To get started I'd like to say this isn't even close to a "bolt on mod" project, but with a lot of cutting and welding and alot of extra parts laying around and alot of brain storming this project can come alive!
We think this website will help a ton of people with their 1.8L DOHC BP swap. Remember we did the G25MR tranny with hydraulic clutch! Be sure to email me with any questions or comments. michaeljon55@yahoo.com
I apologize right now if there are any pics that are hard to see. I'm not even close to being a photographer!
This is how my Festiva started life! A 1990 L Plus Sport edition. The pin striping is awesome! The reason that we got this idea for the swap was because the 1.3 in it was getting tired and it was time for a new motor, so I looked around junk yards and could not for the life of me find a good motor, so I then called around to engine businesses and they wanted too damn much for a stupid 1.3! So I did some research about the 1.8 swap. Honestly, the 1.8 swap from the sound of it didn't sound like the easiest, but we like challenges so we took it head on!
This is a 1991 Ford Escort GT 5 speed that we found - it had a fried wiring harness. The engine only has 85,000 miles on it and it just got a rebuilt tranny before we got it! It only had 5 miles on it! We got lucky!
Here's the engine after we pulled it
Escort vs. Festiva Cv joint into tranny!! Huge difference!!
The escort has different CV joints to the hub than the Festiva. They are way different splines. The halfshafts YOU WILL HAVE TO GET ARE MERCURY CAPRI XR2S!! They have the same spline to the hubs!! WITHOUT THEM THE SWAP WILL NOT WORK, PERIOD!
Crank pulley from Escort right, to Festiva Left, if you're not putting power steering on, just swap the Festiva pulley to the Escort motor. Easy idea and way more pulley room.
Festiva to Escort shifter linkages
Festiva right Escort left
Comparing passenger halfshafts, Festiva top, Mercury Capri XR2 center, Escort bottom, pretty dang close
Comparing drivers side halfshafts, Festiva Left Capri XR2 right, close huh?
Tranny side CV joint compare Capri Top, Festiva bottom. Way different!!
