This is the how-to taht I found a while back when researching the same thing you are. I couldn't find the link to where it is so I just coppied and pasted from my computer to here, and because adobe reader is patethically useless and very non-userfriendly, I couldn't copy what parts you willneed and the cost. If you really want me too I can try to see if I can beat it outta the computer. Anyway, its a long read but I hope it helps. Sorry it took me so long to post it up.
BTW: this is oviously for a Cougar, but it is basically the same and although I wouldn't go by just this if I were to do it, it gives you a very good indication of what is involved.
How to swap an MTX75 into an ATX 99-03 Mercury Cougar
So you made the same mistake as I did and bought an Atx cougar. You want a manual and you think you can do the
work yourself or you need a parts list to get started. Well, I donâ??t think you could have found a better howto anywhere
on the net or anywhere else for that matter. I put more then 2 years of preparation into this and it still was very
difficult. Iâ??m here to make it easy. Trust what you read here as fact. I will list references at the end of this text that
will more then establish my credibility.
First, you need to understand this is very, very expensive. You cant really cut corners. Some smart shopping may help
you. Going to the junkyard will also save you big money if you can be so lucky as to find an mtx Cougar. Without
further adoâ?¦ Il list the parts needed. I will elaborate later on all these parts. This is meant as a shopping list after you
read this entire text
Now I will begin to talk about each of these parts in detail. There are nuances and stories behind each one. Here goes
nothing.
Tranny. Some thought needs to go into this. You can pick up a used one for say $700. However, you are a complete
moron if you buy a used tranny and install it in a car without having it at least looked at by a technician. You donâ??t
know how that person drove that carâ?¦ you donâ??t know how ground those gears are. You need to make sure its going
to work before you go bolting it up. This is also an excellent time to do a Quaife or any other internal modification.
Leo Capaldi has 4.5 final drives available. They are worth every penny. His contact info is at the end of this
document. If you decide to get a new tranny, you should look into obtaining one of the European mtx75s. There are
versions over there with much better gear ratios.
Clutch. What can I say here, you need to make this decision on your own. I will say that the cheapest way to go is
stock. You need to obtain a pressure plate and a disc. Thatâ??s its. The Contour SVT clutch is actually cheaper then the
Cougar clutch. Id recommend going with that clutch. Remember that if you donâ??t get a clutch kit you need to buy a
throw-out bearing/slave cylinder combo. Read more on that later. Overall, pick a clutch that is right for your
driving. Also, if you have never driven a clutch, I recommend nothing else but stock.
Clutch slave cylinder/throw-out bearing. This is an area of confusion for many including myself at the start. On the
Cougar, the throw-out bearing and slave cylinder are one and the same. If you purchase a clutch kit, you should get
this with the kit. If you purchase just the disc and pressure plate, you will need to buy a throw out bearing.
Flywheel. This is an excellent opportunity to install an upgraded lightweight flywheel. Its important to make SURE
that the aftermarket flywheel is compatible with the clutch you select. If you decide to go with stock, I recommend the
Contour SVT flywheel. It is againâ?¦ cheaper then the Cougar flywheel and it is lighter. If you get a used flywheel, it
MUST be resurfaced and balanced prior to installation.
Left Half Shaft. This shaft must be changed to mtx length. Be sure to get a shaft with the ABS ribs on it if you have
ABS. Aftermarket shafts are also an option. Drive Shaft Shop has some for the Cougar. A junkyard shaft should be
thoroughly inspected before installing. It may be necessary to repack the bearings and replace the boots. A
remanufactured item from the auto parts store may be cheaper in the long run.
Right side jack shaft. The right side half shaft IS the correct length. It can be used without issue. However, there is
an intermediate shaft that runs from the diff to a bracket on the back of the engine. You must replace this shaft. The
bracket need not be replaced. This is a junkyard possible item. It is tough as nails and basically imposable to break so
donâ??t worry about getting a used one.
Clutch Master Cylinder. This is a must. DO NOT get a used part. Its not worth itâ?¦ if this part leaks, it will leak out
ALL of your brake fluid meaning you loose clutch disengagement AND your brakes. It will be loads of fun trying to
stop when trying desperately to get the tranny out of gear. This item will come attached to the clutch pedal assembly if
you order a brand new one from the dealer. This is the way I recommend going.
Clutch Pedal Assembly. It is possible to obtain this from the junk yard. It removes via 6 bolts and a few clips here
and there. Itâ??s a pain thoughâ?¦ I recommend ordering the entire assembly from the dealer as it comes with the Clutch
master cylinder and the brake hose that goes up to the brake fluid reservoir. Make sure you take my part number with
you. Most parts counter guys can find it in the computer. This is a mandatory partâ?¦ the brake pedal is also integrated
into this and there is NO way to stick a clutch pedal to the bracket in the ATX. You need this entire assembly and it
represents a significant savings since it comes with so many other parts you need.
Clutch Hydraulic line-Upper. This is a hard line that runs between the clutch slave cylinder and master cylinder.
Itâ??s nicely fabricated and should be purchased new to avoid leaks. It is cheap so that is really the only way to go here.
Clutch Hydraulic line-Lower. This is the same as the upper. They connect to each other. You need both. Again, itâ??s
very cheap so just buy it new.
Clutch Fluid Supply Line. This is simply a piece of brake hose that runs from the brake fluid reservoir down to the
master cylinder to supply it with fluid. You can simply purchase brake line of the correct diameter from the autoparts
store for this one. Make sure you secure both sides with stainless steel hose clamps. If you purchase the Clutch pedal
assembly I spoke of earlier, you get this part with that assembly.
Transmission/engine mount-Fender side. This mount bolts to the fender on the left side of the car. It then bolts to
the Mtx transmission. Its expensive but very necessary. Iâ??ve found that most junkyards donâ??t save the mounts on
carsâ?¦ so this may be a dealer only part.
Transmission/engine mount-tranny side-front of car/left of engine. This piece is a solid steel mount. It bolts to the
tranny one the front of the car side/left of the engine side. It is mandatory.
Transmission/engine mount-tranny side-rear of car/right of engine. This piece is also a solid steel mount. It bolts
just like the font part. Also completely mandatory.
Transmission/engine mount-crossmember side-rear of car/right of engine. This is a rubber filled steel mount. I
believe there is an SVT version of this mount that is slightly stronger. The best place to get this may be the webâ?¦
compare prices with the dealer. Either way, the atx mount is completely different can will not work here.
