Aspire/Festiva Parts compatibility

[DepositedCoin89]

I’ve searched and searched and can’t seem to find a solid answer. I have a 89 1.3 EFI festiva lx with a cracked head. yay me. I can get a head from a 1996 1.3 aspire in Great shape for dirt cheap. Is it the same head? I can’t find any specs to compare and I’m unable to take any measurements. I have exactly $0.00 invested in the festiva. It’s in great shape except for the head.

[Studebaker]

The Aspire head should work. The 88 89 festiva has a mech. fuel pump. All other festivas and aspires have a elec. fuel pump. Do not know if the later engine still has the fuel pump drive. Or if the drive can be moved from one to the other. Good luck. Be sure to have any head rebuilt before installing.

[1990new]

Your 89 has EFI so it has an electric fuel pump in the tank. (is your an automatic transmission as well?)
The Aspire head has added benefits in that it has roller rocker arms with little wheels that roll against the cam instead of sliding.

When you say dirt cheap, I assume you mean $50 or less. If you want to pay for a rebuilt one .. you can check this out. https://www.autozone.com/external-en...ad/ford/aspire There is a $100 core charge which you get back if you take the dirt cheap one you bought back to Autozone.
At the autozone site I put in a search for both 1996 aspire and 1989 Festive and neither the pictures of the heads shown have roller rockers.though.

If you are pretty confident that the dirt cheap one is in good condition, I would buy the gaskets needed and install it and see how it does. If it doesn't run good you can then buy the rebuilt one and the new gaskets again. If you have ever changed a head before this should be no problem for you.. If you haven't changed a head make sure you have a Festiva shop manual.

[DepositedCoin89]

Thanks for the info y’all. I’m a heavy equipment field mechanic by trade so I’ve got the tools. We grew up fairly poor in the Appalachia Mountains here so it was fix it your self or walk. I also have a 2003 Ford F-350 6.0.... let’s not even talk about that... will definitely let my guys at the machine shop smoke it over after I get it. Just to be sure. But I just wasn’t sure if it was interchangeable due to not physically being able to see it, compare and measure. Believe it or not the EFI still has the mechanical fuel pump. I thought it was electric also. Evidentially the aspire succumbed to rust. With less than 80k on the clock... what a shame.... already had a few parts robbed off it. I can get it for a crisp 20 dollar bill. I drove a festiva as a teenager. It didn’t have ac, or carpet, or a passenger side mirror or even a radio if I recall correctly. Had a lot of laughs and fun in that old thing. Will be nice to own one again

[1990new]

Can you please post pictures? I'm pretty sure that it is impossible for EFI to work with a manual fuel pump. The amount of pressure the pump has to generate for efi will vary depending on the application, but is typically in the 35 to 80 PSI range. The fuel pressure regulator on the Festiva is controlled by the intake manifold vacuum and is set to maintain the pressure at 36.3 psi. Check to see where the fuel supply hoses to the efi are coming from. Someone in the past may have put an old head from a carbi on it and just left the pump attached to the side of the head.

Because most electric fuel pumps spin at upwards of 5,000 RPM, submerging the pump in gasoline is very important. Submerging the pump quiets it and allows the fuel to cool and lubricate it, so most original equipment electric fuel pumps are mounted inside the fuel tank. Without a steady supply of fuel through the pump for cooling and lubrication, the pump can quickly self-destruct.

Universal low-pressure electric fuel pumps also can be used to replace mechanical fuel pumps on older vehicles with carburetors. Mechanical fuel pumps are usually driven off the camshaft and use a spring-loaded diaphragm and a pair of valves to move fuel through the fuel line to the carburetor. Mechanical pumps operate at low pressure (2 to 7 PSI), and are prone to leaks, diaphragm failures and breakage. Replacing a mechanical pump with a low pressure universal electric pump can improve reliability and reduce the risk of vapor lock during hot weather by keeping the fuel in the line under pressure. Solid state electronic pumps have no bearings, electrical contacts or diaphragms to wear out or fail, which makes them more durable than other types of electric pumps. Installation only requires a voltage supply connection.

Here is another source for a head on ebay. $275 Shipped from West Virginia with no core charge.https://www.ebay.com/itm/REBUILT-1-3...0f8b%7Ciid%3A1

[zoe60]

If it does have a mechanical fuel pump, you can put the cam and rocker arms from the Festy head in the Aspire head. The fuel pump will mount on the Aspire head. Has a little removable plate. The Aspire Head will definitely fit on the Festy engine. If it is an electric fuel pump, keep the Aspire cam installed.