[nadthomas]

Yes, people have killed there 2.5L and replaced them with another 2.5L. I have done it personally, of course I wanted to go 3L, but time and money was tight at the time so cheap and easy was the way I went. Well, not really cheap because I still ended up spending about 2k by the time it was all said and done. Rebuilding the block is probably going to be more expensive and time consuming then what its worth. You should be able to find a low mileage 2.5L for about $800 give or take $200 depending upon your area and if you find a deal. Cougar, Contour, and Mystics all used the same engine, since your not looking for more performance don't waste your money on the 2.5L SVT Contour engine. They pull a premium price since its an SVT engine, and you can get more power out of a 3L for about the same price in the end. If she has an early 99 like mine you will need to swap over the fuel rail, injectors and the wiring harness, but everything else on the newer 2.5L engines is the same. Use car-parts.com to help you source a new engine, and for any dealer parts contact Bill Jenkins at Team Ford in Las Vegas( do a search I'm sure there is a post with his number on here). Let him know you are from NECO and he will give you a great deal for Ford OEM parts, we all buy from him. As for the clutch do go with the SVT clutch in the case, its a better clutch then the stock cougar clutch and Bill sells the full clutch kit for about $300.