Shift tower assembly. This is the sifter itself, the tower into which it mounts and the little brackets that hold the shifter
cables. May be a junkyard partâ?¦ the dealer will defiantly be able to order it as a unit.
Shift boot. The mtx shift boot will snap right into place where the atx shifter bezel used to sit. There are several
options as far as materials and styles from the dealer. They have a el-cheapo one for $5 and a leather svt style one for
like $100��
Bolts-Clutch to flywheel. Metric bolts. I just took the flywheel into the hardware store. Make sure you buy grade 8
bolts. Donâ??t use cheap bolts here pleaseâ?¦ you donâ??t want to know what happens if they break. Make sure you select
the proper length also. It is also possible that the dealer can find the bolts you need for this.
Friction Modifier. Part of the infamous â??tranny cocktailâ?. Itâ??s said to provide better shifts in all whether. One bottle
added to your tranny fluid should be all you need.
Crossmember. This is a bad one. The mtx has a triangle shaped bracket on it. The atx does not. Some have
suggested that its possible to fabricate a mount point and have it welded up. I donâ??t think that is wise. I donâ??t want
mounts breaking off. I used a real mtx crossmember for my swap. They are expensiveâ?¦ almost everywhere you look
they are $300 or more. I got lucky and got mine from a wrecked Contour. Iâ??m starting to think it may be better to use
the atx crossmember and simply have a bracket welded to itâ?¦ You will have to figure that out on your own thoughâ?¦
my recommendation would be to make the front mount SOLID via urethane or urethane inserts and just leave the back
off and take it to a shop and have them weld the bracket in. This way the engine will not roll in transit. Besidesâ?¦
solid mounts are best anyway.
Shift Cables. Be careful with junkyard cables. Make sure they move freely. New cables may be better. I believe the
SVT has different cablesâ?¦ slightly better by some reports.
3 quarts Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF. This stuff is the best. Buy it use it love it. Simple. You only fill 2.5 quarts but you
obviously need to buy 3.
Vehicle Speed Sensor-MTX. So you want to actually know how fast you are going? You need a VSS for the mtxâ?¦
its NOT the same as the atx. I will explain later on how to wire this up.
134Kohm resistor. This is what will bump our redline from 4500 to 7000â?¦ not bad for a .12cent part. You donâ??t
have to get EXACTLY 134â?¦ just close.
Wellâ?¦ thatâ??s the parts list. You need all of it. Everythingâ?¦ donâ??t ask me why, or come up with some crazy solution
as to how you donâ??t need it. I guarantee you need everything listed here.
TOOLS
You need a lot of things to do this right. A lift would be nice!!! It can be done on jack-stands though. You will need
screwdrivers obviously. A set of metric sockets in shallow and deep well, 8-18mm should be fine. You will need a set
of metric open end wrenches, 10-18 should work. It wouldnâ??t hurt to have some standard sizes available also since
there are some standard fittings. 8mm can be used with 5/16â? no problem as can 19mm and ?¾â?. They are both
basically identical. You will also probably need ?½â? drive for a few things. Some of the suspension and motor mounts
are very tight and need some â??persuasionâ? to get them to give. Using a 3/8 ratchet to break big bolts loose is NOT
easy. I suggest using a breaker bar whenever a bolt is too tight to prevent damage to ratchets. A ?½â? drive impact
wrench is almost a necessity. Some bolts simply will not come off without an impact. I would NOT attempt this
without a good high torque impact wrench. Obviously, impact sockets should be used with an impact wrench. The
half shaft axle bolts are one place where the impact should defiantly be used. You may not even get them loose with a
breaker bar but a good twin hammer impact will have NO trouble. The axle nuts are 1 ?¼â? so you will need that
socketâ?¦ most people do not have this size. You can get one at the autoparts store for cheap. A good crowbar is also
necessary for when things get stuck. There are some Torx screws on the car too. It would be a good investment to
obtain a set in 3/8â? drive. Obviously pliers and set of side cutters(dikes) are needed too. Basically a good mechanics
tool setâ?¦ I meanâ?¦ if all you have is a set from K-Mart you probably donâ??t have what it takes. If you donâ??t have a lift
then you MUST have a floor jack. Do not attempt this with a scissor jack unless you donâ??t like living. An engine/trans
support brace is also needed. You can make something work if you donâ??t have access to one though. Basically a bar
that goes across the strut towers and then has a way of attaching to the engine is what you need. You need to be able
to raise and lower then engine in the bay as well as hold it in place. I think the old method of using a floor jack under
the oil pan is too dangerous for this. It will also make it extremely difficult to line everything back upâ?¦ Basically,
you really should at least rent a support kit and forego making something else work. You will possibly need a drill and
a 2â? or bigger hole saw also. More on that later. A drip pan will be needed to drain the trans fluid into. There are 13
or more quarts in that tranny so make sure you get one big enough. You will also need a rotary tool. A Dremel or the
equivalent will work. You need a rotary file bit for cutting metal. Maybe more then one bit too. Almost forgot, you
MUST have a torque wrench. There are some bolts that MUST be torque to spec. DO NOT attempt to guess. Do
you know what happens if a flywheel bolt comes out at 6000rpm? Wellâ?¦ it has enough velocity to got right through
whatever metal it happens to hit firstâ?¦ maybe even hitting YOU. Its possibleâ?¦ and scary tooâ?¦ just bite the bullet and
barrow or rent a torque wrench if you donâ??t have one. A variety of other tools Iâ??m forgetting are probably also
required. It should be obvious that this requires a complete mechanics tool set. Ill try to update this if I think of
anything else.
PROCEDURE
Phew. Nowâ?¦ onto the actual procedure. This is where all the meticulous planning comes together. Its vital that you
check and recheck your parts and materials to be sure you didnâ??t forget something. You donâ??t just storm right into this
sort of thing. I took 2 years to plan this and I still stormed right in forgetting a lot. There are some things you can do
BEFORE the day of the install that will make life smoother. Ill start there.
