5.0 Escort GT

phew, i dunno about that. the size of our 1.8s are roughly same size as a 2.0 and to go from a 2.0 to a 5.0pheww...That big of engine in our cars would, well yeh, it would kick ass. but....possibility of it, is kinda small. If u want rear wheel, the engine wont be tilted sideways nemore, so you´d have to find a short block/small block. As for the transmission, well, there would have to be some room freed down the middle of the car. You would never be able to fit a 5.0 and its transmission sideways... As for rear wheel drive, well, thats a little more simpler to find out. The European/japanese/australian lasers have the tx3, which is an all wheel drive turboed escort. U could prolly adapt the rear end from it, but i´m sure a transfer case would be involved in there somewhere too. As for the drive shaft and u joints, well, you´d have to clear a lot of room. I´m sure you could do the rear wheel drive pretty easily, in mechanical sense that is... Basically, just look at how a tx3´s driveshaft is ran and prolly get ahold or atleast make your own gas tank the same specs or better that the laser has. As for exhaust. With the 5.0, if im not mistaken, its dual exhaust so there´s gonna be some crafty exhaust routing taking place there. Around the gas tank, drive shaft, excetera. Might cost some money, but unless ur a good mechanic, leave it to the custom exhaust places.

I´m thinkin the fire wall would have to be pushed back, or the front end extended. a converson of the front end would have to take place because you are no longer with front wheel drive. So you´d have to rig up independant suspension in the front cuz there prolly isnt an easy way to make a solid axle because the engine would be down lower.

As for fitting the engine, you would have to fabricate custom engine mounts because
a) the engine is no longer sideways
b) there is no way in H*LL the engine mounts ya got right now would hold down a 5.0, not even if you customized them
c) they just wont bolt up to the new engine the same as the 1.8 has.

Electrical wise, you will have to know the schematics of the 5.0. New fusebox, or modify the one you have, it would involve remapping everthing electrical, even down to the fuel cutoff switch we have in our trunks.

If its something you are really interested in and have the determination to do it, go for it. Its gonna take a lot of work, a lot of various tools, parts, outside help, but anything is possible. And if u got the right engine, there are lots of possible parts/modifications/superchargers/turbos that will fit the application.

My suggestion, if u truely wanna go for it, go find a scort with a blown engine because everything under that hood is gonna be obsolete be with that new 5.0.

Have you considered just turboing the living piss out of it? Heck, there are lots of performance parts for the zx2/3 engines out there. They dont have a whole lot of hp comin stock, but bore/stroke/mod/turbo or supercharge/ and you´ve got a sleeper.

first thing you need to do is get the dimensions off of 5.0 with tranny. try mustang shops etc that sell crate engines. once you have that its time to measure. if it will fit RWD style then your set.

I would get a 8.8 ford rear and get some custom axles. unless you can find a IRS system that would work. I´d forget about the tank and put a fuel cell in the trunk.

you will need major frame bracing. I´d do a whole cage to be sure.

thats a decent starting point.

if it is to big then your screwed no matter what. Moving the firewall would essentially mean redoing the whole inside of the vehicle... wouldn´t be cool.

P.S. FWD with a v8 is crazy. think you have torque steer now?! hehe

i know this is an old topic but...
the 5.0 is 6 inches too long to fit under the hood of an escort. leading the first problem. itll fit if u chop a huge hole in the firewall, or relocate the radiator. too where i dont know. second of all youd also have to relocate the gass tank. so theres room for the drive shaft. the good news on this is. the wheel base is the same on a latye 80´s mustang as the escort so the rearend will fit, but theres a lot of modification to do. id recomomend useing the rearend of a car that has a 4 wheele independat supensuion like a subaru and modifying the drive shaft to fit, probably would be easier. i was actualy thinking of putting a v6 in my scort for awhile would require alot less modification. oh yeah and no mater what your going to have to cut a hole for the trany in the firewall, and the floor of the car.

on a more achieveable goal level i was looking at a few v6 contours at work today the motor mounts look like theyd line up realy well, and it will fit under the hood of a scort prety eazy, but it wiould be realy coastly even with junkyard parts. ive ben waiting to see a totaled contour with a v6 in it go to the towyard behind uor shop. if i get one ill do this mod. the v6 has alot of power i was impresed with it in a contour wich is rather heavy compared to a scort.

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08-04-2003 at 18:57, wolfe wrote:
itll fit if u chop a huge hole in the firewall, or relocate the radiator. too where i dont know.

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Side mounted rads like in the lotus elise!!!

And I agree with what james said... unless you want to use your escort for ONLY drag racing and straight stretches, sticking such a hugeass engine in it will totally throw off the weight ratio.

I personally thought that the fun in driving was the turns. You know what they say:

"Straights are for fast cars. Turns are for fast drivers."

I agree with james. Maybe turbo the 1.8L (it turbos well) or throw in something slightly larger and turbo it, but a 5.0 is kinda excessive imo.

Good luck either way, and get us pics :-]

joshuh said:

A bone-stock 5.0 wouldn't be a whole lot faster than a gtx. It would prolly be comparable because there would be so much more weight from the larger engine.

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a friend of mine has a mustang with a 302 totaly and comepetely stock, we raced a few times (me running about 12psi or so) i came off the line faster, but all in all it was prety even.he totaly got me up hills.

joshuh said:

The only real advantage of the 5.0 would be to make your car RWD

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1) you cant do donuts in a fwd car
2) you cant power brake a fwd car
3) you can go arround corners verry well in a fwd car.
4) you would have a verry unique car
5) the sound of a 5.0 with a 4 barrel sounds an isht tone better than a 1.8
6) with a few mods you could make your car do wheelies.
7) how many escorts out there do 1000' posi burnouts?
8) when you roll up next to some gay arse honda going blurb blurb theyll look at you like a god.
9) n/a a 5.0 can make more power than a super super turbo 1.8
10) the 5.0 would outlast the 1.8 by a long time
11) still, nothing beats the sound of a 8000rpm smallblock roasting a set of massive tires
12) you can smallblock your car for a little more than turbo kitting, or gtxing would cost. its just more fabing.
13) theres no replacement for displacement

im starting this same project in my 89pony.
-9" rear end,
-4spd manual
-302 or 351.. cant descide yet.