Mondeo ST220 Estate - Project Crusher ST- The End with Me

Apologies if these updates seem a little rushed and possibly lacking in content! I'm going to sound a little deja vu here with my next excuses

-I've been busy spannering on this car these last few weekends amongst other things
-Social events like an outdoor birthday party and family catchups have been in play.
-I've been trying to take it easy this time after my little mishap with the bus.
-My older sister is getting married. This is part of the reason I've also tried to get the ST ready. Being an estate it's handy. Yes, I know an 18 year old Ford won't get prizes on the kudos count against sub 3 year old German metal, but it's still a car which can be used . Buying bits for the wedding too has been keeping me busy, and assisting with organising things. At least it's catering for 30 people, not 300 like last time which softens the blow a little .

The final thing? While I've been trying to do things right on this car, the mojo has not always been there. Parts holdups, new issues cropping up and so on do give the motivation a bit of a knock. But I've had it taxed for a couple of months, thinking I'd have it roadworthy sooner. This is why I've taken decisive action, and some may say compromised some parts, like the painting of the brake calipers, even if the refurbishment of them was sound.

What else have I done to the car? The keen eyed of you will have seen the exhaust at the rear did not sit right. From the second silencer back on the midsection, this has a Powerflow exhaust. Not my first choice of exhaust, given by how it's been fitted but at least it is Stainless. The hanger arrangement was a joke however. How bad?

-One hanger on the end of the offside backbox would never had that tailpipe sitting correctly.
-The hanger on the non-tailpipe side of the backbox was basically two exhaust rubbers zip tied together to form one long hanger!

Obviously, I couldn't have this. With some trepidation, I went to the exhaust for their prognosis. While they were keen to sell me a new setup, I did state that this car was to be kept cheap and stated what kind of repair may be suitable. They agreed and repaired it for not alot of cash.

This would have the rear end looking alot better.







After this, and some waxoyling in the wheelarches up front, it was time to give it a clean and take it on the road.









This would not however, be the end of my struggles with the car.

The power delivery had a massive flat spot below 3000RPM, before picking its skirt up at 4000 and really going for the redline. I simply thought that it was a low torque problem.

However, I would put the car onto a diagnositc tool known with the Ford circles. Forscan. For those with a Ford from 1998 to basically whenever (It works on my '08 Mondeo too) this is an inexpensive and very valuable tool. Snap-On Solus can do a few things that this can, but of course, it's very expensive. Forscan can scan all of the car and give some great diagnostic info. It's free for the software or a donation to the chaps who have made it (£20 let's say?) and another £15 or so for a modified ELM327 lead.



Upon scanning the car, I had a few strange codes pop up for voltage from many moons ago, obviously from it running on a poor battery. With these cleared, I noticed that I could do an ICV test on the idle control valve. Basically, the test said that it worked, but that it could work better. Since I had a Cambraire item from the Silver Pig, I decided to inspect the condition of both.



It seems mine was not fully opening. With this, I fitted on the item from the Silver Pig, keeping mine for a rainy day, and a bit of cleaning up. Replacing my ICV resulted in the car having a much improved low end kick below 4krpm. Sure, it still pulls harder above 4kRPM, but it now was almost driveable below 4kRPM

I say almost, as the car's slightly mild misfire under load below 2kRPM became a rather large misfire. I figured this was due to the leads from my previous experience with Fords. However, given that I was due to leave the next day for a road trip in this car I did not want to take any chances. Thus, the 5 year old coilpack and fresher, albeit pattern leads from the Silver Pig were fitted onto my car, replacing the factory items. This would cure the misfire once and for all, and restore that creamy smoothness.

If anything, it seems to pull slightly better at the top as well, which is great news . Now this is what I call a win .

I also picked up some parts for the car, including

-Spare set of Xenon Headlights
-Jacking point covers.

For £100, I thought the above was a fair deal. I would get the lights with new bulbs, but also a spare set of ballasts, which are £50 themselves. I'd also get a spare jacking point cover, all of which covers are in better condition than mine. While I would not install the covers, I would install the headlights. They were not perfect, but they were a decent improvement over mine, which I'll refurbish at another time. Furthermore, I'd also complete the front end buildup by fitting the foglight trims onto the bumper, this time with Stainless screws over the factory steel items.


How the front end looked on the old lights.



Now with the newer set. It's not perfect but in the flesh, it's a much better looking set of headlights and a front end.







Finally, the ST220 was beginning to look a little better!

With this, I would change the final lot of coolant hoses. As you recall:

-The lower rad hose is now NLA from Ford
-The oil cooler hose is £99 retail from Ford.

However, Roose Motorsport would come to the rescue. At around £60 for both hoses, I figured that was a very fair deal. With this in mind, I removed the coolent-less water, and crack on with installing the new items.




