Manual transaxle Brace on dirvers side

[cortezit]

I have just recently completed the installation of a 5 speed from a 1989 Tracer mated to the B6 engine from the same year of Tracer into my 1995 Aspire. We have a 1995 Ford Factory service manual for the Aspire in which is shows an additional brace on the manual transaxle, on the drivers side which is bolted to the transaxle on the drivers side of the engine compartment. It appears to be a "torque thrust dampener". Does anyone have a picture of this kind of a dampener which may also be in your Festiva's with the manual transaxle??

Perhaps there may even be some Aspire "lurkers" looking at this post who have a manual transaxle in which there is this dampener. If so chime in and post a picture please. I am having Matt do a head, cam and header for this little rocket and I will need all of the torque thrust dampening that I can get.!!

Thanks
cortezit

[blkfordsedan]

Nothing like that on a Festiva. Are you having a new cam ground again, or are you using the one he ground for the automatic application?

[cortezit]

No regrind, Matt was far enough behind that he had not as of yet gotten to my project. Prior to his commencing it I decided to change out the transmission and manual steering rack to the 5 speed "F" category manual transaxle and a rebuilt power steering rack. This is where we discovered the difference in the sizes of the crank shaft nose on the earlier B6 crank shafts. These are the ones that are smaller in diameter that the 1990 though 1994 B6 8 valve SOHC engines. This of course let to having the drive shiv and crank shaft timing belt gear machined to do what we wanted in the way of installation for the power steering pump and water pump/alternator setup.

So the answer is--Matt is doing a camshaft specifically for a 5 speed and what ever my head and intake flow after he works his magic with porting tools and flow bench.

Cortezit

[cortezit]

The answer -- when using a 5 speed "F" transaxle you need to use the specific mounts from that unit and adapt the cross member to accept the mounts. I have just taken the cross member and both tranny mounts from a 1989 Tracer that had a manual transaxle in it. I will change out the fabricated mounts, that we made, and use the specific mounts from the donor Tracer. They are much heavier and built to with withstand the "Flywheel torque increase" when the engine is under acceleration, or when the clutch "grabs". I may even take some flicks so that there will be a record of the process.

cortezit