View Full Version : Atx to Mtx...Acutally doing it
Hey, Cooga Member Trix Is actually performing this conversion. you have no Idea how complicated it is. I went over there today and gave him a hand. He doesn't post much, Maybe He'll reply though and give some more details. The donor car has been completely gutted, the recipient car has been gutted from the firewall forward. he was going to swap the entire subframes but the Mtx sub was damaged in the roll-over, now he has to cut and weld a bracket off of the Mtx Sub frame onto the ATX one. just one of the major complications. Today we finished the inside, converted the pedals and the shifter. That wasn't that hard since all you need was already there, but sometimes it was tricky to get around stuff that was installed after those parts during assembly, (steering column, harnesses, ect.) Now getting the new engine back and connecting everything is the next step. Keep your fingers crossed. I have some pics on film, I'll scan them and post them, I know that Trix would like to thank Leo for his advice. Andrew
99Redcat
03-12-2002, 12:57 PM
Most definatly! I have a chance to get a donor car... and I can't really afford to buy a new coug w/ mtx... so the cheap donor car seems to be the one for me... but I want to know how much work it really is... what all needs swapped!!:confused:
MaStaMooN
03-12-2002, 02:36 PM
Badass!!:cool:
Z3BlackCat2
03-14-2002, 11:41 PM
definitely Andrew thanks for coming out here and giving me a hand with this, my hats off to Leo... he actually took time out of his lunch brake to call me, PAID for the phone call and gave me a list of all the parts that he could think off of his head to finish the swap. the reason why i went after a whole car and not just the parts. Thanks to both of ya. your help was greatly appreciated.
The swap itself is a pain in the @ss but if there is just no way for you to trade the cougar in and you want to do this too it will cost you around $1400. i got the whole car and that can go anywhere from $2200-$3000. here is a list of things i had to get and that i had to deal with. keep in mind that the ideal car to buy if you find one would be hit from behind and the frame has to be in good working condition.
IF you find a Cougar my suggestion is just swap out frame engine and tranny all together. its sooooo easy. --im not a mech no I don't know the names to all the parts, let me give it a shot--
Tranny =)
i don't think i have to go into this item too much, its pretty much a bolt on
Pedals
and mounting bracket (it all comes out together)
*to make this work with the clutch switch you need to run a ground
wire from the switch to a relay on the fuse box outside. i can tell you exactly where to go, just e-mail. WATCH OUT for that white plastic piece that holds the brake pedal in there. all you have to do is open it up and it releases the whole thing, but i can brake.
shifter w/ cables
(don't worry the whole is already cut in your car, just hit the cover with a hammer and there goes your hole for the cables. take out the rubber plugs where the assembly bolts on to the chassis and cover up the other two holes. because the auto shifter is not as long so the holes for the screws are there just pull the plugs out.
center console, we all know how that goes in there
computer, 10mm socket and lots of love
radiator
if you cant get it then modify your old one. its really easy.
cut the lines going into the tranny (ATX) and use a piece of hose from the "parts car" to connect them together. cut them short, about 3 or 4 inches from the radiator and use clamps and a 4" (or so maybe longer) and just make a loop.
Sub frame,
(if not, then have yours modified, its cheap as well)
take your rear tranny mount and separate the two pieces, take the part that bolts into the frame that looks like a number 9 (from the ATX mount) take the part that bolts into the MTX and put those two together to make one tranny mount. if you know how to weld, just weld it to the sub frame, if not take it somewhere its like 20-30 bucks. do this part last, but leave the part that goes into the MTX on it, so you don't have to bolt it on after you finish.
Brake Fluid Reservoir:
NO NO you don't need a new one. Ever wondered what that little thing sticking out of the rear right side of the reservoir is??? you cut the tip of it off so you can feed your clutch.
Watch out for those fuel lines. those injector looking things that tie them to the fuel rail are a pain in the ass to get out. I just cut them off, witch you shouldn't do. They say they are NOT REPAIRABLE. they actually are, just go to a hardware store and buy coplings to connect them back together on the side that has no rubber. don't use power tools!!! thats a given, there is fuel on those lines at all times.
