arrived with a completely different interior to the one it was pictured with!

That's very helpful, I will make sure that I get a picture of the actual engine. Thanks.

[SB31]

4 minutes ago, iantt said:

April 2023. Don't rely on the age. 100hp is still older engine

Thanks, the one I was looking at is the 1.0 ecoboost Hybrid mHEV 125 - the picture of the engine I saw on the site (if that really is the engine) would have suggested the newer chain driven engine.

[TomsFocus]

12 minutes ago, SB31 said:

Thanks, the one I was looking at is the 1.0 ecoboost Hybrid mHEV 125 - the picture of the engine I saw on the site (if that really is the engine) would have suggested the newer chain driven engine.

All of the MHEV's are the chain engine so you can't go wrong there.  

[alexp999]

4 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

All of the MHEV's are the chain engine so you can't go wrong there.  

Provided the car actually is MHEV and hasn't been incorrectly listed by the seller...

[SB31]

7 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

All of the MHEV's are the chain engine so you can't go wrong there.  

Great, thank you!

[DaveT70]

19 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

Provided the car actually is MHEV and hasn't been incorrectly listed by the seller...

Yep, some are

[SB31]

18 minutes ago, DaveT70 said:

Yep, some are

Is there a way of telling before purchasing/seeing the car in the flesh?

[DaveT70]

General rule of thumb is if the turbo is at the front then it's the old wet belt, at rear the new chain

100PS manual and 6 speed auto are wet belt up to death

125PS non MHEV is wet except 7 speed auto, they were Chain

125PS MHEV is chain

140PS is wet

155PS all are chain and rare

[SB31]

28 minutes ago, DaveT70 said:

General rule of thumb is if the turbo is at the front then it's the old wet belt, at rear the new chain

100PS manual and 6 speed auto are wet belt up to death

125PS non MHEV is wet except 7 speed auto, they were Chain

125PS MHEV is chain

140PS is wet

155PS all are chain and rare

Brilliant, really helpful. thanks guys!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, DaveT70 said:

125PS non MHEV is wet except 7 speed auto, they were Chain

We all thought so, until this thread with a couple of revised (chain cam) engines paired with manual boxes came along to confuse us even more😀:

 

[DaveT70]

2 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

We all thought so, until this thread with a couple of revised (chain cam) engines paired with manual boxes came along to confuse us even more😀:

 

Well, that throws the spanner in!

Looks like they fitted what they had available, it doesn't matter

[TomsFocus]

2 hours ago, SB31 said:

Is there a way of telling before purchasing/seeing the car in the flesh?

I'm afraid not.  Even with access to Ford databases I haven't been able to find any way to confirm it through reg numbers.

So you are relying on the dealers putting the correct model down and/or using the correct pictures on the advert until you can see it in the flesh.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

44 minutes ago, DaveT70 said:

Looks like they fitted what they had available, it doesn't matter

Yeah, that seems very much the case Dave! Even more so with the Mk 8.5 facelift, it appears. There's quite a few threads on other forums by disappointed/irate owners - STs without the Sync 3 option appear to have been fitted with ST-Line (rather than pukka ST) analogue speedos for example, which are not calibrated up to the claimed top speed.  Not clear whether such things are misbuilds or just Ford bean counting!

We can only advise looking VERY carefully indeed at any prospective late Mk 8 or Mk 8.5 purchase to ensure it has all the equipment (and, indeed, engine!) required.

[SB31]

Thanks for the advice guys. Should I read much into the fact that some places like europarts suggest a timing belt even for the mHEV version of the ecoboost on the Fiesta when the reg is entered - or is that likely just wrong on their part?

[alexp999]

7 minutes ago, SB31 said:

Thanks for the advice guys. Should I read much into the fact that some places like europarts suggest a timing belt even for the mHEV version of the ecoboost on the Fiesta when the reg is entered - or is that likely just wrong on their part?

An mHEV 1.0 ecoboost has an oil pump belt and an aux belt, or are they specifically saying it is a timing belt? Maybe just incorrectly copied over from the old wet belt 1.0. The mHEV has a timing chain though.

[SB31]

4 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

An mHEV 1.0 ecoboost has an oil pump belt and an aux belt, or are they specifically saying it is a timing belt? Maybe just incorrectly copied over from the old wet belt 1.0. The mHEV has a timing chain though.

They are saying it is a timing belt. I am hoping that it is just a copy over. Think I will stick tot he mHEV 1.0L ecoboost and check the engine looks as it should for the timing chain.

[TomsFocus]

EuroCarParts won't know it's an MHEV.  Their database isn't that accurate.  All they use is year of manufacture, engine capacity and fuel.

[SB31]

Just now, TomsFocus said:

EuroCarParts won't know it's an MHEV.  Their database isn't that accurate.  All they use is year of manufacture, engine capacity and fuel.

Great, thanks again guys!

[Tony Roman]

Considering the new engines still have a wet belt driven oil pump, do you think it will have similar pricing, mileage, and problems to change it? Probably the risk will be lower but even with old 1.0 EB engines it is not uncommon the oil pump wet belt to be significantly affected first!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

I understand the interval on the 1.5 in the ST is 150k miles/10 years and its about a 5 hour job.

Presumably the revised 1.0 will be similar.

[TomsFocus]

Current service intervals for 1.0 MHEV:

Aux belt - 4 years or 72,000 miles

oil pump belt - 10 years or 144,000 miles

Coolant change - 10 years

[alexp999]

12 hours ago, Tony Roman said:

Considering the new engines still have a wet belt driven oil pump, do you think it will have similar pricing, mileage, and problems to change it? Probably the risk will be lower but even with old 1.0 EB engines it is not uncommon the oil pump wet belt to be significantly affected first!

From what I have read the oil pump belt is easy to change. I think it just needs the sump off.