I can finally post on this forum

[ssaleen]

Hey everyone, I just joined this forum because I just bought two svt's and I love them. My brother is really going to buy my silver one but we are putting a new motor in it right now. But anyone who lives in the Vancouver/Portland area I would love to meet up sometime and talk about our sweet cars. Anyway talk to you all later.

Steve

 

[PDXSVT]

Welcome aboard.

I hope that engine swap is taking place in a dry, lit, heatable garage. Air tools are your friend. While the engine is out, will the transaxle be pulled too? If so, this is a perfect time to also check the trans/synchros, upgrade over the stock diff and add headers/y and you're ready for next year's local drag schedule. If you do line up a 3L, post up here to let us hear about it, there are very few 3.0 Contours in this neighborhood. You're in LaCenter? The shop that dynotuned my xcal2 is in Vancouver.

 

[ssaleen]

Welcome aboard.

I hope that engine swap is taking place in a dry, lit, heatable garage. Air tools are your friend. While the engine is out, will the transaxle be pulled too? If so, this is a perfect time to also check the trans/synchros, upgrade over the stock diff and add headers/y and you're ready for next year's local drag schedule. If you do line up a 3L, post up here to let us hear about it, there are very few 3.0 Contours in this neighborhood. You're in LaCenter? The shop that dynotuned my xcal2 is in Vancouver.

Thanks
Yes the engine rebuild is happening in my garage,and let me tell you it is not that fun. I've pulled alot of motors and this is got to be the hardest one yet. It is getting everything new before it goes back in. The tranny will be checked even though it felt good, and we got a centerforce clutch for it. Headers are going on also as long as the guy on this forum sends the stuff I bought from him. Which I hope. I don't think it will ever see the track though, I have a 11 sec mustang and my brother is also getting his 03 ranger motor rebuilt stronger because he just blew it with a eaton m112 lightning blower install. So the contours are just drivers.

 

[PDXSVT]

PIR is closed for this season, and I'm guessing Woodburn Drags are closed or closing soon for the year, but if you take that 11 second toy out next spring, I'll want to hear about it.

 

[ssaleen]

PIR is closed for this season, and I'm guessing Woodburn Drags are closed or closing soon for the year, but if you take that 11 second toy out next spring, I'll want to hear about it.

Yea I usually take it to pir but it will be down for a while now. I'm doing a 347 stroker with an automatic, but I really want a tubbed car, so I'm thinking im going to start buying the parts to do that. So I may not be running it for a while. But it is a pretty fun car, and super fast. I'm hoping for 10's with the new motor and a 200 shot of nos. But if you live close you can come check it out anytime if you live close. It is a pure show car and sometines a drag car that sounds awesome.

 

[GrooveNerd]

Welcome to the NW forum! You can take your Contour to PIR for track days, where you go around the whole course, and not just the front straight. These cars make much better road course cars than drag cars. Although, there are some that are decent on the drag strip too.

Marty

 

[ssaleen]

Welcome to the NW forum! You can take your Contour to PIR for track days, where you go around the whole course, and not just the front straight. These cars make much better road course cars than drag cars. Although, there are some that are decent on the drag strip too.

Marty

Yea I will never race the tour. I did see a silver one at the track one time that ran a 15 flat which is super good for a 4-door v-6 car. I just love the svt, and I just bought it for a car to drive around everywhere.
It's pretty wierd though when I told my friends I wanted one they all laughed at me, "why would you want a contour" I said you dont understand it's not just a contour, it's a svt. Now that I have one and I bought my second one, I could have sold it about 10 times to my friends and everybody that sees it.

 

[Aussie Ford]

Yes welcome aboard, I hope your engine rebuild goes as smooth as a balanced SVT.... read bunches about the clutch there have been more than a few issues with various aftermarket ones....

BAT is your friend..

Keep us posted and a few pic's wouldn't hurt :laugh:

Regards,
AF

 

[ssaleen]

Yes welcome aboard, I hope your engine rebuild goes as smooth as a balanced SVT.... read bunches about the clutch there have been more than a few issues with various aftermarket ones....

BAT is your friend..

