New Owner of # 223

Hi there. I'm the new owner of #223 and loving it! Needs some TLC. Loads of stone chips but very little rust. I'm going to re-build all the suspension, re-furb or new wheels, full re-paint and a bit of engine work. Main problem at the moment is an over aggressive torque limit in 1st gear. looking to have this re-mapped, and done away with all together.
Dave.

Welcome

(be careful to be driving straight if you are planning on planting more power into first, the FRP is prone to snapping drive shalfts if you apply steering lock and then flooring it)

The torque limiter that was put into the later standard pumas has already been taken out of the FRP map..

i'd suggest it's either not fueling correctly (Faulty sensor) or it's not running the correct map/cam timing etc etc...

usual suspect for the hesitation issue is the Hego Sensor and/or associated wiring loom extension issues..
Airbox/breather/filter and Maf sensor (check for dirty wires in the MAF)
Spark Strength

Welcome by the way..

On a side note...

Another owner who's car i worked on (Mike) had VERY bad hesitation on his FRP in 1st and 2nd... gradually after all the work iv'e done on the car and changing the hego, fixing the ABS, restoring the rear hubs etc etc...the hesitation is Much better and drives really well when out of 1st gear now...but it is still there (as far as i know) by a small amount in first gear.... we never have completly nailed it but it is loads better.....

Some Puma owners have reported similar issues when the VCT solenoid gets stuck.... and you get a sudden burst of performance when the cam timing corrects..... hope it's not that one...lol

Chris
453

Hi Guys,
Thanks for your thoughts. My car is absolutely fine in all other gears, pulling cleanly from low revs right up to the rev limiter. But in 1st gear, it only seems to have about 50% power, and by the exhaust note, you can hear it struggling. Car has had a replacement gearbox by previous owner, and I wonder if it wasn't a Racing Puma gearbox, will it be sending the wrong messages to the ECU. Any further thoughts? Could this be re-mapped out?

Also, she has very twitchy handling characteristics. Turn-in at anything above 50mph and you have to correct the steering, as if there's an element of over-steer. Just hoping a complete re-build of the rear suspension will solve this.

Dave

The 1st gear hesitation sounds even more exactly like Mikes car now...it is a strange problem indeed...

for a while i suspected the gearbox too on mikes car, but after fitting a new FRP box from the clearance FRP stock, that ruled that one out... unless as you suggest, the wiring loom to the gearbox is actually faulty (speed sensor assembly)...

With regards to the handling i'd suggest it may be down to tyres/tracking issues etc... as VERY few places will set up the tracking with the right amount of toe in it... Even the Hunter equipment which is the best going does have the FRP listed but has the correct amount of toe as it's minimum tollarance, so any oporator using that equipment will be setting it up with too much toe..

Your welcome to bring it up to me if you want me to have a look over it.... could refurbish the suspension while your here if you like..?

Regards

Chris
FRP453

The 1st gear hesitation sounds even more exactly like Mikes car now...it is a starnge problem indeed...

for a while i suspected the gearbox too on mikes car, but after fitting a new FRP box from the clearance FRP stock, that ruled that one out... unless as you suggest, the wiring loom to the gearbox is actually faulty (speed sensor assembly)...

With regards to the handling i'd suggest it may be down to tyres/tracking issues etc... as VERY few places will set up the tracking with the right amount of toe in it... Even the Hunter equipment which is the best going does have the FRP listed but has the correct amount of toe as it's minimum tollarance, so any oporator using that equipment will be setting it up with too much toe..

Your welcome to bring it up to me if you want me to have a look over it.... could refurbish the suspension while your here if you like..?

might be worth ringing round other garages that have worked on FRP's and see what they have done when curing this problem... Ollie at OC Motorsport, Tremona or Alan at Pumabuild.... you'll have to grade how they asnwer the questions as to whether you think they have dealt with it before or trying to get you round for 'diagnostics'..lol

Regards

Chris
FRP453

It does sound very similar to my problem. I've had it Since I've owned the car. So 4 years. As Chris says I've had it at his getting all sorts checked, replaced and fiddled with, lol. The problem is much much better now. But it does still hold back in first!

I've just got use to it now. Once I get it out of first it flys. Specially when using the nitrous, lol.

Thanks for the offer to look at the car Chris, but Nottingham is a long way away. I'm a bit out on a limb down here in Devon, so if anyone knows of someone a bit more local who could have the knowledge I need, please let me know.
Cheers, Dave

Richard at Tremona knows the car pretty well... and has Ford IDS diagnostics... based next to the Southampton Docks

also there's Ollie at OC Motorsport Essex.. He knows his onions..

Rgds

Chris

If you go there and the problem is resolved , please post up all the info for other owners...

[V4FRP]

I highly recommend Richard at Tremona garage V4 came away from him a totally different car, vastly improved.

I'll give Richard a try, thanks for that.

Does anyone know where I could get my hands on some 30mm rear suspension spacers?

Just had the rear bumper painted (previous owner had reversed into a post or something), fitted a complete set of new rear lights, so she now looks really cool from behind. Just need to paint the front bumper for now (loads of stone chips), until such time as I can afford a complete re-spray. Hopefully father Christmas will bring me a few more goodies too.

I will get some pics up, as soon as I work out how to do it.

Cheers, Dave

Thanks for the info guys. Anyone know where I can get my hands on some 30mm rear suspension spacers.

Cheers, Dave