1988 Weber swap

[draab02]

I have been searching and can’t find a clear write up on the swap. I was just wondering what all I need to buy. I have a 88 that’s idling fine but underoad it Boggs down and dies or spits and sputters. It has a new fuel filter, wires, plugs, distributer and cap, and barometric sensor. https://www.amazon.com/Weber-Redline.../dp/B00449S3QQ

This kit is what I was thinking about buying. What else do I need? How will the throttle linkage hook up? Any tips or pointing me in the right direction would help. Also I was looking at the festiva store and the adapters are sold out. Any idea when they will be back in stock?

Thanks , sorry for the long post

[HondaSlayer]

Going to follow this post too. Interested in ditching the stock carb. I know the festiva store has the carb adapter. And Weber and the escort carb are the most popular to swap.

[bravekozak]

Also I was looking at the festiva store and the adapters are sold out.

An alternative to using an adapter is to have an experienced aluminum welder
apply aluminum weld to fill in the old holes and enlarge the bosses.
You would then need to take the intake manifold to a machine shop to have the carb base
machined with a flywheel cutter and new holes drilled and tapped to match the new gasket.

The advantage to this is that the replacement carb sits at the stock height under the hood.
The stock throttle bracket will also be at the proper height.

[draab02]

Thanks for the reply! A machine shop is an option. As far as the throttle linkage goes, how do you mount it on the kit I posted above with out some kind of adapter? There is a kit on eBay that is made specifically for the festiva but it’s $500.

[theastronaut]

I just did an Escort carb swap on my '89. Used a NOS Motorcraft carb that was on eBay for $60 shipped. I try to stay away from remanufactured carbs. Also used the adapter from The Festiva Store. $150 bucks cost between the two. I haven't driven it yet to see if it needs different jets.

This is the carb I used:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Genuine-NOS-Carburetor-L4-1-6L-E6PE-ABA-81-85-Ford-EXP-Escort-Mercu-Lynx-LN7/252959529882?epid=1049384245&hash=item3ae5901b9a:g:~YEAAOSw9OFZKHc8&vxp=mtr

I posted this in the thread for my car, I'll repost it here. I mounted it backwards from the way most people do (I thought the throttle linkage worked better this way) so access to the idle speed and idle mixture screws isn't as good.

Got the adapter in the mail today so I was able to get the carb on after work. Started by making gaskets.





Decided to attempt to use the throttle linkage from the Festiva carb on the Escort carb, which ended up working great after shaving a few of the unneeded arms off it. It would have fit the throttle shaft but ended up dropping too deeply down the shaft, so I ended up leaving it on top of the throttle shaft nut and welding it to the tip of the shaft. Not the best idea if it ever needs to come off, but it works for now.







I wanted to use the PTC/EFE heater wires as the choke wires instead of running new wires. This was pretty simple, only had to make a new ground for the PTC relay so it would stay on all the time instead of being controlled by the computer. I dug through the factory shop manual and found the location and wiring diagram of the relay, then spliced in a new ground wire on the black/red wire.







Everything in place. Had to bend a new fuel line from 5/16" steel and cut/offset the throttle cable bracket slightly to line up the cable with the linkage on the carb.





After welding the linkage in place.




I kept the A/C and Electrical Load vacuum solenoids on the firewall to hook up to the vacuum idle bump servo on the escort carb.

[draab02]

I really like your set up! Thanks for sharing. A couple questions, what are you doing for a air filter? And is there any way to set up the throttle linkage with out welding the old one bracket on? Sorry for all the questions I just have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to carburetors.

[bravekozak]

The goal is to achieve a straight pull by the throttle cable and that the cable be attached to the throttle ball in such a way as to have an instant response to the slightest pedal travel from idle. That's what the threads and nuts are for on the throttle position bracket.
You do not want to pull on an angle and have the throttle cable bind in any way as to cause the throttle to remain open.

[theastronaut]

I really like your set up! Thanks for sharing. A couple questions, what are you doing for a air filter? And is there any way to set up the throttle linkage with out welding the old one bracket on? Sorry for all the questions I just have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to carburetors.

I'm hoping to find an escort air filter base at a junk yard, and I'll weld the escort carb opening into the bottom of the Festiva air filter base so I can use the original Festiva filter housing.

If you try to bolt the Festiva linkage onto the Escort carb you'll have problems with the linkage hitting the carb body. Welding it to the end of the throttle shaft spaces it away from the carb body so it can rotate freely. There are universal Weber linkage kits that others have used without welding, I just used what I had on hand. I can grind the weld off if I ever need to remove the linkage piece.

[UglyEd]

I have an 89 with an 81 escort carb i made my own adapter plate but imo rocket mans adapter looks like its the berries...as for the throttle linkage i took it (cam) apart and turned it around to make it actuate the way i needed and made a small bracket bolted to valve cover to line it all up...did some cutting and welding on original air box and made it fit the escort carb...did some tuning changed a jet and wow 10 times the carb the stock one is have fun

Uglyed and The Steve

[HippieHugger]

I have trouble understanding much of this is there anyone that can give me a walk through as to how to start a swap for the escort carb. What should be removed and plugged and what should remain.