Originally posted by 99SVT666:
1. 2001+ low mileage (30k or less) 3.0L Duratec
2. Clevite 77 rod bearings
3. Clevite 77 main bearings
4. OEM cam bearings (necessary if low mileage?)
5. Spec stage 2 clutch kit
6. Upgraded shifter forks
7. OEM or Fel-Pro Head Bolts
8. 160 Degree thermostat
9. new fluids all over the place
10. Gaskets (I know Fel-Pro sells several kits. Which one(s) should I buy and what gaskets actually need to be changed when doing the swap?)

Two main questions:
11. First, are there any other torque to yield studs or bolts in the 3L motor besides the head bolts?
12. Also, I know that having a custom chip burned for the new motor is essential to extract the most performance out of it, but I am unclear of exactly how this works.
13. Is an APEXi SAFC necessary to dyno tune the motor or can you just have a custom, but non adjustable chip burned while on the dyno?
14. I'm also curious as to how much the entire "chipping" process usually costs. I figured it would be $300-$400, please let me know how close I am.


1. Fine, make sure you spin the engine over with well lubed cylinder walls to lubricate the rings
2. A must
3. Nice but not a must
4. There are no cam bearings
5. Stay away from Kevlar! Get a Stage 1
6. Good idea - Where's the LSD on your list??? THAT IS A MUST!!!
7. Fel-Pro are cheaper
8. Okay if you get a chip tuned for it
9. Dino for 500 miles (engine & tranny)
10. Fel-Pro is preferred. A MUST for exhaust gaskets.
~Where is the 3M4Z oil pan?

11. Rod bolts, Main studs & bolts. VERY biggies...

12. It changes the PCM parameter. A must for any car much less one that changes the setup so drastically.

13. You can go to a dyno that can burn a chip for our car. However the shops with tuning experience on our car are beyond limited. Your best bet is both a custom chip and the S-AFC to tune at a local dyno.
A chip IS A MUST though or you are wasting your time & money.

14. Chip is normally $300-400 plus dyno time. I would say the lower if you only get a set program from ADC and then tune via S-AFC at a local dyno. Outside of ADC there is no such thing as a preset chip that is worth a damn. So if you do not have a local dyno that can also tune our platform well don't bother getting a chip anywhere else.

2000 SVT #674 13.47 @ 102 - All Motor! It was not broke; Yet I fixed it anyway.