[rallyusa]

Question for the more knowledgeable here, can I use the same RTV sealant I used to seal the bulkhead to the engine block for the transmission housing? If not, what off the shelf RTV can I use?

 

[B3NN3TT]

Transmission needs to be sealed with an ANAEROBIC sealant to prevent leaks. I don't know what you used on the engine block, but the trans is probably different since it has standing fluid to contend with, and not just splashing oil.

Advance Auto carries a standard Permatex Anaerobic gasket maker; it's not anything exotic.

 

[mmc757]

Read the gray sections in this post

I found a tube of the anaerobic sealant for $46 about two years ago.

 

[rallyusa]

going together with the motor + trans soon and I've been looking everywhere to find a new pilot bearing, every mtx vehicle I've worked on has a pilot bearing but it looks like this one doesn't, am I crazy?

 

[B3NN3TT]

Nope. Everything necessary there is included in the throw-out bearing assembly.

 

[jaged]

on these motors its only the ATX that has a pilot bearing

 

[rallyusa]

Hey everyone, sorry for the delay, been busy at work, a lot of travelling in the fall and then it all ground to a halt due to Omicron (which is looking like it's not going to be so bad so I'll be back on the road again pretty soon), I'm going to make some individual posts of what I've done this fall and where I'm at...

 

[rallyusa]

Fidanza aluminum pressure plate is installed, along with a factory Luk clutch kit:

Also, it's not impossible to pull the pilot bearing out that is in the crank for the ATX 3.0, you just have to use a good puller, and cut some grooves for it to bite on

 

[rallyusa]

Was then able to mate up the transmission (after thoroughly going through it and finding it to be in excellent shape), and then mount it to the subframe:

 

[rallyusa]

And today I wrapped up the coolant hose puzzle, that was fun...

 

[rallyusa]

Todo:

1. Sort out the vacuum hose mess, most of the hoses and hard tubes are either rotted or rubbed through, so I need to get that sorted out
2. It looks like this engine sucks up a lot of oil from the PVC system, so I'm going to install a catch can, any suggestions?
3. The original radiator doesn't hold pressure, so I want to replace it, but the stock 2.5 radiator seems a bit wimpy, any ideas on upgrades? I can't find any SVT radiators anywhere, I'm thinking of having a friend of mine do some custom work and make a thicker rad.
4. I'm going back together with stock suspension for now (with new strut mounts for the front and rear), I'll decide on what level of firming up I want to go with later on...
5. I managed to buy SVT Focus calipers, mounting brackets and front rotors off of Facebook marketplace, so I'm going to clean those up and get them ready.
6. Clean up some wiring.
7. Prep and paint the engine bay the original color
8. Then start working on getting all the various piping for power steering, A/C etc.. all as much pre-installed as I can before I drop the car on to the subframe/motor assembly...
9. Then, I'll write a new to-do list

 

[B3NN3TT]

I have a spare SVT radiator, but I don’t wanna ship it, LOL.

 

[rallyusa]

I have a spare SVT radiator, but I don’t wanna ship it, LOL.

I hear you! I'm actually curious if anyone has modified a radiator from another vehicle to work with this one, I'm thinking of one of the larger siblings like a Taurus or Escape that use the 3.0 and a similar setup.

 

[B3NN3TT]

Yeah, good question - I've never even thought to take a look at an Escape radiator.

The SVT radiator is a nice unit - pretty much double the thickness of the stock 2.5 radiator. It does make the cooling fans not sit flush though, so it's a good idea to get the SVT fan unit to complement it. Although the stock fans will still work fine, it's just not as elegant.

Seriously though, I'd be happy to pass this SVT radiator on to anyone who can use it, but you'll have to come to Ohio to get it!

 

[mmc757]

I would be surprised if it could be adapted from another vehicle, the whole assembly seems kind of built to fit our cars.
Maybe a Taurus. Maybe an early Fusion. A Jag X-type might actually be the closest to our chassis of all of them...
It might be easier to add a supplemental radiator then to adapt one from a different car. You dont need a lot of extra cooling (if you need any at all) so a small intercooler-like supplemental radiator would probably do the trick.
I'm not sure how you could get air flow over it while the car is sitting still, but I'm sure you could figure something out.

 

[mmc757]

Where are you located Rally?

 

[rallyusa]

Where are you located Rally?

I'm a little NE of Atlanta, GA - also, I went ahead and ordered a Denso that I found, from what I can tell the core fills the entire radiator instead of just the center like the original does, so fingers-crossed this is a heavier-duty rad, but I agree that adding a supplemental may be the way to go if I end up needing more cooling (good idea)

 

[rallyusa]

Seriously though, I'd be happy to pass this SVT radiator on to anyone who can use it, but you'll have to come to Ohio to get it!

I appreciate that! I may take you up on that offer if I travel for business in that area in the next few months, but for now I'll go with the Denso that I bought