Well i got the new valve cover today that i had ordered off a guy from FJ. So with great excitement i decided to install it. Well it was at this point that i learned a very important lesson. Apparently there exists 2 different styles of zetec valve cover. Mine has 2 half circles that extend down to the block on the driver side. The cover i ordered, unbeknown to me, is flat across on that end.
I'm pretty sure there isn't anything i can do at this point, just an expensive lesson i suppose. And after doing some searching on the net i've seen pics of both valve covers on focus'.
Just needed to vent a lil bit, kinda disappointed to say the least.
Thats s***.
What did it cost ya?
How do you know if you have the one it will fit? Maybe some one will take it off your hands :lol:
It cost me a few bucks, not sure that i'll be able to unload it. Its powder coated orange, and there's not that many orange foci out there.
I think i may just hang it up on my wall.
I was under the assumption that they should ALL fit, you just need a different gasket?
Ya i was under that same assumption, but if thats the case, and its just a gasket the gasket on the driver side of the block would have to be a couple inches think and i doubt thats the case.
i wanna see it.....any pics?
I'll try and snap some pics tonite when i get home. I may see what i can do to try and fix it so it will work with my car. Not sure the time or money will be worth it tho.
Habman i thought i got in the same situation as you
but i did my search on this and...
basicly u need to get Ford Contour valve cover gasket....on the driver's side it has those half circle things that will fit properly
here's an exemple man
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Valve...mZ290120725439 (look at the right side of the gasket)
i hope to see that orange cover being used at BBQ man
Nik, if that gasket will fix the problem, i will most certainly be rocking the new valve cover at the bbq. I've still got my doubts about whether that gasket will work, but i'm gonna see if the local ford dealers have one.
I'm still not sure about this working. My old valve cover looks like the blue one with the 2 "dog ears" as they're being called in that thread. My new valve cover doesn't have those and looks like the one you've got nik. I just can't see the gasket making up that difference.
Does your stock valve cover look like the blue one?
yea my stock one looks like the blue one (that blue cover in the thread is a stock one as well just painted)
i know what u mean of thinking that its not gonna work....but i've talked to the guy who has one on and he's selling it at the moment....he's gonna snap pics for me of the driver's side cover when its still on
here's the cover that he has (just a top view right now)
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showt...p?t=128388
and here's his email to me
"get the fel-pro gasket because all of the other gaskets i have gotten are somewhat imperfect and the fel-pro one fills the holes perfectly
go to autoparts store and ask for a
1996 mercury mystique zetec valve cover"
Ya the more i read the more i think it will work, which makes me happy.
Can we get fel-pro stuff up here from autoparts stores or is that one of those american only deals?
Like i said i'm gonna hit the ford dealer round the corner from my office i think, last time i got a valve cover they had 2 different options, just so happened that the first one they showed me was the one i needed, so i'm hoping the other option will be the one i need now.
let me know how it goes as i still more info on what gasket to get
So the more i read, the more i'm thinking that the rest of the parts to put this valve cover on are gonna cost a small fortune. At this point tho i'm already this much into it so i might as well pay some more to get some results from this.
Fel-Pro is available in Canada. Check with any 'performance' shop, or maybe even CT and Partsource. I know I sourced some for my Mustang through my local Ford dealer.
Ryan
I believe a trip to the junk yard will be in order this weekend. The bolts and bushings are no longer available from ford. The gasket and grommets are however.
did u ask them about Fel-Pro at all?
cuz i still have the old one and it looks good to me...but u just never know...
what do u guys think about that ebay gasket that i posted the link to? :huh: