Subscribed! I'm a fan of MGB's and I think the swap idea is awesome. You definitely came to the right place for info and parts on the Zetec.. Good luck with the build!!

 

This will be very interesting! PLEASE keep us updated.

Bill

 

Awesome on so many levels, subscribed!

 

subscribed, sounds like a fun project [wrenchin]

 

This is cool.

I can only imagine some very confused faces in the rearview LOL

 

Here's a video of a Zetec with bike carbs [driving]
This probably very similar to what I'm going to do. I already have a Megajolt Jr. Lite from a few years back to use as an ignition controller.

 

I got my zx9r carbs in the mail today at work. Talk about a distraction! I predict that these will produce more hp than a stock Zetec. [thumb] I'll have to fabricate my own intake manifold at a friend's machine shop. They came with black trumpets but I think I'll use something different later on. The bottom picture shows the correct stance for the carbs.

I'll follow up with more parts photos and plans for my build.

 

wow this is going to be awesome

subscribed

 

Glad you decided to make a thread! Keep us posted, we like lots of pictures....

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! [cheers] I'm thankful for finding an active forum with knowledgeable members that have plenty of positive input![ffrocks]

I've been pretty busy working on the front suspension of the MGB but haven't uploaded any new photos of my work. I'll update everybody on that soon. In the meantime, I figure I'd post some pictures of some Zetec parts.

While this isn't performance related, I thought this would be a nice finishing touch for this engine swap. When I first joined Focus Fanatics, I purchased a metal Contour valve cover from 2GreenAutos. He also included a Massive Speed Systems hardware kit and Oil Cap. I wanted the valve cover to look relatively modest so I ground down the Zetec and Ford logos and had it powder coated with a wrinkle black finish. I also purchased a polished, stainless steel spark plug cover because I thought it would look pretty slick. Here are some photos of the finished product.

 

turned out very nice!

 

I think that is the sexiest looking Zetec valve cover I've ever seen.

 

It sure is purty!

 

Hey guys,

I hope all is well with everybody. I've suddenly come down with a cold but figured I could give a small photo update. I've been working on the front suspension a lot. Within the last week or so I've been able to replace all the old, original rubber bushings with polyurethane bushings from Energy Suspension. This involved replacing bushings in the lower and upper control arms and the front sway bar. I decided to go with black bushings because they contain graphite and are more resistant to squeaking.

While I had the front suspension apart, I cleaned up and painted the components to keep it rust free (and looking good). This car was well greased and garaged by the previous owner so it's pretty much free of rust. One thing that bothers me about the later MGB's is that they have a very high ride height. I was able to cut the coil springs and lower the car to match the rear ride height (The rear currently has saggy springs and it conveniently lowered itself with time).

Here's the before photo:[thumbd]

Here's after cutting the springs: [thumb]

With the new bushings and the lowered front end, the MGB handles a lot better. I believe the car currently weighs around 2500 pounds (about on par with a NB miata). With a Zetec engine, T-5 Transmission, and a chrome bumper conversion I predict the MGB will be around 200 pounds lighter. [headbang] I'll probably have to cut the coils again to make up for the weight difference but it's really easy to take this car apart.

In other news:
I received a really nice gift from my parents and swapped my old, ugly steering wheel with a classy Moto-lita steering wheel. They also got a nice wooden shift knob to match. It's a VERY nice gift and I got it just in time for the Daytona Turkey Run. I know it's a little off topic for the Zetec swap, but I'm pretty sure my dad lurks this thread so I'd like to give a big THANK YOU for a very nice gift. Also, note the painted gauge rings in the after photo!

What's next for the MGB:

Before I get too involved with building up a Zetec, I need to finish replacing components on the rear suspension. This will probably include new leaf springs, lowering kit, rear shock conversion, new polyurethane bushings, and axle straps.

I'll be hitting a dyno soon to show just how much horsepower this MGB motor really has. I'm also going to have it weighed. I feel like this will show a great before and after difference for the swap. [driving]

This may come as a shock to those subscribed to this thread but I don't actually have a Zetec engine yet. [facepalm] I've been searching for a good engine with low miles. So far, I found a 2003 Focus Zetec with about 60,000 miles on it that's somewhat close to where I work. I plan on showing a detailed tear down and build for this engine.

I've purchased a fully ported cylinder head from ah1f39 and it should arrive Monday. I'll have to update again after I receive it. It should be great for opening up power for a naturally aspirated Zetec. I want to pair it with Crower Stage 2 cams. If anybody has these on their engine, I'd love to read some personal feedback on them.

