New guy here. Just picked up a 99 CSVT

[TennTechMan]

I just read through all the new member info. It all looks like standard issue auto enthusiast forum instructions, so I think I'll fit right in.

I just picked up a 99 CSVT (black/MNB) for my brother yesterday. He's not familiar with message forums, so I'll likely be posting stuff a lot for him. The car is currently not running, and the previous owner says it has been sitting "for at least a year". The current tags have an expiration of May 05. My math suggests that it's been sitting for about 3.5 years. The owner (a deisel mechanic) decided to rebuild the engine after it spun a rod bearing. He removed, disassembled, rebuilt (with new bearing, gaskets, etc), and installed the engine into the car. He never could get the car to start. No clue why.

My current plan is to pull the engine/trans, and get the engine on a stand. I'll do some basic diagnostic work (comp check, leak down), and the begin disassembly. Since I didn't build the engine, I want to completely take it apart and put it back together checking all the clearances and tolerances. If I find any catastrophic failure to the engine, we're going to look at dropping in a 3.0L. It seems there is a lot of good info on this site to support that.


Some random info:

I live about 20 minutes from Deal's Gap (Tail of the Dragon). I'm there about once a week spring through fall. If anyone's ever planning a trip through, let me know.

I've never had a Contour of any kind, but I've got a 03 SVT Focus that I've had since new. It's been a great car, and if the SVT bits on it are any indication, I can't wait to get the SVTC running.

I autocross my Focus in the East TN Region (STS). Current mods are AEM CAI, Borla catback, and 15x7 Centerline Storms with Toyo R1R rubber.

My daily driver is a 94 Explorer Sport RWD. It's setup pre-runner style with a small lift, 31's, and a built up 4.0L (heads, cam, fresh bottom end, headers, exhaust, ..., the list goes on).

I'm into motorcycles. I've got a 03 GSXR 600. No, it's not chromed out and it doesn't have an extended swing arm. It's got a lot of scratches, and no chicken strips. I ride for the corners.

I'm on a handful of other forums with the same username. Focaljet.com, Gixxer.com, ExplorerForum.com, ETRSCCA.org, and a few others that I am less active on.

[kcobra]

I think it will be the general opinion of everyone here, that if you are going to take the time to pull the engine and trans you might as well drop a 3L in its place. I do not have one but from what i have read the gas mileage won't really suffer and the extra power, especially the torque down low will really be noticeable. Just my opinion.

[TennTechMan]

The deciding factor will be cost. If we can get the 2.5L back together correctly for less than $500, we'll go that route. If it's much more than that, we'll be looking more into the 3.0L swap. From some reading I did earlier tonight on another forum, it sounds like the Escape motor is the way to go.

[FauxhawkFox]

Welcome, I love the description on the Gixxer! Nothing like getting down on a bike. Esp the dragon! Im sure thats just a normal drive for you.

You can pick up a 3L with maybe 10k miles for $300. If the 2.5 is blown you should go that route!

Since you seem to be a forum veteran the search button isnt foreign to you. Use that sucker. Post up some pics of the car. Id give it 6 months until you come here more often than all the other forums.

[TennTechMan]

You can pick up a 3L with maybe 10k miles for $300.

Please tell me where. All my usual sources show about $800 to $1000 for really low miles.

Post up some pics of the car.

I would, but it looks just like any other clean, completely stock 99 Black/MNB SVTC.

Id give it 6 months until you come here more often than all the other forums.

Maybe if the car was mine. I'll do my best to get my brother (owner of the car) on here. He's never used a message forum, so you guys would have to help him along at first. He would catch on quickly though.


We started pulling the motor/trans tonight. Before beginning disassembly, we did some preliminary diagnostic work. Good compression (~200 psi) on 5 of 6 cylinders. The third cylinder on bank 2 was just tripping the needle (~20 psi) on my compression gauge. We started working towards pulling the engine/trans. We just need to pull the half shafts, remove the motor mounts, and pull it out. Next weekend we should have the motor on the stand, and begin the tear down.

[ajeziorski]

TennTechMann,

Use this site to find youself an engine ... car-part.com. It is an unbelievable tool for this project.

Don't waste your time or money on the 2.5 rebuild. Just go 3L and make sure you find a S vin duratec.

Since you don't know much about these cars, they were built as an "affordable" performance cars and are quite often modified. A lot of the time you can't trust the work of the previous owner and sometimes once you take it all apart you find out that it doesn't even have the svt parts in it.

Another reason people go 3L is the tq numbers. Stock is ~ 165 tq and the 3L is ~ 207. Get yourself the MSDS headers and an better air filter and your looking at ~ 220 tq.

This forum is an awesome site.

Good Luck

[TARZAN]

Welcome, I'm down around Memphis....I own a local SE forum also...they're all over the place LOL

Congrats on the new acquisition!

-Will

[TennTechMan]

After disassembling the 2.5L, it looks like it will be cheaper to do the 3.0L swap. The 2.5L was going to need a lot of work on the crank, and one of the rods was destroyed. The current plan is to do a 3.0L port-match. I'd like to post up my exact plans in the 3.0L discussion, but my username seems to be locked out of posting there. It would be nice to get some feedback and to make sure I'm not missing any large component to the swap.

TennTechMann,

Use this site to find youself an engine ... car-part.com. It is an unbelievable tool for this project.

Don't waste your time or money on the 2.5 rebuild. Just go 3L and make sure you find a S vin duratec.

We've found the engine at a local LKQ. We haven't bought it yet, but it's a S VIN from a 2004 Taurus.

Since you don't know much about these cars

Says who? I don't know every detail about swapping in a 3.0L, but I know quite a bit about the CSVT's in stock form. I don't mean to sound defensive, but I don't know what gave you that impression.

This forum is an awesome site.

Good Luck

Yes it is, and thanks.

[fitzy67]

I have read a lot about swapping in the 3l in place of the 2.5. I currently have the Z-Tech and was wondering what all I had to do to swap in a 3L into that and if I would also need to change out the tranny? The car is a 98 GL 4cyl.

[TennTechMan]

I can't help you too much with that one. The best thing to do would probably be to get a V6 Contour (SVT or not), and start from that. I think the transmission will bolt up since the Zetec Foci use the MTX75 also. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. It may be the same trans with a different bolt pattern at the enging. There's probably a lot of wiring to change out also. It won't nearly be as much a plug-n-play as swapping the 3.0L into where the 2.5L was.

It can be done, but how much effort will it take? Is it worth the effort?