Author Topic: My 1996 Escort Lx (Read 1169 times)

white-lightning · « **on:** September 15, 2010, 09:45:46 PM »

So I have had this car since I was in high school. I replaced the stereo and put a drop in K&N air filter on it the first two years out of high school. After I lost my job due my employer going broke I came across my first major mod, the rear disc swap. I bought a set of rear disc spindles and a lot of new oem mazda parts off of guy. I got brand new hub assemblies, retainer nuts, dust caps, dust shields, and the infamous lateral link bolt. As I was not working I massed the parts for the swap over three months, and on my only jy run I got the parking cables, and a gt rear sway bar. Then one day on ebay I came across a set of loaded rebuilt calipers.

After starting my new job at a parts store I quickly made use of my employee discount and bought the rotors and rubber lines that I lacked. The next four weeks after work I sandblasted and painted the spindles, rear suspension arms, and reinstalled everything with new energy suspension bushings. Prior to this all I had suspension mod wise was an ebay front strut bar and a mx3 gs rear tie bar.

After a few days of driving the car something seemed wrong. Upon inspection I discover the rear springs were broke. Two weeks later the car was riding on Eibach springs and Tokico S/R struts. Over the next year and a half the car had a bunch of little odds and ends done to it. All issues that it had were corrected and fixed. Then on March 16 it decided it was going to drop a valve seat. Three years prior the head had the #4 intake valve seat replaced buy a shop after it dropped. Apparently the machine shop they took it to didn't know anything about these engines as they only replaced the damaged seat. Not to mention the price they charged is the same price I could buy and fully rebuild head for. Live and learn.

This lead to the SPI swap the biggest and one of the most noticeable changes made to the car. Being as it happened in the middle of the spring semester I had no time to work on it between classes and work. Once classes and my commitment to my SAE mini baja team were over I jumped head on. I had purchased a 97 escort a month prior and was ready to tear in to it. Three weeks later the car was started for the first time in 4 months. Now this car probably will always be a daily driver so I hope I never have to let it sit that long ever again, nor do I plan anything major for it with out lots of prep work ahead of time.

white-lightning · « **Reply #1 on:** September 15, 2010, 10:03:13 PM »

white-lightning · « **Reply #2 on:** September 15, 2010, 10:05:50 PM »

white-lightning · « **Reply #3 on:** September 15, 2010, 10:16:09 PM »

And for the first mod since the engine swap comes an adjustable fuel pressure regulator that I picked up for $26.

As you can see in the test fit the gauge sits right on the valve cover. This was just a test fit, so after adjusting it to the proper pressure I reinstalled it, two days and $2 later, with an 1/4" extension

So far I have had no issues with the swap. I did have a cel 800 miles later, but that was due to an egr hose being loose to the dpfe. Right now it gets about 26mpg in town and 36mpg on the highway. I can't complain about it. I have yet to re-gap my plugs the 0.060 I had on the 1.9, which seemed to make a difference with it, so I hope to get a little more power out of this 2.0L engine once doing so.

JJ · « **Reply #4 on:** September 15, 2010, 10:19:46 PM »

Very nice, clean car, nice work on the spindles and other painting you did.

glassscort · « **Reply #5 on:** September 15, 2010, 11:24:26 PM »

So curious on the fpr? where did you hook it up to on the spi fuel rail??? and where is that one hose going to on the to of the fpr?

SPL_Scort · « **Reply #6 on:** September 15, 2010, 11:35:07 PM »

Going performance with it? OR just a strong driver? I love what you did to it bro, Much Kudos!

JJ · « **Reply #7 on:** September 16, 2010, 12:07:31 AM »

I always wanted to swap a Zetec into one of those, lol. I seen a Zetec installed into an 88 EGT once.

white-lightning · « **Reply #8 on:** September 16, 2010, 09:19:26 AM »

Quote from: glassscort on September 15, 2010, 11:24:26 PM

So curious on the fpr? where did you hook it up to on the spi fuel rail??? and where is that one hose going to on the to of the fpr?

Only the 97 has a fpr as it has a return fuel system, 98+ is return less so no fpr. The line on the fpr is the vacuum reference line it keeps the pressure at 30psi when at high vacuum at idle. At low-no vacuum it is at 40psi.

glassscort · « **Reply #9 on:** September 16, 2010, 03:29:11 PM »

ok so then i cant use one then cause i have a 98 right. or would i need the 97 rail?

