Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Performance 2.5L V6 Duratec, 24K miles. Is it worth $2,600?

First time poster, glad I found this forum.

I have a 1995 Ford Contour LX with 127,000 miles. Last year the O2 sensor and then catalytic converter went bye-bye (usualy cats have porous holes, mine is now a fused solid block - which tends to impede exhaust flow) and apparently the engine has enough damage with the fuel running so rich for so long that the three mechanics that have looked at it said it's not worth fixing.

Found a deal on another vehicle for the wife so this Contour became our third vehicle, waiting patiently in the garage until the lease on my current vehicle was up. Now time is up and I get to drive the Contour instead of my wife.

So, now I'm "fixing" it by dropping in another working 2.5L V6 Duratec, the same engine but with 100,000 less miles (24,000 miles on the engine.) The price for this is $2,600 US. This price is actually less than two out of the three estimates for repairing the vehicle, so this is the way I'm going for the moment.

My question is this: Is there a better engine to use than the 2.5L V6 duratec? And since I'm the second owner of this vehicle, I don't know that the rated HP should even BE on this engine. 150 HP? 180HP? Has anyone replaced an engine in their Contour/Mystique/Modeo and have any advice for me?

BTW I'll also be looking at a new cat system / exhaust system. Apparently these engines combine the exhaust manifold AND the cat into one piece, that's why it's so expensive to fix? Any hints on this topic?

Thanks in advance for any help.

If you're gonna put a different engine in, you might as well drop in a 3L instead of the 2.5L. I think you can get an almost-new one for around $700US from an Escape or a Taurus or something. Then add on whatever they're gonna charge you for labor, and a few mods if needed. Search the 3L forum for more info, and read a bunch of the posts to get an idea of what's involved.

I think the standard 2.5L is rated at 170HP. Pretty much all of the cars' specs are on the site here somewhere or another. Most of them should be in the FAQ section and/or tacked to the top of the appropriate forum.

What all are they saying is wrong with your current engine for it to cost so much to fix? Is there internal damage, besides just the cats being plugged? On the SVTs, there are three cats -- one on each downpipe from the front and rear cylinder banks, and one on the main pipe on the way back. I think the non-SVT Duratecs are the same, but I wouldn't swear it. Replacing three cats will add up, but that alone shouldn't come near the $2500 range!

Oh, and Welcome to CEG!

Marty

Welcome to CEG!

Originally posted by LeberMac:

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and apparently the engine has enough damage with the fuel running so rich for so long that the three mechanics that have looked at it said it's not worth fixing.

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What damage???
What makes you think it was running rich for a long time???
Does $2,600 include installation???

Standard procedure would be to gut the pre-cats and test the engine out, then if needed replace the main cat.

It could easily add up to $2600!! Think about it:

$1300 for the precats.
$650 for the main cats.
Whatever they're overcharging for labor.

However, you can get a set of gutted pre-cats for $80 from Buckshot Motorsports and a magnaflow main cat for $70 from CTA Motorsports.

1995 V6 headers are unique in Contour-land...it's been a while so I can't remember exactly why, but apparently you can't swap '95 for other years. Pretty sure I got this info from Buckshot. He said he couldn't do a core swap when I inquired because he didn't have any '95s on hand and what he did have wouldn't work. But then, if you've got the time, you can pull the headers, send them in for the pre-cat work, and just reinstall when they come back.

BUT...if the engine is really shot, go with the 3L.

I hae a 95 SE that had a Dura which now has a 98 duratec. The problem with the 95 was that it had vaccum secondaries. You can make it work, that is make a bracket so you can make the vaccum work with the newere block. Also the fuel rail has to be used from the 95. I didn't do the swap, the previous owner did, but I know it's not the easiest thing.

Well, thanks for all the input so far.

Yeah, apparently the converters on all '95 contours/mystiques are integral with the exhaust manifold, so it's one big expensive part.

I had two shops scouring the country for used engines, used manifolds, ANYTHING. They found nothing. The story from one of the shops was that this is a common problem in these Fords, and as soon as an engine becomes available it's scooped up, mainly to solve the kind of problem I had.

The local engine rebuild shop that found the particular engine that we're talking about said we'd better get it soon, since they don't last long once they're listed. Skeptical of his "used-car-salesman" , "buy it before the other guy does" approach, I asked around and posted on this board. From the other shop I got the same thing = the 2.5L V6 Duratec engines go quickly and if they're non-functional the first part salvaged off of them is the exhaust manifold/cat. Their price INCLUDES installation, salvage of usable parts from my current engine, blah blah blah.

More on the problem: Since the car had been running rich (O2 sensors shot, fuel sensors shot, and also apparently check engine warning light shot otherwise we'd have KNOWN about the problem) for a long time, essentially the car had been dumping unburnt fuel in the catalytic converter and it was burning up in there. Both shops that I took it to said that they would cheerfully fix the problem, but also said that an engine subjected to that kind of abuse will more than likely have more serious problems than just a catalytic converter. Greeeaaat.

My gut still tells me to put the new engine in. Yes, I'd love a 3.0L V6 (like in the SVT's, right?) but the ones available are all higher-mileage (50,000+) and pricing for those are around $3,500 (w/install) and I don't have that.

I've got a 2.5 Duratec sitting in my garage. Has 40k on it. I'd let it got for $1000 tomorrow. It's a full long block with almost all accessories I think. You would need to change engine computers/harness because the IMRC controller on a 95 is vacuum actuated. Send me a private message if you are interested.

You've got nothing to lose by gutting the cat, changing the oil and just seeing how long the car will run.

You can then locate an engine at your leisure.

Who's to say the gloom and doom story about the engine is not to get you to drop a load of money you weren't planning to spend.

Besides, whats the worst case scenario, you blow the engine? You are already planning to replace it. This seems a gamble worth taking on a car with 127K miles. Something else can break tomorrow.

Gut the cat and see if it will run.

TB