Go to the spray off carwash right down the street with your engine as cold as possible. You can do this step in your
drive way too if you donâ??t mind oil all over it. Make SURE your engine is COLD. If you have an open intake, you
must cover it. Use a plastic bag like a Ziploc and some duct tape to make a water tight seal. If you have an unsecured
electronics like an amp wire then cover those too. Get a can of Gunk engine bright or whatever your favorite engine
degreaser happens to be. There is a product called something like Steam Premium or the like that works quite well. If
you donâ??t know anything about this then just buy Gunk. Itâ??s the old reliable. Nowâ?¦ follow the directions on the can
and spray the engine bay off carefully to not direct water any place it should not go.(use good judgment here, I cant
explain this all). The reason for doing this should be obvious. The engine bay is usually filthy dirty. You donâ??t want
to get sand and grease all over everything including yourself while you are doing this. This 10 minutes of preparation
will save you much time later. Not to mention your clothes and tools will be better off.
You can safely and without adverse effect install your clutch pedal assembly before anything else. The only thing is,
you should NOT depress the clutch pedal until the master cylinder has fluid in it. It wont hurt the first timeâ?¦ and
maybe not even the 10th time, but dry moving the cylinder can cause the seals to fail. Simply donâ??t â??playâ? with the
clutch pedal until its truly hooked up. Remove the stock pedal assembly first. There is a white clip on the brake pedal
that secures a needle that goes up to the brake master cylinder through the firewall. That clip can be removed carefully
with a small screwdriver. There are four bolts I believe 13mm securing the bracket to the firewall. There are also two
bolts that go directly up into another bracket. Remove all these bolts and then attempt to slide the pedal assembly OFF
the brake cylinder needle. It may not fitâ?¦ you may need to temporarily disconnect the steering linkage. To do this
the wheel must be placed dead strait and the key must be in the ignition and the ignition moved to the unlocked
position. It will not come out without unlocking the steering columnâ?¦ it is a security feature. It is secured with one
10mm bolt. Remove the bolt completely and slide the little tab up and away. The linkage pulls up and off the steering
gear. It doesnâ??t look like it moves but it does. The linkage is collapsible so just pull up hard. With the linkage arm
free the pedal assembly will move out of the way easier. It fitsâ?¦ just keep trying and DO NOT bend the brake needle
too muchâ?¦ it will cause the cylinder to leak if bend it too much. So just take your time. There is a rubber plug in a
hole that looks like tear drop under the dash in the firewall. Get it out of the way as the clutch master cylinder will fit
there. Take your hole clutch pedal assembly and try to slide it into place. You MAY have to remove the master
cylinder to get the pedals in. Keep trying, it should fit. Tighten the bolts back up you took out. Put the white clip back
on the brake pedal. Make sure the brake pedal is working. It should be very hard to push down more then one or two
times. You can test it when you are done. Attach the steering linkage. If you didnâ??t move the wheel it should line up
easily. If you moved itâ?¦. Turn it knock to knock and to make sure you are dead center. The post is triangular and the
it must be precisely lined up and slid down ALL THE WAY. Make SURE its engaged all the way. If its notâ?¦ wellâ?¦
loosing your steering will make you learn to make sure things are done right. You will know when its all the way inâ?¦
it will look like it did when you took it off â?º CHECK to make SURE your steering is right before you go driving
around. Donâ??t take chances with brakes or steering.
Well, now you have your pedals in and saved maybe 1 hour from the actual day of the swap. Just remember to not go
pushing the pedal. Now, we will address the swap itself step by stepâ?¦ in great and possibly boring detail.
Pull the car onto the work surface. The surface should be concrete and be swept clean before the car moves there. Plug
any drains that are in the area. If parts fall, they WILL fall into the drain every timeâ?¦ Set the hand brake, and put the
tranny in D. Leave it there. If you have the impact you donâ??t NEED to break the wheels loose now, but it IS good
practice to break them loose on the ground. So, do that now. Loosen the front lug nuts. Now, raise and safely support
the vehicle on jack stands. Get the vehicle as high as is safe. Use a block of wood to chock the back wheels front and
back for further safety. You donâ??t want a car on you. Cars can and do fall off jack stands. Take the safety steps to
prevent this especially if you are on an incline. Pull both front wheels. They may get stuck. If they are stuck, use
penetrating oil around the area where the wheel touches the rotor, and on the inside where the axle nut is. Let the oil
work in for a few minutes and it should break loose. A propane torch can also be used if its REALLY stuck. Heat the
wheel not the hub/rotor. As a LAST resort, a large chisel can be used between the wheel and rotor.
Wheels off up on jack stands now. Pop the hood and disconnect the battery. Pull the negative battery terminal, and tie
it off away from the post so there is no way it can reconnect. Depending on what intake you have, you will need to
remove it. Basically I leave that up to you. Take all intake parts out of the car up to the throttle body. Now you have
easy access to remove the battery and battery tray. Make sure you set the battery on something non conductive
wherever you put it. If you set a battery on a concrete floor the charge will leak right out in a very short time. The
battery tray and bracket come off with several 10mm bolts. Some go directly down and some go into the fender area.
After removing the battery tray its time to attack the starter. It has a 10mm nut on a post holding the solenoid signal
wire. There is also a 13mm holding the 12+ lines. I recommend putting the nuts back on the posts after removing the
wires, so as to not loose them. There are two 13 mm bolts holding the starter to the tranny. Use an box end wrench
with a bend on the head upside down to get at them. You may have to attack the rearmost bolt from the underside of
the car. If you find that you cant get the bolts nowâ?¦ its okay. You can get them later. Now is also the time to drain
the trans fluid as it takes a while to leak out. Pull the dip stick out slightly to allow pressure to release better.
