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What did you do to your SVTF today?

34K views 383 replies 97 participants last post by  jw7991 
#1 ·
I saw this on a completely unrelated forum I belong to and thought I'd see if it catches on here like it did there.
 
#2 ·
I changed the front passenger side motor mount today. This is my second time changing this mount, in less than a week. The first one blew the little plastic/rubber top today. The first mount took me about 3 or so hours to do, not having the right tools or really knowing what I was doing. Today, I got it off in 30 minutes, had to wait for about 2 and a half hours for the part to arrive at a near by parts store. I got home and had the thing installed in about 20 minutes. It's super easy when you have a vice to pull the plate off of the mount, and an engine hoist instead of a leaky jack like I had over the weekend, while doing the first one. If anyone goes to Vatozone or O'Reilly's, the part you need is 3085, not what they list in the computer.
 
#4 ·
Use Motorcraft motor mounts only. Because, the rest are crap and will go to crap quickly.

Unless you go to poly mounts.
 
#12 ·
Let's see some pics. I'm interested in the LED swap, myself.
I called a few local shops around town for quotes on doing the timing belt. Some suggested doing the water pump at the same time, some said the water pump could be done, but isn't with the timing belt. I'm new to these motors and I assumed it would be typically done at the same time as the belt and tensioners. Can anyone lead me in the correct direction? I've got almost 83k on mine and I'm going to try t ok get this done asap.
 
#11 ·
179k miles

I washed the salt and schmutz off of it today and ordered some parts to perform some scheduled maintenance (179k)

Timing belt
Timing belt tensioner
Timing belt idler pully
Serpentine belt
Serpentine belt tensioner
valve cover gasket set
Water pump
Fuel Filter
lower radiator hose
MSD plug wires
NGK plugs
lower torque mount (to replace urethane mount I hate)
parking brake cable
Driver's headlight (has moisture in it)


I might replace the lower control arms again. I replaced all the bushings, ball joints, tie rods, shocks, etc at 104k, but I used urethane bushings and I hate them. They might have been fine on smooth roads of the south, but here in PA they are horrid.

I was set to buy a new car, but the wife has expressed an interest in going back to school, so the new car will have to wait. I will be looking for a commuter car for her perhaps, but that is a different discussion thread...

OJ
 
#13 ·
Swapped the rear motor mount for a polyurethane cfm race mount.
I swapped out the front passenger side mount for the 3rd time. Can anyone tell me why I keep going through them? I just replaced the cfm rear mount and then the front passenger side mount, then drove it. Not even an half hour, and I didn't goose it at all. Maybe 4k shifts, if that. The new motor mount, the fluid filled front passenger mount, the little rubber top keeps popping off. Why?! Is there something I'm doing wrong?
 
#17 ·
Front dome 8 //// map 4 x2
Vanity 4 x2
foot well 6 x2
rear dome 8
(installed: 16 in trunk and 6 in the glove box)


I already have "pre manufactured" LEDs, but some are four years old now. Some flicker and some have color shifted, but now I know how to make my own for way cheaper. I'm waiting on some more LEDs that I hope are the color temperature I want, these are a little on the blueish side for my tastes.


Yeah the parts store mounts are pure garbage (Anchor and whatever they're rebranded as.) The aluminum is made from recycled chewing gum foil and the rubber came off the bottom of a Payless shoe. I used to help a friend change these mounts on a company fleet of automatic Zetecs driven by 65-80 year old men and they always broke.
 
#18 ·
Chewing gum and Payless shoes. Lol. I would have to say, on my situation, Payless shoe rubber would be an improvement. The rubber from the mounts I've gotten seems to be more like walmart shoes. Definitely a Chinese piece of garbage. I found the OEM Ford mount on eBay, for $99. If this solid mount takes a shit like the last ones, I'm going to order the eBay mount.
 
#22 ·
Swapped out the leaking clutch master cylinder, for a new one. (Gotta love Rockauto.com) I'm waiting for my solid front motor mount to arrive. I peeled off the plastidip from the orange marker lights on the grill, and plugged them in. Are they supposed to be on all the time or only with the headlights?
 
#25 ·
Popped in the embossed Euro* lock triangles. Looks better than the painted letters. I painted the handle a long time ago.
(* Mazda Tribute)



They were originally chrome from the Tribute, but a little paint fixes that. Don't bother looking in Escapes they share the Focus triangles.
 
#28 ·
I just installed poly bushings and Moog ball joints into recently powder-coated front control arms. And will be taking two of my summer wheels to get summer tires mounted later this afternoon.


However, over the last two months, the list is longer...

Removed rear bumper cover to access rusted area.
Scraped/sanded the rusty area, cleaned and treated with POR15 pretreatment, coated with POR15 treatment, and coated with POR15 top-coat.
Replaced bumper cover.
Removed rear springs and shocks.
Added delrin inserts to shock mount tops.
Replaced stock shocks with KYB AGX.
Replaced rear springs with Eibach Pros.
Removed and reconditioned rear brake brackets and replaced rear brakes with slotted rotors and Hawk pads.
Installed 5mm spacers (already had longer wheel studs from replacing bearings and hubs last summer).
Installed aluminum lugs.

Switched ends... (forgot to replace fuel filter)
Disassembled pre-TB intake system to get to shift mechanism.
(Cleaned foam filters while off.)
Replaced tiny square bushing on shift mechanism, which had worn completely through on two side and made it almost impossible to shift into reverse (lubed the slide grove with PTFE silicon lube).
Removed coil/spark wires and valve cover.
Removed fuel rail and replaced injectors with flow matched ones.
Cleaned #1 and #2 spark plug wells (oil had accumulated in them from a bad cover gasket... previous owner), and replaced all spark plugs.
Refreshed valve cover gaskets (decided not to mess with VCT O-ring).
Removed thermostat housing (Bostig unit had a tiny leak at the temp sensor gasket) and replaced temp sensor gasket hack.
... almost went back to stock, but the Bostic unit is too bling to give up on, unless my gasket hack leaks again.
Restored engine compartment to normal appearance.
Painted a spare set of knuckles with POR15 (full treatment).
Removed front springs and struts.
Removed front brakes (to replace with same as rear).
Removed knuckles.
Removed control arms (nasty business... we broke one of the 14mm 10.8 rear inside bolts [:(!] I now have a couple of new "battle scars").
Installed struts and springs same as rear.
Installed black Steeda strut bar.

Just a bit more to do and it will be put back together and hopefully running better than before... I'll update.
 
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#34 ·
Finally finished the front end work... the LCAs w/poly are on, brakes and the spacers/wheels reinstalled. Too much coolant added after the T-stat housing reinstall, so there's just a bit more to do before I can get a wheel alignment.
 
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