****TOOLS:****
all you need is a complete socket set, torx set, wrenches and 2 or 3 screw drivers, beer, friends to bring you food, and a lot of MOTIVATION. like I said its not really hard but its a lot of work. also a dolly of some kind to roll off you sub-frame/engine/tranny when you unbolt them from the car. they all come out together including your radiator in a SWEET package. thank you Ford, its the only good thing they've done.
my personal opinion: do it only if this is the only way you can get into a 5 speed. a lot of work and a lot of money can be saved just by trading your car in. but i didn't have that choice i own too much on my car.
TRIX
Ripple
03-15-2002, 05:10 PM
What more could we ask for? Oh yeah!! You don't by chance have a before and after dyno do you? I can't wait to do this........
Rizzo
03-20-2002, 12:25 AM
Any pics of the proccess!? Come on! I wanna see this!:biggrin:
exigent
03-20-2002, 06:53 PM
pst... wait until he finds out the half shafts dont fit......
ShinyBlackCat
03-21-2002, 04:00 AM
he already did it! And it works too!
pssst... he did it already, successfully.
sorry, DENIED
Bobnoxious
03-21-2002, 12:53 PM
Pics pics pics
exigent
03-21-2002, 07:57 PM
and he used his old atx half shafts......? Thats a new one on me if true.
Z3BlackCat2
03-22-2002, 03:56 AM
Actually i had to use one of them because the other one was good to go. but the right side had to be swapped as well because the ATX one was about 4" shorter. I did forget to post that, but then again it was a lot of stuff to try to remember. Thanks for filling in on that VERY important piece.
Z3BlackCat
any more info on the driving and performance?? please give us ANY additional info....thanx!
i'd imagine it now has the performance of any other MTX cougar ;-)
Frank
03-29-2002, 10:24 PM
I'm sure it's faster now... unless he's from Hawaii ;)
exigent
04-08-2002, 04:25 AM
You guys slay me.... you tear me a new ass with things like DENIED and what not... then dont even say anything when it turns out i was right.... who do you think has been siting in leo's garage asking the questions that got this guy the response he did from leo? I think it IS very important for you all to know that the shaft does not fit. I know I would be pissed off if i was doing the swap and sudenly found out the shaft was too short.... that would be really cool to find out right at the end...
Also, the radiator can simply be pluged. No big deal there.
However... you really need to think about that crossmember... id keep an eye on whatever you fabbed in place of the bracket... that thing takes ALOT of tourqe through it... Its not as simple as you make it sound... hell leo had a hell of a time and he has a machine shop basicly.... Heck, I went out and got myself a MTX subframe just because from listening to his advice.... and i could have just had him do the fab for me...
Im not trying to be negative... really.. im happy someone finally did this. I simply have to wonder with all the dis-information on this board when you left out somthing seamingly so important. Somthing like that along with a lack of pics tends to lead one to doubt a post. I did NOT doubt you publicly i simply made the comment about the drive shaft.... I still am not doubting you either...
I have to further wonder... how did you go about bypassing PATS with your new eec? The console too did not need to be changed... it can be worked out so that it works just fine.... its more then less a matter of the shifter handle and the box that the shifter goes into. The plastic bezel part is fine just how it is... a little trim peice is above the boot... but if you make a custom boot you can delete that... common guys.. am i the only one that knows how to use a sewing machine??? nothing embaressing about knowing how to sew somthing up :)
Anyways... id love to see some pics... and any advice you may have about anthing else you needed that came up other then what leo knows. My car (if im lucky) will be on the hoist in the next two months so I still would love any other info.
So really..was it worth all the hassle and effort and money? Because i really hate autos and would absolutley love to transfer it to mtx...but i dont know if i would be able to anyway.
TheChauffer
05-31-2002, 07:38 PM
So the total cost is 1400 is that including the parts car and how long did it actually take you? id you need to buy anything besides the parts car.
TheChauffer
05-31-2002, 07:41 PM
Oh and for the ecu thing to work do you need to have the same options as the donor car or does that make no difference.