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3.0L Conversion (Our how-to)


BuckeyeSVT

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Ok - Moving right along :)

 

Getting our 3.0L assembled and ready to install we found a few more things that we had to modify, answered a few of our own questions and also learned a few things along the way.

 

Well, the body is painted - The frame has been finished and we are now in the process of re-assembling the interior. I've been working on the final details of reassembling the engine, getting all the bits and pieces together. I have a ton of pics that are a little self explanatory :) Gotta love pics! We have a ton of em!

 

This pic is of the back of the block - The alternator bracket will not fit unless you cut this mount off.

Eng85.gif

 

Here's a pic of the mounting ear removed :)

Eng88.jpg

 

Pic of the alternator bracket installed:

Eng90.jpg

 

Pic of the timing chains and tensioners installed - The Duratec is about one of the easiest engines to time.

Timed30.jpg

 

Hmm.. Pic of the engine almost complete with the covers and accessories mounted. Almost complete - But a few of the goodies aren't installed yet - Hence the parts missing on the front of the engine.

Eng95.jpg

 

Now to the little nitty gritty's:

 

Here's a pic of the timing wheel that mounts on the crankshaft in front of the timing gear. This tells the computer the position of the crank and also when to fire the spark plugs.. Getting this in the wrong position will cause your engine to fire 180 degrees out of time (Hence no starting).

Crankring1.gif

 

Here's a pic of the timing covers (2.5L & 3.0L) Here you can see why the gear has two mounting locations:

Timingcover.gif

 

Alas here you can see the color of the frame - And we are making a few "adjustments" on the subframe mounts :)

Welding.jpg

 

Well, another couple weeks and this project will come to a close.

 

Doc

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Alright - Lots being done this last weekend - Most was the reinstallation of the engine, wiring and other goodies. Unfortunately the engine did not burn fuel this weekend because the final stage of painting will be completed this week and the engine is set to burn fuel on Saturday (this coming weekend).

 

A couple of side notes:

 

#1. Use the 2.5L Knock sensor - If you don't the harness will not interface and lock in. Just re-use the factory sensor.

 

#2. Using the 2.5L Sandwich adapter oil cooler is no problem with the 3.0L block - The only modification that I had to make was to the front hose that connects to the water pump housing - (Shorten it an inch) and it's all good.

 

Other than these two - I can't think of anything else at this time. The engine is completely re-installed and also the interior is on it's way to being finished.

 

Here's a pic of the engine installed and ready for the finishing touches...

 

Almost.jpg

 

Doc

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OK, I bring pics :) lol Since I know alot of people are dying to see.

 

First pic, the interior - HA! You were expecting the engine right? Well, this is a total project, not just the engine so yes - We have reinstalled the dash and all the wiring (Ohh my back is killing me now though!!)

 

Enginecomp3.jpg

Ok, moving onto what you really came here for!! Pics of the engine.

 

As Matt had stated earlier, the 3.0L was officially "born" or burned fuel at 10:40 P.M. 3/23. The small crowd of people and also those on cell phones talking to others in anticipation of this monster taking it's first breath were not dissappointed. We didn't install the y-pipe or cat back, we flat out wanted to hear it rumble ( and rumble it did!!) I never quite heard a Duratec that could rattle your chest before, but this one does :)

 

Anyhow, here's a few pics of the engine and yes, the towel is covering something interesting that after testing tonight works perfectly. I'll cover more on that on at another time.

 

Pics:

Overall pic of the 3.0L

Enginecomp1.jpg

 

Ok, this pic is just an illustration of the re-wiring of the factory harness to use the 3.0L injectors (Different harness altogether - Get rid of all that plastic crap)

Enginecomp2.jpg

 

These two pics are just more pics of the 3.0L - Remember it just fired up tonight, it is by no means ready to drive yet. There is still finishing touches and parts that need fabricated.

 

Enginecomp4.jpg

Enginecomp5.jpg

 

Like always, I'm on AOL IM all day long M-F 10-9. If you have questions or would like to give me a hard time :) - Look me up.

 

Doc

 

P.S. As soon as I download this clip of the engine running I'll convert it into an MP3 so all can hear!

 

:kickass

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Electronics are great when they work together, but the EEC-V being adaptive and the S-AFC not, It's a waste of $350.00. The way we are going to counteract most of the problems that have occured on most 3.0L's are in this fashion.

 

#1. We are running the blue (24lb) injectors and 24lb calibrated MAF. That should take care of any lean mixture problems.

#2. The spark plugs are going are going to be changed to a colder plug- Because of elevated cylinder temps from the higher compression. We also opted to use the 3.0L EGR, yes - I know - If you use the intake you will use the EGR, but in IMO the 3.0L upper is just a cleaner, more open design that should allow the 3.0L to breathe better (If you don't believe me then ask Terry H. ). But this is subjective to our findings as we are the first to use the 3.0L upper - who knows? I don't claim anything but that (I) think there will be gains due to better balanced airflow down both ports.

