New member from MI

[SloMo228]

Hello all,

I just acquired a new-to-me 1998 Contour SVT last week. 79K on the ticker and she runs like a dream. The handling is what sold me on it. Being an incurable "car guy" I of course started searching around for the possibilities of what can be done with these cars and found this site. There seems to be a lot of information here and many knowledgeable people - I'll probably be on here quite a bit.

-Steve

[LUCA]

Welcome Steve.

Seems I've been giving this advice a lot lately: :)
Keep the coolant level at the top of the word MAX on the coolant tank. Coolant sensor is finicky and can turn on the coolant light if it's a bit low.

Use at least 6 quarts of oil, some here run 6 and a half quarts. This helps with the oil starvation issue on sweeping right hand turns at higher RPMs.

If you don't already have this info...To to your build number and build date call: 1-800-FORD-SVT and give them the last 6 digits of your VIN. They will tell you the build number and build date. You can also get a certificate with this info on it from Ford but they now charge $40 for it. To get the info over the phone is free.


We look forward to you being on here "quite a bit". You are correct, there are plenty of knowledgeable people and tons of info. There are "how-to's" for just about everything you can think to do to these cars.

What color SVT do you have? If you've got pictures, post some.

[AliasJerk]

Because of CEG there is a very wide aftermarket of custom modifications you can do.

The BEST bang for your buck is the nautaulis Performance turbo kit, they just had a new kit avalible that is a non intercooled and very upgradeable for 2grand, the dyno proved 220wheel horsepower (I think?) at 5.5 psi.

Which is about 50 wheel horsepower, the intercooled tubro kit was putting down 260 wheel horsepower at 7 psi. On a completely stock drive train.

Also the differentials in the contours are kinda weak, so try to keep wheel hop to a minimum or you would be looking at a trannie rebuild in the near future.

Another great mod is to swap the 2.5L for a 3L motor from a Taurus or an Escape.

Also make sure to overfil your oil by about half a quart, the 2.5L motors had some oil drainback issues that on sweeping left hand turns would create a high possibility of throwing a rod bearing, over filling the oil solved this issues with no drawbacks.

[SloMo228]

No pictures yet as I have to repair a few "mistakes" that the PO made (I guess he didn't realize that removing the fender badges would leave holes...). Once she's all prettied up, I'll put some up. But anyway, she's a black SVT.

Thanks for the info about the build number, I had been wondering how to find that out.

I'll also make sure to pick up some extra oil tomorrow - I made sure to change it after I bought it (I only run Royal Purple or AMSoil in my cars and I also had no idea when it was last changed.) Thanks for that tip, too.

As far as mods - I've been eyeing that 3L swap (I have a thing for NA power) but haven't really considered a turbo. Are these engines capable of handling a decent amount of boost without serious durability issues? My last car/project was a MN12 Thunderbird and those 4.6s couldn't handle any kind of serious power-adding without a forged rebuild.

[AliasJerk]

on a stock SVT 2.5L 7psi of boost is extremely safe.

There is a guy on here running 11psi on his stock motor which has 140K miles on it, he is putting down about 280 wheel horsepower.

But with 7psi and a tune you are looking at 260, and 90 extra horsepower from 7 pounds of boost is an extremely good number.

N/A power is great, and I was totally with you before I went for a ride in these turbo 2.5L and 3L cars. Boost is addicting, and the sound that these motors make on boost is just biblical. Its almost terrifying. I thought the 3L N/A SVTs were fast, then I get into a stock 2.5L with a turbo and its completely different.

The best part about the nautaulis kit on a stock 2.5, is with the right turbo you wont make any boost until about 3500. Which means you get the excellent low end torque of the stock motor for city driving, along with no extended stress on the motor from the turbo, then when you want to have some fun just rev past 3500 and let the turbo spool up these motors almost feel like they were designed for a turbo with the way they respond to it.

since you are in michigan too, this is the state where all of the CSVT stuff happens, over near detroit we have all of the forum's most active members, lots of 3L and turbocharged Contours around here, we probably are going to have a meet in the East Great lakes fairly soon, usualy someone sets up something every other month. So keep an eye out, there are a lot of nice, intelligent people that know what they are doing around here.