Now, you need to attack the ball joints. Spray the bolts with oil and let it sit in. Also spray the bolts on the sway bar
end link and tie rod end. This is a good time to mention something vital whenever working on nuts and bolts. NEVER
hit the exposed end of a bolt to drive it out of a hole. Doing so will almost always mushroom the end of the bolt and
make it impossible to get a nut back on it. Instead, take the nut or preferably an old nut or spare nut and thread it onto
the bolt about 3/4 into the nut. This will give you something to hit with a hammer to drive the bolt out. This also
prevents the bolt from being damaged by the hammer. The nut will probably get all blown out but thatâ??s okay, nuts are
cheap and easy to find and replace, bolts are not always this way. Remove the nut from the tie rod end and use either a
tire rod end remover(rent from auto parts store) or the nut on bolt method. Remove the sway bar link from the strut,
13mm. Use an 18mm on the ball joint bolt. Itâ??s really quite tight. It may take a breaker bar or impact. After removing
the bolt, you have to pop the ball joint out of the bottom of the spindle. This isnâ??t easy really. Spray lube around that
areaâ?¦ Use a crow bar to attempt to force the spindle up and off the ball joint. It will take some time and effort. It
may help to take the floor jack with a block of wood and put it under the rotor. Jack the hub up WITHOUT touching
the control arm or ball joint area. This will take the pressure of the springs pressing down off the control arm joints. It
should make it easier to pop loose the ball joint. Its okay to hit the control arm with a dead blow hammer as long as
you donâ??t bend it, use judgment here. Crow baring seems to work best between the balljoint and the hub. Make SURE
to not cut the ball joint boot. IF you pop the seal it will need to be replaced. Use the 1 ?¼â? socket with the impact to
remove the axle nuts. Do not discard the nuts right awayâ?¦ you may need them later but they will NOT be what is
installed on the car. Thatâ??s why you bought new ones. Spray oil into the area behind the nut. Around the splines of
the half shaft essentially. They tend to get stuck and the oil may help. Try to push the half shaft out of the hub. DO
NOT HIT THE END OF THE HALF SHAFT WITH A HAMMER. Put the half shaft bolt on the half shaft and tap
with a ball ping or other steel hammer trying to break loose the shaft. You can also use a punch of appropriate size in
the hole in the end of the half shaft to knock it out. The shafts may pop right outâ?¦ but sometimes they seize. After
getting the shaft out of the hub, its easiest to use some wire to lash the strut assembly to the front of the unibody
someplace. This is just to get it out of the way since itâ??s heavy and cumbersome.
The left side half shaft is held in place by a snap ring. It may pull right out of the diffâ?¦ it may not. If it will not pull
out easily, use your crowbar between the diff and the inner half shaft end. Rotate the shaft while doing this to attempt
to find the weak spot in the ring. You need to work the snap ring around out. Be patientâ?¦ there is no need to pry
hard, you are not trying to bend the ring outâ?¦ you are trying to position it so it will pop out easily. Be sure to NOT pry
against the diff seal. You are removing the tranny obviously but there is no reason to damage the seal. There are fins
around the edge of the tranny that can be safely pried against. The right side shaft is secured to the engine bracket by
two 13mm bolts. Use a 20â? or better extension to reach them easily from the wheel well. After pulling both nuts the
entire shaft will (jack shaft and all) slide out of the diff easily, no clip on this side â?º.
This step sucks. You need to disconnect the power steering lines. Pull UP on the reservoir and find the lower hose that
goes down to the rack and pinion. That hose must be removed from the reservoir. You need to get some sort of plug
for both ends. A bolt can be pushed into the rubber hose safely and effectively. The reservoir will require a nipple
style automotive plug. Look to the parts store for thisâ?¦ they make life much easier and MUCH less messy. The other
line you need to remove is the on top of the pump. Itâ??s the large one in front of the right side engine mount on top. Use
a open end wrench to hold the large nut looking piece to keep it from bending. Use another open end wrench on the
compression nut to free the line. Nowâ?¦ because of gravity fluid will pour out of both ends once you get this removed.
Fashion some sort of plug for both sides. Push the lines down best you can toward the rack and pinion. You may have
to wait until its time to remove the crossmember.
Now, you need to prepare to drop the crossmember. This is where the engine brace must be installed. Iâ??m not going to
cover any other method of holding up the drivetrain since I donâ??t think any other method is safe or effective enough to
even use unless NO other option is available. Install the brace per instructions supplied by the brace. In general, make
sure you donâ??t crush anything (wiring harness on the left side of the strut tower). There is a nice hook on the front of
the engine under the plastic engine cover. Three-7mm screws secure the engine cover. The hook WILL hold the
weight of the engine. On the back of the engine, there is a screw hole in the head. The hole is on the back of the head
nearest the right strut tower. Use your finger to find the hole (hehehe) to make sure you have the right one, there are
two at least and one has NO threads in it. In this hole, a bolt of appropriate thread can be installed and a hook somehow
attached to the bolt. It may take some ingenuity but it works. It can be VERY difficult to reach the screw hole Iâ??m
talking aboutâ?¦ take your timeâ?¦ make sure you donâ??t bind up anything.
After you have the brace installed and tension removed from the mounts you can start removing them safely. Start with
the front mount. Use a 15mm on the large bolt that runs through the center of the two mounts. You will probably
need a breaker bar here. Do the same to the rear mount. If the bolts donâ??t come out easily after being unscrewed, you
probably have too much or too little tension on the brace. You need to remove both mounts from the tranny now, I
believe they are 13 mm bolts. Now you should remove the mounts from the crossmember. The rear must be removed
for sure. I think you can leave the front on. The left side trans mount must also be removed. Remove the four nuts
from the tranny side. Removed the 3 bolts from the fender side. One topside two lateral. The rearmost may not come
out because the nut on the backside in the fender well may spin. If this happens put a wrench on the backside. (Duhâ?º)
While on the ground, look for the a/c accumulator canister. Itâ??s on the left side in a bracket attached to the
crossmember. Itâ??s a black bottle the size of a 1-liter pop or so. Loosen the bolt that is in the strap that clamps it to the
crossmember. Break it loose so that when you drop the crossmember the bottle will stay with the car. Topside
againâ?¦ unbend a metal coat hanger and cut it into two 10â? strips. Insert the strip into the knobs in the top of the
radiator that go through the core support. This will keep the radiator from falling down when remove the brackets from
the bottom side. Now, you can remove those brackets, 8mm here iirc. If you havenâ??t already done so, disconnect the
steering linkage under the dash. Refer to the clutch pedal section for instructions on this.
Now you need to remove part of the exhaust. I usually take it off at the cat back joint and, the first point with bolts
AFTER the two header banks come together. This way you donâ??t have to remove as many bolts. These bolts may be
VERY seized with heat and rust. Use your penetrating oil and let it soak in. Itâ??s a good idea to do this at the start
actually. You may find that a 15mm slips on the bolts, if that is the case a 14mm may be hammered onto the nut.
