Aspire BP swap

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Lotsa progress today, I picked up the block and main/rod bearings and piston rings yesterday, and last night/today I got all the valves back in the head, and managed to ream out the holes in the ring gear with a dremel tool and a grinding stone, took almost 20 minutes for each hole >.<

I got pics uploaded on fa.com, but I don't like resizing all my pics just to comply with this sites rules, so you'll have to go there to see them, or check out my photobucket account. Hoping I can get the transmission together and the block cleaned tomorrow, maybe even get the crankshaft back in, we'll see.

http://aspire.b1.jcink.com/index.php?showtopic=53&st=110

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I did end up getting the turbo, and my mfactory differential showed up, here's a link to a thread with pics and info on it..

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41643

I have another small dilemma, I bought some new used miata lowering springs for the rear, they're a little thicker and a little shorter than stock springs, but I think I have a way of making them work..

Theyre racing beat lowering springs, I got all 4 front and rear, one set is 145 lbs/in the other 2 are 195ish lb/in. I don't know which set would be best to use, I know 250 is a bit tooo stiff.

Length of stock vs racing beat lowering aprings..

http://i41.tinypic.com/2ykf8nb.jpg

Pic of width

http://i40.tinypic.com/33uykvp.jpg

The thing is, the new spring doesn't fit up in the strut tower in the body, so I have to lower the top perch somehow, and I think it can be done with this rubber stuff I have and the 4 top hats I got with the springs, I plan on welding 2 top hats together, one flipped over on the top going up into the strut body, and with the other one below it will slip down inside the spring and keep it centered if I weld the top hats around the rim. There shouldn't be much stress on the welds like that. I'll get some better pics soon of whaT I'm doing its hard to explain, my cousin is comming over tomorrow to help me out since I have the day off. Hopefully ill have the block back in the next couple days..

[91mcnasty]

Anything is possible with a welder!!!

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I'm buying things fast...doesn't seem like I'm getting much done fast tho lol.. I finished cleaning all the pistons night before last, they're all shiny... I got the core plugs knocked out of one side of the block, and need to take it off the stand to get teh rear main seal off so I can pull the crank. I really hope I can get the block in the machine shop in the next day or two. I don't know what its going to cost for them to hot tank and hone the cylinders out, and do their thing with the pistons/rings. They said like 10$ a hole but I don't know about the rest. Also got the oil pump all cleaned up yesterday..lubed it up with some 40 weight and put back together.

Seriously can't wait to start getting everything back together. I need it done yesterday, but it just takes time.

I wonder if I'll be able to use the KIA tranny mounts and just make the brackets to attach them to the transmission? They look pretty new and its all I've got laying around. My e series mounts went with the transmission and the g series tranny didn't come with them.

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Funny story, I worked out a deal with a guy on turbomiata.com at 10ish for a gt2554r @350$.... He gaVe me his paypal, and I told him I would send ASAP.... Anyway, paypal had me confirm my debit card because I'm getting close to my 2000$ sending limit and havent linked my bank aCcount....anyway by the time I went and got my debit card and did all that, about 45 mins-1 hr later...the money was sent and I looked on the site, the guy sold it out from under me for 400$, already paid...so now I'm waiting on him to send my $ back, with instructions to send as a gift so he can eat the paypal charges.

/e, he just pm'd me back, I guess he decided he is going to sell to me since we had an agreement first and stuff. The other guy didn't give him a shipping address or anything, so that probably helped.

We'll see if he changes his mind again before he ships it out, I might have a turbo..zzzzzzz

[91mcnasty]

Your moving fast bro keep up the good work!!! Have you decided on a turbo and IC yet?

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I meant 26* spline.. I guess nobody's paying attention except damkid on cp.com!

anyway, teammfactory.com had some site issues yesterday and they ended up rejecting my payment, so I called them today and payed thru paypal over the phone with the guy there to confirm it went thru, and for the trouble he's throwing in some decals for free! He said I should get it sometime next week! hopefully my engine block will be getting done about the same time....I can't wait to get this car on the road.

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Well I ordered the 28 spline mfactory differential earlier for my new used G series transmission! Got a few decals to go with cause I like stickers. Hopefully it doesn't take too long to ship!

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I'm just wondering how much a LSD would help the torque steer. I don't want to sound like I know what I'm talking about, but it sounds like its going to be easier to just use the KIA axels, they are supposed to be the right length and inner/outter spline count for an aspire. if I have to later I can always swap out.

Just for the record, the KIA axel is thicker than the xr2 axel.

[crazyrog17]

The XR2 jack shaft setup would eliminate torque steer. I think the Aspire being a little wider than the Festiva and Capri might give you trouble with it, but you could use Festiva LCAs to bring in the track width.

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Dunno who moved my thread but thanks.. it's more appropriate here!

Update, I went and picked up a new (92k mi) G series cable clutch tranny from a 1991 Mercury Capri Turbo (xr2?) from the same place I got the BP about 2 hours away from me.

I got the whole passenger side axel with it from hub to differential, but I don't think I'm going to use it. I have to do some measurements and stuff once I get the engine and transmission together and mounted in the engine bay before I know what I'll need, the kia axel plugs into the G series tranny.

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I think mine comes with a built in tune for starting the car...I'm not familiar with the program yet, I just popped the disk in and messed around for a minute, and I'm really not even sure what most of it was. Pm me if you think I might be able to help you out with something tho. I still have at least a few weeks worth of work before I can start messing with the wiring.

[Aspire SVT]

I bought mine from stratified as well but mines the generic one so I'm going to have to do some research on how to find/build a basic tune along with a few other things.

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It's a stratified (lex@cp.com) built PnP unit for a 90-94 protege. I don't know anything about it yet! I can't wait to get the engine in so I can start playing with it tho lol...


I'll take a look at the cylinders again, I just popped rest of the pistons out earlier today right before work. I'm in the process of cleaning them now. I don't know how to safely go about removing the oil ring tho..

The block had 96k on it. I've never owned a car with less than 115k before this!

[Aspire SVT]

Take a look at the cylinder walIs closely in the block. My 2+3 pistons looked like that and there was some minor grooves in the cylinder about midway down. I think mine got a little toasty too. The water jackets had a ton of crusty crap in them. Took a long blow gun and a long screwdriver to make a big dust
cloud. I also removed the block drain plug and it was packed full of debris. How many miles on your bp, mines supposed to have 56k miles on it which other than the cylinder wall issue it looks it. Is that the nd64 generic mega squirt? Mine is on order should be shipping Friday I'm told. I plan on running the B3T on it and eventually my BP+T. id gladly share any info I can to help. I'm new to the ms game.