[rallyusa]

Not a lot of time to do work recently, but managed to clean and blast the calipers (front so far), also managed to clean the pistons and install piston rings, planning on putting the rotating assembly together this weekend, then working out the oil pump/pan situation.

Also, got my new brake lines, they really look like a solid product for around $100, I'm pretty impressed.

I'm thinking of doing a video on piston ring gapping/install but not sure yet. Wrench every day

 

[rallyusa]

Things I did this weekend - got the rotating assembly completed, I took the time to measure the ring gap, and didn't have to grind anything down, they were all within spec, I highly recommend the Mahle rings the quality is great.

The Sealed Power crank and rod bearings seem to be really good quality too, overall it all went together smoothly, and it seems like it's all downhill from here (fingers crossed). I did make one mistake, the 2.5 build manual that I was using calls for the bulkhead/block mating bead to be in a certain place, and I didn't realize until I had mated the two pieces that one section was off, and unfortunately I had already gone through the process of torquing everything down, the good news is that it looks like enough of the sealant spread out via compression that it made up for the spot I missed, I was able to see overflow inside and outside, but time will tell.

BTW, Berryman's carb cleaner + a nylon brush works great for cleaning the pistons, then afterwards clean really well with soap and water, then dry and soak in oil, wipe off excess prior to install (I pre-clocked the rings before soaking so I could just pick them up and go).

 

[mmc757]

Awesome! This is the step I'm currently stalled out on in my build. The bearings are sitting on the shelf, I just haven't made the effort to go buy a dial indicator and get it done. I also want to paint the block a different color than its currently painted so that's another excuse to let it sit there.

Glad to see somebody else doing a build from the ground up though. Historically, this community rarely goes that far but I imagine it will get more common as the low-mileage donors start to dry up.

 

[B3NN3TT]

Remember to install the PCV breather and top engine mount before you bolt down the heads!

 

[rallyusa]

So it appears that my heads (in fact the entire engine) that came in the car is not in fact a 2001 Cougar engine, it's a 2000. I guess this means that the motor was replaced at some point. Unfortunately this means my heads are not correct to match the 2004 block, so I'll have to do some modding on the block. My question is this: is it worth modifying the block (blocking off the oil returns and the high pressure oil passage in the front), or should I go ahead and buy some newer heads?

 

[dallarace2]

go full 3.0 man!

you will find easy someone for selling your svt manifolds and injectors

just mod the rail

 

[rallyusa]

@dallarace2 my next plan is to go full 3.0 if this engine ends up blowing up at some point, I ended up putting on the 2.5 heads today and getting the timing set.

 

[rallyusa]

Things I did today:

1. Blocked off the oil passage on the right-side, ended up tapping it out to 10M x 1.25, then creating my own plug out of a new bolt.

2. Took measurements for the oil return passage openings, I'm going to make a pair of plugs that snap it to block the oil return.
3. Bolted/torqued down the heads.
4. Installed the camshafts, checked end play (within spec), and then set timing. FYI, I'm re-using the timing chain and components from the 2004 motor as they are in perfect shape, no real signs of wear, plus I can change this out pretty easily in-car later if I want to (also, I had already rotated the crank a few times before taking this picture so that's why the timing chain marks are off, but they were spot on before I rotated it).

5. Test-fitted the new headers, looking pretty nice

I do have a question, for the engine mount my bolt heads are 10mm, they are the exact right size based on thread count and length, but the head seems to be a bit small. This is exactly what came off of the original 2.5, I'm thinking that perhaps they didn't use the right bolts during a motor swap previously, however maybe they are, can someone confirm for me? Here's a pic of what I'm talking about:

 

[mmc757]

Those look right. I looked at the one I have bagged up from an engine I disassembled. They were 10mm bolt heads. Your right that they seem kind of puny for a motor mount.

 

[mmc757]

Its a little late since youve already got heads bolted on and timing set, but still worth mentioning...If you still have the 3.0 heads, you could use them while still retaining the SVT UIM by doing what we call a "port-matched" build.
Overall, I'm pretty sure this is the most common build type out there since there are a LOT more Contours and Cougars with the older heads than the newer ones. There's plenty of history out there proving it to be a good choice.
We initially recommended the hybrid build because we all thought you had the later heads, but we almost certainly would have steered you toward a port-matched build if we had known otherwise.

 

[rallyusa]

Its a little late since youve already got heads bolted on and timing set, but still worth mentioning...

I appreciate that @mmc757, had I been better about doing my research, I would have discovered the fact that I had an older (replaced) engine sooner. However I'm not planning on going FI with this car, so the higher compression and overall better potential for a NA build with the 2.5 heads compelled me to build a hybrid. I'm basically approaching this as my "experiment" build, whatever happens, used 3.0's are just $200 so I'm not concerned

I think once I get this thing done, as long as the work I've done holds up, I'll be really focused on suspension tweaks to make it a worthwhile rallycross car. On the other hand, I might decide to just go full restoration with it and build another car for RX, who knows.

 

[dallarace2]

Bend the headers man, and cut them as original ones.
Like this, you will reduce a lot the head in the engine bay.
And the rear headers is very difficult to get out shen the engine is in so is now the moment.

 

[dallarace2]

Is a good moment to smooth the end of the heads to match the headers (the problem is the head), you will find something like this, O_O seen the high speed of that point this is crazy...

 

[rallyusa]

Bend the headers man, and cut them as original ones.
Like this, you will reduce a lot the head in the engine bay.
And the rear headers is very difficult to get out shen the engine is in so is now the moment.

When you say "bend the headers" are you talking about the small amount of clearance between the oil pan and headers? Also as far as cutting them that's a good idea and I'll do that thanks!

 

[dallarace2]

I mean to wrap with insulation bandage
I wanted to write "reduce the heat" not "reduce the head" ahaha

 

[rallyusa]

I mean to wrap with insulation bandage
I wanted to write "reduce the heat" not "reduce the head" ahaha

You never want less head
😂😂

 

[B3NN3TT]

That heat wrap will hold moisture in and cause increased corrosion if you drive in wet weather at all. I had some heat wrap on my stainless Y-pipe and even that was a mess after a while. I had to replace it.

 

[mmc757]

I dont know about the off-brands, but MSDS will invalidate the warranty if they're wrapped because it can cause early failure of the welds.

 

[dallarace2]

Maybe MSDS prefer to sell their headers with the thermal ceramic coating... ?

 

[mmc757]

There's about a million discussions online about why wrap can cause premature failure. Many people choose to use it anyway in a bet that the benefits outweigh the risk. That's a personal choice. I know that I've never heard of any header manufacturer who recommends it. I also don't recall ever seeing it applied by any OEM. They all use heat shields as far as I know.
Its totally possible that someone could run with wrap for years with no problems, but the engineers who build the stuff don't have any confidence in it.