As always, thank you for the support and the feedback. I'm really looking forward to this swap!

 

Wow big difference on the before and after shots. Really like that new wheel and the painted surrounds. 60k mi for a Zetec is nothing if it's been taken care off. The crower stg 2's aren't bad at all though I don't have any experience with them besides having a Crower stg 1 exhaust cam on my zetec but, with the head your getting will really wake that motor up. The MG should really fly with that combination. [burnout] [driving]

 

I love this thread!

 

Looks like an amazing build!

 

Thats a cool carb setup! They would go geat with stage 2 cams I bet! After I get my bad ass zetec n trarns in my focus I will be looking to rebuild the old 1's n puy them in something cool, not a mgb but somethingmaybe a small dual drive sport boat lmao! Ive read an artical in hotrod mag. Of guys using zetec's in hotrods, mounting them to late model transmitions and carborating them with a special coil pack kit.. Is that what ur gonna gonna do?

 

Is that what ur gonna gonna do?

That's essentially the plan! [8D]

 

Seeing the interest in this build is really motivating! [headbang]

I got the cylinder head from ah1f39 in mail on Monday. I want to give a special thanks to Allen for quickly shipping out the cylinder head in a VERY well packed box. [thumb] I highly recommend him if he ever sells anything in the future. I'm going to use some older photos that ah1f39 had taken for his advertisement because my photos didn't look good at all (surface was too reflective).

This cylinder head was fully ported and will hopefully flow well compared to the stock cylinder head. All the work that was done to it looks professional and high quality. It was previously owned by Mlbbaseball, a member of focus fanatics who has had a lot of success building naturally aspirated engines. It has FRPP springs, Crower retainers, and stock valves. Overall, the head looks like it'll work wonderfully with raised compression and a good pair of cams.

One thing I noticed while handling the cylinder head was that the old paint kept flaking off everywhere. I masked off the head, cleaned the surface very well, and repainted it with some VHT "FlameProof" flat aluminum paint. The paint seems very durable and it sprayed on easily. I'm hoping it'll hold up for a long time. I'll probably need to touch it up after the engine is built up but at least all the odds and ends are done. Here are some photos of the paint:

 

That's down-right sexy!

 

pretty awesome build you have going on man! why didn't you use a duratec 2.3 motor though?

 

Good question! I kind of just chose the Zetec in my mind and kind of stuck with it. I've seen the Zetec RWD conversion online a few times and figured it'd be simple enough. Zetec engines make plenty of power compared to the original engine and I'll still end up being a faster than a stock NB Miata. [woot]

If I were to go for big horsepower, I would have picked a Ford 302. [}]

I just think the Zetec is a great match for this little roadster and will easily meet my goal for reliability and efficiency. [thumb]

 

Oh man that head is sexy! So jealous too cause that's all I need to really finish up my build to have a full n/a lol Keep the pics coming cause I think your starting to have a following on here lol

 

Thanks! I'm really getting a kick out of how often the word "sexy" is used to describe my car parts. [giddy]

 

Hey guys,

I had planned on going to the PRI trade show today in Orlando but I'm just too busy to make it out there. Since I couldn't go, here's an update on the MGB. I think everyone here would be interested in what I've done so far. I knew that with the zx9r carburetors I'd need to fabricate my own intake manifold. Since I have access to a Hurco CNC mill at my job, I was able to have an engineer help produce some intake flanges for my new manifold.

Credit for the design work goes to a UK car forum called TurboSport. The design can be found here: http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?155793-Zetec-inlet-manifold-drawing

The flange is made from 3/8" thick aluminum. I need to round off a few uncut corners but I think it looks pretty good! I'll eventually port match it to the head. When it's done being welded, It will be somewhat identical to this intake manifold:

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=129604&page=1

In other news, tomorrow will probably be the dyno day for the MGB. [driving] I'm also going to have it weighed while I'm out and about. I'll upload the results when I get a chance.

 

Very nice! Wish I had access to a CNC mill [!]

 

This is a great thread, it's nice to have a distraction from the usual "drop/tint/rims/what is my car doing/why is there no washer fluid warning light" threads. I know it's purely cosmetic but that valve cover is a thing of beauty and you've probably inspired some people with it.

Out of curiousity, did you consider the SVT engine? Florida is probably littered with wrecked SVTs (where I bought mine) and stock vs. stock it's an appreciable jump in power and should bolt in the same way.