[mikebontoft]

Alright I kinda failed with that Taurus engine thing... so I'm giving it another shot because it looks like Tom offers some great stuff.

First off, I'm well aware that Duratecs respond quite well to mods, and that the SVT is pretty much maxed out besides going F/I and tune.

I'm also aware that I'll need to get another transmission, either an MTX or Getrag...depending on the engine.

I also need to figure out availability (I know Tom has the engines, but I guess I'd need to find a junkyard tranny)

In order for things to go a bit more smoothly, I'm going to list the engine and what I think I know to swap it... starting with the Duratec.

Duratec 2.3L:
-passenger side engine mount is different
-exhaust header direction has been redirected
-need some ECU (no idea what kind or from where)
-half axles (err...)
-MTX-75 transmission and LSD (or so I'm told)
-fuel pump
-custom flex pipe (because I'm not going to change the new exhaust :|)
-universal catalytic converter
-coolant reservoirs (not exactly sure what)
-pedals (???)
-steering column (uhh, why?)
-reprogrammed keys
-wiring harnesses
-4 wheel SVT brakes (to handle the new power, right?)
-17" wheels (brakes require 17" min)
I'll add more if I think of it [scratch]

Zetec SVT 2.0L:
-engine mounts (unsure of relation between SPI mounts and Zetec mounts)
-half axles (again, err...)
-Getrag six-speed tranny and LSD
-Custom flexpipe (again, not redoing exhaust)
-universal catalytic converter
-ECU (maybe from a salvage SVT?)
-wiring harnesses
-fuel pump
-reprogram keys
-pedals (???)
all that same crap about brakes and wheels...
I guess I'll be posting more about what I know when I remember it

Now also, my goal is to go F/I with turbo... so I guess I'll need these:
-intercooler
-wastegate
-header to handle the psi
-turbocharger
-oil gauge
-reroute oil to go to turbo
-psi gauge
-vacuum seal....[]
yeah I don't know, but I'm not too worried about that, CFM has a kit for that now, so I just want to get the engine in first...

Alright, and one last thing, I don't want any BS about how the Duratec is better, or that I'm wasting my money, or why I'd want to put any effort into it..... I know the Duratec responds better like I said earlier, but I'm going for the most plug n play swap between the two (note I said "most") And I'll be keeping the car for a long time. Cost won't be a huge factor seeing that I'd have a facility to work on it, plus experienced guys, and hopefully if all goes as planned, a job that pays for new cars frequently, insurance, and gas... (I'm lookin at you, Ford [])

So... basically I'm looking for as much help and knowledge as you guys can give me, because the more I know, the smoother everything will go in the end. If you've done a transmission swap, tell what you know; engine swaps, even better. The little things can't be missed either, cause those I bet would be the headache makers. Alright, and if you come across a good site, or know where to get any of the suggested items, I'd love to see it. oh yeah, and pictures or videos are welcome as well.....just anything that will help!

I'm hoping to get a big outcome on this, because the more we know in one thread, the easier it will be for someone else who wants to do the same or similar thing. [thumb]

 

[Timmeh!]

it seems like either way its a lot of work...

the advantage with the SVT is that you dont have to do as much exhaust work cause it's intake in the back exhaust in the front like your SPI IIRC.

and either or is gonna be pretty plug-and-play as compared to some of the other stuff that people are doing on here (yes... i know... im guilty....) just keep a positive attitude and don't give up.... oh yeah... post pics when you're done too...

unless you're getting a custom built motor the SVT is better for F/I: oil squirters and forged internals FTW

 

[mikebontoft]

it seems like either way its a lot of work...

the advantage with the SVT is that you dont have to do as much exhaust work cause it's intake in the back exhaust in the front like your SPI IIRC.

and either or is gonna be pretty plug-and-play as compared to some of the other stuff that people are doing on here (yes... i know... im guilty....) just keep a positive attitude and don't give up.... oh yeah... post pics when you're done too...

unless you're getting a custom built motor the SVT is better for F/I: oil squirters and forged internals FTW

good...I know I won't do it for a couple years, so who knows what may change... but if all goes as planned, I'd get the better SVT from Tom, and go with CFM's turbo diy kit...

 

[mikebontoft]

oh yeah, so I think I'm also forgetting to ask about a 2.25" exhaust with the turbo.... I know it's restrictive, but it wouldn't cause any harm to the engine or related parts because of the backpressure, would it? obviously I don't want to replace the exhaust again....