Worst case, the studs will spin. If this happens you have no choice but to cut the bolts off. Using a hacksaw will
probably work but will take all day. A die grinder/angle grinder with a cut off wheel is far better. Even a dremel tool
with a good diamond cutoff wheel will probably do the job. When replacing the bolts, go with stainless and some antiseize
to prevent this from happening again. You may also have to replace the gaskets. In fact.. I'm going to add that to
the parts list. Remove the two bolts that secure the power steering cooler to the car. Let it simply dangle down for
now.
At this point, the crossmember should be ready to drop. This is far easier said then done unfortunately. You see, there
are four bolts holding the crossmember up. The one on the rear left side happens to like to sit and spin on most cars.
If this happens, you will need to cut a hole in the floor board from the inside of the car in order to get a socket on the
nut whish is INSIDE of the uni-body. It MAY be possible to use an impact to get it to come loose without getting a
socket on the nut. Its worth a try anyways. Now, if you canâ??t get it to loosen without spinning. You need to go inside
the car and crawl under the dash. Pull back the carpet. You will probably need to remove the plastic kick panels on the
left side to get the carpet to lift up and back toward the drivers seat. Now, you need to attempt to guess where you
need to drill the hole. There really isnâ??t a way to KNOW where the nut is on the backâ?¦ you just have to make a good
guess at it. Look at the pictures from my installation to get an idea. Use a large hole sawâ?¦ at least 1.5â? After you
drill the holeâ?¦ use your finger as a guide to see where the nut is. Rememberâ?¦ the metal will be sharp and HOT so
donâ??t touch the edges.. just find the nut. You may have to drill a second hole, I did. I THINK itâ??s a ?¾â? socket that fits
on this nut. You must use deepwell here too. Have a bud hold the nut and attack the bolt from below. They are
13/16â?. Use ?½â? drive on these bolts, they are big and need the torque of a breaker bar or impact. Do not remove the
bolts all the way now, just get them broke loose. Now, look things over. Look at the crossmember and try to find
wires or anything else still attached to it. Spend a little time now and save a lot of trouble later. When all looks good,
have you an some help get under the crossmember and hold up on it while you and he remove the large bolts. The
crossmember is heavyâ?¦ donâ??t let it crush youâ?¦its about 60lbs or more I figure.. maybe closer to 100lbs. Have an
assistant guide the power steering lines down and out of the engine bay area. Donâ??t worry, they fit.
Now your crossmember is out. At this point if you have sufficient good help, you can put them about the task of
moving parts over to the mtx crossmember. The lower control arms obviously need to be moved over. They are self
explanatory. Its always good practice to Loctite any bolts that should NEVER fall outâ?¦ like these. Use judgment
when using Loctite. Its good in most cases on suspension parts that would be disastrous if they were to come loose. If
the stock nut is a nylock, you really donâ??t NEED Loctite.. but a drop wont hurt. The rack and pinion need to be moved
too. DEFINATLY Loctite those bolts that secure the rack and pinion. The A/C accumulator bracket must be moved
over also. This all should be self explanatory. If its on the atx crossmember it needs to go to the mtx crossmember.
Next is the trans itself. If you havenâ??t already done so, get the starter out of the car. Unplug all the electrical
connections from the atx. There are two up top and two on bottom. Disconnect the atx shifter linkage from the trans.
Tie back the linkage out of the way for now. Now comes the messy part. The atx has lines going up to the radiator for
cooling of tranny fluid. They need to come out. Disconnect them from the radiator and the trans. Make SURE you
use a wrench on both the compression nut and the bulkhead nut. You donâ??t want to spin the bulkhead nuts out. After
this is done, clean up the mess and put the lines in the trash pile â?º.
Now, you need to remove the torque converter from the flex plate. To do thisâ?¦ you must remove the rubber cap in the
oil pan. It will come out and allow you to see the flex plate. Use a big flat blade screwdriver to turn the flex plate by
jamming it between the case and the teeth of the plate. Go slow and try to not cut things up too much. There are four
nuts to find. Use a 13mm on each. MAKE SURE YOU COUNT FOUR. Now, the trans should be ready to come
out. Use a 13mm on all the bolts that connect the bell housing to the engine. Leave the top TWO bolts in for now.
There is one 15mm bolt in the front. Make sure you get them allâ?¦ search high and lowâ?¦ some even go through the
oil pan. The trans is now ready to come out of the car. If you are so blessed as to possess a trans jack, use it under the
tranny to support the weight. The atx weights A LOT more then the mtxâ?¦ A LOT. If you donâ??t have a trans jack, get
yourself a dolly or a skateboard or something to that effect and put it under the atx. Now, lower the car down as much
as you can. I used a lift when I did this so I was able to lower the trans right down onto the skate. IF you have wood
blocks or something to hold the front end off the ground just enough that nothing but the trans dangles down to the
skate that would be ideal. Be careful, take you time and donâ??t do anything stupid like let the car fall down on the
ground. Remember that without the crossmember there is NO place up front to jack from. You have to use the drip
edges directly behind the front wheels where the bolt is in the fender. Alternately, you can use the unibody rails as long
as you put a 2x4 on the flat across them first because a floor jack will bend them.
At this point, one way or another you have the tranny safely supported. Remove the final two bolts and tug a little on
the trans. It should pop free. If it binds up anywhere, you may have to adjust the engine brace and let it tilt down.
Once its looseâ?¦ either lower the trans or raise the car. Basically do whatever it takes to get that piece of crap out of
there.
Now its not quite half done~~~!!!!! Woo hoo! Go ahead and jump inside the car now. Its time to remove that cursed
atx shifter. You need to start by removing the center console. There are some screws down in the little glove box
area. There are some screws behind the ashtray/cig lighter also. You may have to remove the center kick panels to get
at them. I donâ??t exactly remember to be honestâ?¦ Anyway, there is a set screw in the shifter knob, back that out and
the shifter knob will pull strait up and off the shift post. It has some wires going to the O/D switch. Unless you plan on
using or selling the knob just pull hard to rip them out because there is no disconnectâ?¦. Its very strange really. The ebrake
should already be all the way up. The gear indicator panel pops out of the console. It will lift up and off. When
that area is open, lift up on the rear of the console and pull the vinyl e-brake boot off the handle. Itâ??s a balancing act I
know but it will come off. Just focus on getting the rear of the console up high and toward the front of the car and it
will lift off. Set the console aside someplace outside the car. Remove the atx shift tower from the car. There are 4 nuts
on the underside of the car iirc. You will have to remove the heat shields from the exhaust tunnel at least back that
far. You need them off anyways to get the shift linkage for the mtx in. Unplug the electrical connector from the
shifter and set the shifter in the pass side. You may need it later. Now its time to figure out how the mtx linkage goes
inâ?¦ this is not fun. There is a little rubber door covering the tunnel that the cables go in. Pop it out and toss it. Now..