The hose next to the battery tray may look fine, but as you will come to see, it's not right at all It's twisted, too large for the application, and rubs in many places where it should not rub as a result of this.





The battery tray tart up is next on the list of things to sort out.



The new hose vs. the old hose.




Lower hose comparison. I know many would have run on the hose to the left. Given how I've had problems with V6 Fords and cooling systems, I did not want to take any chances however. A minor hissing issue the car has now gone upon fitting both hoses too. Coincidence? Who knows?



So, over two weeks, I managed to get the car ready for two events on both weekends. One was a friend's birthday party in the local park. Yes, I could have taken the M3 or the Monvo, but this is RR. It's about expecting the unexpected and taking shonky old cars to places to have a good time.

The next trip I had planned would be a little more ambitious. It would be around 300 miles all in, and take me from deepest darkest Lincolnshire, to Derby. Now, I could report on this here, but I reckon that trip deserves a new thread in the General section. It will be different to previous trips I've done, but it's good to stay local (well, ish!) at times.

What I can say however, is that the car pulls very well. For a 226BHP 3.0, the power delivery is not as you expect. It's not like the M3, where it's a gradual increase in power, with a decent(ish) low end. This is far more old school in its delivery. It does pull for everyday driving below 4kRPM and it's fine around town, allowing you to be quick. For overtaking, the engine needs waking up. Above 4kRPM, it really does pickup hard, and sing all of the way to the redline, not caring if you are revving the hell out of it. If anything, it adores it!

The steering is something of a culture shock however! It's got alot of feeling, especially compared to the Monvo Mk4 of mine. This took me back a little at first, but once I drove the car a bit, I remembered why I like the Mk3s so much. Dynamically, they are such a great car.

Then there's the handling. Mk3s handle good, but this ST220 is very good! On the fresh Goodyear F1 SuperSport rubber, it really does hang on in the corners. OK, maybe not quite as hard as the M3, but I'd need to validate that somehow . But it is good fun down a backroad, which is just what I needed for this weekend. It feels almost hot hatch like in its tenacity on the road, yet it settles down well on country roads and motorways and can be relaxing, even with the short gearing.

The brakes seem like a letdown, as they don't stop you as well as they should. Sure, if you put your brakes on hard, it does bring you to a stop very quickly. But it doesn't have the bite that I am used to from the over-servo'd Monvo, or the sharp, yet squealing pads of the M3. But that's down to brake management, and getting used to something a little older.

The 5th ratio seems short in this compared to modern cars. 70rpm is just under 3000rpm. But it's happy to cruise at higher RPM down the private test tracks. It also has the ratios perfectly spaced out for those country jaunts. The gearshift is something the Germans could learn from. It's direct, well weighted, and with a lovely feel about it. The clutch, if it's working well, is also a delight. Mine has a low biting point, but I'm hoping to correct that soon.

The ride is also something surprising. It's firm but not crashy. I suepect having those comfy Recaros up front goes a long way to help.

Anyway, that's enough of a eulogy about me and this car. It's definitely the 'right' period in ownership, now that I finally have it on the road, and have made great progress. However, there is still stuff to do, even if it's small stuff that needs doing. Is the mojo back for this car? You bet, and by the spades it's back!

My brakes weren't great, i swapped mine for the mintex drilled and grooved stuff, they're ok, nothing to write home about. Waiting for my bro to swap the brakes on his 225 so I can have the brakes off that.

Really enjoying this thread, also seeing the differences from early to late cars. Its cleaned up a right treat, there cant be many left that have had this much work to iron out the niggles. Mojo wise I'm with you, mine being the diesel I'm eternally paranoid the injectors/turbo/pump are going to go, replaced an egr that lasted 6 months, and the aux belt tensioner and crank pulled that lasted 12. Decent (or so I thought) brand stuff as well. Also - mega jealous of the seats, whoever ordered mine was a right tight sod and left Recaros off altogether

Love these, always fancied one but never had the right one at the right time. On a side note you can go back to powerflow for any issues, they're guaranteed for life.

Cheers! It was a little rocky at times, but I'm glad I persevered .

The brakes have new fluid and new Motorcraft pads up front ; The discs look to have been replaced at some point and had very minimal wear.

I may rebuild the rear brakes with new pistons and seals, albeit they seemed to work fine. The hoses may be the next thing to change. Given I tried to do the car right, and cheaply, I'm trying to not buy the ST225 setup, but we'll see if mission creep comes in. I guess I could keep the setup for the Monvo right, if I am trying to be thrifty?



Cheers!

It's been a discovery for me regarding changes too. I didn not realise the small things like mirrors changed as well as the smaller things around the engine.

As for the seats, I'm sure that was one big reason for why I bought them!