Escort91Man · « **Reply #10 on:** September 16, 2010, 05:40:18 PM »

first of all good to see you on here lightning!!!! and 2nd, WOW NICE BUILD, I've said it before and I'll say it again, you have one of the cleanest daily driver builds out there! top 2% IMO, you built it nice and to last

so how are you liking the 2.0 vs the 1.9

night and day huh? and nice touch putting the 1.9 valve cover on the SPI, it's all nice and painted up why not right?! I like it! when you finally get it all running and driving good it's such a great feeling of accomplishment

when I got my blue car done and finished tinkering/tuning I was like "ooooh yeah this is nice"

SPL_Scort · « **Reply #11 on:** September 16, 2010, 06:33:31 PM »

Gotta admit, the SPI's are probably one of my fav SOHC engines out there.

JJ · « **Reply #12 on:** October 07, 2010, 09:51:25 PM »

My face sohc engine was the 4.0 SOHC engine.

white-lightning · « **Reply #13 on:** November 05, 2010, 11:07:41 PM »

Haven't done much to the car. Changed the oil to 5w-30 Edge and had to have a fuel rail mounting tab welded up after finding it had broke in two. Hopefully in the next week or two I will have my new tires mounted. Also got 37.8mpg on a recent fill up.

Escort91Man · « **Reply #14 on:** November 05, 2010, 11:23:51 PM »

ah you beat me!!! my tops so far has been 37.5 mpg!

but I'm cheating and using the acetone trick! very nice man! after all the work you put into it it better run good and reliable right

JJ · « **Reply #15 on:** November 05, 2010, 11:33:52 PM »

I used to get 37 with my S/R until i upgraded to a 98 Escort ZX2 transmission better gearing for acceleration, also the overbored engine and high compression didn't help fuel consumption much, i have found if you want power and decent fuel economy to use 10.2:1 max. 10.1 or 10.2 is a nice power getter and decent economy with a good tune.

white-lightning · « **Reply #16 on:** November 11, 2010, 06:29:08 PM »

Well last week I had any unusual thing happen. On of my fuel rail's mounting tabs was found broke. So I had it tig welded. My insurance put a new windshield in the week before last due to a rock hitting it. Just got my directional fan-blades and tires on a few minutes ago. Link to tires: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Ecsta+AST&partnum=05HR5EAST&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes
Tig welded fuel rail tab

New tires and wheels on

Worn out Bridgestones (28k miles on them)

Last pic of my parts car

JJ · « **Reply #17 on:** November 11, 2010, 06:36:19 PM »

Nice set of tires, like the tread pattern.

white-lightning · « **Reply #18 on:** December 14, 2010, 04:36:32 PM »

ERRR!?! The bolt that hold the fuel rail down on the passenger side broke. Last month the the tab it holds down broke, now the bolt head snapped off. Fortunately there is enough sticking to remove it, but only after removing a hand full or parts. Worst of all it has been in the 20s or lower the past week.

Escort91Man · « **Reply #19 on:** December 15, 2010, 12:31:54 AM »

oh no! FAIL

stupid brittle bolts that break! it's nice if they are gonna break to break above the surface! then you can at least grab it and take it out and put a new one in!

and I thought working on my car in the garage when it's 40* out was an annoying cold, the garage is KINDA but not really heated, I will never complain again LOL!

JJ · « **Reply #20 on:** December 15, 2010, 06:10:10 PM »

It was 13 on the max temp here today with a wind chill of negative 3.

white-lightning · « **Reply #21 on:** December 16, 2010, 11:22:07 AM »

Well I fixed it last night. Fortunately little to no wind. Lucky had enough thread sticking out to use needle nose pliers on the bolt, then replaced BOTH fuel rail retaining bolts with grade 10.9 instead of the factory 8.8 ones. Anti-seize is your friend and that saved me a lot of time.

Escort91Man · « **Reply #22 on:** December 16, 2010, 11:46:44 PM »

WIN, glad it was fixable and not TOO hard or cold, and yes anti-seize is awesome!

white-lightning · « **Reply #23 on:** January 13, 2011, 07:00:48 PM »

Not even 2k miles on the new tyres and I am getting sunificant tread wear on the inside of the front tyres. The old set was doing the same thing and I have a vibration through the steering wheel at highway speeds. I suspect the toe is off, so Monday it goes in for an alignment on the front. The rear tyres show even wear. The rear suspension was completely new 2 years ago so I am not suprised that they are wearing fine. The front gets overhauled the spring/summer with a 3rd gen subframe and all new bushings, strut mounts and strut boots.

Escort91Man · « **Reply #24 on:** January 13, 2011, 11:19:53 PM »

you need to give this a quick shot....


tape measure front end alignment	Small \| Large

not spammin my videos on ya just a great way to do a quick toe adjustment till you can get to the shop

this is how I do all my alignments, I never go to a shop cuz escorts only have toe adjustments, well you can make them have adjustable camber but yeah, that's what levels are for HAHAHA yeah for sure sounds like a little too much toe either way man. gas mileage will go up when you get it aligned too!

and yeah changing the front up prolly changed your toe a bit, that sounds right to me.