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2000 SVT Contour Full 3L Install (the Beginning)

Weekend Progress

Weekend Progress

Well I've worked on the POS all weekend and remeber why I like working on rwd. I've gotten most everything unhooked. I'll try and take some pics later.

I still have a few things to unhook:
1 Shifter cables
2 drain radiator(couldn't find drain)
3. drain transmission(procrastination)
4. :censored:king ball joints and axle shafts(inner boots leaking)
5. radiator hoses
6. rest of the engine wiring.
7. power steering pump.
8. get AC compressor out of the way.(do I need to remove the radiator?)
9. remove engine. put ball joints together roll car out and pressure wash engine compartment as it is filthy from more than the cv boots.

after that I really need to clean the uim/lim as they are filthy. but the car didn't have the check engine light on.

I've noticed a few things on the exhaust that aren't stock..... no resonator and muflers look after market.

on the plus side I have new front ball joints and sway bar end links. struts are stock though and I bet whipped out at 131k miles I sure did notice svt stickers on alot of thinks I found it amusing.

ohwell that is all for now wife had to work and I got to watch the kids which slowed me down a bit.
 
PurdySVT said:
Well I've worked on the POS all weekend and remeber why I like working on rwd. I've gotten most everything unhooked. I'll try and take some pics later.

I still have a few things to unhook:
1 Shifter cables
2 drain radiator(couldn't find drain)
3. drain transmission(procrastination)
4. :censored:king ball joints and axle shafts(inner boots leaking)
5. radiator hoses
6. rest of the engine wiring.
7. power steering pump.
8. get AC compressor out of the way.(do I need to remove the radiator?)
9. remove engine. put ball joints together roll car out and pressure wash engine compartment as it is filthy from more than the cv boots.

after that I really need to clean the uim/lim as they are filthy. but the car didn't have the check engine light on.

I've noticed a few things on the exhaust that aren't stock..... no resonator and muflers look after market.

on the plus side I have new front ball joints and sway bar end links. struts are stock though and I bet whipped out at 131k miles I sure did notice svt stickers on alot of thinks I found it amusing.

ohwell that is all for now wife had to work and I got to watch the kids which slowed me down a bit.
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I think you have a little bit more to do still than you think you do. :)

Sounds like you pulled the RR's, intake, exhaust, battery, possibly the battery box started unplugging a few wires of which you may not have needed to do. You will need to pull the radiator (drain is on the passenger side bottom corner), then slide out the fan shroud. You then will need to pull the coolant crossover tube by the radiator side exhaust manifold via a 13mm nut and a 10mm (the one closer to the front [timing cover side] of the motor). You will also have to pull the small 10mm bolt that holds the crossover tube to the bracket on the A/C lines that are coming out of the compressor. Then you will need to remove the 3 long 10mm bolts that hold the compressor to the block to slide the compressor back and sit it up on the subframe. Throw some mechanics wire around it and the subframe to keep it in position. Don't forget to drain your trans before popping out the axles. As for the engine wiring harness... all you need to do is loosen the 10mm holding the wiring harness to the PCM itself along with the ground which are underneath your powersteering reservoir. Then loosen and pull off the 10mm holding together the main connector by the brake boost/brake fluid reservoir. Don't forget about your two vacuum lines in the back... I'm trying to remember, but on the 00's, you may have to unplug and route out the red vacuum line under the TB that plugs into the FPR on the returnless SVT's iirc. There is quite a bit more to pulling a SVT engine, but those are a few basics that it seems to me you need the most advice on as to not foober something up. Pull the engine harness with the motor!


Reebs
 
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what I have pulled so far:

y-pipe
inner fenders and front plastic along with front bumper cover and grill
3 8mm bolts on the ac pump
battery, battery tray, battery tray/power distribution block support
clutch hydraulic line
fuel line
vacum lines to egr upper intake fuel pressure module
all 4 motor mounts/roll resistors
coil pack
throttle cable/cruise control
uim/lim
air box/mass air PCV hoses/brake booster hose


1 Shifter cables
2 drain radiator(couldn't find drain)
3. drain transmission(procrastination)
4. :censored:king ball joints and axle shafts(inner boots leaking)
5. radiator hoses
6. rest of the engine wiring.
7. power steering pump.
8. get AC compressor out of the way.(do I need to remove the radiator?)
9. remove engine. put ball joints together roll car out and pressure wash engine compartment as it is filthy from more than the cv boots.
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10 remove radiator /fan shroud(shroud already unbolted)
11 coolant crossover tube/bracket for ac lines
12 power stearing lines
13 coolant resvoir

ball joints are not separating I have on bolted and pried apart(carefully as to not damage ball joint) but they will no seperate completly I'm thinking I will have to unhook sway bar end links to get strut/spring to compress. I've already tried jacking up on the strut but it just lifts car and I have control arm down as far as it will go with BFPB ball join is almost seperated but almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades and this is neither.

I will give it a go this evening I will see if i can't get the radiator and cooling system out of the way. I assume that I will to zip tie the AC heat exchanger up to the frame so that it won't get damaged.

on the shifter linkage I'm assuming that if I remove the (2)two nuts holding the cable braket to the trans and then pry the cables off the shifter assembly I will be okay with that.
 
