sparky Paul

I would be surprised if the dealer actually 'allows' this, I wouldn't think the technician would have the authority to use the dealer's stamp when the car hasn't actually been serviced by the franchised dealer?

As gregers says, they just push on. The problems with old ones is that the aluminium core corrodes over time, and crumples when you remove it. New ones are much stronger and will take a bit more abuse. If looking for secondhand ones, check that they are nice and rigid, with no evidence of the bumps on the surface caused by the corroding aluminium.

As bfc says above, almost certainly needs a regas... hopefully you haven't got any leaks anywhere. The two connections are the high and low pressure ports, and there should be a sticker on the slam panel with the correct gas quantity.

I'm not sure there is anything on the VOSA site, as the info was in a statement issued to MOT testers. The actual wording is here, if it helps.

It not impossible, but from the lambda activity you describe, I would say it's unlikely. The lambda voltages are only slightly odd, probably not far enough out to be a concern. Even if you presume that it is significant, it could be a lambda fault or it could be accurately reporting that the engine is running lean due to some other problem. Probably the easiest way to check if the lambda sensor is doing it's job is to get an emissions test done. Whatever other problems the engine has, the ECU should use the lambda reading to do it's best to maintain correct emissions. Fortunately not! The old Galaxy has been the model of reliability in the engine department. :D

Not common at all. However, it's very common to mis-diagnose clonky noises as top strut mounts. There a great deal of free movement at the top, with weight off the strut, you should be able to move the strut up and down about half an inch, and it will move sideways too. That is quite normal, the top bush seats once weight is back on the wheel. Most common cause of knocking front suspension is ARB droplinks, Galaxy is very prone to this problem. OOPS! not quick enough. :D

The figures from the lambda bounce up and down between 0.1V and 0.9V about once per second and appear pretty random with the relatively slow refresh on OBD. Your sensor 1 numbers look reasonably random, and I would hazard a guess that sensor 1 is okay, they usually fail showing permanently rich or lean, i.e.stuck above or below 0.45V-0.5V. Less often, they react to changes sluggishly or give other false readings. Sensor 2 (post-cat) should be showing a fairly steady reading, which yours is. It should be above 0.45V, and IIRC 0.7V is a fairly normal figure. The lambda activity looks fairly normal, but I would have expected to see a few 0.8V+ figures... I haven't worked it out, but the average seems to be around 0.4V, which indicates a slightly lean condition - could possibly be a faulty sensor 1, but perhaps this might point elsewhere. Are you sure there are no leaks around the exhaust manifold? This is only anecdotal, but the last two headgaskets I have done have required a new lambda sensor too. Hope this helps.

Are any of the readings bouncing up and down when the engine is up to temperature? I'm not sure if the bank 2 readings might be a red herring... AFAIK, bank 1 & 2 refer to the two halves of a V-engine, bank 2 is ignored for an inline engine. O2 sensor 1 is pre-cat, and o2 sensor 2 is post-cat - only fitted on closed loop systems. My older 2.3 only has the one pre-cat sensor, hence only bank 1 sensor 1 reading is active - not sure about the later Galaxys

Just to add to the above, a failed lamdba sensor seldom gives a specific fault code, or illuminates the MIL.

The thing with the pipes to the manifold is the MAP sensor, IIRC. Fuel trim is adjusted by the ECU with reference to a few engine sensors, but mainly the lambda sensor. What's the lambda (o2) reading from scantool? When the car is warmed up, it should fluctuate fairly rapidly up and down around an average of about 0.5V. If it stays low or high, or not fluctuating rapidly, the lambda sensor is kaput. If the ECU sees a dead lambda, it normally defaults to a lean setting, to protect the catalytic converter. It's common for the lambda sensor to pack up during a head gasket failure, coolant in the exhaust gases destroys them.

The crank pulley mark will obviously be near enough to know if you are a tooth out anywhere, so that should all be okay by the sound of it.

No need to apologise, it's just that you might get a better informed response. :)

It might be worth asking in the MkIII Technical Section, as yours is a mk.3 Galaxy. It sounds like a case of suck it and see, see how it comes apart - you're probably breaking new territory...

A generic OBD2/EOBD interface cable connected to a laptop will give you live sensor data from the engine, it might be worth having a look to see if anything looks odd. They are pretty cheap on that well known auction site, look for a ELM327 based cable, and I find that the ScanTool software works okay. This probably sounds like teaching granny to suck eggs, but how did you determine exact No.1 TDC when you checked the timing marks at the cams?

You should go with Chris's suggestion above. The oil for the VXT75 gearbox is a synthetic 75W-90, but with additives - the genuine Ford oil is the best stuff to use. Failing that, look for something which conforms to the same spec.

Almost certainly seized spindles, as Chris says. Look in the FAQ section, in particular number 46.

Welcome to the forum. :o To be certain of where the problem lies, you really need to connect the car up to a laptop with a VAG-COM interface. They are a very useful diagnostic tool, and available from that well known auction site for about 7 quid, or a fiver if you can wait for one to come from China. You need the interface cable, a laptop and some software you can download for free - there's lots of info on here if you have a search. In the meantime, the most common failure is the steering wheel airbag slip ring, commonly known as the 'clockspring'.

Good stuff, just thought I'd mention it.

Before attacking the sensor, make sure the reluctor ring on the CV joint is all in good order, that's normally the weakest point. The sensors can be a pain to remove, they are often so well siezed in that you have to mangle them out. One method is to drill several holes through the sensor, taking care not to drill right through into the reluctor ring, remove the guts of the sensor, then chop out the outer casing. The hole will need cleaning up before the new sensor will fit, and any rust on the surface of the hub needs to be cleaned off as it will prevent the new sensor seating fully home.

It is indeed a single-use device, but IIRC someone mentioned on here that they were able to reset the tensioner by squashing it up in a vice.

If you haven't already, I would double check timing. Any emissions problem that is measurable at the O2 sensor will normally put he engine MIL on. In any case, you will need a cheap generic OBDII interface cable to read the engine components, look for one that is ELM327 based.

Seatkid mentioned wheel balance, not tracking... symptoms are classic for out of balance wheel/s.

To be fair, you have a service book with stamps in it that appear to be genuine dealer stamps - that doesn't necessarily mean that the dealer actually stamped the book or did the servicing. If the dealer concerned is saying that they have never serviced the vehicle, then it's likely that a third party must have fraudulently stamped the book. There's no way that Ford or the dealer concerned can be responsible for this, your first port of call must be the individual or company that sold you the car. It might be worth checking the miles too, it's not unknown for falsified service documentation being used to back up a clocked mileage. Check the mileages on the last 5 MOT tests using the VOSA website, and make sure they tally with the current reading.

You can find the official schedules HERE. If you have no idea of the service history, ideally you should assume the worst and give it a major service... cars of this age tend to get neglected a bit in later life. Cam belt and tensioner, oil and filters are definitely a good idea, but you can play other stuff by ear if you are on a budget.

Yes, sounds to me like the sliders and/or caliper slide bushes are worn too.