Anyone put a zetec in a viva/firenza/magnum?

[mactat2]

Hi Guys after some advice, i'm looking at fitting a 2.0l silvertop zetec into a my magnum and running it on bike carbs. Has anyone done this? if so any advice on ignition, engine mounts, sump or anything else they had to overcome would be a great help :0) oh will be running it with a type 9 gearbox
cheers
Mac

[carledo]

Why bother when you could have a Redtop, keep it true to it's GM roots and all the knowledge is out there! Or if you want to be different, how about an MV6, plenty of old Omegas out there for nearly pennies ATM!

Hugely jealous of the Magnum BTW!

Steve

[fordperv]

Search the ford forums like passionford for info on turning the engine rwd, i would say go the C20XE route would be easier and cheaper, but if you already have the Silvertop and type 9 it will be interesting

[mactat2]

Cheers guys, yeah already have a zetec and type 9. Just got to get a set of zx6r carbs and a manifold then the games can commence lol

[dbizzle]

With regard to the carbs, might be worth having a word with Chester Sportscars - they know all there is to know about running bike carbs on Ford motors...

[mactat2]

cool, it'll definatly need some tweeking. I'll give them a call once its in and running

[lord13]

zetec conversion is the way to go i'd say... the redtop's been done to death.
And because everybody does the redtop, the prices of the units and conversion gear is way over the top, Zetecs on the other hand can be had for pennies.
1600 -1800 is an easier swap, the 2.0 needs messing around with the pulley/waterpump configuration, but if you're ditching all the ps and aircon gear then you should be able to sort it easily, and you won't have any trouble with the gearbox either as it's a straight bolt on job ( unless you've got an 1600 SE ..but you haven't so thats ok)
Although i'd go the original injection route simply because
A) it'll get you up and running quicker
B) it'll cost you a bit less initially and is quite comprehensibly mapped for general use
C) you can have fun in your magnum while you save up for throttle bodies and a programmable ecu

and also, probably not so important to you as you're running a magnum, but burton sell a rocker cover that makes the Zetec look like a BDA ! Which is the holy grail to the ford boys

[mactat2]

Yeah redtops are really going up in price! what do i need to modify on the pulley/water pump? sure i read somewhere the pump need to run in the oppersite direction?

[fordperv]

Slightly off topic the best way for getting a redtop in my opinion is to buy a running converted car that's needs a bit of work and break it, you make your money back and get an engine that you know is decent, i did it by buying a rotten nova, i actually ended in profit at the end which paid for the main rwd conversion parts, meaning they cost me the grand total of £0 the only thing that will cost me is an exhaust manifold and clutch, so it can be done, I've just got to start the project

[ajc91]

I like the Zetec idea, plenty of old Ford's running GM engines! I know you need to mod the water pump to spin the other way in a fwd Escort of Fiesta etc. Presumably if you're turning it 90 degrees you'd have room to replicate the belt layout of the car the engine came from? Plenty of rwd conversion bits for sale on Burton Power website.

[ftz313]

If you look at zetec from the timing belt end, clockwise is escort/fiesta and anti-clockwise is mondeo.

[yellowmexrep]

I haven't put a zetec into a vauxhall but have one in my mk1 escort (and the mk1 cortina currently being built). The escort one has been up and running for around 4 years and is in at least it's third guise!!!

not sure whether you would
need a front or rear bowl sump but the easiest way now is to get a fwd sump modified by a local engineering company to clear, it's heart stopping cutting a good sump but be brave and you'll be rewarded with a leak free sump (providing a good welder fitted the new plates!) for a lot less than a Sierra cvh one from eBay!
I've used twin 40's (which lasted about 10 miles, drove hideously) 32/36 and currently 38 dgas. which carbs you choose do really affect what performance your aiming for, whether a cruiser or track.
With the ecu don't mess around, just go and get a unit from Nodiz in Westbury, Wiltshire. I first tried building mine on a budget so went and put Ford edis on (red one with vacuum advance) the easiest way to explain the difference between them is that the edis feels like your driving with the handbrake on! !!!!!!
I used a efi cvh flywheel redrilled for a pinto clutch, just don't go fitting a 1600 Sierra clutch, it can't handle the torque, lol!
raceline do a really nice cast aluminium water rail if you have bulkhead clearance issues for the thermostat, I've fitted both this and the retro Ford one, raceline one is slightly more expensive but more than makes up for the price difference in quality and the space it takes up.
One small thing to watch out for is that both of the coolant hoses come out on the same side so you either have a crossover pipe around the engine bay or buy a radiator with the diverter plate inside to get equal temperature dispersal over the rad.
hope my experience helps, good luck with the build, it's a reliable conversion if not cheap, especially if you keep changing from your original plan!

[mactat2]

Hi Yellowmexrep, some great info there thanks :0) the engine i've got came from a mondeo and has had the flywheel/clutch sorted ready to take a type 9 box. The previous owner had started getting it ready to put in a moggy but then had a change of plan. Carb wise i was thinging of zx6r bike carbs on a danst manifold. Originally i was intending to use the edis to get it up and running then swap over to a Nodiz at a later date

[grizz]

Even my old 1963 Taunus Transit had an 1800 Zetec.

It was brisk in fact more than brisk and was 100% reliable.

Build thread and details in here.....

retrorides.proboards.com/thread/37192/1963-taunus-transit-fk1250-sams



its in the hole!!