Nerd Racing's 94 Ford Aspire Work Log

[Damkid]

I'm looking forward to seeing how well that fits in an aspire engine bay!!

[nerd racing]

you and me both! The transmission mount brackets look promising for possibly 2 of the 4 mounts to bolt into the aspire even! the bottom two trans mounts that is, and i may use the tail transmission mount with just the slightest modification.

I am really excited, and yet mad that my unlce hasn't gotten back to me about the cherry picker he said I could use tomorrow. I am working 8 hours overtime tomorrow though so its not too awful if I have to wait till Sunday to pull the KLDE.

[Damkid]

Which tranny did you have with the BP? if its the F or G tranny you should be able to re-use the rear mount with the V6 tranny

[nerd racing]

I have the stock one in there now. E-series i believe.

I know if the stock rear lower bracket doesn't work, a Protege one will bolt right up to the stock aspire mount and locate correctly. I had a set of G-series brackets made but I didn't have enough time to locate the Capri/323GT IM shaft so I just threw the stocker in there.

The Front mount on the KLDE looks like a beefier version of the aspire stock mount (read wider for the wider bushing). I know for sure I am going to drill out a couple holes in the cross member so I can use my pre-filled Protege mounts I got off of Doug a while back.

[Damkid]

i'd try using the G series mount you had made up for the rear mount if you still have it, it'll work on the 4 cyl g series and the V6 trans

[nerd racing]

the rear one I used was the stock protege one, it bolted right in and located the trans perfectly.

[Mazda_Powered]

nice man!

[nerd racing]

Update!

I have the cherry picker so tonight the aspire engine is coming out and the frame rail will be clearanced in the morning, as well as the firewall pinchweld. I'm going to gently fold it up and back. I also removed the hood latch, air bag sensor, and horn. I then figured out where I'm going to place the radiator, I'll get pics later on. Tomorrow morning I will weld the frame up and drill out the holes for the rear Protege rubber mount (aspire mount is similar but the stud spacing is narrower) and relocate the brake proportioning valve closer to the driver's side by about 6 inches. Then around 12:30 I am going over to pull the KLDE and bring it home! I am hoping by tomorrow night the V6 will be resting in the bay awaiting engine mount fabrication and harness integration.

[nerd racing]

well I didn't get the engine out, but everything is unhooked and the picker is in place, just gotta hoist it out. I blew the bulb out on my trouble light so I am gonna wait till morning when its lighter out. PICTARS!!

All set to come out... its like the end of an era!



Look at the size difference in radiators! (626 one in the rear, aspire one in front)



I decided I better wait till the engine was in to mount the radiator, I just might have enough room to mount it in a stockish location, if not I know where its going.

This is going together pretty nicely, I'm just waiting for a catch, or a monkey wrench in the works somewhere.

[DeeAOne]

good luck on this man.

[Mazda_Powered]

nothing like an upgrade lol

[nerd racing]

I am just hoping I can wait till winter is over so I can drive it daily!

Up up and away!



BP waiting in the back of the garage for Overburn to let me know he's ready for it:



Trans is sold too, just have to drain it and get a shipping quote for Frestiva over on fordfestiva.com:



I folded down the pinch weld for the firewall in order to gain a little more clearance:



I was going to make a plate to move the proportion valve over further, but I am just going to see what moving it down does for now, if I have to I'll make a plate:



Going to get the V6 in about 20 mins!

[Mazda_Powered]

sweet!!!

[Damkid]

I'm not sure if folding that pinch weld was necessary in an aspire but either way the extra clearance is nice :lol:

[nerd racing]

I like how it makes the bay look smoother too. I really don't think there is a heck of a lot more difference in the aspire engine bay compared to a festiva bay.