Just looking for Input - CEG Archives

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

There's a lotta information on here, and I have and still am looking at all of it. With that said, please don't go search nazi on me.

First of all, cost is a bit of a concern to me. If I have to, I'll go with a block from Buckshot BUT... can't I just use a low mileage 3L block? I mean, they use these things from the factory, they can't be THAT bad.

Second, just any other input?

My plans are destroy the 2.5L

then 3L hybrid w/ no frills other than header/y-pipe.

Save up a little more, and 24 lb injectors, walbro, and ~50 shot nitrous.

I won't be doing any serious launching. I just want some nice highway power.

So I'll be on the stock differntial, unless it looks bad when I pull the tranny to replace the shift forks.

save for a torsen man, its totally worth it. if you can replace the forks you can add the torsen also.

find a low milage 2003+ escape motor for like $500, mod the fuel rail and intake and egr and swap your 19#ers over to it and thats pretty much it for the swap.

Is there really a point in doing the oval port? I think I'd prefer to do the hybrid.

I know it's worth it for a LSD, but I'm trying to do this all with a minimal budget. I'm not looking for an all out race car. If the stocker goes, then I'll do the LSD then.

Did you spend ALL your time in the zetec forums?

Hybrids can be done cheap, and if done correctly they can be reliable. Since they retain the oiling problems of the 2.5L, an accusump is a good investment.
New crank and rod bearings would be a must, gotta ditch the crappy aluminum ones for clevite's.
Get a low mile newer 3L, and sell the heads/cams to recoup $$$ for your swap. Keep an eye on Ebay, I found Stilov's LOW mile (like 2K, if that) 3L for $300 shipped from LKQ!

Get your 3L while your 2.5L is still kicking, and get it ready to swap over when it dies or when you have the time.

Typical NA mods would help out when you can afford them. Trans/Diff/clutch upgrade should be at the top of your mod list once the 3L is in IMO. The rest is just icing on the cake.

He got an SVT and turned into a 'tard - almost worse than a newbie cos he should know better with eleventy jillion posts under his belt.

Originally posted by SVTfrog:
Is there really a point in doing the oval port? I think I'd prefer to do the hybrid.

I know it's worth it for a LSD, but I'm trying to do this all with a minimal budget. I'm not looking for an all out race car. If the stocker goes, then I'll do the LSD then.

Either way works out well.

You aren't too far from me, and I predict that around this summer I'd have time to work on one of these engines. You might want to get in touch with me around that time and we'll talk. OH, I'm also going to be here at Ft. Rucker for a while.

Thanks Tom, summers not too far around the corner, so I guess I can wait till then.

And I never did have a reason to look at duratec stuff before now. It's all new to me.

Thanks swazo for the info.

Originally posted by SVTfrog:
Is there really a point in doing the oval port? I think I'd prefer to do the hybrid.

well for starters it gets rid of all the oiling issues the 2.5L has, and the escape one even comes with the upgraded oil pan

oval port will perform better than a hybrid. now if you get the heads PnP with 3L valves then your on a level playing ground, but $1500 deeper in the hole.

the oval port is the best bang for the buck. period.

now my first 3L was a hybrid......blew it up and im going the oval port route. ill have alot less invested in the oval port than i did with my hybrid. and after the turbo i STILL might have less invested than i spent on my hybrid!

I'm wanting to go nearly as basic as possible, hence the hybrid. I know the oiling issues, but I can risk that.

I don't like the idea of the fuel rail with the oval port. I don't want my car catching on fire!

I'll talk to Tom and see what he thinks, especially since he might end up building my engine.

If worried about fuel rail, why not just match the svt lower to the oval port heads?

iirc isnt the oval port the least amount of work...mainly just the fuel rail thats different?

Originally posted by tour96SeVT:
iirc isnt the oval port the least amount of work...mainly just the fuel rail thats different?

I'd say so...you dont have to take the heads off...and no porting work...

Originally posted by tour96SeVT:
iirc isnt the oval port the least amount of work...mainly just the fuel rail thats different?

correct. cheapest and easiest and best bang for the buck.

and porting the heads to accept svt manifolds increases cost a good bit, specially if you cant do it yourself. in my case i did it because im pulling out all the stops in preparation for my soon to be turbo car

Originally posted by Russell-3L:

Originally posted by SVTfrog:
Is there really a point in doing the oval port? I think I'd prefer to do the hybrid.

well for starters it gets rid of all the oiling issues the 2.5L has, and the escape one even comes with the upgraded oil pan

oval port will perform better than a hybrid. now if you get the heads PnP with 3L valves then your on a level playing ground, but $1500 deeper in the hole.

the oval port is the best bang for the buck. period.

now my first 3L was a hybrid......blew it up and im going the oval port route. ill have alot less invested in the oval port than i did with my hybrid. and after the turbo i STILL might have less invested than i spent on my hybrid!

I would disagree with your oval port comments. For people on a budget and limited knowledged, the hybrid performs comparably to the full 3.0L. In this platform, in N/A, your not going to miss the 5-10hp the oval ports give you. IMO, the only issue with the hybrids is the oiling issue as already noted which can be fixed with an accusump.

Originally posted by RTStabler51:

Originally posted by Russell-3L:

Originally posted by SVTfrog:
Is there really a point in doing the oval port? I think I'd prefer to do the hybrid.

well for starters it gets rid of all the oiling issues the 2.5L has, and the escape one even comes with the upgraded oil pan

oval port will perform better than a hybrid. now if you get the heads PnP with 3L valves then your on a level playing ground, but $1500 deeper in the hole.

the oval port is the best bang for the buck. period.

now my first 3L was a hybrid......blew it up and im going the oval port route. ill have alot less invested in the oval port than i did with my hybrid. and after the turbo i STILL might have less invested than i spent on my hybrid!

I would disagree with your oval port comments. For people on a budget and limited knowledged, the hybrid performs comparably to the full 3.0L. In this platform, in N/A, your not going to miss the 5-10hp the oval ports give you. IMO, the only issue with the hybrids is the oiling issue as already noted which can be fixed with an accusump.

+1
The 3L valves, from what I've seen, aren't making any huge jumps in power when mated to the 2.5L heads. I'm not sure of SVTNupe's mods, but his sig states that he has an oval port 3L, and is putting down 180fwhp and 178fwtq. For the most part, I'm seeing them dyno in the same range as my car, tuned for tuned, and untuned for untuned. Ofcourse, there are some that have a bit more work into the heads and intake/exhaust, that are putting down more. But for the most part, they are equal in power, mod for mod.

Mark