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The start of a long journey to my 3L swap

Hopefully I should have the engine out tonight. Tomorrow i will find out what went wrong with the 2.5 and start getting the 3L ready to drop in... also what timing components are the same between 2.5 and 3L(guides, tensioner, or arm tensioner) if any i know the gears and chains are different.
 
Use ALL of the timing components from ONE engine, do not mix and match anything. That includes the guides, timing cover, crack sprocket, cams, chains, etc. Well, i guess you could use either set of tensioners, but FWIW I didnt.
 
so can i use the tensioner arms off the 3l because i couldn't find them at any auto parts store and i didn't want to wait for them to come in off online
 
I've decided while i have the trans out to do the diff but should i go with quaife or torsen? Also how hard is it to do? 3rd and last for any of the se MI guys is there any local place to pick 1 up and who has the best prices around on them?
 
todras said:
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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Demons got 30k miles on 3l tensioners. I used them (and im pretty sure thats not my issue) as have others.

joelechten said:
I've decided while i have the trans out to do the diff but should i go with quaife or torsen? Also how hard is it to do? 3rd and last for any of the se MI guys is there any local place to pick 1 up and who has the best prices around on them?
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Capaldi racing has/had torsens in stock. You can have it installed at Liberty gears in Troy. Google liberty gears, and call them. Ask for Paul. Labor rates are very reasonable. My trans was built there, so was Rara's, and seabass
 
Are there any side by side pictures of 3.0/2.5 tensioners? They must be at least slightly different as there priced a little different. Just curious.
 
The tensioners are different, the piston on the 2.5L tensioners is larger than the one on the 3L tensioners. You can't interchange the tensioners. The 2.5L tensioners won't fit on the 3L timing equipment and the 3L tensioners would be too small and rattle around on the 2.5L timing equipment.
 
Blackcoog said:
The tensioners are different, the piston on the 2.5L tensioners is larger than the one on the 3L tensioners. You can't interchange the tensioners. The 2.5L tensioners won't fit on the 3L timing equipment and the 3L tensioners would be too small and rattle around on the 2.5L timing equipment.
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Umm.....

Demon's got 3l tensioners on his 2.5 timing equipment, and when I installed mine, they appeared as if they were working fine. Though mine has yet to fire Demons got 30k miles on them.
 
Blackcoog said:
The tensioners are different, the piston on the 2.5L tensioners is larger than the one on the 3L tensioners. You can't interchange the tensioners. The 2.5L tensioners won't fit on the 3L timing equipment and the 3L tensioners would be too small and rattle around on the 2.5L timing equipment.
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I knew they were different. To Pud:p . I wouldn't have used them. Its not my motor :help: . I think were back to sqaure one pud. Will find out in a few weeks I guess.:cool:
 
I'm sure it's best to use the matching timing stuff, but the tensioners look almost the same. As said, they're slightly different but some people are using 3L tensioners on 2.5L's with no problems.
And as far as timing, all the manuals make it look too difficult when it's super simple. Just match the dots with the crank in the correct positions (I did my according to ford cd, tdc for front and 3 o clock after 2 rotations which I think was actually more like one rotation and then 3 o clock, depends on what you consider a rotation i guess). Match the dots like the manuals say to, turn the crank by hand a few times and if it's not impossible to turn then you should be fine. The manuals talk about timing marks lining up on the back of the cams but only my rear lined up, front never did, but it doesn't matter. It runs and runs good.
 
I never debated that they were different tensioners brett :p. I searched and found that they were backwards compatible and have been RUN like that. I also talked to rara and his 2000 motor looks to have 3.0 style tensioners!
 
joelechten said:
I've decided while i have the trans out to do the diff but should i go with quaife or torsen? Also how hard is it to do? 3rd and last for any of the se MI guys is there any local place to pick 1 up and who has the best prices around on them?
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The Torsen was made for Ford Racing, so sure Ford helped in the design. It is an exact replacement, while the Quaife needs to be shimmed. For this reason I went with the Torsen. There is also a little difference in the internal ratios, but I don't remember any of the specifics anymore. I am happy with the Torsen - I think it works. 2 wheel burnouts everytime - off highway of course.
 
According to Rick that used to post here and worked for Torsen, Ford was NOT involved with the design of the Torsen. The Torsen design has been around for a while. Torsen finally built one that would fit the MTX-75 because Ford finally ordered some for Ford Racing.

IIRC from Rick, the change in design needed to fit the MTX-75 was also done a few years back, waiting for there to be enough volume to justify putting it into production.
 
I knew Torsen designed the actual differential. I thought that maybe Ford gave them some of the outside dimensions to get the perfect fit, but I guess I was wrong. Wonder why Quaife could not get it exact.

Thanks for the info Big Jim.
 
Of course a Torsen needs shims...

Of course a Torsen needs shims...

Bugzuki said:
The Torsen was made for Ford Racing.... It is an exact replacement, while the Quaife needs to be shimmed. For this reason I went with the Torsen.
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Regarding shims and "exact fit", read this from the old forums.

I figured it was common knowledge (by now) that both diffs need to be shimmed- anyway, it's good info to have this info at hand on the new forums.
 
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