I too have always fancied one. When I was buying hot-hatches, I wanted one, but they were a little too expensive for a student like me. Those guys who had one of these always spoke fondly about them. Naturally, when they got cheaper, other cars were also within grasp that I wanted, so they were bought instead, including the 944s, 2CV, Escort RS Turbo (this was a car I wanted for a very long time), and the M3. Part of the reason for why I bought this was that the price was right, and with everything going up in price, I figured I'd be paying more later for an example in years ago, given that many are being scrapped now as donors for others.

Could I have bought a nicer one to start with? Yes. Have I however made this closer to how I'd want to buy one though? Yes, down to the refurbished cooling system to give me confidence with the old girl, as well as grippy rubber so the chassis could be enjoyed.

As for Powerflow, the warranty only is with the previous owner from what I gather. Given that I bought it off the garage who had it, that warranty period has long gone. That and any Powerflow agent is only as good as the folks who install the items. Given the repair cost £20 to sort it out, I think I got lucky . That said, I do still have the receipt for the rear section.

Cheers for the support folks. It certainly helped in keeping the momentum going. There is still stuff to do on this, so I'll keep you guys updated .

Well, it's great to hear this thread has peaked the interest of a few!

I've been a little quiet lately on here, and frankly, I have some rather poor excuses!

-Car trips with friends got in the way
-Fixing my own cars didn't help
-Fixing family cars really didn't help. The Semi-conductor crisis really made getting a new car tricky, leaving secondhand cars as the only way out for them. In their defence, they are over 60, and busy with other things, I don't blame them wanting to go new now. But Muggins here offered to service it!
-RRW, RRG, and other car trips happened
-Work until recently has been mental
-Lockdown ending has meant there has been frankly alot of catching up to do with many, whilst being careful.

Anyway, that's my excuses!

The truth is, bar washing it and going to local shows, the Mondeo ST has been put to good use. The latest fuel crisis has it sitting baron in the garage, but that can be resolved.

I've done a few things to this, but it's basically been going to shows and being a backup daily.

As some will know, one Mondeo has gone from the fleet. More will be revealed in time.

wife had a 2006 ghia X estate (2 litre turbo diesel) between 2011 and 2015, it was thoroughly excellent car, only replaced it trying to get with the country set and buying a discovery

i might be imagining it but you could cycle through the heated seats button, red, red, then the light went blue and it sent fan assisted cooled air through pin holes in the leather seat bases ? cooled seats, did i just make that up? maybe. it sounds nifty anyway.

The facelifts had the dual control seats.

This car, being an earlier pre-facelift car, mine only has heated seat, not heated and cooled. They've come in handy a few times I must admit . That, and the game of turning on the seats when your mates get in the car .

I've been a busy chap with things.

Firstly, the ST220 became a daily. Mainly for a couple of reasons:

-It would become a handy car during my older sister's wedding. Estates are great for moving around food and confectionary.
-I would end up loaning the 2.5T Monvo to my parents

With the latter, why would I lend it? Basically, the semi-conductor crisis caused no new cheap lease deals to be available. Thus car would be needed. My dad offered to buy the ST220 off me as it was, but I couldn't quite bring myself to sell him that, and watch it deteriorate. After all, it took me time to get it up to scratch! I probably should have sold it him! So what did they buy?

A 2011 Mondeo Titanium X Powershift, with many toys. However, I offered to service it, so I'd loan them my 2.5T.

I have to say, the 2.0 TDCI variants are not the easiest things to service! From:

-Gearbox oil and filter change. These are pricey on these! Simple however
-Fuel filter will always be full of air due to the poor design at the lack of a tank lift pump. Genius!
-Unless you want to chance breaking the rad or taking forever unscrewing the oil filter, you really need an oil filter special tool, due to the awkward location of the filter! Madness I tell you.

The gearbox oil change was actually simple. Far easier than I banked on.













The oil filter had me swearing for a while. After trying a spanner and realising I'd either damage something or take an eternity to screw off the filter, I went out and bought a slim socket. If the guides online stated more, I'd have bought the U shaped oil filter tool. I know they're not perfect either, but they do seem to make what should be an easy job fairly simple.

Besides that, there was the fuel filter. The OEM filter is made by Mann, going off the codes on the filter. With this in mind, I bought a Mann filter. To my surprise, the filter was sealed in the packet. A first I've seen.

But, then there was the bleeding. Whoever put the fuel filter in that location with that design needs a good seeing to. That has to be one of the stupidest places I've seen to put one! I googled how to bleed it, as I obviously didn't want to destroy a fuel pump.

Some said to cycle the ignition. Knowing there's no lift pump, I couldn't see how that could work.

Others said to buy a priming bulb which fitted onto the return line. Which I did. Well, except the connections fitted the feed line to the fuel filter! It may have been OK, but I was aware the rail when then most likely have air. Not good!