[RawBurt]

There is a guy on here running 11psi on his stock motor which has 140K miles on it, he is putting down about 280 wheel horsepower.


Me?

Anyway yeah, I dyno'd 262hp and 248tq at 7 psi. I now have it cranked up to 11psi with 135k on the clock. I've been running around like this for a month or so with no problems, and let me tell ya, I am by all means not nice to it, lol. 11 to 12 psi should be right around 300 to the wheels and I would think the max you should push on a untouched motor.

[Reebs]

Me?

Anyway yeah, I dyno'd 262hp and 248tq at 7 psi. I now have it cranked up to 11psi with 135k on the clock. I've been running around like this for a month or so with no problems, and let me tell ya, I am by all means not nice to it, lol. 11 to 12 psi should be right around 300 to the wheels and I would think the max you should push on a untouched motor.


That is the max you would want to push on a 2.5L motor, but the 3L can handle up to about 14psi with the revised piston ring lands. On a 3L over 400 at the crank on stock internals is still safe. Some guys have pushed it to 400 whp on stock internals. :)


Where in Michigan are you from? You defenitly picked a good state to own a SVT in. Lots of guys do 3L swaps around here for very good prices. Todras is on the west side and over here on the east side you have Stazi and myself for example.

And Aliasjerk mixed it up in his previous post..... it is long sweeping RIGHT hand turns that you want to avoid. :)


Let us know if you need anything, and WELCOME!



Reebs

[AliasJerk]

whoops, I tend to get it backwards on the sweeping long turn part... but yeah it is in fact sweeping RIGHT hand turns, but im sure that a left hand turn probably isnt any more safe.

[elraido]

whoops, I tend to get it backwards on the sweeping long turn part... but yeah it is in fact sweeping RIGHT hand turns, but im sure that a left hand turn probably isnt any more safe.

Left hand turns are fine as far as I know.

[AliasJerk]

Left hand turns are fine as far as I know.

I R lerning.

[elraido]

I R lerning.

Time to get a V6 there, me boy. :)

[Redlineracer12]

That is the max you would want to push on a 2.5L motor, but the 3L can handle up to about 14psi with the revised piston ring lands. On a 3L over 400 at the crank on stock internals is still safe. Some guys have pushed it to 400 whp on stock internals. :)


I'm sure the 2.5 with the upgraded pistons (later models not his 98) could handle more than 7 psi, its those hypereutectic pistons that aren't capable of the higher boost :)

There have been some pretty beefy 3L NA builds too though if you were to pursue that route.

[SloMo228]

I'm in the Metro-Detroit area (Royal Oak, to be precise).

Is the higher compression ratio of the SVT a problem with turbocharging? I'm under the impression that a lower C/R is desirable for FI.

[Pudmunkie]

Obviously not too much of a problem, given the number of stock motor turbo'ed cars that are fully safe at 7psi... (hint... some posted in this very thread!)

[Reebs]

10 psi is safe on an earlier SVT motor (98) and somewhere between 99 and 00 they revised the piston ring lands so up to 14 psi is pretty safe which is the same as the 3L. The CR of these motors is 10:1 which isn't too bad. If the 3L is a hybrid (3L block with 2.5 heads) then the CR is 11.25:1 which isn't good for boost. A stock 3L or 2.5 can handle plenty of boost to be one heck of a street car.

[steebsSVT]

trust reebs when he talks about boost. I just bought his built 3L turbo and i've given myself so much whiplash. (not that i'm complaining lol)

[Reebs]

trust reebs when he talks about boost. I just bought his built 3L turbo and i've given myself so much whiplash. (not that i'm complaining lol)

Pretty crazy isn't it!?!?! :D I sure miss that thing. :cry:

[AliasJerk]

Pretty crazy isn't it!?!?! :D I sure miss that thing. :cry:

that car is stupid fast, and sounded like Thor himself if he could gargle sledge hammers.