1.8 swap

[Racingbp]

I just picked up a 90 Festiva 5 speed very clean and plan on doing the BP swap. I race escort gts so i have tons and tons of parts, motors, trans, susp, etc.. I have read up some on the the swap but still have some questions.

Engine: I know I will have to make a custom passenger side motormount, and may have to notch the firewall a bit for clearance issues. As far as wiring goes, do I need the complete 1.8 harness? I have a few if that's the case but then will I run into a problem with the headlights, turn signals, stock gauges etc.. There used to be a B6T swapped festy rolling around town years ago and i just got a hold of the guy who built it and he said he still had the festiva harness and computer to run all the lights gauges etc and he said he used the engine harness and computer from the B6T to run the motor. So he had both the stock festiva computer as well as the one from the Capri running the engine. He said he just needed to splice into like 8 wires for the stock harness to make the gauges and all that work. To me that just doesn't see right using both computers. There has to be a better way for wiring.

Trans: I know the stock festiva trans will bolt up to the 1.8 but it wont hold the power. I have seen some people on here using the B6T trans and I have also come across people that have used the G series like off an escort. I have a few EGT trans laying around I can use but is there much difference from that and the one from a B6T (Capri). Will i run into clearance issues with the EGT trans or are they about the same size? Since the trans from the EGT is hydraulic I know I would have to swap master cylinders, would I run into a problems doing that? Will the axles and hubs off the egt work or will they be too long? I see people using the XR2 (Capri) axles, but since I have a ton of escort parts not i want to use what I can from it.

Suspension: Most of what I have come across I see people doing the aspire front and rear suspention swap. What all does that include just hubs and brakes, or is that tie rods, sway bar and all? Would I be able to use Escort hubs and breaks? Possibly the XR2 axles with the EGT hubs if the EGT axles are too long if the spline is the same.

Any help is appreciated, I know most of the crowd on here has moved on and forums are slowing dying down but hopefully someone on here can clear up these questions for me so I can get going on this.

[Team Lightning]

On the Aspire swap, you need the rear beam complete with hoses, front steering knuckles complete with brake hardware, and hoses. You can also use the Front knuckles off a 2001-2005 Kia Rio. The Rio rear beam/suspension doesn't work on a Festiva.
Transmissions, Cable version is easier since you don't have to add the master cylinder and slave for the hydraulic version. Plus, the slave cylinder has interference issues with the beam under the trans. You need the Half shaft and axles from an XR2 turbo car. Those are better for eliminating/reducing torque steer.

This thread tells you most everything you need on the BP swap itself. I used it on my BP swap its a very good well written guide.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?4800-BP-swap-guide

[bhazard]

You can use the festiva transmission. Though it most likely will fail eventually, especially with a stronger clutch.

If you are willing to do the extra work, swap transmissions as well. If you cannot source the XR2 intermediate shaft, the Kia Rio axle will work fine in its place. You may or may get more torque steer with it (I did not, making over 200hp)...
Intermediate shaft is easy to use now that a adapter bracket is being produced for us.

You do not need to swap wire harnesses. The BP uses the same harness save for two wires that you add.

[Advancedynamix]

The Capri Xr2 trans is also a g series, so they are the same size. There are several different styles of cable adapters that people have made to use a cable setup on the hydraulic clutch transmissions. The Capri tranny has better gear ratios for the Festiva than the EGT trans. With the Gseries tranny, you don't have to cut the firewall of the car, but you will have to notch the frame a bit. The gseries trannies don't bolt up to the crossmember, you'll need to fabricate mounts.

[bhazard]

The G series swap is a bit difficult if you are not a good fabricator. I believe there is at least one person on here who makes mounts to sell though.

Its well worth the difficulty if you want to actually have fun with the car.

[eurotiva]

As long as you start with an efi car its easy. And if you put a gtx intake, firewall clearance odds not an issue. For the pass side mount, I use a stock Festiva mount spaced from the block to clear the water pump.

[Racingbp]

Thanks for the responses, I have located a capri trans for $175, and found a junkyard even closer that has 2 capris hopefully turbo so i can take both the trans as well as the half shafts and axles, and that same yard has an aspire I can hopefully get everything off that I need and this should get going pretty quick. Just got the little 1.3 pulled toda

[Racingbp]

To you the XR2 intermediate shaft I need an adapter bracket?

[eurotiva]

If bolted to the bp, then yes. Festiva store has a nice one.

Save ALL the b3 pieces. If you use the b3 water inlet,outlet, thermostat housing you can use the stock radiator.

Unwrap the injector harness and make sine slack in the tps writes and Re tape.

You can do the same thing to move the vaf to the drivers side. Unwrap headlight harness that goes across the front, move errors to where they reach and Re tape.

No cutting required.

Make sure you get the down/flex pipe from the donor bp car. It will make the exhaust fab easier.

[Racingbp]

I will definetly keep everything so i can use the stock radiato. Newbie question but what is the "festiva store" I looked at the store on here and just seen apparel and stickers

[Team Lightning]

Click on this link for the Festiva Store thread.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?55143-The-Festiva-Store&highlight=festiva+store

[eurotiva]

Thanks Jerry.

[fastivaB6TG25MR]

those adapters look way better than the steel ones i was making and they are way cheaper. im surprised they dont make one for the hydro G series yet. maybe there is just no demand for it.

also notching the frame is not necessary if you use the b6t crank pulley. you just take off the a/c pulley from it and leave the single v belt drive fro the waterpump/alt.

if you build mounts that rotate the engine forward you dont need to bash the firewall to make the vics manifold fit.

the main difference in the trannies is the xr2 has a 3.85 final drive, the protege/egt/sephia has a 4.10 final drive. all of them have identical 1-4th gears with slight 5th gear variations. you can swap all the internals back and forth between all the g series(except 94-97 sephia and all v6 secondary shafts, they have a wider pinion gear making them longer)

my personal favorite is the 4.10 final with the .75 5th. shorter gearing is more fun to drive around and the super tall 5th gear keeps your rpm down on the freeway.

[Damkid]

shorter gearing is more fun to drive around

You haven't tried 4.38's yet.... I think it's a PITA

[Racingbp]

Thanks for all the help everyone. When i get time off work I will head to the yard to get the XR2 trans, intermediate shaft, axle, aspire rear beam and hoses, but the front suspension on the aspire is gone.. So I will need to get the front knuckles and brakes of the aspire, the intermediate shaft adapter off the festiva store, and since i will be using the XR2 trans I will need a cable adapter correct? How big of a pain is the cable adapter and how exactly does that work