 

Now back to the valves. I can see using bigger valves with a bigger port area to match. But with the 2.5L this is not the case.. Even if we had the seats recut for the 3.0L valves and did the grinding necessary to make them work - The port diameter is exactly the same, readily negating any real performance benefit. I understand that a couple of others have shown some gains, I don't think that is something that is really necessary or really worthwhile - We skipped that. Doing the 3.0L upper was the real trick for me.

 

Anyhow - The car is no longer at Matt's garage - It's now in Boardman close to me :) Now I don't have to drive an hour and 15 minutes each way to work on it anymore, it's 10 mins away.

 

I have some new pics - The car making progress, and off the trailer tonight sitting at Brian's garage.

 

Doc

 

Contour1.jpg

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Ok pics!!!

 

Well - I'm so tired right now that I really don't want to get into big explanations, but the pictures speak for themselves :)

 

So I'll post the pics and let me know if you have any q's.

 

Comptour1.jpg

Comptour2.jpg

 

3.0 Complete with all the trimmings :)

30close2.jpg

 

Custom built intake tube

Intakeshot.jpg

 

The Remote IAC Valve

IACShot.gif

 

 

Like I said - Big pics and alot to talk about. Don't ask why Richie and I have a big smile on our faces... It must have something to do with 2nd and mostly 3rd gear.. ;)

 

 

Doc

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  • 1 year later...

Repaired pictures that were not showing up due to conversion of forum software.

 

Thanks,

 

-Dom

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Yes,

 

back at that time we didn't want people getting ideas of their own until we knew it would work correctly. So we covered it in

 

a towel when we took pictures until everything was finalized and installed. Then we showed pics of the full installation.

 

Consequently now that system has been removed and is no longer used.

 

-Dom

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2

 

cents worth...on a 3.0 block did you remove the extra 'ear' that gets in the way of the 'SVT' oil cooler metal coolant

 

pipes?...leaving it on gives problems with the exhaust manifold crushing it tight against the block...Assume this is a

 

'hybrid'?...so I will shut up abot 'other mods' if you are using a full post 2000 'oval port' 3.0....

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2 cents worth...on a 3.0

 

block did you remove the extra 'ear' that gets in the way of the 'SVT' oil cooler metal coolant pipes?...leaving it on

 

gives problems with the exhaust manifold crushing it tight against the block...Assume this is a 'hybrid'?...so I will shut up

 

abot 'other mods' if you are using a full post 2000 'oval port' 3.0....

 

Terry,

 

We had no issues with the metal interfering with the piping

 

(although I had to cut the one hose about an inch short due to the routing change). The manifolds clear fine... The only piece

 

we had to cut on all 7 engines so far is for the alternator bracket and crank bushing.

 

-Dom

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....the part I mean on a full 3.0 engine is near where the bellhousing bolts on and the SVT oil cooler coolant pipes snake

 

behind the manifold and cat and the return is hooked up to the heater hose and w/pump.I'm sure you know,but if you use oval

 

3.0 heads then there is an extra boss on the head that has to be trimmed of to mount the alt bracket at the top....you have 2.5

 

heads so its no issue...Looks nice.

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Sure

 

Terry,

 

By all means give it a go. It worked great the way it was, but when I figured out that the IAC actually fits

 

on top of the manifold without any modifications I removed it and reworked the system. I cannabalized a 2.5L SVT throttle body

 

and the stock 3L one and made it work exactly how I needed it to. I never did a clearance check when I installed the UIM, just

 

eyeballed it and it looked too close so I did that. After further inspection I found that there is approx 1.5" of clearance

 

from the top of the IAC to the hood. Therefore, no external IAC is needed.

 

-Dom

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  • 4 months later...
please move this topic to the FAQ section

 

I plan on re-doing it to complete the whole FAQ. I have new pics, and I need to add more information to this as well.

 

-Dom

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  • 1 month later...
bump

 

reminder to Buckeye

 

It's cool... I'd move it to the FAQ section myself, but I don't have the access... Another user asked about it because FastCougar's 3L FAQ is down, so I bumped it back to the top.

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Damn Id LOVE to do that, too bad I DONT have the know how.. :(

Cant wait to grad from DePaul and get a real paying job to pay for some fun stuff..

 

Here's my plan when I grad...

-3.0 swap (with a slightly built bottom since it'll be boosted)

-ADC Turbo system

-Complete repaint

tab.jpg

With Ford True Blue grilles and the rear blackout in true blue as well.

 

11K is my budget..

 

This summer wilwood brakes are going on along with BAT's Euro handeling package

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  • 1 year later...

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