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3.0 Swap into a Focus Wagon in MD... Can Anyone Help This Guy?

C

cobrawannabe

Addicted CEG'er
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Dec 1, 2007
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Colchester, CT
Hey, I contacted him through [FJ], and let Covert1 know that CEG is the authority on 3L swaps and what is needed. Since he's already done a 2.5--->Focus, he wants to know what further parts are needed, since he hopes to swap the current set-up into his wagon, but with a 3L. So, can anyone help this champion?

http://forums.focaljet.com/team-rigz/612071-i-have-problem-im-foci-holic.html

Thanks for the time!
 
why can't he just read the forums on 3L swap he already did a 2.5 all he needs is the 3L mods and he is set. might as well go full..
 
Because I fugured it would be a nice representation of our beloved forums if someone offered a helping hand. Reading and doing are two totally diffeent things....

I'm not asking you personally to do it, so don't feel any responsibility.
 
Where EXACTLY in MD is he? i'm shooting to get my 3L done by mid-sept. and if he's "close" to me, i just might drive out and give him a hand...

EDIT: he's in Columbia, MD. That's about ~2.5hrs away from me, but its a dead straight shot.(maybe 4-6 different roads) I'll see how my project goes and then let you know or maybe get an email?
 
If you give me his email i can shoot him the parts list I used when doing my 3L swap. He can also PM DanG. He's the closest swap guru that i know of.
 
Thanks for starting this thread for me. Kinda forgot that I had signed up here a while ago.

Indeed, I have lurked around here and have stockpiled all sorts of info from here and the NECO forums. At first I had some trepidation about the 3.0 swap but it looks like I'll be ok. Plus, it helps that I have about a 2 year window to get it all sorted out.

I will say, however, it's almost worth it to create a Wiki so that all of the useful info is stored in one place. Or, even a flow-chart :laugh: so that there's a path from start to finish. I get the sense from some individuals "in the know" that they're tired of answering questions. I've found the answers out there, but not until enduring many hours of cherry-picking from hundreds of threads. I was literally looking like this --> :drool:

Not only that, there are also many ways to skin this cat (no pun intended for the Cougar folks) which I think would be valuable to have without the 'fat' of the excess chatter in the way. Pictures, in particular, are tricky when they're not presented in the proper context.

Anyway, also wanted to mention that I played no role in performing the original 2.5L swap for this Focus as I acquired it that way.

This kind of project is foreign to me, but because I'm not completely ignorant about wrenching, I think I ought to be able to handle it. Besides, you're only young once, so why not. :shrug:

Just about everything I'm capable of now, in terms of maintenance, I've learned through watching others and then repeating their moves on my own. I'd love to be able to see someone else's swap or at the very least lend a hand so that I can literally see everything that's going on. Even better if I can help take things apart in preparation for the swap.

If someone's reasonably close by and they're doing the work on a weekend, I'd consider showing up to lend a hand. I'd be happy to take a bunch of pictures, since that's one of my hobbies.

So... I have ordered a '05 Taurus lump w/COP and will likely do the "Full" install. It'll be here either tomorrow or Monday. Once it arrives, and once I get it in the garage, the teardown of my ZX3 will commence.

The 2.5L that I have is from a 2002 Cougar, and it has only 34K on it. Is it worth anything to anyone? I probably can't use it afterward.

Feel free to PM me with any useful info. I appreciate everything you all and NECO have put out there thus far. :cool:
 
Well, the D30 lump is here!

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Still have to disassemble the blue car, but now I have a lot more motivation to do so!
 
Progress pics for anyone who's interested:

This went pretty smooth:
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How convenient that I can wedge the strap tool in the pallet to get this pulley off:
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Now, onto the crank pulley, itself:
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Once I found a proper set of bolts, it was easy to get started:
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Removed!
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Removing the auto-tragic flywheel with my trusty electric impact:
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To be continued:
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Tomorrow morning I will be hitting up Harbor Freight to grab a large drill bit and a tap/die set, so I can thread a giant bolt in that pilot and use my slide hammer to get this mofo out.
 
Here's pictures of today's aftermath:

I went to Harbor Freight and bought a set of pipe taps, because I found that 1/2" NPT pipe damn near fit the pilot bushing perfectly. So I got my tap in there and threaded the pilot. Later, I went to Home Depot to get a couple 3-inch sections of 1/2" pipe and a T connector. My first version of the 'el cheapo' pilot removal tool:

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Got the slide hammer ready and started to go to town...

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Initial design = FAIL. The 6 inch section of 1/2" pipe was old and the threads slipped out. Well, more accurately it flew out and nailed my ankle:

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So I compared the older pipe section with the newer ones that I just got at HD and discovered that the newer ones were ever-so-slightly-larger. So I switched it up. After I re-threaded them I started hammering some more. The bastard finally came out!

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Looks like it was pressed in there a good 3/8" or so. And, you can see my initial attempt to notch the thing so I could use a puller. If I had continued that route, I'd probably be really frustrated right now.

So, kudos to the dude on here on contour.org who mentioned using a 7/8" drill bit, 1" tap, and 9-inch long 1" bolt w/slide hammer. I used a 1/2" NPT pipe tap (didn't really need to drill at all, just used some cutting oil) and bought plain 1/2" NPT pipe at Home Depot. I think a smaller section than the 3" pipe I used would be more effective in transferring your hammering energy toward removing the pilot bushing.

$3 for the pipe sections, $30 for the pipe tap set. I had my own slide hammer, but you could likely rent one for free.

I'm gonna celebrate by having a beer and some pizza!
 
way to go on the pilot bushing. I really like your way to remove it and never seen that done before. I did try the slide hammer and manual trans pilot bearing tool attachment however it did not work.

and by the way I have the same electric impact and love it... yours is cleaner though....

you have already showed enough initiative. I'm sure you will be able to modify the 3L too match the 2.5 and finish the swap... is the 2.5 swap into the focus a bolt in ordeal?
 
Thanks, man! Like I implied, the idea was inspired by someone on here. While doing this, I've had to make numerous google searches. I find it easier to type in:

site:contour.org pilot bushing

than using the forum's search feature.

I saw pictures of other possible methods, (referring to pilot bushings in general, not necessarily with regard to the D30) like the one you tried. When I saw them, I just said, "huh?", because it just didn't seem like it'd work.

Yeah, that Milwaukee impact is great. I got that thing almost a decade ago! Looking back, I shudder to think about all the stupid stuff me and my friend did (because, relatively speaking, we were pretty ignorant about car stuff) but that tool helped us immensely on his truck. Indeed, mine's not that dirty, but it's fairly scraped up.

The 2.5, while appearing to be a tight fit, looks like it was meant to bolt in there. The driver's side engine/tranny mount seemingly bolts right in, and you mix and match the focus passenger mount bracket with the cougar mount (the rubber part that looks like a dog 'king kong' toy). The lower tranny 'dogbone' mount appears to be a little bit off, but by not too much.

However, I didn't participate in the build of the car, I acquired it third-hand. I wish I knew more about the wiring. The builders had a salvage yard and happened upon a 2002 Cougar so they got the harness out, but it's not obvious to me what they did with the wiring inside the car. It seems that they used the dash harness from the Cougar. I won't know until I get the ZX3 torn apart.

What motivated me was the fact that the ZX3 body just leaks water into the cabin. I like the wagon body so much better, not to mention the utility. So when I found one on Craigslist I sought out to build a Focus the way they should have been equipped at the factory.
 
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