you need to try to run the cables through that tunnel from INSIDE the car. Never mind the bulkhead on the cables,
there is no way to attach it without gutting half the interior. You need to concentrate on pushing the cables through the
tunnel with out them getting stuck. You may need to poke and push them a bit. Use a flashlight to help you. They
fitâ?¦ they donâ??t look like they do but they do. Make sure you stager the ends so they donâ??t bunch up too much. After
the linkage is through you can install the mtx shift tower in the same place as the atx was. There is no adjustment on
the connection of the linkage inside the car. Just pop them on and slide the barrel looking pieces into there places in the
tower. They rotate to lock into place. In the engine bay, tie the cables UP and out of the way someplace.
Now you can attack the flex plate. Either use an impact or jam the flex plate to keep the crank from turning. Remove
the bolts and set them aside, keep them clean from dirt. The real fun begins now. You need to remove the bearing
from the crank. Its pressed in and wont come out easily. You can try a pilot bearing puller.. but everyone that has tried
has just broken the jawsâ?¦ Your best bet is the rotary file. Cut a notch into the bushing. BE CAREFUL. If you cut
to far you will get into the crank itself. Take it close and just break out the rest. You need to actually remove a piece
of the bushing to get it to come out. A notch of about ?¼â?or better is needed. So make two cuts about that far apart with
the rotary file. Use a tool to pry out that piece you cut. You may have to hit it with a chisel and hammer. Once you
have a notch, you can hit the edges of the bushing to try to bend it inward on itself. It may also help to try to get it to
spin inside of the crank. Once it spins its only a bit more work before it will come out. Be careful doing this. Donâ??t
use excessive force. The crank is forged steel but the bearings donâ??t like the loads you are putting on them. Btw.
Whoever told you to just grind it flat is kind of nuts, just get the damn bushing out of the crank and do this job right.
Once you have the bearing out you are on the home stretch. Install the flywheel. Hand thread the bolts as much as you
can and tighten them in order. Obviously, do on side then the opposite then the bolt 90?° to that one and then opposite
of that. Repeat until all 8 are brought up. Use a TOURQE WRENCH for final tightening. Torque them in the same
order as before, and check the torque THREE TIMES so you are SURE you didnâ??t forget to bring one up. Now you
can install the clutch. The disc goes in first and then the pressure plate. Make sure you use the clutch alignment tool
that came with your clutch. If you didnâ??t get oneâ?¦ you need to do it by hand. You should be able to have an assistant
hold the disc to center while you install the pressure plate. Make sure the screws you got are the correct length. You
should have tested this before the day of the install. Apply Loctite to these bolts. They are only torque to 23ft/lbs.. so
they need something else to hold them. Its VITAL that you are certain the pressure plate is bottomed out onto the
flywheel before you tighten the bolts. The dowel pins on the flywheel may hold the pressure plate away from the
flywheel some. Itâ??s okay to tap the pressure plate with a dull chisel to set it all the way onto the dowels. Bingo, clutch
successfully installed. Oh yes, make sure you follow normal circular tightening order just like the flywheel.
You can now take a moment to install the slave cylinder onto the transmission. Make sure to CLEAN the surface on
the trans side. NOTHING can be thereâ?¦ use brake clean or carb clean. The slave cylinder has a seal on it. It may be
advisable to apply some RTV to the seal before installing to ensure a good seal. Iâ??m not 100% sure what ford
recommends. You may want to ask a technician at the dealer what they think. Torque the 3 bolts VERY EASILY.
They only need to be snuged up. Consult torque specs for sure but they DO strip out quite easily. This is obviously
BAD when it happens. Helicoil city baby. Take it easy and use a ?¼â? ratchet to keep you from over tightening if you
donâ??t have a small enough torque wrench.
Now go check out the crossmember. It should be all ready to install. Check everything else now too. Just make a
good once over of everything and think about everything thatâ??s going on. Make sure of everythingâ?¦ just take some
timeâ?¦ thatâ??s usually what helps to find potential problems.
The tranny should be ready for install. This is usually accomplished by someone getting under the car with the tranny
on their chest and hoisting it up into place. I know this sounds bad but Iâ??ve done it 10 or so times nowâ?¦ its not that
bad. The more people you have helping the better. Make sure the tranny is in neutral. The large counterweighted
piece should be in the center position and the smaller selector should already be there. Just check to be sure. Hoist the
tranny up into place. If it doesnâ??t clear the fender area, lower the engine more. It will clear. Have someone else push
the tranny toward the right. Whoever is on the bottom should just try to hold the weight up so that the shaft doesnâ??t
bind. After some time it will slide up to the alignment pins. You may need to either push hard or tap LIGHTLY with a
dead blow to get the pins to go in. DO NOT use the bolts to bring up the tranny. The tabs WILL break off if you use
them to bring up the trans. Once you bring up the tranny you can safely install the bolts. One bolt on the top will
safely hold the tranny in place and give the man on the bottom a chance to breath. Install all the bolts CAREFULLY.
Start at the top and work down and NEVER use the bolt to close the gap. Use a pry bar or hammer or people pushing
to get the trans to sit flush against the engine. I canâ??t stress enough how important it is to not stress the tabs. Be
especially careful with the bolts that go through the oil pan. Those tend to pop the oil pan causing leaks if you bring
them up to much.
Well, now you should have the tranny all up and ready to rock. Install the 3 studs into the top of the trans. Use a 8mm,
or 5/16â? to bottom the studs into the case. Take care not to strip themâ?¦ just bring them up. Install your new left side
engine/trans mount. Install the 3 bolts into the chassis. You will probably have to hold the nut on the backside of the
center bolt. The others should come up nicely. Be sure to torque them up tight, use a ?½â? drive to do it right. Mounts
should NOT come looseâ?¦ that would be bad em kay. You may find you need to raise, lower, kick, pry, prod, or just
all out push on the engine and trans to get them to line up with the mount. Use your engine brace to bring up the
engine and trans into where is LOOKS like it should go. Take care not to crush anything hereâ?¦ go slow no rush.