95pgt-t said:
about the only thing i've read from you thats right.

do you plan on doing headers while you've got it out of the car?
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are you talking to
Quote:
Originally Posted by KAOS_2.5M
but if you plan to go turbo, your gunna want the 3l cams with the shorter duration.
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or to me?

if you are talking to me. no headers unless I find a deal and while a tubo sounds nice not in the budget either I would do an LSD Terry Haines rebuild before the turbo. I'd love to do a y-pipe/header upgrade but no luck as of yet. i'd be good to get the SVT Cams installed in it which I may do just not sure yet. must fix broken stuff first. i.e. front roll restrictor, inner cv boots.
 
i was talking to the banned guy. and to you about the headers. call msds and ask for marty. tell him you want the headers at the grassroots price. iirc its around 180 or so for uncoated bare headers.
 
PurpleMystique said:
Why not reuse what's currently on your 2.5?
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because they have 131,000 mile on them and this is the best time to change them. and they seem to only be $22 a piece. thats like gasket prices. I'm still thinking on them and I may go for headers if I can get em for $180 I'd really like to add them. ah well

Got some more done Last night.

power steering pump out.

EEC plug out (held up by ground behind power stearing resevoir)

radiator drained upper hose un-hooked lower supports unbolted(bolts broke :) )

Still can't seem to get the ball joints seperated but unhooking one of the sway bar links helped.

I got the shift cables un hooked but the braket is not cooperating (the nut won't come off with my impact)

still have to drain the trans, un hook lower radiator hose, remove radiator and fan and coolant crossover tube. tie ac compressor out of the way, axles, ball joints shifter cable braket. misc wires and whatever else I missed.
 
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i had the same problem finding the drain valve for the radiator. had even more problems trying to find the right size screw driver to unscrew it. not sure why they dont use a wing nut style that you can do by hand like most cars do. (unless its a ford thing).
 
hourang said:
i had the same problem finding the drain valve for the radiator. had even more problems trying to find the right size screw driver to unscrew it. not sure why they dont use a wing nut style that you can do by hand like most cars do. (unless its a ford thing).
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I think it is just a contour thing( I have seen similar stuff on other cars I just don't remeber the brands. plus how would you get a hand on it anyways I have all the covers off and am pulling the engine so I had room to put a big flat blade screw driver. The V6 Belt Tensioner is lovely too as I thought I was going to finally have to go buy the tool for it.
 
I hate the wingnut style plugs. So often they disintegrate and you have to use a flathead screwdriver to get the threaded section out anyway.
 
Dyoel182 said:
I hate the wingnut style plugs. So often they disintegrate and you have to use a flathead screwdriver to get the threaded section out anyway.
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I agree even the old metal style freeze up and become useless.

I just hope when I screw this one back in it still seals.

I think I'll work on it tonight for a couple hours kids are asleep and wife is out with friends. and the weather is warm in my unheated garage.
 
ENGINE IS OUT!!!!!!!

Didn't drain trans as I seperated inner CV joint as both boots are leaking grease and need to be replaced. now I just need to get a pressure washer to clean out the filthy engine compartment.

let the change over begin.....
 
Well I have NEWS..... I seperated the engine and trans this evening and after talking to Reebs on tuesday I decided to investigate further the tranny noise I experienced when driving around my yard with the blown engine. well it didn't take much to figure out what was going on with the trans in neutral and a turn of the axleshaft still in the differential well lets just say something felt wrong it felt like the differential had some gears with teeth missing. so luckily Reebs has mentioned having a good used differantial and after talking to him this evening I split the trans case and found that indeed the differntial had chewed itself up pretty good. Luckily there is a large strong magnet directly below the diff. I can't immagine why. but there were all the teeth. definately glad I found this now before installing the 3L as I'm sure the trans would break very quickly likely putting a hole in the trans case which would be much more exspensive to fix. not to happy about this discovery but hey it is looking like I'll be able to fix it fairly cheep. I'd love to put a torsen/quaife diff in it but that is just not in the budget I just don't have an extra $600/700 in the budget plus paying someone to install it...

ohwell on a different topic the powersteering bracket/ motor mount.... do I have to pull a head off the old engine to get it out from between the heads..... I know that I can grind on it to get it to fit without removing a head on the new engine.

and I've decided for good to stick with the 04 taurus cams.... and oil pan.
 
ouch sorry about your luck. i seem to always get cars like this, i always try to get the cheapest one i can find thinking that oh i can just fix this or that, then dont realize with the cost i spend fixing those things and time wasted, i could have had a nicer one with little to no problems. im glad that this contour i got i throughly looked over, probably the first time ive done that when buying a car.
 
hourang said:
ouch sorry about your luck. i seem to always get cars like this, i always try to get the cheapest one i can find thinking that oh i can just fix this or that, then dont realize with the cost i spend fixing those things and time wasted, i could have had a nicer one with little to no problems. im glad that this contour i got i throughly looked over, probably the first time ive done that when buying a car.
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Luckily I caught it before I reinstalled it and grenaded the Diff. so the repair will be cheep.... less than say the valve cover gaskets and relatively easy. Luckily I've met Reebs who is definately helping me out on this....
 
Reebs said:
So you do indeed need a diff, huh? I assumed that was the case. I'll drop by your work today with one.


Reebs
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Thanks Reebs you're a life saver... not a part you can pickup a wrecking yard with out the transmission attached.:crazy:
 
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