 

[ehancock]

I found out recently from a very experienced fj member that the Duratec ECU will not drive the spi/zetec body components. The body wiring for the duratec equipped cars and the spi/zetec is completely different. I guess some guy on the Jet tried to do a swap to the 2.3 and never finished it because of the wiring. So i guess that removes the duratec from your list. The most readily available and cheapest option is obviously the zetec. A turbo zetec would not disappoint you, i've been in one several times and loved it. If you can find an entire SVT swap that's actually affordable then i'd personally go with that and turbo it, but you'd probably have to spend some time hunting one down.

edit: and no i've never heard of smaller exhaust actually hurting a turbo car, but it will definitely bottleneck it

 

[mikebontoft]

I found out recently from a very experienced fj member that the Duratec ECU will not drive the spi/zetec body components. The body wiring for the duratec equipped cars and the spi/zetec is completely different. I guess some guy on the Jet tried to do a swap to the 2.3 and never finished it because of the wiring. So i guess that removes the duratec from your list. The most readily available and cheapest option is obviously the zetec. A turbo zetec would not disappoint you, i've been in one several times and loved it. If you can find an entire SVT swap that's actually affordable then i'd personally go with that and turbo it, but you'd probably have to spend some time hunting one down.

edit: and no i've never heard of smaller exhaust actually hurting a turbo car, but it will definitely bottleneck it

man, I think you just saved me here.....no wait, you did. That deserves rep...
So I'm glad about the exhaust, because, well... I just don't wanna mess with it again... and as for the engine itself, Tom builds them and has a great price, so I'd look to him first... just gotta hunt down a salvage SVT for the tranny (probably would send that to Tom as well, for the LSD...) and some cosmetic items... maybe seats, the gauge cluster because no tach + music=fail... yeah [thumb]

 

[mikebontoft]

Alrighty then..... So it's a bit more than I thought it would be, but this is just a quickie estimate and the final price could either be higher or lower.... these don't include shipping, except for the tires which include installation (I'll let them do it, because then it's free rotations for life). Also this is pretty much everything I'd put into it, minus the paint schemes for the inside of the car (silver and black) which means redone steering wheel, carpet, and reupholstered seats...

I know every one of you probably thinks I'm crazy having estimated the price at around $15K to make the "Gold SVT Sedan," and still wanting to do it...

BUT, I think I could actually do it... most likely I will be getting a scholarship to the school I want to go to for my bachelors in Auto Tech... I'll likely end up working for Ford (yes, again, I'm looking at you []) where I'll be provided with insurance, gas, and a car... well, for free, of course! ( I know it can be done, a graduating student just did that a few years ago...)

Either I take out a loan and get all the parts for Foci (while probably having a Mustang or new Foci to drive) or I slowly progress and buy parts at a time (the turbo would be last of course, least necessary to make an SVT conversion). [thumb]


Xios SVT Turbo kit $4,250
Tom's SVT Engine $3,700
CFM Flexpipe 2.5" $170
SVT EAP Wheels 17" $580
SVT Brake Conv. Kit $996
SVT Suspension $296
Getrag 6 spd Trans. $800
Quaife Differential $600
SPEC stg.2 clutch $549
SPEC Alum. Flywheel $419
Vibrant 2.5" cat conv. $85
Kuhmo Ecsta SPT Tires $560
High Flow fuel pump $122
SVT Front Bumper $300
ECU $200
Tach unit $30
2 slot pillar gauge pod $57
Auto Meter Oil gauge $66
Auto Meter Boost Gauge $62
Euro '02 Grille $95
Spyder Chrome Projectors $213
OEM Sedan spoiler $262
Misc Stuff $300

Total $14,712

 

[fastmike513]

Just read all the above....hmmm....new to this site. Well all I can say about all that SPI to Duratech engine stuff is I'll let you all know how it turns out. I'm already working on mine. Just picked up a 2.0 out of a low milage insurance total. Got the complete engine with all accesories, trans (AOD), all the wiring harnesses from the front of the car into the ECU, the mounts, the starter and wiring for it, and a whole bunch of other parts that the guy let me have for cheap. Okay so I'm not going for all out performance... it's a daily driver wagon that blew it's original, previous-owner neglected, that I got cheap in the first place 140k mile crappy SPI engine. I want it to run a little better than it used to and be ready to receive some upgrades at a later date if I want to. And I got most of the stuff to do the swap for reasonable money so I'm gonna do it. And don't tell me it's difficult or impossible. I'm a professional hot rod builder. The difficult I do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer. Once I have my mind set on doing it this way, that's the way it'll be when it's done. And I'll take lot's of pics and tell all the little details of how I did the swap. %!#