[gundamfocus]

Me and my friend decided my car is boring and slow. I spent a few weeks going over and over performance mods for my 2.0l zetec only to come to the conclussion it still wont turn out the way i want it to be. Just so you dont start screaming "turbo!" at me, I want to keep it naturally aspirated as it is my daily driver and i dont want to ream the shit out of that little engine.

Ive heard of people doing a 2.5l contour svt swap into a focus, and on those same forums i hear people saying do a 3.0l duratec swap, better power out of the same size package. does anyone know anything about doing this kind of swap? everything i find is usually just stuff about contours, or focus's with a 2.5 litre swap. some links and/or pics would be nice

 

[norcalfocus01]

The HP gained is not worth the trouble put into it. I've heard that from the 2 or 3 people who've done it. The best swap for NA power would be the 2.3 duratech. To make that swap possible tho, you would first need a complete donor car. Then pull the motor and tear into it before transplanting.

 

[gundamfocus]

wouldnt be a problem. i work at a scrap yard. could get a 2.3 duratec, harness and ecu if needed

 

[norcalfocus01]

The list is long hence why I said complete car. You need to swap gas tanks, fuel lines, engine mounts, all the stuff.

 

[gundamfocus]

ah, i see. so with all of that stuff coming from a focus, is it a fairly straight forward swap? or is there a lot of custom fitting?

 

[norcalfocus01]

No custom fitting, its all a bolt in process. The shells are the same just the parts change.

 

[AliasJerk]

Me and my friend decided my car is boring and slow. I spent a few weeks going over and over performance mods for my 2.0l zetec only to come to the conclussion it still wont turn out the way i want it to be. Just so you dont start screaming "turbo!" at me, I want to keep it naturally aspirated as it is my daily driver and i dont want to ream the shit out of that little engine.

Ive heard of people doing a 2.5l contour svt swap into a focus, and on those same forums i hear people saying do a 3.0l duratec swap, better power out of the same size package. does anyone know anything about doing this kind of swap? everything i find is usually just stuff about contours, or focus's with a 2.5 litre swap. some links and/or pics would be nice

it will cost you less and achieve more reliability if you do a turbo. a good turbo kit sets you back about $3200 and running 10 pounds of boost will put you in the 230-240 whp mark, which is more then you will get from a 3L or a 2.5L and cost you much less in both the pocket book and the headache department. Keep in mind also that the V6 is going to weigh more then a turbo setup with the stock motor.

 

[moose585]

TURBOOO!

Just kidding. Hopefully you have alternate means of transportation if you end up doing the swap! Good luck

 

[myfafp3]

2.3 swap would be easier and cheaper than a 3.0v6 and requires zero fabrication. If you can get your hands on a complete or partial donor car then it will make things much easier for you since everything you need is already there.

On the other hand, a turbo zetec would take far less time and is more reliable than people think it is. U would be suprised what a properly sized turbo can do with a zetec. Up front costs are higher than a n/a build but in the long run would be more cost effective. I havnt seen a zetec make more than 165 horsepower without a crazy cam profile and super high octane gasoline. The 2.3 duratec on the other hand is capable of over 200hp with a relatively mild build.

 

[Blue5ive]

Turbo done right is very reliable for daily driver. That's why so many manufacturers are going turbo on small engines for weight savings, power and fuel economy. Going turbo would also be way cheaper than a swap to a 2.3.

 

[mikebontoft]

Btw the v6 is an all aluminum block and is lighter than the zetec especially with a turbo kit.

Having access and probably dibs on parts from the yard is a big advantage if you want a swap like that. What you need to do is research the 2.5 swap into a focus, then research the contour 2.5l to 3.0l swaps and see what they need to do to get it working with the 2.5l system. Then install as if it were a 2.5

 

[Blue5ive]

Turboing a v6 would be awesome in a focus.

 

[mikebontoft]

Twin turbo would be more fun haha.

Only problem is it would still be fwd. Not as much traction as one COULD have with rwd.

 

[st12131]

3.5L ecoboost would be just about right, tuned to an even 400hp of course.

 

[gundamfocus]

So turbos arent actually that bad then? all ive heard is that they are fun for a couple years but they eventually burn out the motor. If i do a turbo, what else should i upgrade along with it other then the obivous so it isnt to hard on it. and what kind of power gains should i expect with a small to medium sized turbo. I dont want something stupid fast, just hunting for about 190-200bhp

 

[Kauai Guy]

So turbos arent actually that bad then? all ive heard is that they are fun for a couple years but they eventually burn out the motor. If i do a turbo, what else should i upgrade along with it other then the obivous so it isnt to hard on it. and what kind of power gains should i expect with a small to medium sized turbo. I dont want something stupid fast, just hunting for about 190-200bhp

You can easily do 200WHP with a small turbo kit. Hell, you could do it with the engine still pretty much stock. It's all in the tune.

That and there's a reason why there are only like, 3 people that did the V6 swap. It ain't easy.

Since you work at a scrapyard, you could easily find a 2.3 parts car.

 

[whynotthinkwhynot]

You will need the transmission from the donor car also. A Zetec or SPI will not bolt up to a Duratec.

 

[StangGTT]

So turbos arent actually that bad then? all ive heard is that they are fun for a couple years but they eventually burn out the motor. If i do a turbo, what else should i upgrade along with it other then the obivous so it isnt to hard on it. and what kind of power gains should i expect with a small to medium sized turbo. I dont want something stupid fast, just hunting for about 190-200bhp

It isnt the turbo that ruins the engines. Its the power level. Power's cost is reliability so any modification that brings an engine to its peak will wear it out faster. Even NA.

 

[SVTF410]

If you are looking for reliability then a motor swap is not the best answer for more power. A turbo set up properly done is very reliable. Just don't make stupid amounts of power. Having a second car helps also so you don't have to worry about reliability so much. I now have 3 cars 1 with a motor swap and my focus with a vortech. I am trying dearly to keep the third one stock

 

[DueceCoupe]

It wouldn't be easy.
But I currently have a SPI,a 16v Zetec,A 2.3 and my wife has the 3.0 Duratec in her Freestyle with the CVT transmission.
The 3.0 with the 2 speed tranny IMHO would just be a beast in a Focus.
We have pulled on Mustangs and had a VW GTI give Me the thumbs up when I pulled on Him from a traffic light.
No shifts and gaining ground every time the other Guy has to shift is just Amazing.
If You have the means for it....3.0
Otherwise if your worried about the turbo hurting the Car as its a daily driver,just throw a small shot of Nitrous on there.
Its what Im doing right now!