The 3 studs will go up and through the holes in the mount if you have everything lined upâ?¦ if not keep tryingâ?¦ it will
eventually line up. Put nuts on the studs but DO NOT tighten them yet. Just bring them up to the Nylock section an no
further. This is also an excellent time to install the starter, that hole in the trans is BEGGING for something to fall into
it.. If something doesâ?¦ get it out.. pronto. Try to use the access door in the oil pan if necessary.
If it hasnâ??t already been done, you should now move all the parts from the old crossmember to the new one. Make
sure you put the crossmember side tranny mounts on BEFORE you install the crossmember. Also, and only because I
forgot this somehow when doing mine, donâ??t forget to install the swaybar BEFORE you go installing the
crossmember!~!!!!! You have no idea how difficult it is to get it in while the crossmember is installedâ?¦. Donâ??t ask.
Now that things are mostly in their placeâ?¦ its time to muscle the crossmember assembly into place. You can use a
piece of 2x4 wood with another piece screwed to it, to make a sort of a crossmember jack. Take the crossmember
assembly and lay it down flat on the ground. Now take a 2x4 and place it WITH THE WIDTH of the crossmemberâ?¦
like the way the half shafts run. Now, keep it parallel to the axle line and find the balance point of the crossmember.
That is the point were neither the front or the back of the piece are touching the ground. In this position it will jack up
and not tip over as easily. Now, take a pencil and scribe a line onto the 2x4 on each side of the crossmembers main
bar. What you need is a way to keep the crossmember from moving once you put it on the balance point. What you
will end of with is 2 2x4â??s screwed together. The piece on the top will have two notches cut out for the crossmember to
lay in. Get it? Ill try to get a pic. Essentially after you cut the wood you will screw together FOUR piecesâ?¦ its going
to look like this from the top down |||||\ \||||||||||||/ /|||||||| The blank spaces there are where the crossmember will lay.
Use a jigsaw or whatever else you have to cut along the lines you marked on the wood earlier. Screw it all together and
you will have a pretty nice crossmember jack â?º
Use your new tool to raise the crossmember into its approximate place. You will have to force it past the exhaust a
bitâ?¦ take care to line up the steering also. As you push up the crossmember, you must also take the time to run the
power steering lines up and through the back of the engine area. Take care in routing, pay close attention to where they
are before you remove them and this will be easier. The power steering cooler can also get in the way a bit. The shifter
cables can also get in the way, tie them up over the trans. The blue crossmember bolts go into the back. You MUST
have all the bolts in before you tighten anything. Bring them all up and THEN tighten them. Give them all you have
with a ?½â? drive or an air impact. Donâ??t be stupid and strip them out but they should be very tight.
Now you can install the mounting brackets to the trans. The back one has a screw that can be hell to get at. Give it
time or use a u-joint. An open end or 12 point box end wrench will workâ?¦ albeit very slowâ?¦ After you have the
mounts all installed go ahead and try to put the large bolts through. You may find that you need to pry and prod the
engine or move the engine brace adjustments to get it to line up. Once this is done, bring up the 3 nuts on the left side
mount. Go back now, and re-tighten all the bolts to spec. Check twice at least.
You should now be able to safely remove the engine brace. Donâ??t forget to remove the hook from the backside of the
engineâ?¦ donâ??t laugh but mine was accidentally left on my engine for like 3 months. Iâ??m fairly sure S0uLfly has the
other one still tooâ?¦.
Reconnect the power steering lines. Try to loose as little fluid as possible obviously. Reattach the cooler to the
crossmember. You can now also connect the shifter linkage. The linkage just snaps onto the trans side. Make sure
you get the bracket onto the trans, two 15mm nuts I believe. This will ensure proper routing of the cables. Once the
cables are snapped into place, use a flat blade to pop UP the little red boxes on each linkage. Have an assistant hold the
shifter dead center. There is a tool to hold it dead center but I do not have the part numberâ?¦ I donâ??t even know if the
dealer will sell it to you even if I did. Anyway, hold it center. Eyeball the left right of it, but look to the reverse
lockout block for a reference to up down center. The shifter should clear the lockout knock just barely, but enough so
that it wont hit on a 4-5 shift obviously. When you have it dead center, make sure the trans is in neutral. This is when
the large weighted piece on the linkage is in center position and the other side is also in center positionâ?¦ You actually
can help but to have it in center because its spring loaded, but check to be sure. With the red boxes popped up, you
should be able to move the cables(with the shifter) without moving the trans parts at all, that is unless you REALLY
move the shifter a lotâ?¦ the adjustment is for dead center onlyâ?¦ When you think its right, lock down the red boxes.
You may have to use a pliers or channel locks to get it to lock in. You will know when it locks down into place firmly
because it will sit flush again. Now, sit in the car and try the gearbox out. Donâ??t push or pull too hard but go through
the gears and make certain you can hit reverse without lifting the lockout. Every gear should go in easily without too
much force. Have an assistant do this and watch the trans side of the linkage. Make sure the heavy weighted piece is
falling completely into place.
Excitement is building â?º We are getting close. Now is the time for the little things. You should be able to safely
install the halfshafts now. Take care not to damage the diff seals when inserting the splines into the diff. The splines
can be coated with a bit of ATF if they are too tight going in. You may even have to push on them a bit. Try not to let
the half shaft pull out of the endâ?¦ it can and will come all the way out and that can tear the bootâ?¦ be careful and if it
does pop out it can always be pushed back in â?º. The right side should slide in VERY easy. The left side with the lock
ring may take some convincing. NEVER hit the shaft with anything. Use only your hands on the inside part an push.
It may help to turn the shaft a bit too. Try it in neutral and in a gearâ?¦ usually neutral works best though. Donâ??t forget
to install the 13mm nuts onto the bracket for the halfshaft on the right side.
