"While You're In There:" Focus SVT Edition

Well, the transmission will soon be coming out of our project Focus SVT.

Here's my question: what else should I do while I'm changing the clutch?

Tom Suddard wrote: Well, the transmission will soon be coming out of our project Focus SVT. Here's my question: what else should I do while I'm changing the clutch?

LSD!!!

EDIT: Seriously. I've driven one of these things in anger and it gets old mashing curbs to keep the inside wheel from spinning. If it is going to a race track... put in the LSD while you have it apart.

have the flywheel lightened and resurfaced

I vote LSD too, cheap arse OBX unit maybe? Did yours come with the Torsen?

Definitely on the flywheel. (either new manufacture light one or a "shave"?)

New trans fluid. Any lines, rubber or hard that would be a bitch to get to?

hallucinogens

OEM flywheel bolts, OEM pressure plate bolts. OEM axle seals. Use the factory recommended Motorcraft trans fluid. Capacity is 2.1 quarts for a service fluid change. Check your Ford dealer or CFM.com. Check my build thread for part no.s.

Beg forum member Mitchell to let you borrow the flywheel holding tool to torque the flywheel and pp bolts to spec.

How bad is your thermostat housing leaking? You should go ahead and replace with the updated CFM contour housing.

I'm parting out an identical car to yours. I still have a lot of parts if you need anything. /end plug.

Good luck!

uh, box flares. duh.

Individual throttle bodies. The intake manifold is begging for it.

Pilot bearing

Don't shave the flywheel. Just clean it.

If it need turning, replace.

Heh, unfortunately this is going to be a street touring car, so I'm putting in a stock clutch and flywheel. No LSD, either.

In reply to Tom Suddard:

In that case you should do everything suggested in this thread, delete this thread and if called out on anything deny, deny, deny

Motor mounts.

Trans fluid.

Rear Main.

Read through my thread; learn from my mistakes.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/renewing-vows-with-my-2003-svt-focus/79949/page1/

If I had my special tools with me, I would send them your way, but they're at a family member's house out of state.

Put an LSx in it.

Tom Suddard wrote: Heh, unfortunately this is going to be a street touring car, so I'm putting in a stock clutch and flywheel. No LSD, either.

Epic amounts of fail.

Sorry, but the car just won't be competitive in other classes unless I make it too radical to drive on the street. I agree that a light flywheel would be a huge improvement, but my hands are tied by rules. Such is life.

'Autocross rules rule my life'

Hmm, am I going to have to pull the subframe?

It looks like (assuming I do pull the subframe) I'm going to need a set of alignment dowels, and a flywheel holding tool. Anything else special?

Oh, and here's a question: what's the best place to find a factory service manual for this thing?

interesting choice on ST.... I seem to remember looking through the solo nats results for the last few years and only seeing SVTs on the podiums in H stock (not first place, but solid third? if I remember correctly).

I guess rules are changing every year though, and you gotta stay ahead of your competition!

ps. if you guys find a way to grease the front sway bar bushings easily, please let me know. only way I can realistically get to the passenger side bolt is with like 7 extensions and 3 wobble joints from the top of the engine bay... and by then I can't get enough torque to the bolt to loosen it.

Tom Suddard wrote: Hmm, am I going to have to pull the subframe? It looks like (assuming I do pull the subframe) I'm going to need a set of alignment dowels, and a flywheel holding tool. Anything else special?

I found a lot of stuff saying that the front subframe would have to be removed (or loosened and dropped an inch or so).

I did not touch them and was able to remove the trans out the bottom.... i do remember it being quite tight though, and requiring some intelligent twisting. I didnt use a tranny jack and just 'muscled' the trans out and in - lay on your back and get your bench press on - and I made this choice because of the twisting required. But I would not do this again by myself....

MA! WHERES THE FREAKIN PROTIEN MA!

Also, to hold the flywheel, i don't remember specifically needing a special tool, but maybe that's because I tend to hack stuff a bit (like the ol screwdriver through one of the starter bolt holes or drill a couple holes in a piece of angle iron and thread it into two of the pressure plate holes...)

The thing that WAS super helpful was a rig I borrowed from a friend. it sits in the channels on the sides of the engine bay, and holds the motor up while you remove mounts and the trans. Don't remember what it is called.

OHHH!!

There is a special tool for the timing belt job that threads into the side of the engine block somewhere under the #3 and #4 exhaust ports. It sticks out into the crankcase and you turn the crank gently until the counterweight rests on the end of this tool. it prevents the crank from turning and holds the crank in the exact position needed to set the timing belt.

It seems to me you could use a piece of the correct thread all-thread to screw in there. if you can get the flywheel bolts off with an impact, then this will prevent the crank from turning while you tighten with a torque wrench. The special tool is set at exactly the right length to hold the crank in one position, but to just hold the crank the length wouldn't be super important.

May or may not be the best way to go, but another option for sure.

On the bright side, the timing belt has already been done. So I'm good there.

Rear VF dogbone mount - not a massive change, but helps tighten the shifting just a bit.

http://www.fswerks.com/collections/engine/products/vf-engineering-rear-engine-mount-ford-focus-spi-zetec-svt-duratec

Are you sticking with the dual mass flywheel setup?