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Going 3L this weekend, those who have done it read please

Bugzuki said:
What do you do about the front engine mount? I am talking about the big steel part that goes down between the heads. The bolt holes are the wrong size. Do you just tap them out?
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They were the same size on mine, its an 04 block. if their wrong I would get bolts to fit them, befor taping them out. I would not want to hit a water jacket or a oil line.
 
Bugzuki said:
What do you do about the front engine mount? I am talking about the big steel part that goes down between the heads. The bolt holes are the wrong size. Do you just tap them out?
Click to expand...

Mine wouldn't fi either. I had to get some smaller bolts but make sure that you pull the lineup pins from the mount b/c if you have the smaller holes they wont fit & they will cause your mount to be cocked.
 
I don't know if I like the idea of using smaller bolts to hold the engine in the car. I will think about that some more. I am definitely going to drill out the lineup holes so if I do use smaller bolts they will be centered properly. I'll get back to you.
 
well i am using a 03 taurus motor and i am using a 01 Escape front mount it has the samller holes and the line up dowels, but i tell ya what a pain in the ass getting that thing in without pulling one of the heads
 
LLADNAR said:
well i am using a 03 taurus motor and i am using a 01 Escape front mount it has the samller holes and the line up dowels, but i tell ya what a pain in the ass getting that thing in without pulling one of the heads
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The Escape engine is much easier to swap in than the Taurus, I have had both engines and the Escape was by far the easiest and I didn't have swap timing covers either.

Aaron
 
Y2KSVT said:
Some people just want to keep their front end looking new. Bending over the bumper with jeans on, dropping a wrench, spilling oil/coolant, running an air hose across the front bumper; they all take a little toll on it. Taking all those parts off, is more for peace of mind.

Mark
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AMEN!

:shocked:

It takes a total of 10 minutes for me to pull the SVT bumper, grill, headlights off. I leave the hood on though and push it all the way back. I leave the fenders on too of course but with the plastic off it makes it so much easier to work on the car and access stuff. At least on the SVT it makes it easer...
 
Someone isn't reading. The mount is to substitied with the 01+ cougar mount and is ground down to be snaked through the heads. The part numbers to the 2 short and 2 long bolts are in the parts list in the old forums.
 
SVT SNOB said:
The Escape engine is much easier to swap in than the Taurus, I have had both engines and the Escape was by far the easiest and I didn't have swap timing covers either.

Aaron
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yeah but if you want to swap in the svt cams you have to pull the cover anyway. now it would have had the damned mount on it instead of having to grind up the escape one i had to get it in the heads. but oh well i won't complain got the engine for an awsome price
 
I have read a lot in the old forums, but must have missed the ones about the front mount. The fact is that the old forum is still impossible to search effectively - unless you were on there for every post since the beginning. The new forum is much more search friendly.

I took the heads off to do the port work, so getting the mount in is not a problem. And I do not think that it is necessary to spend even more money to put the Escape mount on it when I have the SVT mount.
 
I ended up drilling approximately 1.5 inches deep in the four holes with an 11/32 drill bit. Then taped with a 10mm - 1.50 tap.

The alignment sleaves are approximately 13.5mm in diameter so I am picking up a 35/64th drill bit tomorrow to finish drilling out the alignment holes.

I also ground down the flange on one of the bolts to fit past the head.

Front_Mount_Tapping_small.jpg


Front_Mount_Tapping_small2.jpg
 
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Bugzuki said:
I have read a lot in the old forums, but must have missed the ones about the front mount. The fact is that the old forum is still impossible to search effectively - unless you were on there for every post since the beginning. The new forum is much more search friendly.

I took the heads off to do the port work, so getting the mount in is not a problem. And I do not think that it is necessary to spend even more money to put the Escape mount on it when I have the SVT mount.
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man i looked at your page,, you are using the exact same motor i am if you havent mounted the alternator bracket yet you have to cut some ears off of the block, i still haven't ported mine yet, been kind of avaoiding it plus i need to get the valve covers on it so i don't get metal in teh engine. i hope to have it done by the end of this weekend,, hopefully
 
LLADNAR said:
man i looked at your page,, you are using the exact same motor i am if you havent mounted the alternator bracket yet you have to cut some ears off of the block, i still haven't ported mine yet, been kind of avaoiding it plus i need to get the valve covers on it so i don't get metal in teh engine. i hope to have it done by the end of this weekend,, hopefully
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Thats cool your doing the same engine. Thanks for the tip on the ear cutting. Just for the record I did read about that one. On the first head I took the valves out so that I could clean it throughly, but that was like 3 hours of extra work (removal and reinstallation). I might take your advice and put the cover back on the second one and plug the ports.

The 35/64th drill bit was a little over sized, so the 13.5mm might work better, for the mount alignment pins.

About the ports. I drew up a CAD drawing of the ports the way I want them. Then have been trying to get a friend to CNC plasma cut them out correctly for me. He keeps messing up the offset. This week end I ground of one of them until it matched the drawing and then finished the first head. I want to see what he can come up with this time, before I do the second head. I should just have a real shop laser cut it for me.

Here is a picture of one of the prototypes.
Port_Template.jpg


It is supposed to be about 1/4 inch thick between the outer edge and the port, but there is about a 1/16th offset on both sides.
 
I have never tried pulling one out the top. I have always pulled the motor out by lowering it with the subframe. That is hard though if you do not have a lift.
 
I've done several from the bottom & even argued the point that it is better that way in other threads on the old forums. when I did the 3L this time I figured I'd give it a try from the top & It was no problem. It is a tight fit & It helps to have someone helping guide everything in & out but it really is doable. The next time I do It it will probably be quicker since I know what to look for. Just be careful or you will break something, always remove the coolant tank just in case, when coming from the top. I shouldn't have hit it but I did luckily I have a couple laying around. :)
 
Bugzuki said:
You undid the A/C lines? I took mine out the top with the hood still on.
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yeah i the a/c didn't work anyway and it had little refridgerant so i just unhooked it. and i always like to remove the hood,, as you can see in the pic it makes for a great storage bin:laugh:
 
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