Now you can install the half shafts into the hubs. Coat the half shafts with anti-seize. Brush it on and give it a nice
even coat. No globs, they will just ooze out everywhere, just a nice even layer on the splines is what you want. You
may also want to use a wire brush on the hub side to clean up the spines a bit. They sell toothbrush size wire brushes
that are ideal for this. You may want to anti seize this side too a bit. Sometimes they can be very tight going into the
hubs. There are some tricks you can do to help you get them in. Be careful though, the threads on the hub ends are
very fine and will bugger up easy. If the shaft will go into the hub but not all the way, but its out enough to get a few
threads of a nut on it, you can take an old half shaft nut and put it on upside down. You will maybe have to break off
the washer and the tabs so you can get a socket on that end. Make sure you can hand tighten at least 3 threads of soâ?¦
at least so its good and in thereâ?¦ now take your impact and use it and the nut to pull the shaft into the hubâ?¦ do not
tighten it all the wayâ?¦ just enough so that a nut right side up with the washer on it can get good threads. You may
also be able to use a nut right side up from the start, it just depends on how tight a fit you have on your hub really. Use
the impact to bring the nut all the way up. Spec is around 190ft/lbs which is VERY tight and will require you to
basically lean all your weight on a ?½ torque wrench to achieve. A good impact will have a published max torque,
remember though that most impacts have much more torque in reverse so check carefullyâ?¦ basically its impossible to
strip the nut or shaft so give it your all. If you donâ??t have an impact you will have to remember to re torque the axles
with the car on the ground since one side at least will just spin if you try with a wrenchâ?¦ and impact will work fast
enough to override that.
Now with both shafts in you an reassemble to suspension. Reinstall the ball joins. You will have to really push down
on the control arm to get it to line up but it will go. Push/pull on the strut to get it to pop into place. Tighten the bolt
and nut to spec to lock in the ball joint. Connect the sway bar end link and the tie rod. The sway bar end link has a
â??nutâ? on the back side that you can put an 11/16â? wrench on to keep from spinning. The tie rods do not have this.. they
may sit and spin in which case you can either try to put a bunch of weight on them from the top and hope the catch or
you can use an impact. The impact should bring it up nicely. No need for super force here, just tighten them up as
much as you can and let the unlocks hold them.
Now you can reconnect the steering. Refer to the earlier mention of this procedure. Test the steering to be sure.
Reconnect the bumper support bars to the crossmember. 8mm bolts here. With the half shafts in, you an now add the
trans fluid. The drain plug is in the front. You will need a funnel with a hose on the end and some sort of tip to fit into
the fluid add hole. Its strange but its at a 90?° angle. Add 2.5 quarts of ATF and half the bottle of friction modifier.
Donâ??t worry, it will mix later. If you removed the battery tray, you can reinstall it now. Place the battery back into
place and reconnect the positive at leastâ?¦ leave the negative safely off for now. Reinstall the exhaust pieces you
removed. I recommend new gaskets obviously but they should be able to be reused. New stainless steel hardware
while expensive is also a big plus. Anti seizing them will ensure easy removal next time. A bit of lube on the rubber
hangers make them install a bit easier.
Now you need to address the fact that without the tranny there to tell the eec that its in park or neutral, the car will not
start. To do this, look for large electrical connector that used to go into the tranny. Find the black and yellow wires
and join them together with a good butt end connector. Tape it off with electrical tape and make it neat. Donâ??t go too
far we just want the car to start for now. With the trans full and the lines to everything reconnected, you can test start
the car. First put the wheel on though because our floating rotors can tear up your pads without them on. Just put two
nuts on and snug them up. Reconnect the battery and hop in. Turn the key to on for a second and let the eec have a
second to itself to take it all in. Start her up. Ummâ?¦ I shouldnâ??t have to say this but you should have your foot on the
clutch. Shift to 1, release the clutch like a normal launchâ?¦ you shouldnâ??t need to give it gasâ?¦ but if it by some
miracle stalls give it a little. Let the clutch out slowly and you should be fine. Go through the gearsâ?¦ 1-2-3-4-5. Hit
the brake to stop the wheels and try out reverse. Once you verify that all is well, turn the car off and disconnect the
battery again.
Now its finishing touches mostly. Reinstall the center console. Try to see if the ignition will let you remove the key
without the atx shifter plugged in. It may or may not. I donâ??t really know right now why it does or doesnâ??t work in
some situationsâ?¦ or worse yet why mine didnâ??t work before and works fine nowâ?¦ I really cant say.
Now you need to get rid of the 4500 rpm rev limiter. At the same connector as you cut and spliced before, cut the
white wire with a green stripe and the green wire with the yellow stripe. Use solder to attach the resistor to each wire
on one end. There is no polarity on a resistor.(well.. there sort of is but it doesnâ??t matter here) Bingo, no more rev
limiter. You have no idea how long this took for me to figure out. I played with the shifter for days and stared at
wiring diagrams until my brain popped and I finally realized the error of my ways. Just do this like Iâ??ve said and reap
the rewards of my labor â?º
Now on to the vehicle speed sensor. Take the sensor and cut the connector off it. Connect a 3â?? length of wire to each.
Red for the () wire, Black for the () wire, and some other color for the () wire. Use electrical tape to wrap them
together up to 2â?? or so. Install the sensor into the trans. It lines up then screws right in. Just hand tighten it. Run the
wires up to the BIG electrical junction on the left side strut tower. Here are the connections we need. Splice into the
LARGE green wire with a yellow stripe. You may have to peel back the loom a bit to see the wires. Use one of those
clamp on plastic connectors that cut into the wire and contact itâ?¦ this will give you an easy connection without
actually cutting the wire. This is your 12v+ connection for your red wire. Now you need a ground, you can
experiment if you want with finding a good ground wire somewhere in that block of wires but I didnâ??tâ?¦ I used a ring
end terminal and attached it to another chassis ground under the battery tray. Now you need to find the electrical
connector that used to attach to the atx trannyâ??s VSS. Cut off the connector and strip back the white wire with a blue
stripe. Cut back and tape off the other wire. Splice in a length of wire that will comfortably run from here up to the
work area on the strut tower. Tape this all off and maybe put it into some loom for neatness. Tie wrap it all up nice
and neat. Neat wires save problems later. Now look at the electrical block on the strut. Look to the side that goes back
into the car not up to the engine. Look for a white wire with a purple stripe. CUT the wire so that you can splice into
the piece that runs back into the carâ?¦ the one that is closer to the strut tower. To this wire, splice the wire you ran up
from the OLD VSS header, AND the wire from the NEW VSS. Ignore the other end of the white and purple wire you
cutâ?¦. It now goes to nowhere. You are basically splicing 3 wires together here. Clean it up and tape it off. Make
sure you either solder or uses solderless crimp type connectorsâ?¦ donâ??t be lazy and twist them together or use wire
nuts... they donâ??t work on cars.