Finally, I noticed one video on YouTube with a boddy and leggy place suggested an oil sucker. With some gaffer tape, and the sucker, I proceeded on.








With this, i went to crank it. It ran but only for a minute. I then would pull through 3 litres of diesel? Excessive? Maybe, but I didn't want to risk an injection pump going bang later on down the line, like they can on other cars. Well, moreso the Mk3 Mondeo.

With the second vacuum, the car ran fine. Thank God!

This should have been the end of me using my ST220, but things would take another turn.

I insinuated last time that the need for the ST220 to become a garage queen. Well, that wasn't going to happen. With three cars, you are always kept busy. In this case driving the Mondeo TDCI PowerShift highlight shortcomings in my Monvo 2.5T

In short, it handled terribly. It was never dangerous or wallowy, but it vibrated randomly, was very skittish over bumps and was also not as planted as it should have been in the corners. The Michelin rubber did a very good job of concealing these shortcomings. The core issue however? The dampers all round were shot! So, the daily duties would be shared between the M3 and the ST220.

I'd change the rear shocks on the Monvo first. These are pretty easy, especially if you have a rattle gun. For reasons unknown, the rear shock lower bolts are 130+Nm tight! Yup, that's a little scary!

Then would come time to do the fronts. Things would not go well,

If anyone has worked on a 2.5T Mondeo, you'll know that quite a few jobs at the front end are slightly different to a 'normal' Mondeo. Driveshafts on the front? They need the CV to come out, to prevent destroying the driveshafts. I guess that's what happens when you put in a longer engine into a rn-of-the-mill car.

It's fair to say the front didnt go well. If you read the internet, I should have used a hockey stick puller thing to lower the wishbone. Do you think I did? I'll let you folks figure that one out. One long breaker bar continously slipping out later, I eventially ended up with a puncture CV boot! Fantastic!

To make matters worse, the nut on the top of the O/S damper had seized on! Despite putting a 6 sided socket on with a hammer, albeit tackling it with a rattle gun, it refused to budge. It just rounded off. One friend later, failing to cold chisel it off, and then resorting to chopping the nut and top mount off, I had the one thing I needed from the leaky and tired strut. The spring.

Why didn't I buy springs elsewhere? I've been caught out before. It seems pattern springs sag very quickly. I've had this problem on Mondeos before, and on the M3, I've had the same problem with the Anschler springs. But you can always buy genuine! Not so fast. Yes, they work! But things have changed.

-The Monvo may be a new car here, but it is old everywhere else
-Old and not classic, espeically now, means parts problems. Ford basically told me they rationalised their suspension sets down. Alot of stuff is now becoming NLA for the Mk4. It's not like steel and electrics are easy to come by or cheap eh?

With this is mind, I got the spring off, and had the car assembled again. It's fair to say it drove like another car! It was firmer than before, and not quite as comfortable in some ways. Maybe I liked the tired dampers, or maybe the 'kit' dampers I got from Ford were a generic 'one-size-fits-all'. But it was a daily!

What didn't help during this time, was that I dailied the M3. Yup, my most economical car at the time was the M3. But doing 200 miles over two days, and using the toll road on the M6, thanks to me choosin to go into work on a Friday by the M6 really didn't help. £70 of fuel later over two days (and food, as I only planned on going in for one day), I was sick of petrol cars.

So the Monvo went. It was a bit of an irrantional decision, and TBH, quite flippant. But I guess I was getting bored with not having bought anything. Or rather, I got sick of a manual, and thirst for travelling up and down one of the worst motorways in the UK.

Amazingly, someone bought it. Despite putting it up for £1750 on FB marketplace, I actually had alot of interest. However, a friend and I came to an agreement, and so I ended up with this:





Sorry for the Volvo fans, but it's the car on the left which I own. The S60 is a mate's. 

Yup, I have a CLK 270 CDI. It does sound a little like a train/Sprinter van, but it does have a way about it, and compared to the M3, it seems quite modern!

Will a thread come about? We'll see. The M3 seems more retro in many ways compared to this. Maybe the CLK was a little too ahead of the time. That said, it did represent the last of many things for Merc IMHO, including:

-The last 5 pot diesel in a car
-The last lineage in the funkily named coupes. You had an SLC, CL amd so on. Mercedes would do the opposite of BMWs today, and bring the ranges within the saloons.
-Mercedes loved going a little too far on the technology, even if they shouldn't have. This kind of demonstrates that.

Am I sad to have lost a great daily driver? You bet. But, with increasing fuel prices and having other bills to contend with, and a project of a house, I knew I had to decide what I devoted my attention to.

That's the last time i took my 28 to C&M! I was probably sat by the fire pit hahaha