Keep us posted and a few pic's wouldn't hurt :laugh:

Regards,
AF

Yea I hope we have no clutch problems. He got a centerforce dual friction clutch. I will put some pics up tomorrow.

 

[Aussie Ford]

Some of the clutch issue include:
Disintegrating after a short while.
Making a loud clicking sound - usually caused by rivets on the clutch rubbing. Unfortunately this is discovered after pulling everything apart again.
Loud noises even after hooking up / chatter.

These issues have come from what most folks would consider excellent after market products. For some reason the SVT is a bit picky about what works well with it. The Center Force clutch may work ok, I don't know. Just a suggestion to do a bit of checking on what others have done in this area rather than doing an install and finding out there is an issue after the fact.

There has been quite a bit of discussion around this particular issue. In many cases people have gone back to the stock Ford SVT clutch.

I haven't had to do mine, so I just perused the info enough to remember that if/when the time comes there are issues to avoid.

Regards,
AF

 

[shotwell]

If you still have the option, take that centerforce clutch back. I used one of those once and it didn't last very long. Others have reported major issues as well. I'm currently running a Spec clutch, which so far is holding up fine. I'm with Aussie on this though...get a stock SVT clutch. My original was still working at 98,000 miles! It always gripped! We only replaced it because the trans was already out for other work.

Another major issue with clutch replacement on these cars is the machining of the flywheel. This is a two step flywheel...two surfaces need to machined to the proper specification or "step" measurement. You'll see when you get it in your hands. The dowels will be removed and that surface machined along with the clutch disc area. If this is done incorrectly, or not at all, you WILL experience premature clutch failure, not matter what brand of clutch you use.

My local Napa has a machine shop in the back with a really knowlegable guy running it. You'll have to check around. Don't just assume they can look up this specification...ask them before you drop it off.

I believe this specification for the step was posted in the transaxle fourm, but I'll have to look.

 

[ssaleen]

Some of the clutch issue include:
Disintegrating after a short while.
Making a loud clicking sound - usually caused by rivets on the clutch rubbing. Unfortunately this is discovered after pulling everything apart again.
Loud noises even after hooking up / chatter.

These issues have come from what most folks would consider excellent after market products. For some reason the SVT is a bit picky about what works well with it. The Center Force clutch may work ok, I don't know. Just a suggestion to do a bit of checking on what others have done in this area rather than doing an install and finding out there is an issue after the fact.

There has been quite a bit of discussion around this particular issue. In many cases people have gone back to the stock Ford SVT clutch.

I haven't had to do mine, so I just perused the info enough to remember that if/when the time comes there are issues to avoid.

Regards,
AF

Ok good to know I will look at some of the other posts. He got the centerforce because it was about the same price as stock and you'd think being centerforce that It will be a good clutch.
But thanks for the info I will look around to see if anybody has had any problems with one.

 

[ssaleen]

If you still have the option, take that centerforce clutch back. I used one of those once and it didn't last very long. Others have reported major issues as well. I'm currently running a Spec clutch, which so far is holding up fine. I'm with Aussie on this though...get a stock SVT clutch. My original was still working at 98,000 miles! It always gripped! We only replaced it because the trans was already out for other work.

Another major issue with clutch replacement on these cars is the machining of the flywheel. This is a two step flywheel...two surfaces need to machined to the proper specification or "step" measurement. You'll see when you get it in your hands. The dowels will be removed and that surface machined along with the clutch disc area. If this is done incorrectly, or not at all, you WILL experience premature clutch failure, not matter what brand of clutch you use.

My local Napa has a machine shop in the back with a really knowlegable guy running it. You'll have to check around. Don't just assume they can look up this specification...ask them before you drop it off.

I believe this specification for the step was posted in the transaxle fourm, but I'll have to look.

Alright I may just tell hime to go get the stock clutch then, just incase. He wouldn't be very happy if that clutch turns out like crap.
Thanks for the info.

 

[PDXSVT]

So is doing the machining and balancing for the clutch a good idea also when putting in a new SVT clutch? And when using your pre-existing stock SVT flywheel, you take that to the shop to be checked at the same time, before the install? I don't know myself if those steps are necessary, but I thought I'd throw it out there as a question. Any opinions out there on that?