I'm starting my first Aspire swap

[sickfleming]

After hitting about ten junkyard, I finally found an Aspire with nearly all the gear intact. Unfortunately, I didn't get a look at whether it was automatic or manual or ABS since the car was resting up on top of another (if this makes a difference) but it was a 4 door so I didn't grab the spare tank. Also, every place I went had their own guys to pull off the parts and my dude just simply cut the rubber brake hoses in the back. I hope the ones on the Festiva fit because I'm tossing the stumps he left.
Overall, I paid $50 for the complete right front knuckle and caliper and $75 for the trailing arm with the driver side hub attached. However, I found another one immediately after at another junkyard with the whole rear with drums off a 2 door for $100....grrr...no refunds....

I have everything pretty much torn down and cleaned and I'm stunned that the trailing arm still has the original black paint and how rust free it is. The knuckle, drum and caliper is just as good from what I see. I planned on painting them along with bearings, new brakes, etc but I guess I won't need to

Also, I picked up a Cougar oil pan for my girlfriend's Mystique... But that's a whole new can of worms lol

Pics will follow soon

[91blufestiva]

Ya know those cougar oil pans aren't any different than are on the mystique haha

[Bert]

Always warms my heart to hear of folks that use their idle time to try to do economical and useful things. Where is the battle cry of the environmentalists; "Junk an Aspire to save a Festy today".

[KingFish]

The driver side rear hose may be diff between the Aspire and Festiva.

[Bert]

The driver side rear hose may be diff between the Aspire and Festiva.

Festy hoses are different from Aspire (ie don't fit in the Aspire brackets) but far as I know they do interchange at joints. Better to grab too much stuff than not enough!

[sickfleming]

Yes, the oil pans are the same, as far as I can tell. The issue I'm having is that the cougar oil pan gasket is the OEM slip in kind, with a groove in the pan. Well, I brought it to AutoZone to get a replacement gasket and the Felpro one doesn't slip in. It has a metal bracing. The tech said he would advise leaving the old gasket on and installing the new one on top of it with some rtv sealant. Goes to show how much he knew lol

As for the Festiva, I have the training arm, drum, and caliper apart. I've never done drum wheel bearings. They came out very easily compared to the front bearings. Are they that tough compared to the front?
Also, the employee who took the trailing arm off of the aspire no habla englais mucho and cut the hoses off around where they go up into the car when I told him to disconnect them
However, I do have the clips from the aspire. I assume the Festiva clips won't fit on the aspire trailing arm?

[sickfleming]

Also, I've been hearing that Escort tie rod ends work and are cheaper than aspire ones. I assume you have to use the 91-96 Escort tie rod ends, but does it make a difference whether it's base or GT?

[Safety Guy]

A lot of parts issues can be researched and cleared up by going to Rockauto and comparing part numbers between vehicles and years. IIRC, any 1991 to 1995 Escort tie rod ends should work. GT should be same as other models. I'm also pretty sure the tie rod ends didn't change for the newer models to 2003, but you better check that. Order 1993 Escort tie rod ends to be safe.

Karl